How are belt drive sprockets mounted to backwheel on vintage motorized bicycles?

[remichi]

Was just wondering how the belt drive sprockets were mounted to the backwheel on the vintage motorized bicycles and motorcycles of the early 1900's. The sprockets are of course much bigger in diameter so need to be mounted directly to the spokes. How did they make sure it stayed in place and did not move?

Bikes like early Harleys, Indians etc all had belt drives early on. See the following website for an example of an early motorized bicycle: http://www.yesterdays.nl/chater-1902-211cc-p-2529.html

It's a very nice website with many nice pictures of motorcycles and even motorized bicycles. They also have a very nice Indian boardtracker: http://www.yesterdays.nl/indian-1913-valve-boardtrack-racer-p-2440.html

 

[bigbutterbean]

I'm not sure how they were attached to the rear wheel, but belt drives are not called sprockets. The part attached to the rear wheel is called a sheave, and the part on the engine that drives it is called a pulley. Sprockets have teeth. Just a little helpful info for reference.

 

[remichi]

Useful to know! Didn't know it was called a sheave, the pulley part I knew...

 

[thimmaker]

They are attached at each spoke with a small clamp,bolt, and nut through the holes in the sheave. Once centered properly to the rim, they won't go anywhere if all the screws are tight and the spokes are tightened the same as they should be anyway. The smaller Sportsman sheaves were riveted directly to the rim.
Geo.

 

[Mr.B.]

The most common way early motorcycles had the driven pulley attached to the wheel was with brackets like this 1905 Harley...

Some English & European bikes like this 1917 Triumph had them attached with short spokes...

A few even had heavier cast spokes radiating from the hub.

Attaching directly to the spokes as previously described would be for slightly smaller pulleys/sheaves as seen on a Whizzer.

btw- Replica Whizzer sheaves are readily available and are a quick and easy way to go belt drive!

-Kirk

 

[chainmaker]

In the 1950 Panther link in my signature Check out posts 113 and on for a couple different close ups of how the sheave is connected to the wheel.