welcome to my world

[deacon]

I am happy to see this new area.... There is a lot of interest in these non kit bike builds. I rode my weed eater bike this morning and had a bike rider follow me home to ask about it. Had one flag me down.

One of the neat things is that it goes slow enough that you can actually see and speak to the people as you go by. Of course everyone along my test track knows who I am even if they don't know my name.

The 31cc weed eater is up and running now. So it is my secondary bike. The china kit bike is my bike to go long distances. I'm trying to get the tweeks done before I test the weed whacker bike for real work.

The right drive wheel and the right tension are the only things that need to be done now. So I guess it's time to do the photo session for it. I'll be right back.

 

[deacon]

What the bike parts look like. Let's take a tour

the bike full five

From the other side rear

Special custom gas tank lol

experimental drive wheel to be replaced later

 

[deacon]

continue the tour
engine view with bolt on mount no welding

Kill switch simple household on off light switch

Hose clamp for cable adjustments.

Control center.. note suicide clutch handle on lower left.

 

[deacon]

this bike was made on the experimental frame I use for most of my trial and error work. I plan to keep this bike as it is so I will be on the hunt for a new test frame.

The frame is a lightweight three speed frame with changed out wheels crank and chainring.

the engine is a brand new bolens weed whacker 31cc model. The cost of the whacker was about 75bucks new. I would probably never buy another new one but I wanted to see what it would be like to start there.

I used the engine to power the bike and the shaft to build the suicide clutch. I call it that because if you were to use it as a clutch you would need to remove one hand from the handlebars at the time you need control the most. Not to mention where that handle might go in a crash. It also has a cable and brake lever to raise and lower it in lesser amounts.

The bolt up frame for the engine was made from angle iron and mending strips available at the hardware store. lots of quarter inch nuts and bolts were needed.

hose clamps

household light switch...

one empty sports drink bottle for the gas tank.

couple of old brake levers and cables.

Made a splice between the brake cable and the existing throttle to make it easier to connect. Also added a spring to gave the throttle an assist in the return.

Drive wheel is a 3/4 inch nipple with an end cap bolted onto the drive shaft of the engine.

Tools

Hacksaw... screw drivers... wrenches....File or grinder of some kind.

Most important tool is patience..

 

[Pablo]

Cubans got nothing on you! Viva el Yanqui!!

I like it.

 

[deacon]

Lets be kind and say it is unique...

Actually I can't get the tension right. The bike seems to do better when the drive wheel skips a little. I can't get it to rev up under a load. I think i might need to use the gravity clutch more aggressively.

I did find out one thing since my last post. I can use a pvc 3/4 inch coupler to slide over the 3/4 galvanized pile to increase the diameter and thereby the speed of the bike. That will help going up the hills.

I am going to go tomorrow and buy a few of them. So I have another drive wheel to try now. I'm sure one of us eventually will find the ultimate drive wheel for these bikes.

One of the things I am looking forward to with this bike is that you can hang these engines on any frame. Right now I have junkyard frames but one day I'll run across some class frames. Oh course then I will junk them up. I'm thinking stingray or full suspension mt bike frames.