D. Allen
New Member
I stumbled across this interesting forum and decided to stay for a while. Please excuse me if i get too wordy. I'm a published writer (technical books and recently Sci-Fi) and get a bit carried away.
I have retired from my old business after many years and am thinking about beginning a new part time one. I have become involved with the quadracycle side of bicycling, as it is more appealing to the older set. I rode bicycles and motorcycles for many decades, but all of those things I did as an indestructible young man have come back to haunt me and I break and tire much more easily these days.
What I'm planning is to construct quadracycles specifically designed for seniors. (and probably accessible to many with disabilities) Some may be able to use pedal power and it will be available on all for legal road use reasons, but many seniors would prefer, if not require supplemental power. A senior quad will differ from the recumbants in that it will allow sitting and operating without the gymnastics required to get in and out of a low seat.
I already have found electric options that will work and am now looking at possible gas engines as well. The 49cc 4 cycles available look good and looking at the kits and installation, seem quite viable. My quads will use a chain drive pedal arrangement driving the left rear wheel through standard derailleur gearing, while the supplemental power will have the right rear wheel (actually a front wheel assembly as far as axle, etc.) used with the addition of a drive sprocket for the supplemental chain drive. Freewheeling of the wheel with the motor off seems to be a standard feature on all of the electric and gasoline conversion kits I've found.
My initial questions are simple: Are engine isolators, (usually about 1" high by 1 1/2" in diameter, made of hard rubber with bolts at each end) viable to cut down on engine vibrations? I would be using flat mounting brackets, rather than trying to tube mount. Question 2 is about noise levels. I've seen some videos of various gas powered bikes and some were very loud, while others appeared quiet. That could have been the volume setting in the recording, but I've seen that some (especially the Chinese motors) tend to transmit as much noise through the cases as they do the exhaust. If it is simply exhaust system noise, there will be lots of room for larger mufflers in my designs. For normal street use, the noise levels would not be a problem, but in some "senior communities" noise levels are monitored closely. I will be competing with golf carts in some instances.
I have retired from my old business after many years and am thinking about beginning a new part time one. I have become involved with the quadracycle side of bicycling, as it is more appealing to the older set. I rode bicycles and motorcycles for many decades, but all of those things I did as an indestructible young man have come back to haunt me and I break and tire much more easily these days.
What I'm planning is to construct quadracycles specifically designed for seniors. (and probably accessible to many with disabilities) Some may be able to use pedal power and it will be available on all for legal road use reasons, but many seniors would prefer, if not require supplemental power. A senior quad will differ from the recumbants in that it will allow sitting and operating without the gymnastics required to get in and out of a low seat.
I already have found electric options that will work and am now looking at possible gas engines as well. The 49cc 4 cycles available look good and looking at the kits and installation, seem quite viable. My quads will use a chain drive pedal arrangement driving the left rear wheel through standard derailleur gearing, while the supplemental power will have the right rear wheel (actually a front wheel assembly as far as axle, etc.) used with the addition of a drive sprocket for the supplemental chain drive. Freewheeling of the wheel with the motor off seems to be a standard feature on all of the electric and gasoline conversion kits I've found.
My initial questions are simple: Are engine isolators, (usually about 1" high by 1 1/2" in diameter, made of hard rubber with bolts at each end) viable to cut down on engine vibrations? I would be using flat mounting brackets, rather than trying to tube mount. Question 2 is about noise levels. I've seen some videos of various gas powered bikes and some were very loud, while others appeared quiet. That could have been the volume setting in the recording, but I've seen that some (especially the Chinese motors) tend to transmit as much noise through the cases as they do the exhaust. If it is simply exhaust system noise, there will be lots of room for larger mufflers in my designs. For normal street use, the noise levels would not be a problem, but in some "senior communities" noise levels are monitored closely. I will be competing with golf carts in some instances.
