Turn of the century motor bicycle

So I finally got around to building a proper tank for my 49cc HT bike. It's built on an old non-suspension Stumpjumper. I'm still working the bugs out of it but had some major mounting issues with the stock tank (from the kit). I'm trying for an early motor bicycle look. Here are some pix of the tank. I'll be hanging the tank from straps over the top tube. Bike shots to follow.

 

[Happy Valley]

Here's my friend's boardtrack style cruiser. I'm sure the initial reason he purchased the kit was that I had one and it would be something fun to do. But now I think that he really likes these little low speed forms of transportation.

He's working on another bike right now which is an old skip-tooth frame and he's mounting a Maytag washer motor in it. I'll bet a lot of people don't know that once upon a time some Maytage washers came with a little two-stroke boxer twin engine. He's doin some pretty serious mods to the engine to narrow it enough to use on a bicycle. The frame has been lengthened 3" to be able to clear the length of the engine. I'll post some pix of this project soon.

It's kind of funny that he like these very slow motorized bikes. Funny, because recently he set the world landspeed record at Bonneville for a 50cc motorcycle at 144.466mph. On that he' using a hopped up Aprilia 50 engine and it's turbocharged. 20+ hp at 14,500rpm amd 6psi of boost. I've attached a few shots of his record-setting streamliner.

Good stuff. Heh, the washer story lends a new twist to the old ad about the Maytag repairman.

 

[Large Filipino]

I'm digging that tank used as a support for that ladies frame. Sweet!
I bet it really feels strong when riding.

 

[boogerballs]

The tank is an expansion chamber that he had lying around that he chopped off the front and back of. He cut the gas cap and flange off the original kit gas tanks and welded onto the expansion chamber. You can still see the expansion chamber factory "stamped in" text just below the gas filler.

 

[boogerballs]

Here is what my bike will end up looking like real soon once I attach my fenders and saddle and pinstripe and logo the tank. Currently this is just a photoshop version.

 

[tolemo]

Here's my friend's boardtrack style cruiser. I'm sure the initial reason he purchased the kit was that I had one and it would be something fun to do. But now I think that he really likes these little low speed forms of transportation.

He's working on another bike right now which is an old skip-tooth frame and he's mounting a Maytag washer motor in it. I'll bet a lot of people don't know that once upon a time some Maytage washers came with a little two-stroke boxer twin engine. He's doin some pretty serious mods to the engine to narrow it enough to use on a bicycle. The frame has been lengthened 3" to be able to clear the length of the engine. I'll post some pix of this project soon.

It's kind of funny that he like these very slow motorized bikes. Funny, because recently he set the world landspeed record at Bonneville for a 50cc motorcycle at 144.466mph. On that he' using a hopped up Aprilia 50 engine and it's turbocharged. 20+ hp at 14,500rpm amd 6psi of boost. I've attached a few shots of his record-setting streamliner.

A friend of mine was on the BUDDFAB team at Bonneville,too. Rico Yamane is his name and was pictured holding an umbrella over the speedliner on the salt. I can't remember what motorcycle site the photos were on.

 

[graucho]

Here is what my bike will end up looking like real soon once I attach my fenders and saddle and pinstripe and logo the tank. Currently this is just a photoshop version.

It cries ride me. It will be a head turner for sure. It does look turn of the century, thats for sure.

 

[boogerballs]

A friend of mine was on the BUDDFAB team at Bonneville,too. Rico Yamane is his name and was pictured holding an umbrella over the speedliner on the salt. I can't remember what motorcycle site the photos were on.

Rick and I are friends as well. I went to high school with him back in the 60's and still get together with a group (which includes Rick (Rico) Yamane, John Buddenbaum and a few others) for our weekly Friday morning pancake breakfast in Los Altos.

Here's a great article by Rocky Robinson, pilot of the twin Hayabusa engined Ack Attack streamliner who recently set the fastest speed of 361mph:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/287/1518/Motorcycle-Article/Salt-Addiction-Buddfab-Streamliner.aspx
And here's at least one of those pictures of Rico under the umbrella:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/PhotoGallerys/Buddfab15.jpg

Jeff

 

[boogerballs]

It cries ride me. It will be a head turner for sure. It does look turn of the century, thats for sure.

Thanks graucho. That was the plan. I probably could have started with an older style bicycle but I wanted the advantage of trustworthy construction and fairly good brakes. Coaster brakes are fine for most of the time but when pushed to the limits through hard or continuous braking, they pale in comparison to the simple cantilever brake.

I once took a tour of Northern California on my old Schwinn Typhoon with coaster brake. after one particularly gnarly descent, I smelled something funny and looked down at my coaster brake hub which was smoking and a nice dark shade of blue! Had to rebuild it at the next major town we came to.

I got my new saddle today and I must say that my original impression is that it is awfully BIG. The pictures on the Memory Lane Classic website didn't adequately prepare me for that. I think that if I had it to do over again I'd buy the smaller one from www.Hiwheel.com.

 

[tolemo]

Rick and I are friends as well. I went to high school with him back in the 60's and still get together with a group (which includes Rick (Rico) Yamane, John Buddenbaum and a few others) for our weekly Friday morning pancake breakfast in Los Altos.

Here's a great article by Rocky Robinson, pilot of the twin Hayabusa engined Ack Attack streamliner who recently set the fastest speed of 361mph:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/287/1518/Motorcycle-Article/Salt-Addiction-Buddfab-Streamliner.aspx
And here's at least one of those pictures of Rico under the umbrella:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/PhotoGallerys/Buddfab15.jpg

Jeff

That's the photo,Jeff!
Here's Rico and my buddy Harry in Arkansas at the ISDT Reunion Ride:
http://tinyurl.com/clcnl3
I've got some other photos in that group of him with his rare Mazzilli ISDT bike......Tom

 

[boogerballs]

Thanks for sharing that Tom. I'll give Rico your regards at breakfast this Friday...