80cc Bike Engine Conversion

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 00:18:26 -0500, tomcas vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

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Oh....what about those reviews? Two out of three were loser....

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 15:32:54 +0800, the inscrutable Old Nick spake:

What, the two who said "Do you know anything about these things?" The price is sure nicer at $135 than the Sumbitchy at $699 or the Tecumseh at $399.

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 08:33:25 -0800, Larry Jaques vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

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" installed this kit on a Schwinn Stingray. With the 50 tooth sprocket the top speed is aprox. 35mph. The mileage is about 70 mpg. Upgrading the seat to a Bell definitely improves the experience- no suspension. The plastic tensioner,the cables-gas and clutch are of low utility and should be replaced. Torque and power are a feature of this motor as is vibration. Parts not loc-tited will eject, the spark plug connection disintigrates, and the exhaust must be fabricated as just bolting on the supplied system has issues with ground clearance and an ejection problem. As a package it is addictive to operate, and the public reaction has been great."

"This kit that you see on e-bay is really quite CHEAP and I don`t mean price wise. It`s made in China so what do you expect? you get what you pay for. When I got my kit I literally had to rebuild or replace everything, clutch cabel, carb, broken ignition wire etc. The motor ran for about two mile before it seized up on me and yes I had the proper oil to gas mixture. I think a person is better off getting a tecumseh or honda engine which can be easily serviced. Unless you are a mechanic, it`s hard to find somebody to service these skyhawk motors plus parts have to be ordered. Personal pet peeve is that everything is METRIC"

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 10:38:20 +0800, the inscrutable Old Nick spake:

That's not a loser review, it's positive, but points out the weaknesses. Loc-tite is a given on every screw on every motorcycle. Yes, ground clearance on a Stingray is a given, and cables are a standard, high-maintenance part, as usual. On the positive side, he says the thing is addictive, torquey, and powerful, with public reaction great. This was the one valid review, IMHO.

Yes, this review (and I believe the reviewer) was a loser. I discounted it due to the 100% whine factor (there were NO positive points), misspellings, and his metric statement. Anyone with a problem about metrical whosawhatsits doesn't belong in this era. ;) (As a recovering mechanic in the USA, with 2 sets of tools, I should know. I lived through it 30 years ago.)

SOLUTIONS:

As to the availability of parts, at this price, one could buy 2 kits (2/3 the price of the next offering) and keep one for spares until parts become more readily available.

OR buy 10 kits. Build one, keep one, and sell 8 in pieces as spare parts for a 3x markup.

OR buy an extra kit, cast or machine replacement parts of much higher quality and sell at a premium.

Safety wire, cotter pins for critical stuff. I've gotten tired of retrieving my mufflers from the roadside so the hanger bolts are cross-drilled and cotter pinned. Haven't lost one yet since then!

Jim

What do you ride?

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 06:40:14 -0800, Larry Jaques vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

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So you are happy with a thing that falls to pieces, because the guy finally says "Oh well, that's alright. It's a good toy". But the guy who simply says it fell to pieces should be discounted?

I _never_ used loctite on my bikes, unless to rebuild stuff, in special situations. I _never_ had anything, except me, fall off, that I can remember. I rode _only_ bikes for over 15 years. Hundreds of thousands of Ks. I still have a 1976 Honda CB750. Nothing ever fell off it.

OTOH, I never bought a Duc or a Brit bike either!

On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 06:11:42 +0800, the inscrutable Old Nick spake:

You and I know it's going to shed parts. Vibratory things do that, and that's why Loc-Tite was born. but the second (clueless) guy would be unhappy if the thing ran out of gas, too. "It won't run." We can't help him much. (He should have known better.)

Q: How often did you ride any of those wide open at full RPM for hours at a time? That's closer to the application of these bike motors. While motorcycles have trannies, allowing you to use the highest gear for the cruise, bike motors are run flat out for the duration. They shake a whole lot more with less mass to dampen it, too.

I helped a guy keep his Husky 400 (The Trencher) running an actually rode it once. When it hit the pipe, the front end came up so quickly that it was nearly vertical before I could close the throttle. (I changed my shorts as soon as I got home, too.) In any case, we used a case of loc-tite (both red and blue) on that thing over a few year period. It even ate through the -blue- (permanent) stuff!

Nor did I. I had an unfinished project bike (CZ 250) for a year, but sold it unridden, and I had a Kawasaki 90, a gift from Dad for my

15-1/2 birthday, the day I got my driving permit. I think I found every cul-de-sac, trail, street in North Sandy Eggo County in the 6 months before I could drive a car legally, by myself.

But I've owned no real scoots. ;)

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The mufflers on those bikes are basically held on with a *single* M8 machine screw. If that screw ever comes undone, it's muffler jetison time.

And those damn things are *hot* when you go back to pick them up!

"Boy, it's a good thing I could come around so fast and get it off the road before somebody hits it. Hey, what's that burning smell... YAAAAHHHHHH my gloves are on fire!"

Jim

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 16:23:51 -0800, Larry Jaques vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

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Haha! Been giving this some thought. This discussion is easily solved. You buy one, I won't. .

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 05:31:13 +0800, the inscrutable Old Nick spake:

It's a deal! Send the check to my regular address, Nick.

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On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 17:16:16 -0800, Larry Jaques vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

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OOOOKKAAAY! I tried to stop this. So you are saying that for all your defence of the priduct, and your knocking of the guy who said it was shit, you will not pay for one yourself?

On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 06:39:16 +0800, the inscrutable Old Nick spake:

Hell no. I'm way too cheap for that. ;)

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The Golden Eagle engine kit for bicycles is pretty decent. Getting the belt drive gear on the engine to line up correctly with the drive ring you snap on your rear tire is a trial and error process though. The mounting bolts for the strap between the mounting frame and rear of the bicycle should be loctited. Vibration fatigue and broke my first strap, but I had a sharp bend in it from the start I never corrected. Top speed is around 30, milage seems to be around

200 miles per gallon. I've been able to start the Redmax engine at 6 degrees- a cool but fun ride..

Mart>

This kit is belt drive? Do you have a link to the sales site? Cost?

Mart> The Golden Eagle engine kit for bicycles is pretty decent. Getting

the belt drive gear on the engine to line up correctly with the drive ring you snap on your rear tire is a trial and error process though. The mounting bolts for the strap between the mounting frame and rear of the bicycle should be loctited. Vibration fatigue and broke my first strap, but I had a sharp bend in it from the start I never corrected. Top speed is around 30, milage seems to be around 200 miles per gallon. I've been able to start the Redmax engine at 6 degrees- a cool but fun ride..

parts,