Need help deciding Chain drive or Friction drive

I'm using a Titan 50. It's much more powerful than the R/S. At 750 miles though I just had had the tank mount bracket snap in two and the gas tank filler neck cracked. Regular use, no wrecks or tip overs. Dax has one in the mail but that wouldn't be much help on the road would it?QUOTE]

I ran a titan 50 for a year and went through a couple gas tank brackets before i just resorted to zip tieing the tank on. :-/

I loved the titan since its a 4 stroke and makes good power but unfortunately i lost a plastic cam gear after about a year of use. Replacing the cam gear involves total tear down of the engine.

I'm not quite as happy about the added noise and premixing but my harbor freight 52cc performs about as well as the titan for $160.

Friction drive all the way if you ask me though chains are for the birds. (Maybe I just had bad experiences.)
 
My Grandfather was one handy guy. As a machinist, Journeyman Machine Repairman for Borg-Warner and proprietor of an auto repair garage one thing he told me I'll never forget. He said that the BEST machine, in the long run, is the SIMPLEST one that will do the job. Nothing wrong with any of the systems out there. I've played with many now. Avoid the cheap Chinese stuff. Bad metallurgy. Higher quality Chinese is OK. Again the Friction Drive is simple, affordable, well made and works superbly. I personally like the BMP.
 
My Grandfather was one handy guy. As a machinist, Journeyman Machine Repairman for Borg-Warner and proprietor of an auto repair garage one thing he told me I'll never forget. He said that the BEST machine, in the long run, is the SIMPLEST one that will do the job. Nothing wrong with any of the systems out there. I've played with many now. Avoid the cheap Chinese stuff. Bad metallurgy. Higher quality Chinese is OK. Again the Friction Drive is simple, affordable, well made and works superbly. I personally like the BMP.

I have ordered the Subaru EHO35 and BMP drive. Hopefully get it this week :D

I like to Keep It Simple too. I imagine the only thing that can go wrong with friction drive is tire wearing out... with other system... spokes, wheels, chains... too much hassle.

I'm very curious right now how fast I can go with this on by bike... anything over 30mph will be awesome.
 
Top speed w/ your BMP/ R/S 35 will depend, frankly, on how much you weigh. To a lesser extent but still a factor will be tire size and pressure. Obviously bad bearings or bad adjustments to the bike itself will affect not only speed but safety, comfort, etc.. Two of my BMP's ended up w/ the R/S engine. My daughter weighs around 130 lbs..Her bike is a ladies 24" Huffy Cranbrook. Tires are Continental 1.75 diameter. After a careful breakin, I had her open it up to check speedo accuracy. 24.8 mph with the 1" diameter roller.
 
Chain drive or Friction drive?

Friction works well if it's dry. Chain works well if it's wet or dry.
 
I've played with friction drive for years, using Staton, then BMP which I preferred because of easy bearing and roller replacements. My engines ranged from Robin/Subaru, then one Mitsubishi, twin Mitsubishis, and finally the GP460 4.25+ hp engine. The best in terms of power and reliability was the BMP with 2.2hp Mitsubishi engine. I was never able to fully harness the 460's power. It has a very small power range; go below that and the engine was a dog. Other times, its awesome power chewed up tires quickly, and the rubber dust was a problem.

Presently, I'm using Scooterguy chain drive for less than 2 months. I have used the 2.85hp Tanaka 47R engines and the 4.25+ hp GP460 engines. Still experimenting. The 47R is VERY loud at higher rpm. The 460 is loud, but not as loud as the Tanaka.

There are many issues I've had to deal with, like chain falling off the front sprocket, chain breakage, oil spray onto everything aft of the engine, "hunting" sprocket gears.

HOWEVER, the moment you powershift through 8 speeds, you will be hooked forever. NOTHING comes close to that feeling, especially if power and acceleration is your goal.:bowdown:

My present and best ride is my Diamondback bike with dual disc brakes, GP460 engine and 11t/25t rear cassette. My next build is a 29" bike with Scooterguy drive, either Tanaka 47R or GP460 engine and NuVinci rear hub.

I'm not into top speed; I just need to keep ahead of traffic going my way.

FWIW, I will never go back to friction drive.:devilish:
 
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I've played with friction drive for years, using Staton, then BMP which I preferred because of easy bearing and roller replacements. My engines ranged from Robin/Subaru, then one Mitsubishi, twin Mitsubishis, and finally the GP460 4.25+ hp engine. The best in terms of power and reliability was the BMP with 2.2hp Mitsubishi engine. I was never able to fully harness the 460's power. It has a very small power range; go below that and the engine was a dog. Other times, its awesome power chewed up tires quickly, and the rubber dust was a problem.

Presently, I'm using Scooterguy chain drive for less than 2 months. I have used the 2.85hp Tanaka 47R engines and the 4.25+ hp GP460 engines. Still experimenting. The 47R is VERY loud at higher rpm. The 460 is loud, but not as loud as the Tanaka.

There are many issues I've had to deal with, like chain falling off the front sprocket, chain breakage, oil spray onto everything aft of the engine, "hunting" sprocket gears.

HOWEVER, the moment you powershift through 8 speeds, you will be hooked forever. NOTHING comes close to that feeling, especially if power and acceleration is your goal.:bowdown:

My present and best ride is my Diamondback bike with dual disc brakes, GP460 engine and 11t/25t rear cassette. My next build is a 29" bike with Scooterguy drive, either Tanaka 47R or GP460 engine and NuVinci rear hub.

I'm not into top speed; I just need to keep ahead of traffic going my way.

FWIW, I will never go back to friction drive.:devilish:

So are you using chain drive right now? You prefer it over friction? I would love to see some pic of your MB
 
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