New Golden Eagle belt drive - 24 hour impressions

Tinker1980

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Jul 19, 2007
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Tulsa
Yesterday, at about 5 pm, I installed my first GEBE kit. I have the 32cc Tanaka engine, and it's installed on a full-suspension mountain bike. I proceeded to zip tie the belt out of the way, pedal it to QT with a gallon can for mixing gas. Mixed the gas, slipped the belt on, and on the 2nd pull the engine started.

Compared to my HT setup, this engine is far, far smoother, and much quieter. It also has much less torque, which is likely due to the smaller displacement, and what feels like higher gearing. Once you have the bike moving, it does great. Still smooth and quiet at speed. And it's very nice to be able to tie the belt out of the way, to pedal it. My other half, who the bike was built for, seems to like it.

The only problems I see with the setup, is the small engine, and the price. $660 shipped is a bit much for this kit. The engine, I'm guessing, can be changed - if and when the Tanaka quits. I think I also have the option of modifying the Tanaka engine for more power, or putting a lower gear ratio on the kit.
 
Took the new bike to the grocery store, left my Android Speedometer app running in my pocket. Top speed reached was a heady 29.08 MPH. Have to admit - this engine is smooth. Anyone try the 14 tooth gear with the Tanaka? I like leaving the bike in 21st gear and flying up the hills at half throttle.
 
Just wait

The tanaka gets a lot stronger after break inn !!!!
You got a great engine.. Worth every penny..
After a few hundred miles check the fuel tank mounting bolts.
 
Took the new bike to the grocery store, left my Android Speedometer app running in my pocket. Top speed reached was a heady 29.08 MPH. Have to admit - this engine is smooth. Anyone try the 14 tooth gear with the Tanaka? I like leaving the bike in 21st gear and flying up the hills at half throttle.

I switched to the 14 tooth gear on my Tanaka 32cc, and I really like it. Top speed is a little higher and the engine is quieter while cruising.

It loses a little speed going up hills - not enough to be a problem, but perhaps that is due to my riding style. Going up hills I pedal as hard as I can to try to maintain my speed. For me, that's a lot of fun - it's a blast! If I didn't pedal, I would still get up the hill, but but I would be going disturbingly slow and the fun would be gone.
 
Is

I switched to the 14 tooth gear on my Tanaka 32cc, and I really like it. Top speed is a little higher and the engine is quieter while cruising.

It loses a little speed going up hills - not enough to be a problem, but perhaps that is due to my riding style. Going up hills I pedal as hard as I can to try to maintain my speed. For me, that's a lot of fun - it's a blast! If I didn't pedal, I would still get up the hill, but but I would be going disturbingly slow and the fun would be gone.

Your fuel tank cap facing up ?
 
Yes, fuel tank cap is at top of tank. I have also added an auxillary tank that extends my range to 80 miles. With 2 fuel bottles in water bottle cages, the range exceeds 130 miles.
 

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Yes, fuel tank cap is at top of tank. I have also added an auxillary tank that extends my range to 80 miles. With 2 fuel bottles in water bottle cages, the range exceeds 130 miles.

I like this mod. How does it work? Plug the Tanaka's tank vent, run a line from the tanaka tank to the auxiliary tank, aux. tank has the vent?

The GEBE machine has been the wife's motorized bike. I've been promising to build her one since before she was my wife. We rode both machines (GEBE and my HT I've had since 2008) down to the Goodwill on Southwest Boulevard. Wife was on here Full-suspension GEBE bike, I was on the old Kulana Moon Dog with the 66cc engine, and a loaded bike trailer... No way I could keep up with her. I can't even hear the Tanaka over the HT engine, and I've never done anything to make the HT louder.

I think that the quietness of the new machine is a good thing - the quieter my motorized bikes are, the less likely there is going to be some kind of movement from the easily offended to ban them from the roads.
 
I like this mod. How does it work? Plug the Tanaka's tank vent, run a line from the tanaka tank to the auxiliary tank, aux. tank has the vent?

This is the way that it works.

Drill a 1/4" hole in the top of the Tanaka tank and run the fuel line from the aux tank into the Tanaka tank. Then, plug the vent on the Tanaka tank gas cap. As the engine pulls gas out of the Tanaka tank, it creates a vacuum, which causes gas to flow from the aux tank into the Tanaka tank.

The Tanaka tank will stay almost full until the aux tank has been emptied. That way it's easy to see how much gas you have left.
 
That sounds easy. I've a spare 1 gallon gas can I can try this with. I also have an old respirator, which has little one-way valves in it that I might put in the vent on the second tank. I think this will be a mod I can do for the price of some scrap metal and fuel line.
 
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