what did you do to your motorized bicycle today?

[CTripps]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Check the alignment of your back wheel, sounds like what mine was like when the edges of the knobs where brushing the drive chain and chainstay.

 

[Blakenstein]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Excellent troubleshooting, Blakenstein and thanks for sharing. Yep, the less alcohol I buy, the more I can spend on my bike!

I'm a cheap drunk, anyway. I'm flying before I finish my first beer.

I mounted my $14 tach onto my windshield post, with $2 worth of a bracket, nuts and bolts.

Thanks 5-7, sounds like that's a motorcycle. Ya, today I threw the old carb back on and my old plug (Champion) and It fired up and ran great. Wow, that was a really weird electrical problem.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Thanks 5-7, sounds like that's a motorcycle. Ya, today I threw the old carb back on and my old plug (Champion) and It fired up and ran great. Wow, that was a really weird electrical problem.

Nah, I put a windshield on my motorized bike. I cut the handlebar clamps off of two brake levers. Then I used the clamps to bolt on the windshield. The bolt was long enough, so I attached my tach bracket to it.

When I used large exhaust tubing to seal the Tanaka pipe's flanges, it REALLY quieted down the engine. It also stopped the oil leak at the resonator-to-OEM muffler. Installing the tubing also shifted the engine, so I'm having a swell time installing the engine drive chain. No 8mm half-links, so it's either too short or too long. One engine mounting bolt snapped, and the stores are closed.

Hopefully, I can ride to work tomorrow, so I'll be up tonight fighting this MB.

 

[MotorNut123]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Check the alignment of your back wheel, sounds like what mine was like when the edges of the knobs where brushing the drive chain and chainstay.

i will have to check that out because that sounds like it could be that. it only happens when i get up to high speed and it kicks in real loud.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Last night I took my MB for a trial run. I had installed an SBP HD freewheel, fixed my chain & tensioner, installed my tach, sealed the slip-fit connections on the Tanaka pipe.

One block from home, the bike threw the engine AND bike chain. I adjusted the Jump-Stop, but still throwing both chains. Engine chain was slipping off the tensioner, causing a very loose chain. After pedalling home, I disabled the tensioner, removed the front derailleur and shortened the engine chain. Sealing the pipes had raised the engine, so it was very difficult to install the chain. No half-links for 8mm chain, so it was either too loose or very tight. I opted for a very tight chain, hoping that it'd stretch and loosen up.

My ride to work was easy-going, using the sidewalk instead of fighting the very steep hill. Surprisingly, the bike pulls well on the sidewalk @ 10-15mph, whereas it would scream and/or lug between 20-25mph on that same hill. At the workplace ramp, I chose to climb slowly instead of charging up the ramp. Easily done. When I parked the bike, I noticed there was quite a bit of resistance pedalling. This was prolly due to the very tight engine drive chain.

I made it to work with no breaskdown, about 6 miles. The new freewheel has zero runout/wobble, compared to the .125" runout on the 4-bolt Chinese freewheels I normally used. What a difference!

I REALLY need to slacken the chain. It's prolly placing undue strain on the gearbox and freewheel.

Engine runs MUCH quieter now, and no oil leak @ the resonator-to-OEM muffler connection.

 

[Motorbikermark]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Today I took my nice shiny freshly built 2011 Nel Lusso with 66cc 2cycle and, HIT IT WITH A PEEN BALL HAMMER, THEN I TOOK A 80 GRIT GRINDING DISC AND JUST ATTACKED THE FRAME, THEN I TOOK STEEL WOOL AND JUST SCRATCHED THE HECK OUT OF IT! just a little more and it will look awesome!

God Speed, Mark

 

[Nashville Kat]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Replacing a couple of spokes in the back wheel of the 50-

It's the one I've got bolted directrly to the flip/flop hub-
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=34307


ADVICE HERE! If you use this procedure, I recommend a 36 spoke hub- I got this 32 700C wheel on craigslist used- and this is the second time I've had to replace broken spokes- two this time-

Don't think it has anything to do with the bolt on - the spokes don't touch the sprocket or a rag joint- it's just not enough spokes-

racing back in the 70s I always used 36 90%of time and had one 32 front I think- Just not enough with extra weight of motor AND 40 years! Through the years fewer spokes has gotten more popular for regular cycling- so they are selling a lot of 32 flip/flop hubs and wheels- TRY TO GET A 36!

Had the silver belle out instead-
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?p=351395

a little trouble starting- thinking I need a new better rubber fuel line- THEN I choked it a bit- and that's the secret for now- fired right up like always- but in 3 years I've never used the choke- in fact it got turned on a few times and i wondered why I wasn't running good-

the original plastic fuel line is now very hard- so I'm going to replace it anyway- I don't think the flow is consistent across acceleration and back to idle- Been meaning to since report of fire and thick rubber hose will resist any flames longer- need filter too.

Getting up to 30 on that one about 3/4 open- it really purrs along with no vibration with the aluminum 34 sprocket

 

[Skarrd]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

ordered some wrist pin bushings, gonna see if it'll fit, would be better than the needle bearing currently on the engine.

 

[CTripps]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

I rechecked the back wheel today, and everything looks good. Still sitting on pressure, nice and firm.

So, I pulled the muffler out of the kit box I've used the motor from, opened it up and it's a whole different style inside. The old one came into the chamber, had a cat. converter, then went back to narrow pipe down to the bolt with holes in the sides and baffles tacked to it that sort of fit to the larger pipe. The new one doesn't narrow after the converter, and has a ring of holes on the bottom where the threaded rod is tacked on. They were clear of debris, so I didn't need to open them up. A few minutes per hole with the dremel on the mounting flange elongated the holes to allow me to turn it a few degrees to clear the cranks without heating and bending the pipe.

After that I braved the rain and ran it down the lane and fired up. A few trips up and down the lane and it's very happy. Back to the garage, I've got it idling with the clutch lever locked in, and noticed that it wanted to move a little. Lifted up the bike and the wheel began to turn. Release the clutch lever, and it turned a bit faster. So, shut it down and adjusted the clutch arm until the engine was completely disengaged. No problem now, but I'll have to keep an eye on it. The old brake cable I used as a repair must be stretching more than I expected.

While I had the wheel off I should have roughed up my brake pads, they're not grabbing as well as they used to. I'll replace them soon, they're not very expensive, but in the meantime anyone have any suggestions for softening up the rubber or roughing them up to make it grip a little better? I was thinking of scuffing them with a bit of sandpaper, and I thought about wiping them with a drop of gas and wiping them off, but haven't tried it.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

It was such a nice 5-mile ride home from work.

The engine chain is VERY tight, so I'm "babying" it. The engine feels VERY strong, running the bike at slower speeds and less rpm. The sparkplug was brownish-black, so I leaned out the carb a smidge.

 

[GearNut]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

I rechecked the back wheel today, and everything looks good. Still sitting on pressure, nice and firm.

So, I pulled the muffler out of the kit box I've used the motor from, opened it up and it's a whole different style inside. The old one came into the chamber, had a cat. converter, then went back to narrow pipe down to the bolt with holes in the sides and baffles tacked to it that sort of fit to the larger pipe. The new one doesn't narrow after the converter, and has a ring of holes on the bottom where the threaded rod is tacked on. They were clear of debris, so I didn't need to open them up. A few minutes per hole with the dremel on the mounting flange elongated the holes to allow me to turn it a few degrees to clear the cranks without heating and bending the pipe.

After that I braved the rain and ran it down the lane and fired up. A few trips up and down the lane and it's very happy. Back to the garage, I've got it idling with the clutch lever locked in, and noticed that it wanted to move a little. Lifted up the bike and the wheel began to turn. Release the clutch lever, and it turned a bit faster. So, shut it down and adjusted the clutch arm until the engine was completely disengaged. No problem now, but I'll have to keep an eye on it. The old brake cable I used as a repair must be stretching more than I expected.

While I had the wheel off I should have roughed up my brake pads, they're not grabbing as well as they used to. I'll replace them soon, they're not very expensive, but in the meantime anyone have any suggestions for softening up the rubber or roughing them up to make it grip a little better? I was thinking of scuffing them with a bit of sandpaper, and I thought about wiping them with a drop of gas and wiping them off, but haven't tried it.

Years ago a good friend of mine was a professional freestyle rider. You know, the guys who ride on the front wheel while going in figure eights and end up doing a back flip and landing perfectly to do a wheelie while sitting backwards on the handlebars. What he could do off a simple jump was phenomenal! Backflips, cancans and nacnacs were a simple warm up for him.

Anyways....I digress.....
He would always clean his rims with WD40 and make sure that they were well wiped clean afterwards. Miniscule WD40 residue left behind, but still there. No dressing on the brake pads although the calipers were tweaked a little so the rear of the pad would contact the rim slightly before the front of the pad would. I followed his advice and found that the braking sucked really bad.....at first. After 10-15 moderate stops they became very powerful and consistently reliable brakes.

Friends whom I let ride my bike would curse at me after grabbing a handful of front brake because they expected them to be typically weak as most were back then. A strong handful of front brake on my bike would send you over the handlebars.

Take this as you will, but I will not recommend something safety related that I have not done myself.

 

[CTripps]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

...always clean his rims with WD40 and make sure that they were well wiped clean afterwards. Miniscule WD40 residue left behind, but still there. No dressing on the brake pads although the calipers were tweaked a little so the rear of the pad would contact the rim slightly before the front of the pad would. I followed his advice and found that the braking sucked really bad.....at first. After 10-15 moderate stops they became very powerful and consistently reliable brakes.

That sounds like a good place to start. I think I've heard of that trick with the pads, now that you mention it. I suspect minimal exposure to WD40 could also help keep the pad from hardening as quickly (but I'm no pro in that field, it makes sense to me with what I understand of the materials and sciences invloved).

 

[msrfan]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

I put a new end on the compression release cable of my 8hp Briggs bike and test rode it.

Then I patched the front tube on my grandson's 5hp Briggs bike and test rode it.

Still need to clean the carb on my original 5hp Briggs bike.

Then clean the carb on my Whizzer.

After that, I can tinker with my race bike.

 

[msrfan]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Yep, it's time for some early spring cleaning and maintenance. So many bikes, too much fun.

Also need to work the bugs out of my next race bike.

Then I can get back on some projects I started a while ago.

 

[MotorNut123]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

love the look of that race bike msrfan. cool little go kart u got there too. you rebuilding that black bike?

 

[Skarrd]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

pulled my spare motor apart for the **** of it (the one i blew up) found lots of little peices of metal in the crank, but everything else was fine. gonna blueprint it and put it back together. ^^

 

[msrfan]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

love the look of that race bike msrfan. cool little go kart u got there too. you rebuilding that black bike?

Thanks, MotorNut123, the black bike is one I started building a couple of years ago and got sidetracked with other projects. The go kart is a modified garden tractor I'm building with my grandson to replicate his 1974 IHC Scout 4X4. It's in The Tavern category under Four Wheel Project. We just starded on the body. I have to get it done by this April for an event with his off road club, so you'll be seing more of it soon.

 

[breno]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

Decided to get rid of the china spark plug lead and replace it with some welding lead + replace the boot and spark plug + a new CDI.

I didnt realise how small of gauge the standard spark plug lead was, glad its gone now.

Cut the white wire off the magneto and sanded off the laminate at the points where the mag is fitted/fixed to the bottom end for a better earth.
Soldered the cables up and went for a spin.

More then likely the placebo effect getting the better of me but it seems alot smoother throughout the rev range, so it was worth doing it IMO.

 

[DaveC]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

The only factor with the wire is Ohms of resistance per foot. What you have might be considered overkill but there's nothing wrong with that. My last ignition had Mallory Sprint solid core racing wires. Good stuff. Thing is, I know of a ratrodder that has barbed wire for sparkplug wires

 

[GearNut]

Re: what did you do to your motor bike today?

The size of the conductor inside a spark plug wire does not need to be very big at all. All it needs to do is carry high voltage between the ignition coil and spark plug boot. Spark plug wires are also heavily insulated for both durability as well as containing the high voltage adequately, and the thin conductor also allows the wire to bend and wrap around engine blocks and obstacles easily.
FWIW, a single strand of copper wire unwound from the welding lead you used would get the job done very well....but you would need to insulate it...a whole 'nother story here.
There is hardly any amperage involved to fire a spark plug.
Large conductor wire such as what you used from a welding lead is designed for high amperage as well as voltage. Definitely overkill indeed, but no harm done and will still work just fine.