building second bike

S

stowaway

Guest
I currently have 1 80cc Skyhawk mountain bike. and im in the process of ordering parts for my next bike, which i hope to be a 4 stroke 48cc Honda clone Chopper Bike.

I didnt make the first bike. But there are some things i want to improve on on my second bike (one being I Want a centrifigul clutch)

When i ride my current bike, without the motor on, and the clutch pulled in.. it is still EXTREMELY Difficult.... I ran out of fuel last night with 5kms to go. and boy it was the hardest 5km of my life.

is there any tricks i could do on the second bike to make riding without hte motor a little easier?
 
devices

so no one has made any devices that easily disconnects the engine chain? as mines tight and i think i will need tools to take it off.. which i wont have when i run out of fuel.
 
I've only run out of gas ONCE, carry spare canisters, 1 liter Swiss made double lined, $14.

You find them in Camping supplies for holding cooking fuel. That would be the very easiest, cheapest way to end that problem, and if need be, attach a second water bottle carrier to hold even another spare.

I just make sure I rotate out the gas after a week or two, after hearing old mixed gas can be a problem after a month.

Seems like that would allow you to use any engine you like and not have to worry about taking off the chain.
 
Taking the chain off is easy with a pair of regular old pliers.
You may want a wrench to loosen your chain tensioner also.

I try to get the master link within easy access on the rear sprocket then just use the pliers to carefully remove the clip, disassemble the link.
 
proper clutch & chain adjustment is critical to pedaling...

yes, a pair of needlenose (multi-tool in my case) is the perfect carry-on accessory :)
 
Dirty Chains vs. Belt Drive

Another approach is to consider a belt drive. Dealing with a dirty chain was one consideration in my selection of a GEBE design. There are 3 ways to pedal -
1) Turn off engine and ride with disengaged centrifugal clutch. There is still noticable engine drag.
2) Flip lever to disengage tensioner. Easy to do in 1 second. When riding, there is some slight belt resistance as it slips over the transmission.
3) Use fingers to roll belt off splined roller. Tuck the belt aside (still with clean fingers!) This takes me about a minute because I tie up the belt with wire ties to secure it on the bike. When riding, there is zero resistance because the engine is completely disconnected.

Because of my setup, technique 2 results in a belt flopping around which might momentarily contact my brake system or edge of tire if I ride fast (20+ mph). While this is not a safety or wear issue, I don't like the idea. So, I generally use technique 1 and turn the engine off to ride the 50 feet where I want to go or use technique 3 when riding down mountains farther than 2 miles long since I like to ride downhill faster than the engine runs.
 
augidog said:
proper clutch & chain adjustment is critical to pedaling...

This right here is so true. I thought that the engine/drive-chain was just adding too much drag. In truth it was the clutch or adjuster wasn't adjusted right.

It should feel, with the clutch disengaged, that you are just pedaling. A little harder because of the weight, but nothing serious.

I'm personally having a problem adjusting the clutch between slipping when engaged and not being totally released when disengaged, but you shouldn't have the effort you said you were having.

At worst, carry a multi-tool like augidog and just take the chain off if you can't get it right and have to pedal. That's pretty much what I am doing.
 
There is no true clutch setup that eliminates drag while giving good positive engagement without clutch slippage.

Here is what I do when I decide to pedal (usually not by choice but when I run out of gas :)) I use the adjuster on my clutch lever to reduce drag so I can pedal easier. When I decide to run the engine, a couple of turns back to its original condition ensures that i won't wear my clutch out prematurely with clutch slippage.
 
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