Chains Aligning bicycle chain with motor chain...

Status
Not open for further replies.

John-Forrest

Member
Local time
2:57 PM
Joined
Jun 23, 2008
Messages
80
I seem to have problems with aligning my bicycle chain and motor chain on this WildFire bike I got. If I get one tight enough, the other one is too tight. Usually the bicycle chain is very tight with NO slack and the engine chain keeps getting loose. Since the engine chain is more important I tend to tighten that & leave bicycle chain alone. The wheel seems to be twisted to the side which I assme is not a good thing. I wonder if my problem is the bicycle chain and engine chain are not quite the same length, maybe I should remove a link from engine chain? I also tend to have this aggravating problem of the engine chain dragging onto the wheel and fender. I am curious if others have these difficulties with aligning the two chains and how they fix this kind of thing.
 
You must be talking about a coaster brake type wheel?

I got around the chain tension issue by using the chain tensioner on the "pedal chain" side. you just mount it upside down. You can tighten the engine chain and then use the tensioner to take up the slack in the pedal chain.

And you can make a little wiggle room (for chain/tire clearance) by "sliding" your axle right or left. You know what I mean; loosening the bearing on one side and tightening it on the other.

Also, your drive sprocket isn't mounted backwards is it?
 
You may have to remove a link from the engine chain, or you could buy another bicycle chain to make yours longer.
 
You may have to remove a link from the engine chain, or you could buy another bicycle chain to make yours longer.

i had the same problem at first kinda and i finally just went to the hardware store (Lowes actually since it was the only one open) and was able to pick up the chain links they sell them by fours for less thank 5 bucks ... then you just remove the links needed and put on the connector link BUT be sure if you do that ... to put the little pin clamp thing on so that the open end of it is going the opposite way the chain otherwise it coupld hit something and pop it right off :X yea that happened.
 
Bicycle chain vs. Engine chain...

I suspect I will need to remove a link from engine chain. I sometimes wonder if the wheel thing that takes slack is really necessary; it seems to create a lot of resistance when I'm just pedaling with clutch in.

I just went on a long trip and there were a lot of lot steep hills. Somewhere along the way, the pedal and pedal arm starting acting like it was coming loose. I went to a bike shop; the guy told me the bike part seems fine but there may be loose bearings in the engine sprocket. Anyway, now the engine is making the bicycle sprocket fly around. I have to hold my feet on the pedals to keep it from flying around at the same speed the engine is turning. Every rotation there is some kind of weird knock.

Does anybody have any idea what THAT means? It definitely feels like the engine is going kaput! Or maybe clutch isn't quite disengaging bicycle sprocket? They definitely feel like they are fighting one another.
 
I had the same problem. If the bike chain was tight the motor chain was loose, but only like 1 link too loose. I ended up getting a longer bike chain and keeping the motor chain tight. Bad idea, the bike chain was too loose and kept popping off which meant no coaster brakes. So I set the back wheel to keep the bike chain tight and raised the motor in the frame to keep the motor chain tight.
 
wildfire mb

if you have the wildfire mb (factor assembled)
the motor chain only gets a 3/8 slack.
i had the problem @ first w/the chains
like you. i took off that crazy "work/start"kickstand
this allowed me to keep more uniform on the chains.
the wildfire mb has a z-brake in the rear.not a coaster. the drive chain also has a tention pulley.
this i hafta ajust afer each days ride.
 
Hello Fellow WildFire Owner!

I find what works best for me is to leave a bit of slack on the engine chain - and have the bicycle chain absolutely tight (no slack) - otherwise bike chain tends to slip off when I shift from bike to engine. I think engine chain is too long and I'm considering taking a couple of links off w/o tensioner wheel altogether.

The accessories that company put on s..k! I wound up replacing kickstand with more solid one, replacing that dinky mirror with a huge bicycle mirror (Pyramid), removing that cheap electric system and using LED lights, putting metal pedals with teeth in place of plastic ones. In short, I had to rebuild the bike for about as much as I paid to buy it.

Make your comments to WildFire, though. They do consider them and they may make a better bike in future. Assembled motorbikes are in the formative stage now.
 
pedals

hey john forrest, where did you find pedals to fit ?
what size are the threads ? what i had around where
too small. i don't like those plastic pedals ! its hard
to keep on them ,xspecialy when wet. i guess i'll take a link/two from my chain aswell.....the master
link fell out this morning.had to pedal 6 miles........
good thing the bike is light weight. i picked-up my
chain.but,that master link is far gone. anyone know the chain size ?
i'll hafta go to ACE & get a master. johnm could you
post some pics. of the upgrades ?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top