Hey, it's still got pedals!
- Thread starter Arnold Layne
- Start date
Keep in mind that real motorcycles of that era were at least 10% larger than bicycles and on top of that the seats were proportioned even larger. One of these could look really huge on a bike!
-Kirk
-Kirk
You are correct sir! This isn't a bike with a cute little engine on it, it's a full size motorcycle. I'll go out and get some measurements. It is a bit unnerving the first time you climb on to start it as you have to keep it balanced on the stand and pedal to start the engine. And it doesn't want to roll over very badly, after the second compression stroke the compression relief slips in and you get it spinning, drop the relief and advance the timing and it's running. The comp. relief and spark advance are controlled by the left handgrip. The amount of oil the engine gets is contolled by a needle valve at the front of the oil tank, the one on the left. There is a sight glass under the tank that lets you see how much is dripping in. After it has run a while you try to drip about the same amount that is being dropped out of the cam chest drain. That's right, it's a total loss oiling system, once the oil has moved through the engine it is free to go. I think H-D used this system until about 1937. The ignition key is a little brass pin with a groove cut near the end, it snaps into a hole in the side of the coil to complete the circuit. Uses a six volt lantern battery to power the ignition, in the old days you would charge the battery every so often. I am a motorcyle guy at heart and for me the China Girl provides a cheap fix of the essence of motorcycling, that's what brought me here. I am pretty deep into antique stuff, and compared to the cost of aquiring and then restoring a motorcycle, the Timeless is dirt cheap. And you can ride it without worrying about crashing a toy that cost more than your house. There is not a piece on this bike that you can hold in your hand and get the impression that it is cheap junk. Okay, I'm going to stop rambling, it's really rainy here and not much going on. 
The bike from tip to tip is 7' 3" long. The top of the seat is just short of 40" from the ground when it's on the stand. The seat itself is 15" long, 12" wide.
Wow, that's 10" longer than my bike. Big. How tall is the tube over the tank when the bike is only on the tires?
The top of the fuel tank overlaps the top frame tube, the top tube is 33" from the ground. Got my tank decals today. 
Arnold, sweet build!
I just wish that Timeless would offer a scaled down version of that engine, that we all could use for our vintage style builds!
Peace Crazy Horse.
I just wish that Timeless would offer a scaled down version of that engine, that we all could use for our vintage style builds!
Peace Crazy Horse.
Rode the Timeless bike for the first time yesterday. High winds and thick gravel did little for the experience but I can say the bike is very smooth once underway. The pedals are geared pretty deep, it feels a little like a 10-speed in first, so it's a pretty wide transition when you pull the clutch lever to drive but it just chuffs along nice and smooth. I was oiling pretty heavy, when it gets to the point of having a little too much it throws oil EVERYWHERE! I talked to a guy who has an original 1911 and his behaves the same way. Acceleration wise, I think my 66cc China Girl may be able to pull away up to about 25mph, but it feels like it may be a good race. It is a brand new learning curve, when you are getting low on reaction time the first thing to come to mind is not grabbing the clutch lever but I am confident I can master it. I waited this long to ride because our local motorcycle show is on Halloween weekend and I wanted to keep it clean. Would like to ride to town today, about 15 miles round trip.
a video would be nice then we could all live through you... Plus more pic of your bike is always better. Love it!I forgot the 100% finished pics, sorry 'bout that. Only ridden seven miles, maybe see about a video next spring.
Very nice build.
I am using the same Timeless rear belt sheave and I would like to know what type of fasteners are used to attach the sheave to the brackets? I am most interested on what they looked like on the end that is under the leather sheave liner, did they push up the leather by any amount?
I am using the same Timeless rear belt sheave and I would like to know what type of fasteners are used to attach the sheave to the brackets? I am most interested on what they looked like on the end that is under the leather sheave liner, did they push up the leather by any amount?
Ok, now that I have washed the drool out of my keyboard.....
You have done awesome! It is soooo beautiful!
You have done awesome! It is soooo beautiful!