My project(s)

TheOtherStyle

TheOtherStyle

New Member
Ok folks, I am now officially engaged in moped projects. 1 or 2, I don't know yet.

Today I went with my mom to my neighbors barn to pick up a couch. And came home owner of both a vintage Schwinn Super Sport and a lawnmower rear gearbox/axle.

The Schwinn Super Sport is a beautiful bright blue with a chrome fork, almost in mint condition, save for a slightly dented fork and scratched paint on the rear legs just under the seat (chain or cable perhaps). The bike has apparantly been near a fire or EXTREME heat, as while the leather seat (yeah....its definately vintage) is in excellent shape, the tires are blistered and burned on the gum brown sides, and the plastic that covers the brake handles is bubbled and melted.

The axle from the mower is extremely greasy and gunky. It is a gearbox/axle combo, complete with shifter, belt pulley, and bolt on belt guard (goes around the back of the pulley to keep the belt from shifting off). I'm not sure if the wheels that are on it are keyed or splined, but upon cleaning it up I will surely find out.

My ideas:

The Schwinn will resemble a crotchrocket upon completion (in a good way of course). I plan to upgrade the wheels, crankset, deraillurs, fork, and possible the handlebars. I'm going to go from 27" to 700cc wheels, as the tire selection for 700cc is much wider. This will allow my to use 700x38 tires and tubes to better handle my weight (I'm fat..it happens) and the weight of the motor and a few extra pieces.
The fork I have in mind has mounts on the legs to allow the use of cantilever brakes. While I give Schwinn credit for putting sidepull brakes on the bike, they are still single mount horseshoes (mount to the bike with one central bolt).
Other things I have planned for the bike are a cheap carbonfiber-look motorcycle fairing designed for stuntbikes. It is approximately 12"x12", and includes a pair of 15w headlights. I also found a nice set of LED taillights for a motorcycle. they are mounted to a license plate frame, that I can mount to a nice bike rack i found.
On the rack I will have a nice set of rainers (one-piece 3pocket saddle bags for bicycles. The bike came with a speedometer, to which I will add a few leds for backlighting. I will mount a motorcycle battery inside the top bag on the rack to power the headlights and taillights. Since the fairing and taillight piece both have 2 lights each, I will wire each side independantly. Use one side for regular night riding, turn on both sides for heavier weather (see and be seen).
The handlebars I have in mind aren't the normal ram-horns, and should allow me to use a thumbthrottle, and a normal ATB style brake lever with a light switch built in (for the brakes). Since I won't be using the regular ram-horn bars, I can put both brakes on a single lever on one side with the clutch on the other.
I will be using an 80cc slanthead motor (since I keep hearing they are the best) stock to begin with, mods to come after break-in.
Mods to come to the motor will include tuned pipe, pocket bike muffler mounted to the back of the bike (exiting the rear like a crotchrocket), different carb, thinner headgasket, and whatever else is recommended.

When done, the bike will definately resemble a sport-bike, but still be fully capable of peddle operation (I'm not worried about the extra weight, back when I was in school I found it fun to ride around with a flight bag stuffed with books strapped to my back. Talk about a workout ).


For the mower axle, I will definately make a pusher out of it. I plan to remove the mower wheels and tires, and replace them with gokart hubs that I will mount trailer wheels/tires to. Taller tires will grant me a higher speed, and I will use a centrifugal clutch on the motor with the transmission locked into the highest gear (if it is indeed multi-speed, I haven't checked that far into it yet).
I should also be getting a vertical shaft mower to hack up (from the same neighbor), so the motor will be used with the axle. The mower/motor I'm eyeballing is a 2.5hp. I figure I can make the pusher for my mom's mountain bike, so that she can ride along with from time to time, but still ride without it if she desires. I can most likely use a brake lever and kill switch combo for the throttle and ignition, so it will be easy for my mom to put on her bike and use.


Anyway, those are my ideas for now, I will post pictures when I get the bike and axle home.


Looking forward to riding with the rest, Lumpy

dnut
 
I'm anticipating probably 400 or so total costs for upgrades to the bike plus all the accessories. 150 of that is motor kit, the other 250 is the bike upgrades and etc.
 
The gum rubber of the sidewalls and brake lever hoods get gnarly and cracked looking when they get ancient. Doubt the bike was near fire or the paint would have been damaged.
The Super Sport was one of Schwinn's higher-quality models, the frame being hand-filet-brazed together instead of "Electroforged". Really nice frame. The next step up the food chain was the Paramount.
Good luck with your project!
 
when you see the pictures, you'll see what i mean. this isnt normal cracked tires and old brake lever covers.. this is seriously MELTED rubber/plastic. i'll have pics up sometime tomorrow.

nice to know that i actually got a score of a bike though :D

the neighbor has a ton of old schwinns in his barn. mostly road bikes, mens and womens. if anyone is looking for an older schwinn to ride or restore, let me know, i can see about maybe doing an inventory of what he has, i'm sure he wouldnt mind making a few bucks and cleaning out more stuff.
 
TheOtherStyle said:
when you see the pictures, you'll see what i mean. this isnt normal cracked tires and old brake lever covers.. this is seriously MELTED rubber/plastic. i'll have pics up sometime tomorrow.

nice to know that i actually got a score of a bike though :D

the neighbor has a ton of old schwinns in his barn. mostly road bikes, mens and womens. if anyone is looking for an older schwinn to ride or restore, let me know, i can see about maybe doing an inventory of what he has, i'm sure he wouldnt mind making a few bucks and cleaning out more stuff.
Click to expand...

Please let us know. Vintage Schwinns are great!
 
ok ok ok lol. i'm supposed to help him out with painting the outbuildings, so i'll try to remember to bring my camera and a notebook with me to document what he has. anyway, i'm back home now, so i'll have pics of the Super Sport and the axle come daylight.dnut
 
Ok folks, here they are, pics of the Super Sport and the axle. The frame of the SS is awesome, almost no trace of welds, it's a smooth bike. The speedo is a Sears unit. Brooks saddle, Weinman brakes, and of interest...no serial number anywhere on the bike.

The axle is a 3 speed. Forward, reverse, neutral. It even has a disc brake, small, but it works. I'll have to get some de-gunking spray, and get the whole thing cleaned off, but I didn't see any ID tag of any sort on it. Maybe it will show up upon de-gunking.


I'm throwing the pics in a Photobucket folder for viewing, since I use dialup at home. I want to be able to see responses to the thread lol.

moped pictures by theconstantevolution - Photobucket

brnot
 
Someone on MotoredBikes.com commented on how nice the Schwinn looks, so I'll put my post here as well.

Yeah, I really like this Schwinn. I'm actually thinking about not MB'ing this one.....

I have an older Raleigh roadbike in my shed as well. I think its a Raleigh... I know Schwinn's have value, and if I'm gonna mod one of the two roadbikes I have, I'm thinking hard about modding the Raleigh instead. The Schwinn is just too nice lol. I'll upload pics of the Raleigh later.

Also, I was inspecting the transaxle earlier, and I was wrong, it isn't a single speed. Rather, it is actually at least a 2 forward speed transaxle. Nah....not gonna make a pusher from it after all. Smaller pulley, modded vertical shaft 4 stroke..... I smell a go-kart in the works

Regardless of which roadbike I choose, I do plan to remove the ramhorns. I have problems with my wrists and hands, and it's hard for me to stay on them for too long anymore, even when riding regular. I'm looking at these:

BULLHORN TRACK BIKE FIXED GEAR HANDLEBARS BLACK 42CM - eBay (item 350188398429 end time Jul-07-09 12:09:59 PDT)

Not straight, but they will allow me to not lean down so far on them, so it shouldn't be so bad for my wrists.
 
Ok, being the undecisive plan-whore that I am...I don't know if I will put a kit on my Schwinn. The other day I was coming back from work on my old Mongoose dual suspension mountain bike, and on a sugar rush I was easily pedaling 20mph. I just about keeled over from it, but the bike felt solid and stable as it went over bumps and dips at speed.

So it got me thinking. I saw that Morini-type knockoff in chatbox, and I found the guy's website (I posted that in another thread...buy it from his site, it's cheaper). All I would need to do is get a clamshell and sprocket from Manic, buy a tensioner, get an exhaust, and make a mount.

Here is my line of thought:
I can use a piece of C-channel, like what I see used in friction-drive kits, to mount the motor onto. To mount that to the bike, I can use lengths of angle iron on the sides bolted to the channel and clamped to both the upper and lower legs of the rear swingarm. If I can do both front and rear pieces of angle iron vertical, and spaced right, I can mount the motorcycle battery (for the lights and GPS) in between.

I will use a 40t sprocket to start with, and as I go along I might drop to a 36t. For starters I will use a regular exhaust pipe, but I do plan to add an expansion pipe, and if I should feel squirrelly enough....a nitrous kit for an RC motor.

For fuel, I'm not entirely sure of what tank(s) I will use, but it/they will be mounted on a rack clamped to the seatpost. I don't foresee having more than a gallon and a half up there, so it should not present a problem.

All in all it should be a pretty simple setup. The knockoff uses a centrifugal clutch instead of a standard clutch, so the only cable I will need to run is the throttle. The wiring for the headlights and taillights will be kept tight in a single loom running to a 4 unit fuse block running off the battery. 1 fuse for each headlight/taillight, 1 fuse for the power outlet for the GPS charger, and 1 fuse for something else, such as a horn from an older Buick or Cadillac (nice and loud). To charge the battery I will mount a 12v solar trickle charger on the back of the rack for daytime when I'm out riding during the day, and I will also have a 120v battery tender as well. If I get lucky, perhaps I can even revamp a wheel generator from an old light to put out 12v.

I like my Mongoose MTB, and have been fixing it up bit by bit since I received it, and it is getting to be a decent ride. I need to replace the current tires with a pair of Panaracer Uff Da's, since I am a heavier rider (the Uff Da tire is made for urban riding and jumping according to the manufacturer, so it is built with heavier construction. Perfect for a heavy rider with a motor), and I want to replace the worn out RS front fork with a triple tree type fork, only right now I can't find one for cheap. Perhaps I will get lucky on EBAY eh?

I can't think of anything else right now, so that's it for now.
 
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TheOtherStyle said:
Here is my line of thought:
I can use a piece of C-channel, like what I see used in friction-drive kits, to mount the motor onto. To mount that to the bike, I can use lengths of angle iron on the sides bolted to the channel and clamped to both the upper and lower legs of the rear swingarm. If I can do both front and rear pieces of angle iron vertical, and spaced right,

I will use a 40t sprocket to start with, and as I go along I might drop to a 36t. For starters I will use a regular exhaust pipe, but I do plan to add an expansion pipe, and if I should feel squirrelly enough....a nitrous kit for an RC motor.



All in all it should be a pretty simple setup. The knockoff uses a centrifugal clutch instead of a standard clutch, so the only cable I will need to run is the throttle. .

So it got me thinking. I saw that Morini-type knockoff in chatbox, and I found the guy's website (I posted that in another thread...buy it from his site, it's cheaper). All I would need to do is get a clamshell and sprocket from Manic, buy a tensioner, get an exhaust, and make a mount.
Click to expand...
ain't even close to a Morini

Your idea ain't gonna work....gearing???

Morinis and Grubee 2 strokes have internal gearing of about 4.1 to 1

20 tooth on the crank and 82 tooth on the big clutch gear = 4.1 to 1

Your pocket bike engine does not have this internal gearing and
runs at full rpm like a Honda GX 50

You need a gearbox or a jack shaft

Did you calculate your gearing?
 
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Yes..we are already past the "not a Morini" part. As I said in the other thread, the fellow who originally linked it in the chatbox said it was a Morini knockoff, and since I don't know Morini motors, I took his word for it.

Regarding gearing, I wasn't aware of the internal reduction on most motors. If I should need a jackshaft, so be it. What would the recommended gearing be on the jackshaft, assuming an 11t on the motor, and a 40t on the wheel?

26" rim, outer diameter of the tire is approx 29" I think, which is a circumference of 91.1046 give or take.

Or, in lieu of the pocketbike motor, what would be a good alternative? For suggestions, bear in mind that the motor will be mounted on a piece of channel over the back wheel, as this is a full suspension bike it will be going upon.
 
Ok, I was thinking about it, and now I'm wondering this:

HarborFreight 2.5HP 4stroke. 79.5cc, 3600rpm max.
centrifugal clutch with 10t gear
80t sprocket on the rear wheel.

This would come to a 38.8mph top speed. Given that tires vary, and the circumference will be a little different at the outside edge of different tires, this would translate into a top speed of 37-38.8. Not much a variance, but I thought I would note it.

My question, to Forbisher, is do you think thes HF 2.5hp would pull hard enough from stop with a centrifugal to run the above setup? Or should I consider an even lower (numerically higher) wheel sprocket? Top speed is not my priority, I just want a good solid and strong setup.
 
Interesting.....:D

What diameter is an 80 tooth sprocket?
Andy will make you one that big for $67

Where are you going to mount the engine?
Rack?
How much does that engine weigh?

Let us know how it works out

PS: that is a drive ratio of 8 to 1
 
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I honestly don't know the diameter, but I am assuming that tooth spacing stays the same and that the size would be a linear increase. Do you think the HF 2.5 would pull hard enough from a stop with the 10/80 setup, or should I still look into a jackshaft setup with a different gearing setup?
 
Howdy TOS. I don't see why it would not only pull it, but do it well. Their tech folks have answered my questions in the past and seem very well versed and like most tech folks, love MBs. This is their question # 1-800-444-3353 I couldn't find any information on tourqe on the specs page. http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/97000-97999/97964.pdf Man, an 80T is gonna look cool. Never having built or even seen a set up like your thinking, I certainly can offer no advice. Have you ever dealt with Max-torque? Really great folks and could advise you well.

Clutches


Also, Znanerider here has worked a lot with that engine. Shoot him a note and invite him to your thread. He does some great stuff and knows that engine.

In any event, I am greatly looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Please keep posting. Half the fun is the scheming and planing! (...and half the pulling your hair out, snork)
dnut
 
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Dan said:
Howdy TOS. I don't see why it would not only pull it, but do it well. Their tech folks have answered my questions in the past and seem very well versed and like most tech folks, love MBs. This is their question # 1-800-444-3353 I couldn't find any information on tourqe on the specs page. http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/97000-97999/97964.pdf Man, an 80T is gonna look cool. Never having built or even seen a set up like your thinking, I certainly can offer no advice. Have you ever dealt with Max-torque? Really great folks and could advise you well.

Clutches


Also, Znanerider here has worked a lot with that engine. Shoot him a note and invite him to your thread. He does some great stuff and knows that engine.

In any event, I am greatly looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Please keep posting. Half the fun is the scheming and planing! (...and half the pulling your hair out, snork)
dnut
Click to expand...

My god, I love you for posting that manual. It showed me a couple things I was wondering about.
 
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