Worksman Friction Drive

[rustycase]

The Tanaka will be an excellent motor Mike. You will be real happy with it.

Do you have a thread on your saga with the solex clone?

Best
rc

 

[Mike B]

Yeah, here it is;

http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=33938&highlight=Wrong+Way+Solex

My frustrations with it are scattered thru the long Solex thread. Today that sucker is hitting the trash can and I am hitting the road on my new fast, dependable and quiet motorbike!

That was easy, just clamp & 1 screw, perfect. Has a nice mellow, softer, deeper sound.

Now I don't have to that guy on the loud annoying motorbike -

 

[rustycase]

Can I get you to drop it in box and ups it to me???
I'd really like to give one a try, so I can experience all the trials folks seem to have with them!
tnx!
rc

 

[Mike B]

I'm gonna drop it inna box today. The big brown one that goes out to the curb.

If you want it, come get it like it says in the Free HD Solex post in the for sale area.

If you want it and plan to come get it and you really mean it, I will save it for you.

I ain't packing the thing and I'm not shipping it. Like I said, I'm done with it. That means zero time and zero effort.

 

[rustycase]

:-(

Yes, I understand how you might feel about it.
and I did read that clearly...
I really would like to give it a try, but there's no way I'm going to be able to get up there
...had to ask...

lol such is life in the slo lane!
Best
rc

 

[Mike B]

Sorry Rusty.

You have to understand that I would really have to do a clean up on this thing to ship it. I don't think UPS or the Post Office is going to want to take this box that stinks of gasoline fumes. It's oddly shaped and heavy too and would need a stout double wall box and a lot of packing material just so it didn't punch through the box. When I got the thing it was packed like that and still managed to punch a hole through the box.

Raked up another big leaf pile and blew out them gutters again. Time for a reward. Cruised the hood and found that lots of folks had big leaf piles -

Love the bike. I have a cheap rear wheel on there with a cheap China coaster hub that's making all kinds of strange noises. Runs smooth & true, but I don't like strange noises. Gonna get another one with a good hub. The motor runs sweet. The idle is smooth as silk and I can hear intake noise -

 

[rustycase]

Oh well!

I hope I get points for at least trying! lol

Tanaka is a great engine! You could get 5yrs out of it... depending...

Best
rc

 

[Mike B]

I love ebay.

I just got a nice looking 26 x 1.75 rear wheel with a Bendix coaster for under $40 shipped.

Off a Spaceliner. With a big red groove down the middle of the hub. Made in USA.

 

[Mike B]

My wheel arrived in good shape, exactly as advertised. New red grease seeping out confirms that he cleaned and regreased. I love ebay -

I got right to work too and put on that "biggest I could find" 23 tooth Shimano cog. No, it didn't fit, so I had to make it fit with a little Dremel work. Nice wheel, heavy guage steel, lotta bevel on the rims. Caliper brakes need not apply. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Runs true and smooth, no "weird noises" coming out of hub.

I've got the 36 tooth "lucky 7" on the crank and with this new 23 on the back, I'm in torque heaven. Just what you want for helping the clutch off the line. When my rim strips arrive (the one I had snapped on install) I'm gonna mount a brand new tire on it too.

I really like this bike!

Also got me a bigger motor just in case. A 41cc 2 HP Zenoah. Pretty eh?

 

[Mike B]

I'm ready to go. New tire, new tube, new rim strip and new sprocket;

On a 45 year old wheel. Nice tire eh? Kenda round profile smooth. Figured this would be good for a friction drive.

Next weekend. Got a brand new KMC gold chain too. We be stylin'

 

[RedRider48]

I'm ready to go. New tire, new tube, new rim strip and new sprocket;

On a 45 year old wheel. Nice tire eh? Kenda round profile smooth. Figured this would be good for a friction drive.

Next weekend. Got a brand new KMC gold chain too. We be stylin'

Yeah bud, you be stylin', for sure! Man, a gold chain's like having a gold tooth!
Happy trails......

 

[MysterySandwich]

Re: Silence

That looks great! How's it sound?

Makes me want to do that on my Subaru eh035 haha

 

[Mike B]

It sounds good, much better.

It would be easy to do on a Robin, I already put the elbow on mine.

 

[Mike B]

Got my new 45 year old wheel installed. Gotta love the red stripe! Good thing too, after I took off the POS China wheel I rotated the sprocket in the braking direction and it like ratchets 4 times before the brake sets. Utter crap. Thing could have hurt me real bad. Don't know what it is, torque arm says "Power Lo 201R" avoid it like the plague. The life you save may be your own. Mondo junk, going out with the trash tomorrow like the Solex. Yup, take out the trash -

Took it out for a ride and it runs good. Got the new gold chain on and new pedals too. Had to redo my strut brackets for the larger sprocket. Some weird noise was going on too which I found was 2 bad brazes on my pipe, the first elbow to the muffler nipple and the one I brazed upside down. Gravity was not on my side. Removed the pipe and brazed it up as 1 piece. Now only the muffler tab holds the whole thing on. I'll ride it a few months and then wire brush and re-paint.

Took some advice I found here and got me some cool stop brake pads.

Yup, expensive and worth every penny. They work great! I have no worries re stopping anymore. If you have rim brakes, get some of these.

I'm jazzed! I love this bike. And it's gas too but I prefer electric. But it has a step thru frame and that's a big plus.

Gassed up and ready to go. Don't you wanna just hop on and ride?

 

[maniac57]

Looks good! Clean and simple. You should get years of enjoyment if looks are any guide.
I bet that engine would really respond to a decent tuned pipe if you get bored....
You can usually find cheap pipes at a local scooter store from a pocketbike or something.
You clearly have the skills to build one!