ryobi friction drive

[bikerdude0269]

I hope im putting this n da right thread. Ive been lurkin for awile now and researching this. Ibought a occ chopper for my friction drive. I have come accross a ryobi 31cc weed whacker for sale. My plan is to put it like this picture courtesy of who idk whose pic this is but this is how i plan to mount the 31cc ryobi... If any body has n e suggestions i am open to them. My only means of transport now gets 9 mpg kills me.



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this is my bike now below



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[SimpleSimon]

Can I ask why you have chosen friction drive?

This is NOT meant negatively at all, but power loss through a friction drive spindle is higher than almost any other system, and the 31 cc Ryobi is a marginal engine for the application in power terms.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying don't do it. As a "power assist" system it will be a noticeable help, but you won't be climbing any significant grades under primarily engine power. Well, maybe, if you are a little guy.

 

[bikerdude0269]

Can I ask why you have chosen friction drive?

This is NOT meant negatively at all, but power loss through a friction drive spindle is higher than almost any other system, and the 31 cc Ryobi is a marginal engine for the application in power terms.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying don't do it. As a "power assist" system it will be a noticeable help, but you won't be climbing any significant grades under primarily engine power. Well, maybe, if you are a little guy.

Ez, reliable, cheap build. I live n nc n da flats.Hardly no hills that magnitude u r refering to i believe. Plus I have weed eater genious buddy that can get more than 31cc outta the ryobi. He was born with small engine spoon in his mouth. Maybe later when I can afford a motor kit I will upgrade. Plus im financial strapped right now. This is with in my budget!

 

[cpuaid]

That's exactly why I chose friction drive as my main commuter bike. It's reliability and ease of repair is unsurpassed. I am an urban rider and the #1 issue I face is tire punctures. When you ride on the side of the road, you encounter many things that is swept aside by the street sweeper that can give you a flat where tire slime will not even work. I can honestly change out a flat in 5 minutes flat on my friction drive bike. My China girl bike looks cool but couldn't handle my 22+ mile daily commutes. That thing would frequently break down along the way. When it broke down it was harder than heck to peddle unless I removed the drive chain. Those of you who disagree haven't had to peddle the darn thing for 11 miles over multiple hills! My Gebe is a great commuter unless the belt gets hot and stretches. Here in Texas you go all summer over 100° F. My stretched belt makes my tension pulley bounce back and forth so quickly and often that riding it is unbearable. I go through a new belt every year. With my friction drive I know it will start up EVERY time on the first or second pull. I know that if something goes wrong I can lift up the engine mount and have NO drag at all when I peddle. I know that if I get a flat all I have to do is quick release the axle and brake cable ( a whole 30 seconds process) and change out the tube. I know I can get almost 35 mile range on my stock little tank. I can swap out engines in 5 minutes if I get bored. (I have 4 different size engines that I rotate depending on my mood!). In my personal experience, friction drive setup wins for reliable daily commutes. Power loss? I don't think so. Chain drive 66cc China girl with stock setup can barely hit 30 MPH and get 80 MPG average. My 35cc Robin can almost hit 30 MPH and get 180-200 MPG. Friction drive is cheaper to maintain. With my China Girl I bought a new clutch, new magneto, new twist throttle, new head gasket, upgraded the carb, new smaller sprocket, and new muffler. I wasted so much money on that thing it was ridiculous and It still breaks down. None of my friction drive engines have broken down on me or left me stranded yet. I had to spend a whole $15 on a new rear tire this year after maybe 500 miles of hard commuting. Biker dude. There are several choppers on Youtube that has friction drive setups. I think it's only a matter of welding on a support bracket of some kind and a support brace that enables the engine to slide back and forth and lock against the tire and a cheap goped spindle for $10. You can't get any cheaper form of motorized bike than that.

 

[Wheres my dog]

I say hit up da friend with da small engine spoon in his mouth and git u sum help an build da bike rite and hit us up here wit da pics

How exactly do you get more then 31cc from a 31cc engine???

 

[SimpleSimon]

Fair enough, cpuaid. You are an experienced rider with all of the major choices available in this hobby, and I'll not question your experience.

I will say that I guess I got lucky - with my HT engine set up in the trike conversion I built I went through the engine thoroughly before I ever tried to turn it over - replaced all of the studs and bolts with grade 8 material, replaced the plug with a quality plug, polished the ports, etc. Even though that was a fairly complex install, with seven sprockets and 5 chain loops, a jackshaft to bring the power and the pedal loops together, and a Shimano three speed internally geared hub as a mid-drive transmission, once dialed in I had essentially no trouble with it. I am uninterested in speeds much over 20-22 mph, and in 3rd gear on the Shimano it would hit 35 - mostly I never got to third gear. Still, it averaged 140 mpg with my heavy behind and the weight of the rig itself to push. I miss that darned thing.

My current build project is severely delayed by health issues, but I hope to finish it soon. Which is a rear suspension GEBE rig with an RS 35 4 stroke pushing a tadpole trike I am building.

 

[rustycase]

REALLY sounds like that's gonna be a FUN tadpole, SS !!!
rc

 

[bikerdude0269]

I say hit up da friend with da small engine spoon in his mouth and git u sum help an build da bike rite and hit us up here wit da pics

How exactly do you get more then 31cc from a 31cc engine???

have no idea how he does it. he just does it been around small engines since he was born. ive seen him get a 50cc scoooter run 60 plus with the right tweask and parts idk how he does just does...

 

[bikerdude0269]

That's exactly why I chose friction drive as my main commuter bike. It's reliability and ease of repair is unsurpassed. I am an urban rider and the #1 issue I face is tire punctures. When you ride on the side of the road, you encounter many things that is swept aside by the street sweeper that can give you a flat where tire slime will not even work. I can honestly change out a flat in 5 minutes flat on my friction drive bike. My China girl bike looks cool but couldn't handle my 22+ mile daily commutes. That thing would frequently break down along the way. When it broke down it was harder than heck to peddle unless I removed the drive chain. Those of you who disagree haven't had to peddle the darn thing for 11 miles over multiple hills! My Gebe is a great commuter unless the belt gets hot and stretches. Here in Texas you go all summer over 100° F. My stretched belt makes my tension pulley bounce back and forth so quickly and often that riding it is unbearable. I go through a new belt every year. With my friction drive I know it will start up EVERY time on the first or second pull. I know that if something goes wrong I can lift up the engine mount and have NO drag at all when I peddle. I know that if I get a flat all I have to do is quick release the axle and brake cable ( a whole 30 seconds process) and change out the tube. I know I can get almost 35 mile range on my stock little tank. I can swap out engines in 5 minutes if I get bored. (I have 4 different size engines that I rotate depending on my mood!). In my personal experience, friction drive setup wins for reliable daily commutes. Power loss? I don't think so. Chain drive 66cc China girl with stock setup can barely hit 30 MPH and get 80 MPG average. My 35cc Robin can almost hit 30 MPH and get 180-200 MPG. Friction drive is cheaper to maintain. With my China Girl I bought a new clutch, new magneto, new twist throttle, new head gasket, upgraded the carb, new smaller sprocket, and new muffler. I wasted so much money on that thing it was ridiculous and It still breaks down. None of my friction drive engines have broken down on me or left me stranded yet. I had to spend a whole $15 on a new rear tire this year after maybe 500 miles of hard commuting. Biker dude. There are several choppers on Youtube that has friction drive setups. I think it's only a matter of welding on a support bracket of some kind and a support brace that enables the engine to slide back and forth and lock against the tire and a cheap goped spindle for $10. You can't get any cheaper form of motorized bike than that.

im preety sure im going with the polyurethane boat thign that the boats roll up on the trailer that i seen somebody on here have for a spindle. if not i have multiple trick bmx pegs.

 

[cpuaid]

That polyurethane roller had been tried on BMP friction drive kits and then discontinued. It had a bad habit of premature wear so you're long term cost on them will be higher. I forgot you wanted to go the cheapest route so a bike peg spindle should work fine for you. That little Ryobi should get you going at least 20-25 MPH stock with the right spindle size. If you can get a hold of a Goped black diamond spindle I'd recommend you buy it. I got mine for $15 shipped and that darn thing is well worth it. Faster take off speeds and you can ride on wet streets. Keep us posted and good luck on your build.