For inspiration, check out what this builder did to break up the expanse of side cladding on his e-ride.
World’s fastest Schwinn cruiser
- Thread starter Tony01
- Start date
Alright. Food for thought. I have to sleep on it. Only got a couple hours. Had trouble falling asleep being too excited about finishing it, then foot cramps woke me up and I haven’t been able to get my rest haha! Don’t want to keep you guys waiting for a reply... Tank color will be racing green metallic. Test from a few days ago.
My past bikes have been running projects. This one was too till I broke my neck on it. I will finish it less pricey upgrades. I’ve also made some New Bike’s Resolutions of habits I’ll change or create and I’ve begun making the changes ahead of time to ensure success.
My past bikes have been running projects. This one was too till I broke my neck on it. I will finish it less pricey upgrades. I’ve also made some New Bike’s Resolutions of habits I’ll change or create and I’ve begun making the changes ahead of time to ensure success.
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Yessir. That’s why I made this thread. I’ve already forgotten how far I’ve come and am finding myself reading parts of the thread again.
My builds are riders first. This bike being the exception up to this point. I have hundreds of hours on it in building and that’s not a typical trait. It’s a sort of departure from past bikes that were put together in less than 80 hours. Definitely going to take a lot of miles to say it’s a rider and not a living room display piece. Summer is here fortunately.
Noted. A painter buddy of mine has said wrap is the way to go. I’ve looked at a few YouTube videos and I’m inclined to agree with you. However, I won’t feel so bad scratching vinyl as I will scratching paint.
That bike you’ve posted absolutely floored me. Some people are better at building bikes that look good. I guess I could come up with a pattern however it’s not the primary goal. Being questions of form I’m going to finish the bike for function and see where to go from there.
Either way I have some time to think about it. The box will be black for now, because I have no more paint or budget left. I’ve been frugal lately as grocery prices have increased and the CV crisis may get worse or simply not get better.
@Ralph hop yep gonna finish it and get her running. I’ll make a video for ya.
I appreciate all your guys’ support. I’m not so good at being proud of how far I’ve come. I got laid off a month ago from my two people/customer service jobs and I’ve got a shop job lined up running the cnc lathe department. I’m a lathe guy at heart!
More local followers... that crow used to fly with me when I rode that little schwinn...
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The bike Pete posted is a stunning streamliner. Great piece of fabrication...lotta hours in that one. Looks to have an engraved motor housing.
Tony that crow buddy of yours brought back memories. I had a wild crow buddy when I was still in single digits. He just showed up at the ranch one day and decided to stay, really came and went as he pleased. He was after all an old, wild crow. He had a patch of white feathers on the back of his head and was fearless and wise. Also a talented thief and not just of food but shiny things would disappear as well. He stashed things somewhere, but he was clever and we could never find his sparkling hoard, though my dog, Ringy, and I searched diligently. We called him Whitey and he was smart & a smart A*% too.
Somewhere along the way Whitey learned to talk and he had perfect diction, sounded a bit like Beryl Ives. He didn't use fowl language when addressing people. He saved that for furred and feathered critters and his caw was awesomely fierce as was his beak. Whitey pretty much ran the place when he was there, but he'd go off on adventures sometimes, not for long; a few days at most and then he returned none the worse for wear and back on top of things. Nothing escaped his keen eyes and his curious mind. I miss Ol' Whitey he was the best conversationalist I ever met! He did improv as well and his imitation of Red Skelton was the greatest.....
Rick C.
Tony that crow buddy of yours brought back memories. I had a wild crow buddy when I was still in single digits. He just showed up at the ranch one day and decided to stay, really came and went as he pleased. He was after all an old, wild crow. He had a patch of white feathers on the back of his head and was fearless and wise. Also a talented thief and not just of food but shiny things would disappear as well. He stashed things somewhere, but he was clever and we could never find his sparkling hoard, though my dog, Ringy, and I searched diligently. We called him Whitey and he was smart & a smart A*% too.
Somewhere along the way Whitey learned to talk and he had perfect diction, sounded a bit like Beryl Ives. He didn't use fowl language when addressing people. He saved that for furred and feathered critters and his caw was awesomely fierce as was his beak. Whitey pretty much ran the place when he was there, but he'd go off on adventures sometimes, not for long; a few days at most and then he returned none the worse for wear and back on top of things. Nothing escaped his keen eyes and his curious mind. I miss Ol' Whitey he was the best conversationalist I ever met! He did improv as well and his imitation of Red Skelton was the greatest.....
Rick C.
Tony, once mastered and after a few practice runs on small test pieces, laying down vinyl wrap is quicker than you'd think. Use of a hot air gun (hair dryer will do at a push) is mandatory to help stretch the vinyl, particularly around compound curves. Air bubbles will inevitably occur whilst laying down the wrap but are easy to expel using a squeegee or even a pin prick. Biggest issue is that even the teeniest speck of surface imperfection or dirt under the wrap will show up as a bubble - and those can't be expelled the normal way. For us DIY amateurs at home airborne dust is the enemy during the laydown process. As I already mentioned, surface prep is the key.
Liking your metallic green & black paint choice. I know you said you're going with just black on the bike's side panels for now, so get 'er done and get riding. But when/if the time comes, a two tone green/black scheme on there will look spiffy. I hope the pic I posted for inspiration pointed you in the right direction. Colour splits don't have to be straight lines.
Thanks for your input regarding regen braking. I'm hoping to be able to access this for my current Blue Bamboo build given there are some serious hilly stretches within a couple of hundred yards of me riding from home here in Alnwick. Bike has a Sturmey Archer drum up front and a disc at the rear - but the pads in both are a pretty puny size considering what'll be asked of them on long descents. My 48v 1000w e-hub is direct drive - flywheel equipped. Hopefully I can access regen on the controller supplied. I'm an e-newbie, so presently reading up on things in an effort to clue myself up. Like Rick said, we'd appreciate any insight.
Pretty sure you've liked some of my recent posts on the Blue Bamboo e-stretch build - so you must be familiar with it.
Liking your metallic green & black paint choice. I know you said you're going with just black on the bike's side panels for now, so get 'er done and get riding. But when/if the time comes, a two tone green/black scheme on there will look spiffy. I hope the pic I posted for inspiration pointed you in the right direction. Colour splits don't have to be straight lines.
Thanks for your input regarding regen braking. I'm hoping to be able to access this for my current Blue Bamboo build given there are some serious hilly stretches within a couple of hundred yards of me riding from home here in Alnwick. Bike has a Sturmey Archer drum up front and a disc at the rear - but the pads in both are a pretty puny size considering what'll be asked of them on long descents. My 48v 1000w e-hub is direct drive - flywheel equipped. Hopefully I can access regen on the controller supplied. I'm an e-newbie, so presently reading up on things in an effort to clue myself up. Like Rick said, we'd appreciate any insight.
Pretty sure you've liked some of my recent posts on the Blue Bamboo e-stretch build - so you must be familiar with it.
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Good info Pete. Dunno if this would work for vinyl, but when I apply a screen protector on my phone I get a hot shower running and fill up the bathroom with steam. It gets most of the dust out of the air.
Your build looks great. I just had a brain fart. I’ve seen it however I’ve been too absorbed in my own build lately to see much else. Also you had mentioned the town you live in. Having never heard of it looked it up and walked down one of the main roads with google street view. Fairytale looking place!! And only what, 8kms from the water? Lovely! We don’t have places like that here. And not so clean either. Just endless suburbia.
I’m done painting the bike and it does look like a rattle can job. But hey if it looks good from 10ft that is fine with me. Has to look good enough for a rider. Might wrap the box AND the tank in the future.
Time for all the little stuff. Kickstand, seatstay standoffs, tank mounts (which I’ve figured out and begun fabbing), cable routing, pedal chain, pedal jackshaft, modify pedal assist sensor mount, and need to figure out what glue to use that I have here for plastic on plastic for the voltmeter. I’m thinking 2-part epoxy or even crazy glue if I still have a tube. Later this will get replaced with a voltmeter/ignition switch combo like all those cheap ebike throttles, and it’s all plug and play.
Don’t have much money to spend on non essential stuff so I will have to wait with handlebar buttons. But since I essentially have two throttles (2nd being the pedals) I can do away with a power mode switch for now, use pedals for normal roads and throttle to ride with the flow of traffic on 40mph and up roads. But I’m excited to finally have a bike that will be good for pedaling because I need to strengthen my knee again.
Working on the kickstand, drilled and tapped two 1/2-13 holes for the mount. Tried powertapping but couldn't get a good hold on it with the drill chuck (always used to power tap thru holes on the Bridgeport without a Procunier, turn it on slow and feed the quill slightly, then reverse direction and nurse it out). I’m aware I fully deserved to break the tap using an adjustable wrench on it...
Meantime, I brought back the build thread for my previous build, the 212 motorcycle.
https://motorbicycling.com/threads/2nd-212-build-heavy-duty.63422/
Your build looks great. I just had a brain fart. I’ve seen it however I’ve been too absorbed in my own build lately to see much else. Also you had mentioned the town you live in. Having never heard of it looked it up and walked down one of the main roads with google street view. Fairytale looking place!! And only what, 8kms from the water? Lovely! We don’t have places like that here. And not so clean either. Just endless suburbia.
I’m done painting the bike and it does look like a rattle can job. But hey if it looks good from 10ft that is fine with me. Has to look good enough for a rider. Might wrap the box AND the tank in the future.
Time for all the little stuff. Kickstand, seatstay standoffs, tank mounts (which I’ve figured out and begun fabbing), cable routing, pedal chain, pedal jackshaft, modify pedal assist sensor mount, and need to figure out what glue to use that I have here for plastic on plastic for the voltmeter. I’m thinking 2-part epoxy or even crazy glue if I still have a tube. Later this will get replaced with a voltmeter/ignition switch combo like all those cheap ebike throttles, and it’s all plug and play.
Don’t have much money to spend on non essential stuff so I will have to wait with handlebar buttons. But since I essentially have two throttles (2nd being the pedals) I can do away with a power mode switch for now, use pedals for normal roads and throttle to ride with the flow of traffic on 40mph and up roads. But I’m excited to finally have a bike that will be good for pedaling because I need to strengthen my knee again.
Working on the kickstand, drilled and tapped two 1/2-13 holes for the mount. Tried powertapping but couldn't get a good hold on it with the drill chuck (always used to power tap thru holes on the Bridgeport without a Procunier, turn it on slow and feed the quill slightly, then reverse direction and nurse it out). I’m aware I fully deserved to break the tap using an adjustable wrench on it...
Meantime, I brought back the build thread for my previous build, the 212 motorcycle.
https://motorbicycling.com/threads/2nd-212-build-heavy-duty.63422/
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Yeah, Alnwick is a very nice town. Was declared the best place to live in England about a decade ago. Historic, with all modern conveniences. Having a Castle on your doorstep is always a big plus. Like castles? Take your pick of them in Northumberland. We're spoiled for choice. Alnwick Castle's interiors are used for many of the Hogwarts interior shots in the Harry Potter series of movies. And the Duchess of Northumberland's vanity project, Alnwick Gardens, is a massive tourist draw - but like everything else, closed right now. Town is deathly quiet during current lockdown, but during normal times is often packed with Harry Potter fans - many from China & Japan for some reason.
Was originally aiming to complete my Blue Bamboo e-build in time for it to debut at this summer's VW Dubfest at Alnwick Castle, but social distancing rules have played havoc with such events. Everything's cancelled UK-wide for the foreseeable future.
Was originally aiming to complete my Blue Bamboo e-build in time for it to debut at this summer's VW Dubfest at Alnwick Castle, but social distancing rules have played havoc with such events. Everything's cancelled UK-wide for the foreseeable future.
Welp it looks like I have only today to complete my bike with my tools at home. Got a new job so I can do some real world commuting tests. Gonna try and work fast to get ‘r done...
Edit. Yup got her done enough to ride. Half charge still in the battery from September. Fabbed up my kickstand. I used some chinesium in the upper part of the leg and it’s weak. Bout to break. Have to make a new leg. Have a 24mm Crapsman wrench waiting for its day to shine. Hooked everything up. No pedals no rear light no fake tank. Just the basics haha.
Filled up my forks with some oil at the shop. I was so excited I forgot to check the tire pressure. Didn’t feel low though.
Edit. Yup got her done enough to ride. Half charge still in the battery from September. Fabbed up my kickstand. I used some chinesium in the upper part of the leg and it’s weak. Bout to break. Have to make a new leg. Have a 24mm Crapsman wrench waiting for its day to shine. Hooked everything up. No pedals no rear light no fake tank. Just the basics haha.
Filled up my forks with some oil at the shop. I was so excited I forgot to check the tire pressure. Didn’t feel low though.
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Good start to your week Tony a bike that runs (looks great) and a job that you see future & purpose in, when so many are desperate for any kind of work to cover bills. Take time to be thankful for this new opportunity.
Rick C.
Rick C.
Yup I’m lucky. I put the pedals on. It was a job. Need to finish electrical. More later...
Made a new kickstand cause the other one was too weak. Also made a secondary chain tensioner with the spring anchoring on the kickstand. I’m setting up this bike to never fail.
Made a new kickstand cause the other one was too weak. Also made a secondary chain tensioner with the spring anchoring on the kickstand. I’m setting up this bike to never fail.
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Well I’ve tested it for a week of commuting. I find that going slow ie less than 45 is pretty easy and enjoyable. Wind resistance gets tough at higher speeds. Sorry I made you guys wait a week.
Using a throttle backwards for regen really is nice. Very natural just as my vendor said and keeps the handlebar cleaner. The mirror messes up the look but is needed for riding.
I got my electrical finished and the tank mounted. Used a moped switch for the lights. Takes up very little space. My ignition is just on/off on the bar so anybody can steal it unless I set power to zero through the app. Gonna mount a key switch soon. I am going to move the tank forward an inch as there is too much space between it and the top crown.
I’ll be bringing my big charger to work and have it live there so I could have to carry my small fast charger everywhere and risk it getting damaged with travel. Have to solder in some pots on the boards of each 24v 500w PSU that makes up my 3s fast charger.
I replaced the chinesium in the leg of my kickstand but the upper portion has cracked also being chinesium. No Ch in the frame, all of that is American steel new and old. Gotta make a new kickstand upper mount this weekend. Bike is heavy!
Overall rides great. Needs more range. I’ll be getting those LG Chem 120ah modules that can be split into two 60ah cells. $500 worth to end my range anxiety, probably going to be around $600 with shipping. Pretty good deal. Gas is cheap now but. It’s a really pe@ceful ride with what little traffic on the streets now. Haven’t been late to work yet. The one day I was almost late I topped out in the 70s and nobody saw me. But the days since then I keep it under 55. I ride it like I used to ride my 212 only I smoked a Porsche off one stoplight...
Using a throttle backwards for regen really is nice. Very natural just as my vendor said and keeps the handlebar cleaner. The mirror messes up the look but is needed for riding.
I got my electrical finished and the tank mounted. Used a moped switch for the lights. Takes up very little space. My ignition is just on/off on the bar so anybody can steal it unless I set power to zero through the app. Gonna mount a key switch soon. I am going to move the tank forward an inch as there is too much space between it and the top crown.
I’ll be bringing my big charger to work and have it live there so I could have to carry my small fast charger everywhere and risk it getting damaged with travel. Have to solder in some pots on the boards of each 24v 500w PSU that makes up my 3s fast charger.
I replaced the chinesium in the leg of my kickstand but the upper portion has cracked also being chinesium. No Ch in the frame, all of that is American steel new and old. Gotta make a new kickstand upper mount this weekend. Bike is heavy!
Overall rides great. Needs more range. I’ll be getting those LG Chem 120ah modules that can be split into two 60ah cells. $500 worth to end my range anxiety, probably going to be around $600 with shipping. Pretty good deal. Gas is cheap now but. It’s a really pe@ceful ride with what little traffic on the streets now. Haven’t been late to work yet. The one day I was almost late I topped out in the 70s and nobody saw me. But the days since then I keep it under 55. I ride it like I used to ride my 212 only I smoked a Porsche off one stoplight...
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That bike definitely looks fit for purpose. The extended swing arm gives it an aggressive street presence.
One week of shake down riding and no real issues reported other than gripes you were already aware of. That's a win in anybody's book Tony.
One week of shake down riding and no real issues reported other than gripes you were already aware of. That's a win in anybody's book Tony.
I agree with Pete, Tony and well done is always better than well said. Riding daily for a week in city traffic seems a good shakedown period so well done!
Rick C.
Rick C.
The swingarm needs gussets. It feels muddy sometimes, I think the wheel is moving sideways slightly. Also the pedal chain has taken the paint off on the top so I still need to repaint it. And stop using chinesium haha...
Never experienced a muddy gusset before - but it sounds uncomfortable. 
Cheeky bloke!Never experienced a muddy gusset before - but it sounds uncomfortable.
I was working on making a riding video last night and then my 12v 3a dc-dc converter for lights died on me. Fortunately I found this 15v 5a power supply that I probably used for one of my rc balance chargers, I’m gonna use it for lights. Test below.
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I’m still not super happy with the look. Tank is too high in the front by about an inch. The lower line needs to end where the original seat stays did.. a mistake in fabrication. Just gotta cut some more of the fake tank in the front slot.
eventually going to cnc cut a new tank/seat piece from foam, glass it again..
eventually going to cnc cut a new tank/seat piece from foam, glass it again..
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I think it looks great, but it's you that gets to decide and you already know how to do this stuff. I and many others have made many changes to suit ourselves, just an ongoing part of projects. In the meantime ride heck out of it and report the results from time to time (with photos) wear it out and rebuild!
Daylight quarter angle with light on cuts the headlight glare for sure and looks good.
Rick C.
Daylight quarter angle with light on cuts the headlight glare for sure and looks good.
Rick C.
Yep Rick I remembered and switched that light on just for you. I’ll try to make another night photo. Far as the styling, I kind of knew it would be a tough one so I decided to get the rest of the bike close to the dimensions I wanted. I just went with the squarish tank to match the seat. Don’t like either one too much but, they work for now. Had a different idea for the seat but saw this one for a good deal from treats and made it happen. Project was already getting too complicated, had to keep it simple. This seat is solid and doubles as its own subframe. I want to go with a much thinner profile seat, and a 3D curved tank with a thin tail end. The tough part here was getting the tank to seat blend good with it being around four inches thick in that spot. I wanna drop that dimension under 2”. I’m still in the research phase about making a seat so the current configuration will have to do. Hand sculpting foam is extremely difficult to get symmetrical. I think I’ll be better off directly cutting the mold...
the ride I just did, I thought the camera was on and I was recording video for you guys, but it was not on.. you shoulda seen it, I ran over a rat on the bike path. The rat would react and run in one direction, but then I’d counter steer and it would react to that and run towards my centerline. I ended up hitting it dead on. I slowed down to make sure those guts didn’t fly up on me off the tire. Too bad my camera was off it was amazing.
the ride I just did, I thought the camera was on and I was recording video for you guys, but it was not on.. you shoulda seen it, I ran over a rat on the bike path. The rat would react and run in one direction, but then I’d counter steer and it would react to that and run towards my centerline. I ended up hitting it dead on. I slowed down to make sure those guts didn’t fly up on me off the tire. Too bad my camera was off it was amazing.