1980 Pedal Power front friction drive 1HP 12v

[PedalPower1980]

Hi from the hills around Channel Islands University, near zip 93010
5 miles from the ocean

If any members have heard of the old "Pedal Power" US made electric bike kit sold in the late 1970's
and early 1980's ..It would be interesting to hear about what happened to make them dissappear.
-My current electric ride' was purchased from PP by me back in early 1980 - as a kit for $150.00
PP might have been located in New Jersey at the time.


Problems and Question

1) There are LOTS of very long steep hills
around here, the 1980 Pedal Power front friction drive wheel is essentially a 1" wide grinding wheel
mounted on the end of a 1HP permanent magnet motor with a spring loaded sissor' arrangement
to push the wheel against the tire and an old car florboard starter switch to make the
off/on battery connection

This thing EATS front tires on hills at the rate of 1 every 90 miles
-thats 4 tires in the last month an a half

2) The bike is currently running on a 12V (38 LB) group 22 nf gelcell
rated at 55 amp hours - capable of 19 miles at 16 MPH unassisted
-current draw up hills is around 60 amps for 10 min at a time (gets hot)
-tried a smaller U1 size gelcell ( have 5 of them from other projects)
but only went 9 miles and steep hill climbing speed was 3MPH less than the 22NF
..down from 9-10 to 6 mph
speed downhill behind the school reaches 41 MPH on the speedo (who cares )


Question: who sells a 26" bike tire hard enough / capable of
standing up to the slippage and grinding action ?


Regards,
New Member
Ron

 

[wheelbender6]

Welcome to the forum. Unfortunately, I have no experience with friction drive or electric. Maybe you could add a frame mounted, chain driven engine and use the friction motor only to zip you up the hills.

 

[James Junget]

Maybe you could change the drive wheel to something less abrasive. Rubber or something metal that will match the lugs of a tire.

 

[PedalPower1980]

Hi,
Bicycle tires at the local Target Store or Kmart (Bell etc.) while
cheap in the $14.00 range, are a very soft compound.
If there is a more robust thicker skin for bikes similar to a
hard auto tire compound I need to find it.

Thanks,
R

 

[motorbiker]

Hi, Check out a local bicycle shop. I was buying tubes and tires at WalMart until I found out my local bike shop had a lower price. He also has a huge selection of tires. Find a tire that is smooth in the center where the roller contacts the tire.

tire info: Motorized Bicycle Tires

 

[PedalPower1980]

Thanks,
I rode the bike overThe local Bill's bike shop in Camarillo, Ca.
where he looked at it and suggested the $14.95 CSL with a harder composition
center rib.
will see if that holds up for the 90 mile trek this week.
-letting them actually see the problem changed the tire suggestion
regards
r

 

[silverbear]

I have one of these motors in working condition if anyone is interested. My understanding is that the motor is actually a starter motor made by Bosch. Mine was mounted on a three wheeler and originally used a garden tractor battery. It seems to be well made and durable. The newer and lighter batteries now might make this a viable option.
Silverbear

 

[PedalPower1980]

HI
Pedal-Power had 3 units back in '80, one was 1/2 HP, one was 1 HP, and one was dual power with a 2 speed 1/2 or 1 HP setting user switchable while driving.
The 1HP uses permanent magnets, unlike most starter motors of the time

The motor on the trike was just too difficult to control, with the trike on
2 wheels going around most corners (motor was either on or off)

With the friction wheel on the tire and running with no load
the bell speedo says 20 MPH

Question:
which HP motor do you have ?

Regards,
R

 

[silverbear]

I don't know what horsepower it is. How can you tell?
Silverbear

 

[rohmell]

Maybe you could get a GEBE sheave, belt and pinion gear and run it like that, no wear to the tires!

 

[kipharley]

Hi,Ron.Weekend before last I had a guy stop in and looked at my bikes and told me he picked up a PP set up and asked me if I knew anything about them.
I told him I didn't and asked him around what year he thought it was and he had no idea,and the conversation changed to something else.
Then a couple days later I come home and there was a box in front of my garage door with the PP motor and a mount and a brake lever and that's about it.
There isn't any mounts to mount it on a bike.
Are these things worth any thing?Kip.

 

[silverbear]

Kip,
I have still have one in a box which came on a three wheeler I once had (and wish now I had kept for a gas project bike). It ran off of a garden tracker battery which of course was quite heavy. It would have been adequate for running a three wheeler to the store for groceries and that sort of thing. Not very fast, in other words. It is a Bosch starter motor and I don't know what would happen if you tried to give it more juice, say like 24 volts. The newer batteries would certainly weight a lot less than a garden tractor battery. Considering what is available today in electrics, this is a pretty primitive rig, but it worked. I think this would be 1960s or 1970s. I can dig mine out to see how it mounted if you want. I don't remember now.
SB