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For flat protection I recommend Tannus Armour
Tannus Armour is also a run flat

tannusamerica.com

Tannus Armour Tire Liners

Tannus Armour protects your tube against 90% of common bike flats using 15mm of multi-cell foam. Say goodbye to pinch and puncture flats.
tannusamerica.com tannusamerica.com

I haven't had a flat since I started using Tannus
I still get the same top speed on my Whizzer
DSCF2934.JPGDSCF2932.JPGDSCF2948.JPG

I first bought Tannus for my E bike because Goat Head Thorns were a problem
With Tannus no more Goat Head flat tires
DSCF2807.JPGDSCF2819.JPGDSCF2814.JPGDSCF1515.JPG
I noticed my battery range and speeds were the same on my E Bike so I bought Tannus for my Whizzer

For extra protection I still add Slime
I haven't got a flat since I started using Tannus but I still carry an extra inner tube / patch kit and small hand held air pump on both my bikes - Always ready

IMO Saddle bags are a must to carry tools, parts, cable lock, gear whatever ya might need for the ride or a road side repair
IMO saddle bags also gives the bike a good look too
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Last edited:
wrench said:
For flat protection I recommend Tannus Armour
Tannus Armour is also a run flat

tannusamerica.com

Tannus Armour Tire Liners

Tannus Armour protects your tube against 90% of common bike flats using 15mm of multi-cell foam. Say goodbye to pinch and puncture flats.
tannusamerica.com tannusamerica.com

I haven't had a flat since I started using Tannus
I still get the same top speed on my Whizzer
View attachment 116922View attachment 116921View attachment 116923

I first bought Tannus for my E bike because Goat Head Thorns were a problem
With Tannus no more Goat Head flat tires
View attachment 116924View attachment 116926View attachment 116925View attachment 116927
I noticed my battery range and speeds were the same on my E Bike so I bought Tannus for my Whizzer

For extra protection I still add Slime
I haven't got a flat since I started using Tannus but I still carry an extra inner tube / patch kit and small hand held air pump on both my bikes - Always ready

IMO Saddle bags are a must to carry tools, parts, cable lock, gear whatever ya might need for the ride or a road side repair
IMO saddle bags also gives the bike a good look too
View attachment 116930View attachment 116931
Click to expand...
Dude! I thought I would never see such a thang, but now I have. Bitchen!

Tom
 
Tannus is well worth the investment
Fixing a flat on a motorbike while on the road is something nobody like's to do , It's a little more involved than a regular bicycle wheel

The flats I would get on my Whizzer were usually from those pesky wires that fly off from cars bald steel belted tires
But not anymore with Tannus
 
Roadside repairs are always difficult, not to mention the inconvenience. Anything that gets us back on the road quickly is welcome. Maintenance will curtail most failures, but it won't keep you from rolling over a nail or other sharp object. That's why auto tires are over engineered with velcro and steel belts. It's also why tires used on motorized bikes should be upgraded. Using better brands or upgrading to moped or motorcycle tires are options if you can find comparable sizes. My vintage Sachs moped had German tires that were worlds stronger than bicycle tires. Have considered converting to 17" moped wheels on this build. I have a set of Magic Marys that would fit these wheels, but they're too wide for the Higgins frame. Probably will dither until my first flat to deal with all this.
 
Still puttering with the symmetry of this thing. The designers of the bike created the basic design and all I can do is fiddle in the margins for improvement. It's getting there.

Changed the silencer from a clamp mount to a tab mount as shown in second photo.


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Took a brisk spin to test gearing. Engine was sick, so Pulled the carb for a bath. Huge improvement in power, but reached cruising speed in second gear so need to knock gearing down a tad. Flimsy phone mount snapped, preventing video. Will record one later. Bike rides like a dream and drive train is smooth as silk. Shimano tranny works the way it should, but shifter is a reach, so might add extension upward.

Sturmey Archer drum brakes are amazing, easily stop with minimal pressure. Suspension is smooth and tight, absorbs every little bump.

Video will show the custom exhaust is quiet as a whisper so you actually hear the little Honda purr.
 
Two quick updates. One, swapped out the 20 tooth sprocket on the hub for a 24 tooth and it helped the gearing, but not ideal. Will probably go to a 28 or 30 tooth.

Second, now that I'm running an unrestricted air filter and exhaust, the Honda's Keihin carb seems to be running lean. It has a funky screw where the mixture adjustment should be but it only moves a quarter of a turn which doesn't change the setting. Anyone know how to tune these little carbs?
 
After more research I learned the carbs on GHX50s were jetted for extended operation at max speed. The HuaShengs sold as motorized bike engines, on the other hand, came with carbs jetted for variable operation. I tore both down and the jets are definitely different.

In addition, the HS carb has an adjustment screw for fuel/air mixture.

Will clean up the HuaSheng carb, slap it on the Honda, and report back on how well it runs.
 
The verdict is in clear on recent changes and It's a wash. Swapping a 30 tooth sprocket for the 20 tooth on the Shimano hub improved my gear ratio, but the swap of the Huasheng carb for the Keihin didn't work out as planned. The engine starts right up and idles perfectly, but falls on its face after 1/2 throttle. I thoroughly cleaned the main jet and the atomizer before the swap, so unless there is debris lodged in a port somewhere that's not the issue. I might just change back to the Keihin and hope that fixes the problem.

As far as the re-gearing, I tacked a 30 tooth shift kit sprocket to a Shimano hub cog, Because of their shape, these cogs fit one way. Unfortunately, I welded them together without checking first, so the tacked surface faces out where it's visible. I might have to redo it if it bugs me too much.

Shimano cog.jpg
 
Thanks, Curt. I did check them and it turns out the Huasheng is jetted quite a bit larger than the Keihin. A Eureka moment saved me a lot of heartburn and aggravation as I pulled the muffler and BOOM! It turns out that even though I removed the small outlet pipe in the kit muffler, the rest of the passages were way too restrictive for the little Honda. I should have known it couldn't dampen the noise that well without choking off the engine. She runs like she supposed to now, but is way too loud for riding in a neighborhood. While in town tomorrow I'll swing by the local power sports shop to see if they have a Honda dirt bike muffler in stock. If not, I'll probably order one on Ebay. I notice they list a wide selection with 28mm slip on connections. Can't wait to get it back together so I can video a test run for you guys.

Just for grins, here's a comparison of the Huasheng with the Keihin carburetors. Note the restrictor on the Keihin's adjustment screw that only allows for 50 degrees or less of rotation. Also note how much better the casting is on the Keihin.

Carbs.jpg
 
Stickin with the Huasheng carb now that it's dialed in and works so well. Since I like the looks of the kit muffler, I tried to salvage it by gutting its internals with a cutoff wheel and welding the end cap on. Now engine response is just as good as it was with the straight pipe, plus it has a powerful report without the bark. Hope to record video tomorrow.
 
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