Wind and Overkill

WisdomWarlord

New Member
Local time
4:03 PM
Joined
Apr 4, 2012
Messages
18
Location
Metro Detroit
I got my hands on a Honda GX110 4 stroke engine, 107cc and 4 stroke, I have been scheming ways to put it on my bike and still make my bike a ridable bicycle. If I didn't want pedals, I would have a motorcycle. But, on the other hand, I thought that big engine might be overkill. I don't want high speed, 35 is fine. That's about all u can average in city streets anyway!

I have been going to the gym this past winter because I knew my body was not ready to bicycle commute like I want to. Well, now it is....sorta.
I went for a ride yesterday, 13 miles round trip. Not bad, and I could walk comfortably after. I easily could have gone double. But the wind! Steady at 12 and gusting to 25. That and a steep climb up and over a highway overpass reminded me of some things.

Wind is a serious challenge!
Hills are too.
Hills and a head wind will test a mans commitment to the sport!

My bike only has an underpowered meat motor on it right now. In the wind I managed a 6.5 mph pace. I was pretty disheartened at that snails pace, since it was pretty flat after that first mile. On the way back, I managed 14 mph and was less tired at the end. So over half my horsepower was spend resisting the wind on the way there. Wow!

So, that tells me that most of the time, a 107cc engine may very well be overkill, there will be times when it plus my meat motor will be lucky to be enough!

So, if I want a daily driver, reliable and suitable for the terrain I come across, I will build what I have and do what it takes to keep the popo at bay.

I have often wondered about these 50cc and under bikes. I can see how on a flat road with no wind they would be suitable, but in the real world, I just don't see myself putting up with the limits and problems an underpowered engine would bring. I am real glad I got beat up by the before I traded off my Honda engine.

This bike of mine will be expected to go all over the country with me, on pedal power and engine, so durability and reliability are pretty high on my priority list. If the bike were strictly recreational, I would have a different view of the "legal" engine sizes. Not trying to dis anyone running them.
 
Air resistance in an upright riding position, even without wind, becomes an increasingly limiting factor after a certain speed is reached in cycling. However, IMO for motor assisted bicycles 50cc and under is plenty, it becomes more a matter appropriate gearing for a given task. It also happens to comply with legal standards in a majority of states. A well tuned bike that fits, is comfortable and functions well as a pedal bicycle to begin with is a huge plus.
 
Wisdom, I really can relate! See, I'm 6' 6", 260, so that's pretty trying on these small cc's. If you add head-wind.................well, I think you know the rest of!! See, in normal weather here in SW Va, there are quite a few hills. Considering I've done quite a few mods on the 66cc, I run mid twenties to thirty+. Uno, the way I see it, it's got to be very confusing (funny) for people to see this big guy riding a little bike, but it's a blast when I keep the same pace as 90% of all the traffic around town. .................LOL, all until the wind really blows!~:sick:
 

Attachments

  • stretch.jpg
    stretch.jpg
    41.5 KB · Views: 376
There is nothing more reliable than the honda but it requires fabrication work to fit it. To me, that engine with belt drive to the rear wheel (with the rear sheave being another wheel) like one of the guys here does, would be the simplest.
As far as CCs- not an issue from what I see here.
I have 2 bikes- 79cc and 212cc, both go a tad over 30 (flying on a bike) but most of the time run at less then 20.
 
As far as CCs- not an issue from what I see here.

Interesting opinion given what I understand to be the current legal status of gas motorized bikes in that state. For the purposes of instruction, I'm wondering if any other steps were taken to ready the bikes toward compliance for legal street use?
 
Professor. That was my CB handle back in the day :)
The more I look into it the more I am convinced the Honda is the right plan. Of course, I will have fun legally. I will find a way to not have to call it a motorcycle, but it will be a challenge. I got a good roll down a hill yesterday where I was able to do some high speed turns. At 30 it was very maneuverable, at 35 there was more resistance to a turn than I cared for, and at 40 I had to work hard to lean, and to straighten back up. Seems those big 26" wheels make real effective gyroscopes!
That means that my bike will be governed and geared for under 30. Probably 29, which I am hoping will help keep it classified as a bicycle.
 
Last edited:
Happy- the regs here in NY are weird - 3 classes of mopeds (yes- mine is now a moped).
All need lights and stop light. All are based on speed capability. All need to be registered.

WW- find out the rules in Michigan before you begin to build.
When you ride, imagine all car drivers are drunk, wear a safety vest (to be seen), helmet, gloves and ride with the appearance of being safe, the law will certainly notice and leave you alone.
 
Yup professor, I have. They are ridiculous. Under 50cc, max 2HP, max 20mph. We all know 2HP is easy to hit without exceeding 49cc's, and many of us can pedal to speeds of 30+ on a flat road with no wind. How they came up with some of these rules escapes logic!
If I have to register my bike as a motorcycle, I am prepared to do so. I hope I find myself in a confusion loop where they can't tell what it is and decide to call it a moped! I'll just have to see where it goes.
 
49cc is the leagel limit in most states and no more than 30 miles an hour why would you wanna put a motor thats 107cc and exspect it to be street leagel dont people realize thats why we are being regulated like we are or banned out rite thats kinda not rite i use mine for transportation and cant afford to have mine banned come on people smarten up quit screwing it up for the rest of us ........
 
Screwing what up? Did you happen to read the part about me being willing to register it as a motorcycle if that what it ends up taking? I read about all sorts of people here running illegal engines but trying to hide it, or making it look legal while it really isn't. Or people who run way past the legal speeds for a motorized bike. I'm not trying to hide anything, and I'm not trying to lie my way around the laws with some sneaky decal or serial number changes. THOSE people are the ones you need to cry to about "screwing it up for the rest of us" and stop whining on my thread!
 
Back
Top