EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little De

[eDJ]

I've been looking thru my CD back up disk in my old bookmarks folders and I found this lovely web site a family created for their interest in Tanaka bicycle motors marketed under the names: Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, and Little Devil. I'm hoping this will add to the board for future pilgrims when they arrive wondering what it is they bought from someone, tuning spec's, and operation.

I found this way back in 2004 I believe but as I said.....the internet was a two llane dirt road wanting to be an info super highway. I couldn't find information
or boards like this one then so my Sears Free Spirit motor sit in the box getting older and older.

This image of a Sears Free Spirit engine is representative of what my engine looks like. The bicycle I am mounting mine on is different however.

So, I hope this helps those who have come by one of these motor outfits.

HERE'S THE LINK :

tanaka


.

 

[deacon]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

Im sure you will be hearing from bikeguy joe. By the way that maybe the only thing in the world the actually increased in value as it sat in the box.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

Nice site.....you almost got that thing goin'?

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

Notice they are all using skateboard wheels?

 

[eDJ]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

I'm hoping to as the weather is supposed to cool down here next week and I get my work caught up. I stopped by the local hobby shop and asked about that silicone tubing. They gave me a blank look and asked what brand or who makes it ? I've known these people since I was a kid so they take me serious.

If you're able to find out the name of the maker let me know
who it is so I can tell them. Otherwise I could use some high temp RTV to mend it where it cracked beside the clamp.

I've got my bracket laid out on card stock (like comes in a laundried shirt) so when I get the bracket built I'll be pouring some mix in the tank and seein if I can get it to fire up.

Where I took the front derailer shift lever of to just use the rear 5 gerars.....I put the lever back on it to use for the throttle. That left using an old bicycle horn button to use as the Kill switch.

.......and yes......they are using Skate Board wheels to drive the tire with. Adapting one of those will be my next little project....once I'm up 'n' running.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

Tell 'em you need the blue tubing for a tuned pipe.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

WOW, Thanks and Welcome eDJ that sure rings by bells. I don't even remember how many years it's been since i've seen one of them. wow. Later Tramp

 

[biken stins]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

Came across bikebug.net last week.
Parts, Info, etc.
They offer a conversion for wide forks.
Hope this can help some for those looking for parts

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

You don't need a conversion for wide forks other than some longer bolts.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

You don't need to buy the expensive paperwork package either......and he wants you to buy that before he'll sell parts.

 

[biken stins]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

Thanks Joe.
That was kinda of the way I started heading.
Was hoping it might have some nice fork brackets.
Mine are home made and not much to look at, but work just fine.
But like wise men if it works why change it

 

[Buzzard]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

The boss came walking in the shop the other day, he had this little 2 cycle motor called a Bike Bug, he said if I wanted it I could heve it. He bought it back in the 60s, ran it on his bike till the drive roller wore out and its been laying in his garage on a shelf since. I looked it over and it seems to be all there and its very well built, but I had no way to handle it or check it out. So I made a jig out of some conduit pipe and a piece of angle iron and welded it up so I can install a motor on it and clamp it in a vice. The gas tank has had some rust in it and the roller was definitely worn. I took the spark plug out and shot a little gas in the motor, took my cordless drill and spun the fly wheel, it took right off in a big puff of smoke. Looks like its going to be a winner. I did some web searching and there is a guy down in Texas that refurbishes and sells these motors, so I ordered some new parts and I should get them pretty soon. I'm going to clean and treat the gas tank. Looks like this motor will fit on a coaster bike only. With the workmanship on the motor it definitely is not Chinese, maybe Italian or English. This is as far as I've got on it, but it sure looks like it'll be fun to tinker with. He alsohad the original parts and service manual.
buzzard

 

[u2seek42]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

Anyone with a copy of any paperwork for the bikebug, is asked to leave an info dump here.

Don't worry, I've put papers on the floor.

 

[u2seek42]

Re: EUREKA I Found it ! Bike Bug, Aqua Bug, Tas Spitz, Sears Free Spirit, & Little

"We have also recently donated copies of all the literature ever published on these engines to the Bike Shed Museum in Napier, New Zealand, The Bicycle Museum in Philadelphia and The Houston Bicycle Museum".

OK boys there we have it we must make this site a museum!