99cc rack mount 3 speed spoke drive MTB

[Ludwig II]

Bowljoman, I'm in Britain, and we don't have "local laws". The national laws on anything with an engine require licences, insurance, roadworthiness including lights. Many of the devices which are acceptable in America are rejected here and across Europe as being unsuitable and inadequate for modern urban road and traffic conditions.

My suggestion was to Silverbear about his musing on friction drive and the possibility of taking a complete micro scooter engine and wheel unit and turning the back wheel with that.

 

[silverbear]

I got some wee little cable clamps at the hardware, the smallest they had and they are doing the job. Drop stand works well. I ran a cross bolt for making a catch for the drop stand figuring on some kind of a hook deal and then realized that with wing nuts holding the threaded rod in place the cable can be held by them as catches. At least it will work until I think of something more secure.

While the MTB waits for the link belt to arrive, Anniimoosh The Wonder Dog managed to finally chase down Johnny Pissoff, the resident red squirrel. Nothing like fresh squirrel for breakfast. Moosh is going to help me assemble the kiddie trailer this afternoon to see how that is going to work out with the MTB.
SB

 

[silverbear]

The photos below show the Instep trailer connected to the MTB. I was pleased to discover that the drop stand does not interfere with the trailer in either the raised or down position. This is by chance and has nothing to do with good planning. I'm in the process of sealing up the hub cross spokes, not with locktight, but with fingernail polish, the poor man's version. I like using fingernail polish as touch up paint when I can find a match. Black is no problem and there are so many shades of red available it is no problem either. Link belt is due to be here Saturday.
SB

 

[fasteddy]

Super. It's nice that we get lucky just enough times so that it keeps us going. Will Johnny Piss Off be going with Moosh or just his tail on a pole so there's a warning to all the others.

 

[silverbear]

Little Johnny Pissoff is no more. He has been consumed, tail and all. I believe this successful hunt will be relieved over and over again in nap time "reruns". Ha! After all of the unsuccessful chases she has given it's about time she scored.
SB

 

[fasteddy]

I would guess like all the other times Johnny should have taken the higher branch while taunting the mighty hunter.

 

[a_dam]

Many of the devices which are acceptable in America are rejected here and across Europe as being unsuitable and inadequate for modern urban road and traffic conditions.

God bless America!

I'm lucky that we are pretty rural in my area. People ride golf carts and ATV's on the streets, and I've never heard of anyone getting hassled for a MB. But I still try to be careful running the motor when not on the country roads, especially when taking a long ride into other towns.

As far as roadworthiness, I think my friction drive bike is as good as a VeloSolex anyday, motorwise and peddalwise. Does UK allow a chap to ride a VeloSolex anymore?

 

[Ludwig II]

They do, but it has to be registered. As a one off it has to go through Single Vehicle Approval, which then means it's either a moped and has to have all the lights, bells, whistles, or is a Low Powered Moped, with less of a burden, but i'ts stuck at 16mp max and you still need a licence , insurance and correct helmet.

 

[silverbear]

While I'm in "hurry up and wait" mode until the link belt arrives I did a little tinkering with lights. I made up a pattern for the lens glass and traced it onto a scrap from a broken picture frame... kind of a non glare frosted piece which might not be ideal for a lens, but I don't ride around at night needing to see where I'm going. This is mostly so that I am seen if it happens I'm still out at twilight time. It will light up and so will a tail light, so that's good enough.

I made a lens retainer from a section of copper ground wire from house wiring. I wrapped it around the same can I used for making the pattern and bent the ends a bit. Works fine. The light doesn't have any guts yet, but it at least makes the bike look a little more like a motored bike. I like headlights...

What will go inside will be a cut off LED flashlight with 9 units. It did run off of 3 1.5v AAA batteries and will now be powered by an aging 6v sidewall generator. I have found the difference in voltage (4.5v vs 6v) has not been a problem. No burned out units.
(cont.)
SB

 

[silverbear]

The tail light I made some time ago for something else back in the days I was making juice can gas tanks. Don't remember now what it was for, but it has never been used and lights up so is a volunteer for this project. I believe it was made from a mandarin oranges can and has a piece of translucent red plexiglass for a lens. Inside is a cut off 9 LED unit from a cheapo little flashlight. Outside is hand stitched harness leather and it is held in place with a stainless steel hose clamp. Looks good, I think, and the main thing is that it is a tail light and helps make the bike more visible.
SB

 

[silverbear]

The link belt arrived yesterday and I soon discovered there was not enough belting material for both runs. I dashed into town before Napa closed at noon and bought a belt for the final drive which I mis-measured. Too short, so I cut new slots in the swing arm, got the belts on the pulleys and fired it up after disconnecting the kiddie trailer. It didn't seem to have a lot of grab and was slipping on hills. It was the initial drive with the link belt that was slipping so I removed one link and tried it again. Better, but no power house. I rode it for a mile or so and found it was slowing down and finally stopped. The bike would not roll as the wheel was locked. I also saw that the drive hub was smoking... oh boy.

Stashed the bike in the woods, walked home and returned with the truck to retrieve the bike. Night was coming on, I was tired and discouraged so put the bike in the wood shed, covered the tools and called it a day. Oh, did I mention that one of the times I got off the bike I forgot about the step through frame and swung my leg over the engine, managing to burn my leg on both thigh and calf. Ouch.

This morning I disconnected the rods holding the swing arms in tension and removed the hub... which is toast, will not turn and is why the rear wheel appeared to be locked. True that I had not dialed in the adjustment. It was in some gear and I wanted to just ride it a bit before trying to figure out the gear adjustment. Probably shouldn't have done that. Also the oil in the hub was thin as I had filled it with marvel mystery oil wanting to kind of clean out whatever old and dried up was in there. Probably should have drained it and used something thicker.

The MTB is tucked away for now and will be until there is another hub to try. This time it will not be a coaster brake type, but a free wheel/ rim brake type of old Sturmey Archer 3 speed. In reading up on these old hubs I learned that the coaster brake models were problematic, so the next one will be a rim brake type that free wheels. I'll watch for one at the landfill and I recall seeing an English bike in terrible condition at a junk shop in a nearby town. The whole bike had been painted green... wheels, spokes, seat, chain, handlebars, everything. No gear shift or cable or adjuster and I don't recall if it was coaster brake or rim brake. I may go take a look and offer five bucks for it if it is a freewheel hub. If nothing else I'll advertise in the local newspaper for an old English 3 speed bike. One will turn up.

And while the bike sits I'll put my Panther back together so the dog and I can go bike riding. That's it for now...
SB

 

[silverbear]

A few photos show the belts in place. Photos were taken before removing one belt link in the primary drive. Last photo shows the old Sturmey Archer 1950's-60's throttle type gear shifter. It is marked in Roman numerals I, II & III.
SB

 

[mat_man]

Hi Silverbear

Great looking build. I think your rotation of the hub is Counter Clock Wise.
If your are using an old 3 speed hub, the rotation should be Clock Wise.

You need to flip the hub over to drive from the left side.

 

[silverbear]

It is easy to get confused with this. I did. Initially I had the engine crankshaft and hub drive pulley on the left side of the bike. Curtis Fox and then Cannonball2 caught the error. Page 4 post #24 begins that clarification. It seems backwards having the engine reversed so the crankshaft is on the right as well as the hub pulley, but as the engine spins in the direction of the rear wheel and in turn spins the hub pulley in the same direction the cross spokes catch the tire and move it forwards, spinning toward the front of the bike and propelling it forward. I know, it's weird. My initial ride was all forwards, believe me... I would have noticed if I was going backwards. Ha! I think my problem is in choice of the drive hub. The replacement one will freewheel and not have the coaster brake inside to get confused between going and stopping. This project has been a real learning experience and isn't done yet.
SB

 

[msrfan]

Hi sb. Sorry to hear about your smoked hub. I have some 3 speed hubs and I can give you one. If you're interested I can post photos.

 

[silverbear]

Hi sb. Sorry to hear about your smoked hub. I have some 3 speed hubs and I can give you one. If you're interested I can post photos.

That's very kind of you to offer. Let me look around locally to see if something turns up. I'll be stopping in at that junk shop tomorrow to take a look at that green one. It might be just what I need.
SB

 

[silverbear]

Well, I checked on that green machine at the junk shop and they wanted fifteen bucks for it. A closer inspection revealed a lot of deep pitting under the green paint (suggesting a lot of time spent in the great outdoors, rusting) so I passed on it, put an ad in the local weekly paper which came out today. Only one call so far from on old fellow in the Finlander rural community of Embarrass, Minnesota, about 45 minutes from me. I could tell he was Finnish by his accent since those of his generation all sound like they just got off the boat in spite of being second or third generations from immigration. Anyway, he has two bikes, one male and one female and one made in England and the other in the U.S. Both have been under cover and are functional other than flat tires and if I take them both then he wants $5.00. The U.S. bike may have Sturmey Archer parts and may be Shimano. But the English bike will surely be Sturmey Archer. Forgot to ask about whether they are freewheel or coaster brake. So tomorrow the dog and I will take a ride to scenic Embarrass, Minnesota and either have a nice ride and nothing much to show for it or will have scored big time (or at least what passes for big time in my neck of the woods). I suspect other calls will follow. A replacement hub is coming, I think...
SB

 

[Ludwig II]

Shops can be disappointments. On my visit to Chicago, I dropped into a pawnbroker's on the way to where we were staying, hoping to pick up a cheap guitar. They wanted $100+ for seized and warped planks I'd have thought twice about using for firewood.

The Finnish may be the start of something better for you.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Nice, so you've been able to get a breeding pair. Put them in a nice warm shed out of the weather and you'll never lack for bicycles ever again.

 

[silverbear]

Shops can be disappointments. On my visit to Chicago, I dropped into a pawnbroker's on the way to where we were staying, hoping to pick up a cheap guitar. They wanted $100+ for seized and warped planks I'd have thought twice about using for firewood.

The Finnish may be the start of something better for you.

Years back it seems like pawn shops were often good places to score tools and such, but visits in recent years have been disappointing with high price tags for junk. I've stopped going in to them. Yes, the Finnish could be a new beginning.
SB