slickdude
Member
- Local time
- 10:35 PM
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2011
- Messages
- 282
Well, some time ago I mentioned building an electric and fast Sting Ray. Well with 2012 at an end and my Ezip project behind me now, I am going to make this the next year project. Stingray's have always looked like small, quick and fast bikes. A cool item from the 1960's era that I grew up with and now a little story before I go on.
I grew up in the 1960's and when Schwinn came out with the "Orange Krate" I had always wanted one. What with the small wheel in the front and the Stick shifter what boy didn't back then? A few years passed it was 1970 and my dad finally took me to the local Schwinn shop. There it was my dream bike, a shiny brand new Schwinn Orange Krate with that big 5-speed stick shifter. I was ecstatic at the thought of getting it. However for ten bucks less there was the Schwinn Fastback and it was a burgundy red. The salesman was so smooth and my dad at the time wanting to shave a few bucks it was not going to be what I had wanted, but instead something else. After all, my dad pointed out the Fastback looked faster, it also saved him ten bucks. That meant I got a bike I didn't want and was never really happy with. I graciously thanked my father at the time but did tell him it really wasn't what I wanted. His reply was take it or get nothing. In hindsight I really should have graciously declined his offer and instead forgo the fastback.
Well, decades passed and I got older, had cars got on with life but never had an Orange Krate or even an orange sting ray for that matter. Today I am going to rectify that and in a neat way.
Now I know what you are all saying, it is not a Schwinn Orange Krate. You are absolutely correct. They don't make new Orange Krates these days with a 5 speed stick shifter, those are vintage and way IMHO overpriced.
They do though, make a lightweight orange sting ray with banana seat and that is a great start. It is let's say, an Orange Krate wannabe, but I am going to step it up several major notches along with my neighbor who used to own a bike shop.
The first thing is an under seat rack that can hold both a battery and a controller. In this case I am going to go thumb throttle. Next becomes the choice of wheels. They make a hub motor wheel 350watt that is a 36 volt system and it comes in get this, a 16 inch wheel. That means it looks like an Orange Krate. In my case it will be like having an Orange Krate with a motor. Imagine the heads that will turn on this clean looking bike. The 36volt battery is what they call a "can" battery and looks more like a water bottle which can be frame mounted as well. It won't have the fenders, stick shift, gear cluster on the back wheel, not even the slick tire or hand brakes. It won't go super fast but you know what, having a stingray that looks like the Orange Krate but does much more than the original ever did is payback. So for 2013, here come da E-Ray
I grew up in the 1960's and when Schwinn came out with the "Orange Krate" I had always wanted one. What with the small wheel in the front and the Stick shifter what boy didn't back then? A few years passed it was 1970 and my dad finally took me to the local Schwinn shop. There it was my dream bike, a shiny brand new Schwinn Orange Krate with that big 5-speed stick shifter. I was ecstatic at the thought of getting it. However for ten bucks less there was the Schwinn Fastback and it was a burgundy red. The salesman was so smooth and my dad at the time wanting to shave a few bucks it was not going to be what I had wanted, but instead something else. After all, my dad pointed out the Fastback looked faster, it also saved him ten bucks. That meant I got a bike I didn't want and was never really happy with. I graciously thanked my father at the time but did tell him it really wasn't what I wanted. His reply was take it or get nothing. In hindsight I really should have graciously declined his offer and instead forgo the fastback.
Well, decades passed and I got older, had cars got on with life but never had an Orange Krate or even an orange sting ray for that matter. Today I am going to rectify that and in a neat way.
Now I know what you are all saying, it is not a Schwinn Orange Krate. You are absolutely correct. They don't make new Orange Krates these days with a 5 speed stick shifter, those are vintage and way IMHO overpriced.
They do though, make a lightweight orange sting ray with banana seat and that is a great start. It is let's say, an Orange Krate wannabe, but I am going to step it up several major notches along with my neighbor who used to own a bike shop.
The first thing is an under seat rack that can hold both a battery and a controller. In this case I am going to go thumb throttle. Next becomes the choice of wheels. They make a hub motor wheel 350watt that is a 36 volt system and it comes in get this, a 16 inch wheel. That means it looks like an Orange Krate. In my case it will be like having an Orange Krate with a motor. Imagine the heads that will turn on this clean looking bike. The 36volt battery is what they call a "can" battery and looks more like a water bottle which can be frame mounted as well. It won't have the fenders, stick shift, gear cluster on the back wheel, not even the slick tire or hand brakes. It won't go super fast but you know what, having a stingray that looks like the Orange Krate but does much more than the original ever did is payback. So for 2013, here come da E-Ray