My attempt at a sub-$300 motorbike didn't quite pan out as I was so fed up with the Grubee motor after a month of screwing with it, I went ahead and ordered a Morini S6E. I got everything installed enough today that I could take it for a short ride.
This was yesterday evening after I had finished up the motor mounting.
I still need to weld up a top mount, but that is simple enough.
I got the chain installed today and welded up the exhaust header. Right now the header is just the part that bolts to the engine and then it comes out on a 90 degree curve and sticks out to the right. It looks kind of cool, but it is a little too loud for anything other than test riding. I picked up one of the small pipes from a KX65 to use for my exhaust and the chopping has already begun.
I also had to bend the cranks to clear the engine. I was surprised at how easy it went once I figured out how much heat I needed to apply and where. Oxy-Acetylene is your friend. And the pedals even ended up straight and level.
A few observations. The new engine fired up on the second kick right out of the box. I think I have about 5 miles of attempted starts on the Grubee and it still never ran. To start the Morini now all I have to do is give it a half of a lazy kick and it roars to life. NICE!!!!
When the engine is idling and I am standing still on the bike, there is no noticeable clutch drag and the bike sits there in neutral. A slight twist on the throttle and the clutch already starts to engage. In several of the posts I have read on the Morini clutches, it sounded like they needed a good bit of revs before they engaged. All I can say is on my new engine, this does not appear to be the case. Maybe it will change as the clutch wears in, I don't know.
It is relatively warm, and the engine seems to start fine with no choke. I'm running a pretty rich mixture, about 30:1, of Motul synthetic oil, so I think the engine should be getting enough lube at start-up even with no choke. I used to run the Motul at 50:1 or less in a mildly modded Banshee 350 I had years ago, so I hope this little moped engine will run with the same once broken in.
I've been pedaling up to about 6 or 7 MPH before giving enough throttle to engage the clutch, and then helping it along to about 10 MPH with no problem. There are a few short hills in front of my house I was riding on, and I had no problem doing 15-17 MPH up them. I didn't want to get too crazy with a new engine. I realize this engine is only a 3HP model, but it feels like it will do 25 MPH easily, which is all I'm asking of it. I'm running a 52 tooth rear sprocket and this seems like a good size for my use.
I really only have one question, if you've read this far. What are some tips for routing the exhaust? It looks like you need to find that sweet spot of not hitting the front tire, not hitting your feet, not hitting the ground, and not burning your leg on it. It almost has to run up near the top tube on the left side due to the layout of the engine. Tomorrow's project is figuring out how to run the exhaust in some sort of sane manner.
andy b.
This was yesterday evening after I had finished up the motor mounting.
I still need to weld up a top mount, but that is simple enough.
I got the chain installed today and welded up the exhaust header. Right now the header is just the part that bolts to the engine and then it comes out on a 90 degree curve and sticks out to the right. It looks kind of cool, but it is a little too loud for anything other than test riding. I picked up one of the small pipes from a KX65 to use for my exhaust and the chopping has already begun.
I also had to bend the cranks to clear the engine. I was surprised at how easy it went once I figured out how much heat I needed to apply and where. Oxy-Acetylene is your friend. And the pedals even ended up straight and level.
A few observations. The new engine fired up on the second kick right out of the box. I think I have about 5 miles of attempted starts on the Grubee and it still never ran. To start the Morini now all I have to do is give it a half of a lazy kick and it roars to life. NICE!!!!
When the engine is idling and I am standing still on the bike, there is no noticeable clutch drag and the bike sits there in neutral. A slight twist on the throttle and the clutch already starts to engage. In several of the posts I have read on the Morini clutches, it sounded like they needed a good bit of revs before they engaged. All I can say is on my new engine, this does not appear to be the case. Maybe it will change as the clutch wears in, I don't know.
It is relatively warm, and the engine seems to start fine with no choke. I'm running a pretty rich mixture, about 30:1, of Motul synthetic oil, so I think the engine should be getting enough lube at start-up even with no choke. I used to run the Motul at 50:1 or less in a mildly modded Banshee 350 I had years ago, so I hope this little moped engine will run with the same once broken in.
I've been pedaling up to about 6 or 7 MPH before giving enough throttle to engage the clutch, and then helping it along to about 10 MPH with no problem. There are a few short hills in front of my house I was riding on, and I had no problem doing 15-17 MPH up them. I didn't want to get too crazy with a new engine. I realize this engine is only a 3HP model, but it feels like it will do 25 MPH easily, which is all I'm asking of it. I'm running a 52 tooth rear sprocket and this seems like a good size for my use.
I really only have one question, if you've read this far. What are some tips for routing the exhaust? It looks like you need to find that sweet spot of not hitting the front tire, not hitting your feet, not hitting the ground, and not burning your leg on it. It almost has to run up near the top tube on the left side due to the layout of the engine. Tomorrow's project is figuring out how to run the exhaust in some sort of sane manner.
andy b.
