79cc Sportsman Flyer build

[Tom from Rubicon]

Weather today, unseasonably warm and tempting. Gotta go. Gassed up the Flyer, garbed for the worst and did. Dumped it on the start, beverages involved. Not too much as to be unsafe for a ride but enough to try a pedal start.
Dumb.
Bully clutch and 79cc Predi. do fine without pedal assist.
Right the bike, start the engine and just go I did. Ride shortened by the Brookes saddle rotating out of position.
I know what needs be done. My thread in the Tavern will develop my solution I hope.
Tom

 

[indian22]

Hope only your pride was dinged Pete. I dumped the Simplex a few years back while a pro photographer was shooting the whole thing & my pride was severely damaged. Fortunately he was from out of state and there was no local collateral damage to my rep. Not a scratch on bike or man, but somewhere there is photographic evidence that I screwed the pooch.

Rick C.

 

[FOG]

All my crashes these days are at 0mph .... and that's the problem! My technical skills over difficult terrain ain't what they used to be.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Pride Rick? The Missus comes boiling of the door.
"I think you are too tuned up to ride" " and where is your hat?" It fell off.
I have been riding motorcycles since I could afford one.
These bikes do take more attention, And I will.
The flat spot on my Brookes 190 saddle, will be a reminder.
Tom.

 

[indian22]

Ouch, fell and then bit as well! Truth the walk around is recommended practice and the Brooks scar will remind you. Both bikes and horses can and do bite & kick so both bare watching at all times.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

My last ride noted above
After making kindling for the wood stove I gave pause to analyze the Brookes saddle seat post mount and angular positioning. Some deficiency's engineering wise I have a plan to maximize clamp distribution.
Day before Easter here in Rubicon, Wisconsin, and weather deteriorating into winter like conditions.
But the day before Easter we got a parade.
Glad they did. A lot of joy. Happy Easter

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Can honestly say where once was woods neighbors now occupy. The Owl does not like the lose of habitat.
Tom

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

I have been unhappy with the generic pedals on the Flyer for some time, Walmart I think but other things always got priority. The bike being a tribute to an earlier time at the dawn of motorcycling the more period correct details the better.
Bit of searching, likely candidates varied in cost from nearly $450.00,https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Ha...473765?hash=item3fe03474a5:g:O4EAAOSweateoDyJ
Beautiful!
But what I settled on which are beautiful too at less than a tenth the price.
So nice I am thinking another set for my 1972 Schwinn P15 Paramount.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MKS-Sylvan...dals-Silver-9-16-Alloy-Toe-Clip-/323935806365
That the seller is in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin sealed it.
They came today and will soon grace the Flyers pedal cranks.
Tom

 

[MotoMagz]

Good thinking on the pedal... they look very nice! And I like that price a lot better.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Thanks Keith, your approval matters to me cuz your Taylar rig is mighty fine.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

It finally dawned on me where the pedals on my Flyer came from. In a moment of shameless expediency my Huffy - Davidson pedals were pressed into service.
Shame for shame and Egad!
Before and after photos on the install. Tomorrow I ride.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Shake down ride after mowing two acres for first time in 2020.
Before the ride I thought I better check oil level in my tipped up vertical 79cc engine. Unscrewed the top filler. and with a thin wooden dowel. My first setup of my Flyer 80. I just ran a tube from the rocker cover port and down to the ground mostly because I couldn't imagine must oil coming out of that port. Wrong!
2018 runs, actually first one I almost lost it breaking going into a round about but at the time thought those bicycle tires might of had mold wax on them. Wrong! Oiled tire.
2019 upgrading drivetrain to steel instead of aluminum with perfected chain lines and everything functioning flawlessly. Except the breather tube dumping on the ground and no back pressure. I knew Pat Dolan used catch cans and just though it was a California thing.
Wrong!
A properly plumbed catch can restricts blow out.
So this last winter I added a catch can to the Flyer 80 build.
Today when I checked the oil level it was so low as to expect the crank to have not gotten adequate lubrication.
I can see the value of sight glasses on the crankcase side. Use this information as best you can.
Tom

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

The new Rat Trap pedals are nice to look at but I have found that they don't remain in what I will call the upright position. The pedal body is not centered on the pedal shaft. I'm going to have to come up with some sort of counter balance that doesn't look too dorky.
Still, it was a good ride and so far the saddle has stayed where I set it. Knock on wood.
Tom

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Weather allowed me to get out on my Sportsman Flyer yesterday and today. Saturday was to prove out my correction of a deficiency in the Brooks saddle mounting system. In my Machineshop /Tool Room I made parts to replace the stock assembly by a factor X 5 and also containment of the saddle frame that did not exist in the original Brooks B190 seat post mount.

https://www.brooksengland.com/en_us/b190.html

The position adjustment would not stay where set. Damn nuisance while riding. There is a significant # complaints about the whole product line since what is still built in England is now Italian owned.
If needed I can post photos for those how would see the value of my Engineering. On part of my ride I passed a logger and he hailed me to a stop. "Is that a real one?".
Thanks Pat.

 

[indian22]

My reply Tom, "It is now".

Rick C.

 

[MotoMagz]

The good old catch can ..yep they catch all that oil from blasting that awesome bike..which we don’t want! I like the direction you took the Flyer!! What tires are u running? Thanks bud!

 

[PeteMcP]

Hey Tom, apart from the braces (suspenders?) you got Marlon Brando's 'The Wild One' look pretty much nailed. lol.

 

[MotoMagz]

Hey Tom, apart from the braces (suspenders?) you got Marlon Brando's 'The Wild One' look pretty much nailed. lol.

Brando! I new the smooth look reminded me of someone.. thanks Pete!

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

The good old catch can ..yep they catch all that oil from blasting that awesome bike..which we don’t want! I like the direction you took the Flyer!! What tires are u running? Thanks bud!

My current tires Moto are.
Continental Retro Ride 26 x 2" Reflex Tire: Cream
They have a reflective stripe at the rim I am not too keen about.
About that catch can, it catches a lot of oil. Like a couple oz. in a five mile ride which to me is a lot.
Tom

 

[MotoMagz]

My current tires Moto are.
Continental Retro Ride 26 x 2" Reflex Tire: Cream
They have a reflective stripe at the rim I am not too keen about.
About that catch can, it catches a lot of oil. Like a couple oz. in a five mile ride which to me is a lot.
Tom

Thanks! You may be blowing out extra oil.. meaning to much added at fill?? Also I ran mine in a upward direction from vent hole. Mist blows in and I believe Cuz of tube angle not much oil is lost????