Indian drive sprocket questions

A

andy b.

New Member
Greetings you bicycle motorheads! It's been a while since I posted due to about 50 other projects.
I have my frame for my bike project (one of the Worksman Newsboys), and a few old motors to pick from. I need to decide if I want to go for a Harley look, or an Indian look. One big difference is the drivetrain. The single cylinder Harleys use a wide leather belt, and the old Indians use a sprocket of some sort that appears to be mounted to a bearing which rides on an extension of the leftside bottom bracket. Has anyone done a project using the Indian style of drive sprockets? I haven't found a search phrase that will find what I'm looking for. I'm sure someone has done it, and I'd like to see how hard it would be to do.

Andy B.
 
You are after the original drive train systems. Good luck to you. I applaud your sense of historical engineering. I cheated and used a comet CVT. I know Harley used both belt and chain drive to customers that wanted either system. Indian did use a two speed rear hub before the transmission period. Although I like Harley Davidson Motorcycles I like building Indian bikes because I'm afraid of offending a biker who may dislike the use of a Chinese engine marked HD :)
 
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check crazyhorses posts and links he might have posted somthing that may help. What type/year indian are you thinking?
 
cobrafreak said:
Although I like Harley Davidson Motorcycles I like building Indian bikes because I'm afraid of offending a biker who may dislike the use of a Chinese engine marked HD :)
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LOL! Don't worry, my engine choices are old American or newer Italian. Although, the bikers might like an Italian engine stuffed in a fake Harley as much as a Chinese one. :D


chainmaker said:
check crazyhorses posts and links he might have posted somthing that may help. What type/year indian are you thinking?
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I'll check out his posts. As much as I like the original Camelback bikes, the parts I have so far wouldn't work to make one, so I'm leaning towards the single cylinder style from the early 1910s. If I come across an engine with a cylinder layout I like, I would certainly consider a Camelback style from the early 1900s though. I think it would be neat to have the engine as part of the seat tube.

Andy B.
 
Thanks for those links! That Merkel came out awesome. I'm going to have to contact Goldy and see how his pedal/sprocket solution is holding up. I was thinking of just mounting the sprockets on bearings that ride on an extended bottom bracket axle, but Goldy's setup looks more heavy duty.

Andy B.
 
Perhaps you’re a DIY kind of guy( ? ) but if not, member Sportscarpat builds & sells a quality adjustable bottom bracket/jackshaft combo...
 
I am a DIYer, but If someone makes something that solves a problem for a decent price, I'm all ears. :) I pm'd Sportscarpat to see what he has. Thanks for the suggestion.

Andy B.
 
I have to watch this.
I just love the DIY builds can't seem to get enough of them. I think Goldy's should hold up forever it is very heavy built..............Curt
 
chainmaker said:
check crazyhorses posts and links he might have posted somthing that may help. What type/year indian are you thinking?
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I'd suggest you also contact Sportsman Flyer Bikes and Accessories, Pat has manufactured a Pedal Gear Assembly similar to Pre & Post World War I Motor Cycles. Pats, will freewheel when the engine is off so that you can pedal the bike under human power.

On early motorcycles they were known as Pedal start assemblies with compensating sprocket with center eccentric starter and brake activating mechanism with pedal cranks. These were used on many 1914 - 1919 single speeds as well as the Board Track Racers.

Here's pic of an original Pedal Crank Assembly with Eccentrics, eccentrics were the what the drive sprockets were called.

Early_BTR_pedal_drive_gear-1.jpg


pedal_assy.jpg


4c630da3.png


Someone had posted here in the forum for information about 24-inch BTR's here's one! Drooling yet?

Yes it's an actual running 1/3 scale Indian 8 Valve.

Davenport06Winger.jpg


C.H.
 
Hi Crazy Horse,
Thanks for mentioning my drive system. There are various designs of this same basic system. I set mine up specifically for my engine and clutch application. The bike pedals effortlessly with no drag at all. It's also designed for two different chain offsets, and I can dial in absolutely any gear ratio or clutch lock rpm I need. Another nice feature of this design is that no hp robbing idler sprocket is needed in the engine drive system.

Here is a shot of the system with primary guard removed. Gearing shown is good for 71 mph. Clutch lock is dialed to 3200 rpm. Tires are H rated 21" Pirellis.


Bonneville Flyer by Sportsman Flyer, on Flickr

This shows the primary and secondary guards installed. Vent holes in primary cover allow easy access to clutch for quick adjustments. Typically I don't mess with the clutch adjustments, though. Works fine so why mess with it?


Bonneville Flyer by Sportsman Flyer, on Flickr

This system has been tested to over 75 mph and is rock solid. Here are two more bikes with the same system nearing completion. The silver bike is running 15 hp and the black bike is a monster 21 hp GX200 build that should be good for 80 mph.


Bonneville Flyer by Sportsman Flyer, on Flickr

Someone said recently that all this cad designed and machine cut aluminum
has no place on a vintage build. Yeah, whatever.
 
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The only way CAD shouldn't be on a vintage machine is if it obviously looks out of place with the wrong style. It must look period or why bother?
 
There is no reason to make pieces the old way. I am planing to make a number of parts on my bike with a CNC plasma table. It will take a fraction of the time, and honestly no one will know unless I tell them.

Mike
 
The pieces Sportscarpat produces look very close to
original items, it's not like he's aiming for a "billet" look so
I don't see a problem at all. I'd be proud to have his parts on my bike.

We have many new tools and methods available to us now that I think even the original builders of BTR's would have loved to have used. As long as there is soul behind the methods I'm happy, and Pats bikes ooze soul!!!!
 
I dont see a prob with CAD either, the way I see it we are building our interpitations of this style bike. We are using lots of parts/techniques that werent available to the original builders. If someone wants to be a purist better get rid of the MIG,Chinese motors, new compound rubber tires etc...
 
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