Motorized Bicycle Take a Tip...Leave a Tip

[BarelyAWake]

I cant see the dual pull as feasable, too tedious an adjustment to get the right pull front and rear.

Some love dual brake levers, some hate them. I have them installed in a couple of bikes, and am happy with them. Setting them up is no harder than setting up a single lever. Mine are fine tuned to stop the back wheel first....

Actually, this would be part of the problem I have with "dual pull" brake levers as most have a rocker for the cable ends, which makes them "self adjusting" in that both cables are pulled equally - unless you've one so far out as to limit it's travel, as could be a hazard with dual pull levers lacking the rocker and may result in one brake not having it's maximum potential.

Regardless of which type dual pull lever, fixed or rocker type - you're splitting the force applied to one lever to two brakes, which either doubles the force required or halves the stopping ability, depending on how you view it. A minor point if you've strong hands and/or excellent brakes, but a point nonetheless.

While a viable option, TBH I see them as mostly a cosmetic preference - I've both a build with a dual pull brake lever and one without... and despite the "clean" look and simplicity of a dual pull, I doubt greatly I'll get another, while not "dangerous" it just seems... lacking. I've never personally had any difficulty whatsoever with having an "extra" lever on the bars and really appreciate the precision control & stopping power of separate, independent brake levers on any two wheeled vehicle... I also tend to use my front brake almost exclusively (weather/conditions permitting) as it's responsible for nearly 80% of the stopping power with a two wheeled vehicle.


*shrug* to each their own I figure

 

[CTripps]

Yes, the ones I have installed pull a rocker. I haven't personally found it any harder to pull the dual brake over a single, but that could be just me. I made the tuning adjustment at the brake caliper itself front and back with the brake pad positition adjustment set-ups. I went with the first one mainly due to lack of space on my handlebars. My wife asked for the second one on hers to make it less confusing and make it easier on her hands (she's still healing from a broken hand from a door prize).

To each thier own, I agree completely. That's where we digressed from, as I recall.

 

[alienboy366]

So for the last few days it has been raining here in Southern California and today was rather chilly. I realized that the head doubles as a hand warmer if you have gloves on. It works great at red lights and is really helpful.

 

[DuctTapedGoat]

Speaking of rain - always a good investment to get a front fender and to silicone seal the wire outlet from the mag. Poor chinese design causes water from the front tire to shoot directly at it, so be sure to inspect it when you do your tune ups!

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

So for the last few days it has been raining here in Southern California and today was rather chilly. I realized that the head doubles as a hand warmer if you have gloves on. It works great at red lights and is really helpful.

My expansion pipe runs high on my center-framed Tanaka engine. It acts as a glove warmer too.

It's way too hot to be a leg-warmer; I've got blisters on both thighs to prove it, lol.

So now I always ride with long pants. My pipe is a pants-warmer.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Chain Tensioner Fix

I've read that quite a few Happy Time chain tensioners end up in the spokes, often with disastrous effects.

To prevent this from happening again, simply bolt a 1/4" X 1" X 12"(or so) flat plate onto the tensioner wheel's axle. Then secure both ends to the chainstay/seat stay dropout.

Your Happy Time tensioner will NEVER move out of position again.

I just fabbed a chain tensioner out of a used, slightly grooved ($5) skateboard wheel, ($1)5" of 1/4" X 1" steel plate, ($2)11lb. spring and a($1.59) small turnbuckle. The buckle adjusts spring tension. The wheel has a high-performance ABEC bearing. Even though it's capable of running much higher, the gear ratio keeps the tensioner spinning at less than 600rpm.

 

[Wm Holden]

pictures would be nice...

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

When changing from 26 x 1.95 to 26 x 2.35 tires, their diameters raises from 26" to 27". This dropped the bike's effective overall gear ratios 4%, changing my bike to a dog. To compensate for this, I swapped my 30t bicycle chainring to 24t, lowering my overall gear ratio 25%!

Now the bike charges over the steep ramps at work. I could shift to second gear if I wanted to. I MIGHT have lost top speed. I don't think so, because eighth gear lowered from 12:1 to a more effective 15:1.

First gear is 46.32:1, and second gear is lower than the original first gear. The bike rips @ low speed!

With shift kits, gear ratios have to be much lower than other engine drive systems. Pedal-assist w/shift kits is very weak.

I also noted that the bike rolls MUCH farther with taller tires.

 

[vincent713]

With shift kits, gear ratios have to be much lower than other engine drive systems. Pedal-assist w/shift kits is very weak.


What do you mean by very weak? Is pedaling with a shift kit difficult? Is there a lot of resistance? I still pedal often with my MB.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

With engine idling, pedalling is fine. Once the engine applies power in any gear, pedal-assisting seems like phantom pedalling. There is very little resistance(and assistance) in every gear. If you downshift, the engine pulls harder, but pedal-assist is weak. If you upshift to assist in hillclimbing, pedal-assist is slightly better, but engine assist is weak.

 

[vincent713]

My question is are there alot of resistance pedaling while the engine is off with a jack shift?

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Very little resistance from the extra chainring sprocket, chain, gearbox sprocket thru the gearbox and the floating centrifugal clutch bell.

With the rear wheel off the ground, you can easily pedal with your hand.

 

[vincent713]

That's pretty sweet, sounds like it has less resistance then with non jack shift set up.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Sweet, but pedal-assisting won't help much, if at all.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

I don't like mixing and storing 2-stroke fuel @ home. If I had a house, I might not mind, but I don't.

Sooo, I fill up @ the pump. I keep 1 oz of Opti-2 oil in my 18oz aluminum fuel bottle in its cage. When the fuel level in my 4-liter Happy Time tank drops below the "bumps" @ the tank's bottom, it's time to fill up. The petcock is closed, oil added and I pedal to the nearest station. On the way to the gas station, the Opti-2 mixes with the fuel reserve to make maybe 8:1 fuel/oil ratio. When I add 3 quarts, it dilutes to 100:1. Gas is pumped quickly, so that the sloshing helps mix the fuel. Then I pedal for a block for more fuel sloshing, open the petcock and start the engine. I have been doing this for months, with no adverse effects to the engine. Spark plug color is chocolate brown.

NEVER! forget to shut the petcock before adding oil in the tank. Oil will quickly reach the carburetor and foul the engine. The bike would have to be turned upside down to drain the bad mix back to the tank. Once there, the fuel/oil ratio is unknown/less than correct, so the tank has to be drained and refilled.

Ask me how I know this! lol

Since 1 oz is very little, I'm devising a way to attach a tiny oil reserve tank to the HT 4-liter fuel tank. Then I can get rid of the 18oz fuel bottle

 

[Rocky_Motor]

I just got a few parts in anticipation for my engine kit. From sick bike parts I got an engine hardware kit (a bunch of nuts and bolts to replace the crappy chinese ones I hear about. I got an exhaust gasket and a fuel filter as well. I didn't get a head gasket because there are two different sizes and I'm not sure what size mine is yet. All I think I need after that is find some lock tight and grease to lubricate things.

With locktight, do you end up making it impossible to remove what has been lock tighted? Say if I wanted to rebuild the motor or adjust this or that.

 

[dakota47l1]

I just got a few parts in anticipation for my engine kit. From sick bike parts I got an engine hardware kit (a bunch of nuts and bolts to replace the crappy chinese ones I hear about. I got an exhaust gasket and a fuel filter as well. I didn't get a head gasket because there are two different sizes and I'm not sure what size mine is yet. All I think I need after that is find some lock tight and grease to lubricate things.

With locktight, do you end up making it impossible to remove what has been lock tighted? Say if I wanted to rebuild the motor or adjust this or that.

use the blue locktight and you will be ok...DON'T and i repeat DON'T! use the red!!!

 

[Rocky_Motor]

I was just going to get something from home depot along with lithium grease this friday.

8 fl. oz. Heavy Duty Job Size Epoxy-1365736 at The Home Depot

Where can I get blue locktight?

Edit: nvm I found the blue stuff on amazon, I'll just order it there.

 

[rustycase]

Rocky, glad to see you have passed on the A-B epoxy product ! Whew!
...THAT was certainly NOT what you wanted to use!

LocTite and Permatex both make thread adhesive products. Don't you have a NAPA auto parts house there in Ft Collins?
I use online vendors frequently, but a good, local auto parts counter person can be very helpful when in doubt about things.

As a rule, I advise against taking something apart that is running well.
Not good to mess with things that are working!
Dis-assembly can strip threads, especially with steel bolts in aluminum cases.

We are battling significant quality control issues here, that may become more apparent when you go taking things apart.

For example: If tolerances were shabby when a cylinder bolt was, perhaps, over-torqued in the initial factory build, it would hold forever, for the useful life of the engine... and never cause a problem other than maybe stretching, and requiring a re-torque of the cylinder head nuts in use on the top end of that stud. The problem 'could' arise when removing that stud from the case.
There are poor engineering practices with many of these chinagirl engines... the metallurgy is suspect, and many drilled/tapped holes are 'very' close to the edge of the case making repair very difficult.

What I'm saying, in short, is to be cautious when dis-assembling the engine so problems are not created where there were none evident before.

I don't personally use thread locker products very often, unless a problem has occurred with a particular engine.
I do use anti-seize thread compounds frequently, especially when working with aluminum components.

As advised elsewhere, a 3/8 drive inch/lbs/nm torque wrench is a good idea, especially since they can be purchased inexpensively.

Good luck
rc

 

[Rocky_Motor]

Gosh, these engines make me nervous! I'm really just hoping that I can get a year or two out of it (2000 miles or more hopefully) Simply so that I can get into the hobby without being majorly demotivated by things not working. After I have things going and it gets warmer, I am definitely planning on upgrading the engine to something that is not a C.G. motor as well as getting a shift kit.

I'll look at picking up that torque wrench. I've definately been wanting to buy one to do some preventative maintenance on my car. I just love doing mechanic things!


So I got some rubber to put in the frame mounts in my bike. My idea behind that is to prevent the aluminum frame from being damaged and also reducing vibration. It was a foot^2 sheet, 1/4" thick. Says it is good up to 250farenheit and abrasion resistant, as well as oil/gas resistant (I guess from erosion from the acidic content). Sounds good to me!
I can't decide if I should put the engine on the 2005 avalanche 2.0 (I plan on buying it today either for riding as a bike or using the motor on) or my old schwinn which it may not fit into. The problem with the avalanche is I think that it has one of those weird down tubes that is kindu flat and wide. Not the usual round tube. Also has a rear disc brake but that's fine I'll get a V-brake till I get the shift kit in the spring time.

Aah fun times just wish I had a warmer place to work on it. Cursed dorm rooms and colorado winter. Maybe if it doesn't stink a car up to bad I could bring it down to my house during the weekend to work on it in the garage.