Bike Bug from the UK

[fastboy9]

Hi I saw this on eBay earlier in the UK.
Some people might be interested, I've heard a bit about bike bugs.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bike-bug-engin...1%7C240%3A1318

Hope its of use to somebody!
Fastboy

[Esteban]

That was the later, && better Bike Bug kit. These are very good kits, & there is a parts source in U.S., if anyone is interested.

[stude13]

please tell us source connection.

[az cra-z]

From the ad, it looks like all you're buying is the box! Mike Schneider is THE Bug guy, I'm sure a search of this site (and/or oldroads.com) will point the way.

[Esteban]

Yep, Mike is the one to seek for help.

http://www.bikebug.net/technicalcorner.html

[uncle_punk13]

I can xerox copies of the owners manual, shop manual, parts manual, and some other tips... P.M. me if you are interested
Rif

[skypalace]

Hello that was me who won that Bike Bug auction last week. The motor was new in box, seemed to be unused. A lady shipped it to the uk about twenty or thirty years ago and it just sat boxed in the garage all this time.

I replaced the air filter, which was like soft cream cheese, with a trimmed new kitchen sponge. I pulled the spark plug and turned the drive roller and saw the piston move up and down, then replaced the plug which looked clean and new. I attached it onto my hybrid bike, and got a liter of gas/petrol and mixed it with synthetic racing 2 stroke oil 25:1

It buzzed with pedaling for a few short attempts, but never really started. It did make some putt putt sound at first but after a few minutes of trying it stopped putt putting and then was just groaning.. so I stopped and drained the tank for another day.

Now it lies dormant. I'll try again after some advice from you all about what to do next. Maybe I ought to check if the spark plug gives a spark or has the right gap, but I don't have the gap tool, or know how to test for a spark.


skypalace

[Mountainman]

Maybe I ought to check if the spark plug gives a spark or has the right gap, but I don't have the gap tool, or know how to test for a spark.
skypalace

you might want to just take out the plug
set it against the engine
give it a pull and watch for spark

you can buy a gauge to set the plug -- any auto parts store

sounds like it should be up and running strong soon

after all -- it is -- even after all of these years -- brand new

I would run it a little rich (extra oil) for a while

have fun as you -- ride that THING

[skypalace]

I forgot to mention a another thing Uncle Mike from Bikebug.net helpfully advised me with. Below is part of an email to him. He's helpful and encouraging with my wobbly first steps to prepare the Bikebug. I had a extended business trip between my first attempt at starting it and writing this. I'll have a go at starting up the bike bug in the next few days. Gotta fix a bike belonging to one of my halflings first.

I'll end this intro thread and restart it in another part of the forum... Thanks for the positive vibes!

------8<----

...I unscrewed the spark plug, it looks like new, never used and turned the roller. The piston moved with it, it's all sparkling clean except for one of the three screws on the pump fixing plate. The black paint on both clamp brackets is peeling off.

I removed the engine shroud, and opened and removed the air filter which was like cream cheese. Used some paper towel to plug the carburator air intake and then removed the chunks of sticky powdery goo that was the air filter. Having traced its outline first, I cut and carved a kitchen sponge to a similar shape for the air filter replacement.

I then removed the fuel line at the primer and sucked and blew into the line. It seems to blow in the direction out of the tank towards the engine, but not
sucking (back to the tank) .... OK so far

--------->8------

to be continued... on another topic in the forum....

Skypalace

[skypalace]

Got the Bikebug engine working today! About half hour of fiddling.

Put some WD40 into the pistion, that sort of worked, anyway it made a put putting noise, but no power, just a drag.

Took out the spark plug, sprayed some electrical contact cleaner on it, then after replacing it, still no power.

Took out the spark plug again, this time scraped the spark plug contact inside the rubber cap, and sprayed that and the plug again with electrical contact cleaner. After putting it back in, then it powered right up.

Little rough at first, needed the choke at times. Bit slow, but it pulls me along ok. I can smell burning rubber of the friction drive wheel forming itself around the tyre.