'2High'- The Motorized Tall Bike

Hi folks,
I built '2High' the Tall Bike after returning from Christmas break. I was away visiting family & had plenty of time to surf YouTube gathering ideas on how I was going to build mine. I'm not a welder as many of you know from my previous builds. I prefer nuts & bolts & drilling, cutting and recently grinding. As a child I wore out my erector set...lol
At first, '2High' was pedal only. I wanted to make sure I liked riding it up so high and was comfortable getting up on it & down off it before adding the engine. BTW, riding up high is so much fun & people go crazy taking pictures, videos & shouting out words of encouragement as I ride on by.
Its morphed a few times from MTB style handlebars to Roadie bars w/aero clip-ons, & now an 8" rise BMX bar. It also has gone from 8 speed to single speed with dual rear freewheels (one for engine, one for pedaling and totally independent of eachother (no drag).
I added a Tanaka TC47 geared for max 27-29 mph. I'll be adding my large ATV fairing & Serfas Hugh Jass saddle.
I ordered a 22T 'all threaded' freewheel today so I can flip the 2 rear freewheels around. This will better my engine powered chainline & allow me to run a larger pedaling chainring. I may even add one of the pocketbike expansion chambers I got laying around & wrap it with some header wrap.
Cheers,
-Lowracer-

 

[keatonx]

Awesome bike, what's the stability like up there? How do you get up, just run, jump on and climb up?

 

[lowracer]

keatonx,
The stability is surprisingly good. The best way to describe it is with two poles. One say, 3 feet long & the other 6 feet long. Balancing both on your hand, the longer pole is easier to keep upright. The longer the pole the more pendulum effect.
The trick to getting on & getting off is simple. Left foot on left pedal while holding left side of handlebar, hop a bit forward with right foot, throw right leg up & over. Getting off is easier, just the same in reverse without the need to push or hop.
I try to slow down before a red light and wait it out till green while slowly moving forward or make a right on red and do a quick u-turn back to the light to right on red again going the way I wanted to go...I can trackstand this bike easier than my normal bikes so that is also an option to avoid a dismount. I think 2High is the the best height as 3High would be more difficult to mount & dismount. This height seems perfect & very easy to get off & on. I did jump off twice now just to see what it would be like in case of an emergency & I didn't hurt myself.
-Low-

 

[lowracer]

I went ahead & installed the header wrapped stock China girl poo-poo pipe replacing the stock catalyst muffler can on the Tanaka TC47. Wow, what a difference in noise levels! The stock can was loud as heck and blew exhaust onto my legs while ...gettin up on it, & gettin down...
Now the exhaust exits down towards the ground and off of me.
The pipe also wraps nicely around the fuel tank.
See pic
-Low-

 

[lowracer]

This post has nothing to do with the Tall Bike but I wanted to see if you could find the subtle differences between my two road bikes? I ride them alternately depending on the type of ride (ex. group ride, solo, windy day, bridge climb). I've had these now since just before I built my 1st MB and definitely put more miles on these guys. I liked the GT Gutterball so much, I had to build two...lol
-Low-

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

keatonx,
.....The longer the pole the more pendulum effect......
.....I try to slow down before a red light.....
-Low-

As with a unicycle.

I wouldn't want to try to stop that from 27mph in an emergency such as when a deaf and blind pedestrian walks out onto the road, backwards, right in front of it. :helmet:

In fact I'm amazed you ride that thing on the street, and with no helmet.

 

[FurryOnTheInside]

This post has nothing to do with the Tall Bike but I wanted to see if you could find the subtle differences between my two road bikes? I ride them alternately depending on the type of ride (ex. group ride, solo, windy day, bridge climb). I've had these now since just before I built my 1st MB and definitely put more miles on these guys. I liked the GT Gutterball so much, I had to build two...lol
-Low-

Handlebar/aerobar/brake levers, rear blinkie, pump (turned the opposite way around), seat post (height adjustment), general cleanliness, effective chainstay length (indicating a difference in gearing of perhaps one tooth on the front or the rear sprocket, or a worn "stretched" chain). How did I do?

 

[lowracer]

Furry,
You did real good!
The rear bottle holder is different (one attaches to the seatpost, the other the seat rails)
The front chainring is 53T on the time trial bar bike, 52T on the roady bar bike (with clip-on aerobars). Both have a 16T freewheel & the wheels are different between bikes.
The only time I wear a helmet is on group road rides. I have seen much carnage riding with others in a paceline.
I also wear a helmet everytime I go MTB'ing. Flying thru the woods at ludicrous speed definitely is high risk.
My state doesn't have a helmet law.
-Low-

 

[wheelbender6]

Now I know how to enjoy two GT frames at the same time with only one set of wheels.

 

[lowracer]

Got a crazy idea today to swap wheels & install 12.5" scooter wheels on '2High' making it 'Not Too 2High'...lol
I'll see if the large chainring on the lower bike has ground clearance once dropped onto the 12.5" wheelset?
If it works, The pedal side of things can use the lower chainrings to ramp up gearing (52T:26T to 46T:16T freewheel) for around a max 20 mph pedaling speed. The engine can go straight to freewheel (10T:18T) for around 29mph.
It wont be as tall, handling should be improved, without any pedal/engine interference...Hmmmmm.
Wll post pics of the mock up once new 26" wheel arrives and I start unbolting things.
-Low-