Hey Guys, so here I am jumpin into this full tilt... Here is my wicked plan, I just bought what I think is one of the last Fleetwoods to be had you know the inexpensive NuVinci Caddy. Well after having done a little research I can see the benefits of the CVT and had to have one but this whole bike cost what the hub and two wheels cost alone (not including tires) the disk break and aluminum frame, Bonus!! Now I plan to purchase the NEW 2011 4-CYCLE 49CC centrifugal (automatic) clutch BICYCLE ENGINE (huasheng 4 stroke) along with the 4 stroke shift kit (jackshaft). Because I cant afford the other bike right now I plan to build out the caddy first. I'm just a little concerned about the hub. Can it take the 4 stroke and what shall I do about the accelerator and shift indexer bottleneck? The throttle belongs on the right but the NuVinci indexer is there. I don't like it but not sure if I can change it. Has anyone got some advice? That is until I get the Chopper and tear the whole thing down I think it'll be fun to build the Caddy.
Welcome to the forum!
No one is absolutely sure the hub can take motor power. The Nuvinci used on the Fleetwood is the lowest-end Nuvinci hub. There's a few guys out there who've used Nuvincis, and there's a couple of guys who have broken one. One using a high-power Morini and another just using a basic 4-stroke kit. Nuvincis lose all warranty when used with motor power, so you're out of luck if it breaks on you. It can probably be fixed tho, I've heard it said that there's not really anything on the Nuvinci that actually breaks. But it needs to be partially disassembled to get it working again. Now, I would think the Nuvinci would be stronger than a regular internally geared hub, but there's more people having problems with Nuvincis than other internally shiftable hubs. Maybe it's all riding style.
As for your throttle and shifter, you can put them just about wherever you want. The throttle doesn't necessarily "belong" on the right. Some have put the Nuvinci shifter on the left side, and it'll be upside down if you do that. Alternatively, you can get a different throttle, like a trigger or thumb-type. I use a left-side trigger for my throttle because I don't like motorcycle throttles, for example. The key thing to remember is, this will be your ride and it's best to set it up so it's comfortable for you to ride safely.
No one is absolutely sure the hub can take motor power. The Nuvinci used on the Fleetwood is the lowest-end Nuvinci hub. There's a few guys out there who've used Nuvincis, and there's a couple of guys who have broken one. One using a high-power Morini and another just using a basic 4-stroke kit. Nuvincis lose all warranty when used with motor power, so you're out of luck if it breaks on you. It can probably be fixed tho, I've heard it said that there's not really anything on the Nuvinci that actually breaks. But it needs to be partially disassembled to get it working again. Now, I would think the Nuvinci would be stronger than a regular internally geared hub, but there's more people having problems with Nuvincis than other internally shiftable hubs. Maybe it's all riding style.
As for your throttle and shifter, you can put them just about wherever you want. The throttle doesn't necessarily "belong" on the right. Some have put the Nuvinci shifter on the left side, and it'll be upside down if you do that. Alternatively, you can get a different throttle, like a trigger or thumb-type. I use a left-side trigger for my throttle because I don't like motorcycle throttles, for example. The key thing to remember is, this will be your ride and it's best to set it up so it's comfortable for you to ride safely.
Hey thanks for the DL I'm glad to hear I'll be able to move the shifter to the left (upside down) Position because I am rather fond of the twist grip throttle, do you recall any of those who have done the Cadillac build? I was hoping to maybe get some info from them if possible. I haven't received the bike yet and wanted to go ahead and order the shift kit. But would require the down and seat tube sizes which I cant seem to find listed anywhere. I am excited to get this built and am not exactly sure as of yet how to expedite doing so the more info I can get the better and since others have done this build I want to find them.
contact KC Vale
http://motorbicycling.com/members/kcvale/
he has lots of info on both the nuvinci and the caddy
http://motorbicycling.com/members/kcvale/
he has lots of info on both the nuvinci and the caddy