Finally finished my Slater Cruiser

[mike_ric]

Just did my first MPG test, I can get (conservatively) 160mpg on this setup. I put 8 ounces in the tank after running it dry and did 12 miles before it ran dry again. Speed between 30-35, about 65% in 4th gear, 30% in 5th, and the rest in 3rd. Terrain: undulating Virginia backroads. 2011 Felt Slater, Honda GXH50 4-stroke with cam, Sturmey-Archer 5 speed hub.

 

[Badlands]

WOW! You did a really nice job, Very clean looking. My next bike will be something similar, 4stroke with a jack shaft,and gears. Very Nice!

 

[mike_ric]

Thanks Badlands, let me know if you need help with mounting the jackshaft and I can post more detailed photos. That issue was the biggest challenge with this build. It was on-hold for a year until I found some friends with creative welding experience. The original engine kit with the jackshaft was a no-go, and mounting it took a bit of fabricating. My friends welded two pieces of aluminum bar stock directly to the clutch. Those are supported by a small steel tab welded onto the engine mount at the bottom then by those two big bolts under the seat.

 

[Badlands]

Thanks for the offer! I looked at the whole jack shaft assembly in the beginning but due to costs and the amount of work it would take I decided to go the easy route on my first build. My buddy came by today and rode my bike and now he wants me to help him build a Motorized Trike.

 

[Dan]

Purty work, Mike!

Really interesting look of cross between factory and DIY.

 

[runnermike]

Is that shut off valve for the fuel also a filter? If so, where did you purchase it? Bike looks sweet!

 

[mike_ric]

Hi,

That's a Pingel Petcock, plus an adaptor plate. I told myself that the build was going to have a Pingel no matter what. I also put them on my motorcycles. It does have a built-in fuel filter/screen. They are also rebuildable.

http://www.pingelonline.com/prodcat/fuel-valves.asp

Mike

 

[mike_ric]

One more note about the Pingel. I had to very carefully hand file a flat spot under the frame on which to mount the adapter plate. Then much time was required to insert two small nuts into the petcock hole and attach them to the small bolts that hold the adapter plate onto the frame tube. Working nearly blind through a small little hole was challenging!

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Nice looking bike!!

The Slater is one of my all time favorite bikes from Felt!!

 

[mike_ric]

Hi VMB, thanks. I actually spoke to you a couple of years ago and purchased a front brake caliper adapter to fit on the original bobber front end of this bike. I ended swapping out the entire fork so that well-made part ended up in my bin of spare build components.

 

[mike_ric]

Hi, I have a couple of questions for folks out there:

1. Is a longer kickstand available for the Slater? It's about 2" too short and it requires me to always put a piece of 2x4 under it so it doesn't fall over.
2. Any creative metal cutters on the forum? I'd like to get a small piece of black 1/16" or 1/8" thick sheet aluminum or steel cut with the Felt logo seen on the tank. The metal will match the size of the clutch cover with the letters reverse cut out of it. I'll screw or rivet it onto the cover. I can supply original artwork if necessary, but also looking for creative ideas for any kind of scroll work or other ideas about such embellishments. The entire piece is only about 4-5" x 8".

Thanks, Mike.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

What I did on all Slater builds was to heat & bend the tip of the kickstand straight to make the bike stand up more.

 

[scotto-]

Drill a golf ball and glue it to the end of the kickstand. You can park on soft sand with this set-up

 

[mike_ric]

Thanks for the tips guys, definitely good ideas. I could combine both Venice's idea and Scotto's idea. Or I could find another cool item to mount on the end of the stand, like a piston or something.

 

[silverbear]

That's a good, clean looking build... welcome to the forum.
SB