bluegoatwoods
Well-Known Member
I have two MBs. Both 49cc happy times. Built them in April, 2008. So they're both just about a year old.
The first one suddenly stopped running toward the end of last summer. Didn't take long to figure out that the magneto had gotten wet. I wasn't terribly concerned. It had other issues as well. My wife had beaten it up pretty badly.
So I put it in the basement and rode my second MB the rest of the summer. Even some winter riding. Made a wind screen/fairing of sorts. That bike has been quite good to me, really. Though I have had to tinker with it a fair amount. About a month ago, it died the same way. Wet magneto.
Not a big problem. I ordered a new magneto. And just for kicks I put it on the first bike. For a few weeks I've been playing with it, fixing it up and cleaning and waxing, etc. It's really a pretty good looking bike. (# 2 is more like the MB equivalent of the Clampett's old truck) Got it in good working shape over the last couple of weeks. Then I ordered a magneto for bike #2. Still waiting on that.
Sunday morning (yesterday) I took a 12 mile ride in some good soaking (rather chilly) rain. No problem. Yesterday evening I started out on the same ride in similar conditions. Didn't get far before it quit. I haven't yet diagnosed the problem. But I know darn well what if felt like; wet magneto.
This could be a problem. The cost of these new parts hasn't been so terrible, though I do have to be careful of being nickeled and dimed to death.
But the time I"m putting into keeping these bikes running is beginning to worry me. If a day of labor is the price for riding 30 miles, then I have to wonder if it's worth it.
I'm still a serious pedal-biker, so I'll be riding something in either case. (that's what I made last evening's ride on, as a matter of fact. And that was fine. People think I'm a nut riding in weather like that. But I know better; the auto-slaves are the nuts.)
By the way, I am sealing these covers and the wire pass-through with silicone sealer.
And better quality engines and drives are always a possibility. But I don't really want to spend hundreds of dollars.
Oh well, I'm not really ready to give up just yet. I'm posting this mostly to advise the newbies. These are lovely little bike engines. But do keep in mind that they need looking after.
See you all around.
The first one suddenly stopped running toward the end of last summer. Didn't take long to figure out that the magneto had gotten wet. I wasn't terribly concerned. It had other issues as well. My wife had beaten it up pretty badly.
So I put it in the basement and rode my second MB the rest of the summer. Even some winter riding. Made a wind screen/fairing of sorts. That bike has been quite good to me, really. Though I have had to tinker with it a fair amount. About a month ago, it died the same way. Wet magneto.
Not a big problem. I ordered a new magneto. And just for kicks I put it on the first bike. For a few weeks I've been playing with it, fixing it up and cleaning and waxing, etc. It's really a pretty good looking bike. (# 2 is more like the MB equivalent of the Clampett's old truck) Got it in good working shape over the last couple of weeks. Then I ordered a magneto for bike #2. Still waiting on that.
Sunday morning (yesterday) I took a 12 mile ride in some good soaking (rather chilly) rain. No problem. Yesterday evening I started out on the same ride in similar conditions. Didn't get far before it quit. I haven't yet diagnosed the problem. But I know darn well what if felt like; wet magneto.
This could be a problem. The cost of these new parts hasn't been so terrible, though I do have to be careful of being nickeled and dimed to death.
But the time I"m putting into keeping these bikes running is beginning to worry me. If a day of labor is the price for riding 30 miles, then I have to wonder if it's worth it.
I'm still a serious pedal-biker, so I'll be riding something in either case. (that's what I made last evening's ride on, as a matter of fact. And that was fine. People think I'm a nut riding in weather like that. But I know better; the auto-slaves are the nuts.)
By the way, I am sealing these covers and the wire pass-through with silicone sealer.
And better quality engines and drives are always a possibility. But I don't really want to spend hundreds of dollars.
Oh well, I'm not really ready to give up just yet. I'm posting this mostly to advise the newbies. These are lovely little bike engines. But do keep in mind that they need looking after.
See you all around.