I have gone even lower--a 20"!

[cannonball2]

Some times I think I need to stay out of my shop! Found an old 20" bike put out with the trash, and picked it up to get the front wheel for a recumbent I am building. After parting it out the rear wheel got leaned up on a 24" frame I had saved. Thats how it started. I am really not sure what I am building here, and do real men really ride 20" bikes? Well I am commited now as I bought new stuff for it. The main draw was the ability to run DOT moped tires. I found a set of heavy duty 20" wheels laced with .105 spokes, and loaded them with 2.5x16 moped tires. A friend had given me a HF clone engine so thats the power for the build. This is a non pedal bike with the cranks only for foot rests. It is chain drive off the right side. It going to follow a bobber style build with bobbed balloon fenders and possibly a sprung saddle on barrell or hairpin springs, and probably low bars. The seat and bars are just mock up stuff so I could sit on it for size, sits good. I have three possible ways of driving this thing, belt/ cent clutch/chain and 2 forms of FD with a chain final drive. Yeah I probably am nuts! This one will test the powers of the viewers observation

 

[The_Aleman]

That animal looks like a blast! Bet you ride with a real big grin

Always loved the way 20" bikes take the corners. They are so agile!

 

[cannonball2]

Thanks Aleman! Gonna try to get my old a$$ CG as low as possible. Thought I had a set of clubmans bars from a M/C build but cant turn them up, so I flipped the mock up bars. Really worked out well. The gearing I have in mind will get just to the north side of 40. Im pretty sure 30-35 will be enough to remember what road rash is all about. Nothing like being close to the road!

 

[curtisfox]

Got to watch this maybe there be two

 

[Fulltimer]

That pink fork has gotta go!

Terry

 

[cannonball2]

Heck yeah! Its just in the fit together stage. Im leaning toward a black overall paint job, with maybe a little red trim.

 

[lowracer]

Cannonball2,
Looks cool!
I see you're constantly working on ideas & putting them into projects.
I think more addicted than me...lol
Thanks for the tips on that tach....I got one & love it.
-Lowracer-

 

[wayne z]

Hey CB, I like your innovative way of thinking. You've piqued my intrest with the ides of a fricton drive with chain final.
Whats yer thinking on that one? Maybe two jackshafts with friction rollers jammed together to get reversed rotation for the chain final drive? You could use hard rubber rollers or 1 rubber 1 steel and jam them together hard as needed and not have much slippage at all and eliminate some of the problems of friction driven tire slippage and wear.

 

[cannonball2]

Lowracer: yeah the little tach is pretty much a must have to really get the info needed to set ratios to their optimum. I really dont know what Im thinking in this build, something to blast around on I guess, and also a test bed for a few new ideas, hope it works out.

WayneZ: So far no one has noticed the engine is in a position to direct drive the bike only backwards(maybe you are on to it). It is the only way it will fit in the frame. Soo, if I go with a belt/chain drive the belt will have to be twisted. I have worked out the centerline distances(barely) to make that work. Of course the easiest thing is a tire roller/belt drive with a cent. clutch. I am thinking of a Snapper RER rubber drive disc, possibly driven off the cent. clutch bell, if I can (1) get the ratios right between the two, and (2) get the locations to work out dimensionally. This would only require one jackshaft and would drive the chain for the final drive. Hope to get a disc tomorrow to begin to try to work this out. The advantage would be positive wet weather drive since the disc would be close to the engine, maybe even covered under a shield.

 

[deacon]

absolutely beautiful build. I rode those small bikes right up till it tossed me and the were a blast the while time. I like the looks of it better than anything I ever built. have fun

 

[wayne z]

Check your local NAPA store. Mine carrys various sized NOS snapper drive wheels and discs. Smaller ones for pushmowers and larger ones for riders. It helps to be friendly enough with the manager or owner that they will let you snoop around in their mower parts shelves. I found some NOS Maxtorque clutches with the old prices, less than $27 each

 

[cannonball2]

Our NAPA store is barely hangin on due to a national chain store just down the street. I have a friend that is a Snapper dealer, and I have full run of the parts dept. at cost. Still havent figured which way I want to go yet but am leaning to belt/chain.

 

[cannonball2]

Still hangin stuff on this thing to get ideas. This is the latest round. The Bates headlight is from an old Sportster bobber, I know it is rather large, bit it seems to add mass necessary to balance the looks of the tank. My thoughts are to weld the brackets to the head tube so the light is stationary-kinda different. Have a really cool tail light off an old Velosolex. The fenders will be painted and should look better when on their brackets. Planing on a drum brake for the front. Now need to add stuff to the rear to balance the front. Obviously not in a big hurry on this one.

 

[wayne z]

I love it! Now all you need is a larger seat on a low lay back post and I think the proportions with the headlight and tank will look great!

What kind of tank is that? looks larger than the standard peanut tank.

 

[cannonball2]

Thanks Wayne. Was just working out the seat issue. Came up with a plan to move the seat back and suspend it at the same time. I think it will be a pretty cool way of doing it.
The tank is a Whizzer repro.(not exactly but close).

 

[cannonball2]

Heres a rough out on the seat issue. This is a mock up, thought I had some 3/16 flat iron. Couldnt find it so had to use the fat aluminum bars. The flat iron will look much better/lighter, especially painted black. I should be able to take any rail type bike seat, and mount it with a clamp bolt and two metal plates through the bars. Will allow the seat to slide over a great distance for adjustment. Threw on the fender braces and the Velo tail light for effect. Its looking better, I had my doubts. I think the pedals are gonna have to go and I will ride a set of rear sets on brackets a few inches ahead of the rear axle.