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I don't want a pickle...

sturiegelsturiegelMember
Just wanna ride on my motorsickle.

But I have to build it first. Starting with my semi-antique Hardrock which hasn't seen any action in about a decade, I started in.

First step was to order up a motorsickle kit:
http://www.bikeberry.com/gas-e...ne-kit-4-stroke.html

I went with a 4-stroke because I understand 4-strokes better than two, and I like the puckety-puckety sound. And they have better torque, to haul my big butt around.

Supposedly, it comes with everything I'll need in one convenient box. But that box is in California, and it's too heavy to ship fast economically. So I'll have to wait a week or so for it to arrive. Meanwhile, I prepare the bike:



First step is to replace the seat with something more comfy. That hard rock is the main reason I haven't ridden in so long. But this one is super cushy and has springs. This alone makes the project worth it.



Next, I got rid of the GripShift levers, because the kit comes with a throttle/kill switch for the engine and they'd be in the way. Plus, I don't need 18 speeds now; 3 will suffice. I bought a new Shimano lever shifter for the front chainwheel. It works much better than the GripShifts ever did.



Out back, I cut the cable and crimped off the end to fix the derailleur in an intermediate gear. A little crude, but it should suffice. Installed new inner tubes and took it for a spin, just to see if I still knew how. Did not fall off.




So this is where the project stands, for now. I will have to replace the cranks with the wide crankset that may or may not come in the kit.

Now, If I wanted to make this a dedicated sickle, I could have removed the crank and chain altogether, and put some foot pegs down there. But I like the idea of being able to pedal it if I run out of fuel or can't start it for whatever reason.

Bikeberry says this should be good for 35mph, although that's probably with some skinny kid riding. It will likely be fast enough.

I suppose a helmet is in order, too. So add that to the shopping list.
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sturiegelsturiegelMember
Now that we've got a perfectly good bike, it's time to mess it up. Start by putting it on a workstand. Nothing fancy, just some re-purposed bits of 2x4. This makes things a hell of a lot easier.



So today I learned that cranks are no fun at all to remove. It took a disturbing amount of brute force to get them off, but they yielded in the end. While I was down there I re-greased the crankpin, just because. I also learned that bike makers love reverse threads. The pedals came off the cranks a lot easier once I figured that one out.

So, now for engineering: I want a headlight, just because it seems like a good idea. I had a big-rig backup light from my over-the-road days, and I had a battery holder from an RC truck:




I drilled a hole in the back and screwed it to the front reflector bracket. Easy as.



I thought about a fancy toggle switch, but decided to keep it simple. Plug in the battery, it lights up. Sort of.



Well at least I won't blind any oncoming drivers, but I might get their attention. If I want more light I can use a 3-cell lipo for 12 volts, as long as I don't discharge it too much. They don't like that.

I also put some split plastic wire loom over the wires, because that brake cable was eyeballin' the wires, looking to chafe through and make things interesting.

And now we wait for the engine, unless I think of other improvements.
kevinplucaskevinplucasMember
I really like the idea of a motorized bicycle. Especially when measuring a course with steep grades. On a motorized bicycle I could stop fretting over which direction is easier to measure a hilly road course, start to finish or finish to start. Just hop on the bike and go. You definitely lose any exercise benefits of measuring.

Pete Riegel and Mike Wickiser’s post “A Last Minute Measurement” and now Stu Riegel’s post about building a motorized bicycle started me thinking about the motorized bicycle idea. Could a motorized bicycle really work for course measuring? What additional distractions measuring with a motorized bicycle might bring?

Not having too much success with small 2 cycle engines, the thought of getting the gas mixture correct for the break in period and after would certainly distract me while measuring. Sure would hate to get the mix wrong and stall in the middle of a measurement. The added possible mechanical motor problems are beyond my expertise. Mechanical problems on a bicycle I can handle.

The most important obstacle I just discovered; motorized bicycles can NOT be registered in NY or operated on streets. I know the thought of the Town or City police pulling up to issue me traffic ticket would have me repeatedly looking over my should rather than the road ahead.

A motorized bicycle is a nice idea, but not for me here in NY. Besides I need the exercise and enjoy it too much despite those occasional steep hills.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
Definitely check state laws before riding! I'm okay here in Ohio, as my commercial driver's license lets me drive just about anything.

Hills will definitely be more fun with some assistance. There's a very nice park right around the corner from me, but the hill to get there is very steep.

Didn't get much done today other than greasing the wheel bearings, but I did find out that the kit is on its way. Woohoo!
peteriegelpeteriegelRCMBB Founder
Son Stu became infected by Mike’s posting about his motorized bike, and is posting his progress. I also caught the bug, and I have ordered a new bike and engine, from the same source as Stu bought his.

The bike is a 26 inch old style bike with one speed and fat tires, and a coaster brake. It’s the sort of bike I used to call a paper-boy bike.

The engine is a two-stroke, supposed to fit the bike nicely. I don’t have a problem mixing gas and oil. I used to drive a Saab 96, a three-cylinder two-stroke car. I liked it a lot. A quart of oil went into the tank with every 8 gallon gas fill.

I wanted fat tires on the bike for their shock-absorbing capability. And I did not need gears – after all, the engine will be doing the work.

Should be a fun project putting it together, and maybe the winter will melt away for a day or two enroute to spring.

I’d considered myself retired from course measurement, as the fatigue of riding got in the way of my thinking. Perhaps the desire will become re-ignited – who knows?

If no future measurement looms, I do make frequent trips to the library (2 mile round-trip) and the Post Office (3 mile round trip, with an uphill on the way home).

I doubt I’ll be doing a step-by-step account of the project unless something weird happens.

Nothing to do now but wait for two heavy boxes to be delivered.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
You shouldn't have to wait long. My big box came today! And now for the long-awaited update! I got a big box today, and hurried to unpack it. Inside was an engine and other assorted goodies:



I couldn't resist popping the valve cover off to have a look at the cutest little rocker arms you ever saw:



Then I got busy bolting it all together. I figured a single cylinder would have some vibration, so I took the time to Loctite everything. First step was to put the engine plate on:



Since it's a splash-lube engine you want it to sit level. I measured the top-tube angle with the bike on the ground, then matched that angle by rotating the hooks on the stand. Once the plate was leveled, I had to grind off my water-bottle mount so it would fit flush to the frame.

The rest of the installation was pretty obvious. Everything really only goes together one way, so it's hard to screw it up. The rear sprocket installation was fiddly, just because you're working around and through the spokes. Then I got in a building groove and quit taking pictures, until I got this far:



Notice there's a bit missing. I found age cracks in the tires, and decided on some new bars for a more relaxed, upright riding position. I did get rid of the lawn-implement air cleaner in favor of an open-element model, just because. And of course the tires and bar ain't here yet. And until they get here there's not much I can do.
Except, of course, start the engine.



IT'S ALIVE!

Now I wait some more.
peteriegelpeteriegelRCMBB Founder
Looks like good stuff, and fun to put together!
My bike and motor kit are scheduled for delivery November 25. Unfortunately I seem to also need a "JNM Vibration Motor Mount, and that is presently out of stock - but expected to be available "soon."

I'm expecting to have to do some waiting, but hoping for the best. Meanwhile, there will be some assembly to do.

I'll be using Loctite too.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
Well, I hope you don't have to wait too long. Waiting for parts is the worst part of any project. I like to start and work til I'm tired, instead of stopping when I can't go any farther.

Early-morning mods:



The grips that come with the kit (left) are shiny aluminum, which is a terrible thing to have to grip. Ace bandage to the rescue! You'll need a looooong screwdriver to get the end caps off and on.

The Ace bandages should absorb both vibration and sweat, and won't heat up in the sun like the aluminum grips.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I love old stuff. And sometimes new stuff that looks old. And since this project is very much like what early 1900's motorsickles were, I figured I'd dress it up as one. Why not, it's a motorized bike. Why take it seriously?



It's been said that empty bottles bring on inspiration...



... and so it happens. Single-malt Scotch, a buffalo gun and a motorsickle. My kind of party.
B bobthurstonMember
Yeah unless you run out of gas like Mike W talked about!

Just thinking about this raises a whole lot of questions maybe you or others can answer.
- How does the transmission work on this device? - Is there a separate chain from the motor to rear wheel gears?
- Can you pedal AND use motor at the same time or is it either-or?
- How does this compare to the bikes that have an electric motor and a battery?
- What if someone wanted to buy a motorbike, or motor scooter? Is that an alternative to using a kit, or would it just be impossible to fit a counter on one of those vehicles?

Just wondering.
peteriegelpeteriegelRCMBB Founder
Questions about how the motorized bike works are best answered by referring to the supplier's web page at

Motorized Bikes

There are other places that sell these things but I am not familiar with them.

Because they sell both 4-stroke and 2-stroke engines, there are lots of things to consider.

Installation videos may be seen at the site, and they are helpful.

Mike and Stu elected to mount their engines on bikes they already had, while I ordered a new bike.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
quote:
Originally posted by Bob Thurston:
Just thinking about this raises a whole lot of questions maybe you or others can answer.
- How does the transmission work on this device? - Is there a separate chain from the motor to rear wheel gears?


There's a separate chain from the transmission to the rear wheel. If you want to go really fast, there's a jackshaft kit available that sends the power thru the bike's gearing.

The transmission has a freewheel (one-way clutch) so it's only engaged when sending power to the wheel. If you want to pedal, it doesn't add too much drag.

quote:

- Can you pedal AND use motor at the same time or is it either-or?


It appears you can use both. You would provide a marginal amount of assistance.
quote:

- How does this compare to the bikes that have an electric motor and a battery?


E-bikes are more expensive, but lighter and somewhat more complicated. They typically use a motor in the wheel hub and a more sophisticated electronic throttle. A gas bike can be "recharged" at any gas station, though.
quote:

- What if someone wanted to buy a motorbike, or motor scooter? Is that an alternative to using a kit, or would it just be impossible to fit a counter on one of those vehicles?


I don't think a counter would work on those. The brakes would get in the way. Not to say you couldn't rig a counter somehow, but it would take some trial and error.

Speaking of trial and error, I figured out my chain guard. Pics later.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
And now for the "how the heck am I gonna" part of our program.

The chain guard included in the kit was no way, no how going to fit on my bike. I thought about doing without, but I can see its primary function is to keep the output sprocket from flinging grease all over my leg, and I have quite enough of that already.

My usual method is to stare at it intently, test-fit parts, mull over some ideas and then go do something else, so the goblins in the back room can think it over. Then when I least expect it, a solution comes slowly to the surface, like a corpse in a pond. And then I have no alternative but to get right on it.

So here's how that chain guard is going on:



Pure freakin' butchery. First I hacked away at the guard until it fit the frame and the output shaft, then bent up some 1/8 piano wire to make a stay that mounts to a heatshield screw and the rear rack mount. Then I brazed the piano wire to the guard.



I used a chain link to mount at the rear, rather than wrapping the wire. Hey, it's one way to clean up the shop.

The rear of the guard will just be safety-wired to the frame.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
So here's me being picky: The drive chain will either be too short, or so long that I'll need to take up a bunch of slack with the tensioner. The difference is one tooth on the sprocket. Since I'm waiting for parts anyway, I opted for too short, and made up the difference with a half-link:



Now the chain can wrap properly.

Here's another little problem-solver:



My rear brake cable is routed over the top tube, right where the tank is. I could probably snake it thru the tank mounts, but I don't like the idea of a cable chafing the bottom of the tank. So I bent up a piece of brake line to run the cable thru.

You can also see where I re-located the battery for the headlight. It swivels up so I can pull the battery out for charging. A little more elegant than hanging it on the fork.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
Woohoo, parts! Build! Thrash! Ride!



With the half-link in place, the chain is just long enough to wrap properly. The tensioner is still a little hinky. I need to tweak it a little so it rides true.



Not quite finished, but finished enough to ride. And gawd what fun! I haven't enjoyed anything so much since I was a wee sprog.

My brain bucket came in the mail, too, so I can keep what's left of my intellect.

Now if the city would pull its thumb out and plow my street, I could have some real fun.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
This sure ain't a Harley. It's quiet enough to hold a normal conversation while it's running. Even at Full Nelly it won't wake anyone but a hard-core insomniac.

Pedaling is a bit awkward. Between the low seat, wide cranks and machinery in the way, it takes some getting used to. And you can pedal while it's going, to provide a little boost if needed.

The big seat and high bars make for comfortable riding. I was afraid the vibration would be unpleasant, but very little gets through. Overall it's quite civilized.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
Now that it's running and riding, time to put the finishing touches on.



Picked up this lamp housing at Lowe's to give it a little more antique-bike flair.

Also adjusted the valves and replaced the Chinese spark plug with an NGK. Now it idles better and seems to have a bit more low-end grunt.

Rode around the block a few times and checked the temp. Cylinder temp was 180 degrees, which seems about right on a 40-degree day.

And ordered up a longer throttle cable and a speedometer.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
After riding it a bit, I find that I want one. The engine is just loud enough that you can't hear cars coming up behind you.

I used to have one that clips onto the side of my eyeglasses. Just a little thing, but it sure was effective. I think a bar-mounted mirror is going to vibrate too much to be useful.

Just weighed the bike. With a full tank, it comes it at 66 pounds. 28 front, 38 rear.
Last edited by sturiegel
sturiegelsturiegelMember
And since it's cold again, that's a good excuse to go back and re-do some of the stuff that was good enough to test ride but not good enough for everyday use. One of those things was the throttle cable, which is too short to lie properly, and binds the bars when I turn.

So I found a scooter cable on Amazon. In addition to being 6 inches longer, it's much better made, with a Teflon sleeve. So now the throttle is muy smooth.



Cables route much more naturally now. You can also see that I went against my religion and sacrificed style for performance in the lighting department.

I also put a longer front brake cable on, recycling the old throttle cable. Now all the cables on the bike are new. And smooth as butter.



Since I had the throttle apart anyway, I stripped off the horrible plating and gave it a spritz of flat back. Much better.

Quiz time! What do Ferraris, Chrysler Hemis and my sickle have in common (besides being ultimate performance machines, that's a given)?



Wrinkle-finish valve covers, of course!
sturiegelsturiegelMember
More progress:



My old brake pads were old enough to vote, and voted for early retirement. They were good enough for pedal power, but not really up to the task of slowing down 300 pounds from 30 mph. And brake-pad technology seems to have improved quite a bit. I don't think the old ones were ever this good. So now I know I can stop the beast in a hurry if need be.



Then I got to thinking about cooling. I noticed that while the engine is running, the fan pushes air around the back and forward thru the fins. Which is fine on a pressure washer or leaf blower, but damn few of those ever get up to 30 mph. And at speed the air coming in the front will meet the air coming around the back, and stall out the airflow.

So I cut away the side shield, figuring that the fan can take care of the right side and the back of the engine, while airflow does for the other two sides. It should be an improvement. If not, I have plenty of sheetmetal and can always make another one. Time and miles will tell.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
The fun and games never stop around here:



My chain guard broke where I drilled it for the hose clamp to the frame (too close to the edge I guess), so I brazed on a short length of wire and re-clamped it. Also gave it a coat of paint.

After that was finished up, I got a package:



My "old school" speedometer, as promised, looks the business. It's not the precision instrument that a JR counter is, but 1) I still can't find the damn thing and 2) I've only participated in one actual measurement. So it's not like I really need one on there.

Not as promised, however, was the work needed to actually fit the thing:



The fork hit the gear housing and wouldn't let me get the wheel all the way into the dropouts. So I hacked away at the housing, which has plenty of material. Gave the cable a liberal coat of grease just on general principles and went for a ride.

At half throttle (which I'm limited to for the first two tanks) I'm hitting 22 mph. And it feels a lot faster. The new brakes work really well, so I'm getting some confidence in this thing.

All I'm waiting on now is a mirror (helmet-mount) and warm weather.
B bobthurstonMember
Stu,

This is way better than those TV shows where they rebuild a motorcycle or a house, great stuff!

Please get in a lot of practice, especially on turns, before you use full throttle! Based on motorcycling friends, some of whom learned the hard way.

Another caution, I know someone who broke his arm while riding his powered bike. He had to stop suddenly on gravel and somehow the heavy bike came down on top of him. So practice stopping also. Just saying.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
Duly noted. The more I ride, the better it feels. The first couple runs were a little wobbly, but it's like riding a bike, ya know?

The rear weight bias helps with braking. I haven't weighed it with me on (kinda hard to do) but the balance is probably close to the unladen 40/60ish bias.

Rode a mile each way to the pizza shop for lunch. No mechanical issues and I can't stop smiling.

40 degrees outside, engine runs at 168 degrees. It's starting to free up, and half throttle is now good for 26 mph.
sturiegelsturiegelMember
quote:
Originally posted by Bob Thurston:
This is way better than those TV shows where they rebuild a motorcycle or a house, great stuff!


Here's the TV version:

DISASTER! The chain guard is broken and the bike has to be ready for the big reveal tomorrow! A last-minute mad thrash ensues and tempers flare as the crew struggles to get it done! Paul Senior is not happy!



YOU STUPID I TOLD YOU TO HEAT TREAT IT! YOUSE NEVER LISTEN! ARGH!
I JUST FORGOT, DAD! JEEZ LIGHTEN UP WILLYA! ARGH!

The more relaxed, literary version:

Well, apparently I was mistaken about the "no mechanical issues" part of yesterday's ride. My chain-guard stay broke right where it screws into the cylinder. Vibration? Frame flexing? Who knows. That's what I get for not heat-treating it.



So here's the Mk II "floater" version. Instead of a solid link, I made a new end, sleeved with brake line. That way the two pieces aren't rigidly attached, but the guard is still held in place. Bunged it in cold water after brazing, so it should be okay. Will it be? Who knows.

Funny that the simplest part is giving me the most trouble, but it's nice to know I can just throw it away if I get tired of mucking with it.

Plug reading:



New NGK plug on the right, after yesterday's ride. Color is just about perfect. Factory plug on the left looks like it was running super lean. So that's good news.

My helmet-mounted mirror isn't going to do the job. It sits too close to my eye for me to focus on anything, even at full extension, and it looks goofy besides. Ordered up a bar-mount mirror.

If I can get the stupid chain guard sorted, we can call it done. More testing needed.
Last edited by sturiegel
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