Warning- GEBE rant

[Roy Carpenter]

I hate to hear that Smapadatha, but the main thing is that you came out of that'n in one piece! Wow! Yeah...I'm constantly checking mine out where the engine mounts, and where the strap bolts to the fender mount. I think I'll definitely find some of those huge zip ties, (like the police use..lol), and put an auzillary strap there, as I've read about in other strings on this forum. Definitely not a bad idea.
Howdy Enriquez.....Yeah we're talking about the Golden Eagle Bicycle Engine, like Ol' Pete said. Speaking for myself, I'm a big dude weighing in at over 350. I've had issues with the GEBE drive system breaking spokes. If you are a heavier person, I'd definitely recommend a nice 10 guage spoke on the rear wheel to withstand the flexing of the spokes that the GEBE drive ring causes when engine torque is applied/released. I'd recommend 12 guage spokes to even a light person. Broken spokes on that back wheel get old extremely fast..hehehe. By the way...no problem so far with the 10 guage spokes....knock on wood!! As far as your belt goes, Smapadatha, I just replaced mine with 500 miles on it. It was the first belt though, and I think this one will last quite a bit longer, with a little more "GEBE technique" in my riding style. MORE PEDALING!!

 

[smapadatha]

Son Of A Bracket!!!

On 10/29/07 the GEBE lower mount strap (which I sometimes used to call the GEBE "main bracket", but which I now call the GEBE "death bracket") broke on my bike. There didn't seem to be a point in ordering a replacement part from GEBE. I was and still am convinced that neither of the stock GEBE brackets can stand up to the demands I am making on them: haul nearly 300 pounds of fat ranter, with bike, 20 miles a day, 5 days a week, up good sized hills and over some pretty broken asphalt, at an average trip speed of 19mph.

http://www.motoredbikes.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3484&stc=1&d=1198217044

It took me 2 weeks to think about what I wanted a replacement to look like, and 2 more weeks for the machine shop to fabricate it for me. My bike was down for a month, and to say I was disgusted with the Golden Eagle Bicycle Engines company would be an understatement. I know that Pious in DelRay Beach has logged 12k on his lower mount strap, but I've BEEN to DelRay Beach and the biggest hill there is a speed bump in the parking lot of a Rite Aid. I have been in a pretty foul mood since my brocket braked which is why I have not posted much lately.

Because of the GEBE/kit design, my replacement, BracketZilla, has essentially the same dimensions as the original GEBE lower mount strap, with a few important differences.

1. Width. The shoddy GEBE Death Bracket is 1 1/8" wide. BracketZilla is 1.5" wide.

2. Metal Thickness: The GEBE Death Bracket is 5/32" thick. BracketZilla is made of 1/4" thick rolled steel. If that breaks I will go to 3/8". It was good and rusty when I got it and so I painted it with a chemical that reacts with rust and forms a tough protective coat. I like the way it looks and I never have to worry about it rusting. Another thing I like about it is that it's a very strong piece of steel, but not brittle, so it should hold up to the shock and vibration.

http://www.motoredbikes.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3485&stc=1&d=1198217069

3. Mounting Holes. The original GEBE Death Bracket used 1/4" holes in the top to connect to the L-shaped "clutch bracket". First I had the machine shop drill M8 holes in the top of BracketZilla, and then drill out and tap M8 holes in the GEBE clutch bracket.

http://www.motoredbikes.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3486&stc=1&d=1198217069

One of the original bolts that attaches the lower mount strap to the "clutch bracket" is a button-head 1/4 20. Okay, GEBE decided that 1/4 20 bolts were big enough to hold the engine onto the lower mount strap. But what blows my brain pan is that they used button head bolts, and then sanded one of the button heads down to nearly nothing, presumably to get clearance between the bolt head and the clutch housing. There is so much wrong with this that it's difficult to know where to begin, but I'm gonna take a shot at it:

1. I am using M8 hex head bolts to attach the engine to the lower mount strap, and as the pictures show there is PLENTY of room between the top of the bolt and the clutch housing, so that the bolt doesn't NEED to be sanded down.

2. Even if you decided to sand down the bolt head for clearance, why in the name of the holy ******* virgin would you use a button cap bolt??? When the original GEBE lower mount strap broke, their 1/4 20 bolt sheared off at the bottom of the clutch bracket. I tried to remove it with a bolt extractor, but that didn't work. Do you have any idea how ******* hard it is to remove a button cap bolt where the head has been sanded down to about 3/32" of an inch? Do you? Huh? Do you??? Well let me tell you, it's ******* hard. Finally I was able cut "sides" on the bolt head using a jewelers saw and twist it out with locking pliers. That was a fun couple of evenings.

After I got BracketZilla from the machine shop, it went on the bike with a small amount of kanoodling, and I've had the bike up and running for about 2 1/2 weeks now.

By way of ending, I'd like to say that one of the biggest mistakes I made in this whole project was not putting a cyclo-computer on the bike earlier. I've just gotten one on the bike while BracketZilla was in progress and when I put the next bike together it will be the first thing I do. A decent cyclo-computer is one of the handiest tools ever for performance testing and diagnostics on your motored bike and I'd encourage every new builder to get one.

Sincerely yers,

Mahasasamatman, fat ranter.

http://www.motoredbikes.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3487&stc=1&d=1198217069

Decal is done. T-shirts are coming.

 

[Alaskavan]

Sam, thanks for the laughs. I felt like it was okay to chuckle about the difficulty of getting that button head out, because it was obvious that you SOLVED that problem. Good one. The way I ride, if I was running a Gebe, I'd be asking you to make a BracketZilla for me.
Love the decal.

 

[kenspice]

Hey Smap, I liked the decal so much that I think I may gain 2-3 hundred lbs just so I can put one on my bike! Just curious as to how they removed the engine from where it seems to have wedged itself. Glad you can joke about it now and hope you have the GEBE problems cured.

 

[Jim H]

engine mount

Damm, Sam! Glad you ironed out your mount.

 

[Roy Carpenter]

Surprises!

Well Smapatatha, thanks for letting me know what I have to look forward to even AFTER the broken spoke issues! he he he. If ya don't mind my askin'....how much did it set ya back to get that new mounting hardware made? How many miles did ya have on 'er when she broke? Maybe I'd better get my 24" zip ties ready, and get a machine shop laid on.....lol.

 

[smapadatha]

I felt like it was okay to chuckle about the difficulty of getting that button head out

Chuckling, chortling, and outright guffaws are explicitly encouraged...

how much did it set ya back to get that new mounting hardware made? How many miles did ya have on 'er when she broke?

I paid $75 for BracketZilla and another $40 for the machining on the clutch bracket. The shop put 2 "extra" M5 tapped holes in the clutch bracket (hard to see in the pictures) where I will eventually attach FenderZilla.

Because I foolishly did not put a cyclo-computer on the bike as soon as I first got it up and running I can only estimate mileage. This bike had its maiden voyage in the middle of September and the GEBE death strap broke at the end of October! However, I would say that was no more than 3 weeks of actual riding time due to other mechanical problems like: broken spokes, broken tension arm spring, throttle cable terminator falling off a bunch of times. I'd guess the death strap had about 300 miles on when it broke. That was one reason I was so PO'd.

-Sam

 

[Roy Carpenter]

Thanx Sam....Looks like it's gonna be sooner than I anticipated....not a bad price on the custom made parts. You have something there..that will not break. I can see myself doing the same thing by spring probly.

 

[Roy Carpenter]

Oh...lmao....and I almost forgot...the decal...lmao. That's good

 

[Dub]

Turns out to be an informative thread after a surprising beginning. Surprised because although i've had my frustrations with my GEBE kit (most self induced) they've always been quick to respond to my e-mails and very helpful.
Also, I've definitely abused my kit on extremely rough terrain and am pleased with how it's held up. I've had to replace the upper mount strap as it broke multiple times at the holes but that piece is pretty flimsy and takes the brunt of the force on bumps.

My bike is a full suspension mongoose POS from Target. I chose it simply because it had a huge space for the GEBE drivering. This was after destroying one bike by hastily trying to widen it and returning a second bike because although it measured well in the store in reality it didn't fit.
Anyway, the full suspension has probably lengthened the life of the GEBE lower bracket.

I recently removed my derailers and with the addition of a chain tensioner I'm loving the simplicity of a single speed. Even on the hills I don't need all those gears.

Easy Rider handlebars were also a great addition for a taller guy (6'4) like myself. Much more comfortable as I'm using my bike as a daily commuter also.

I've busted my share of spokes as well as I'm about 240lbs and will probably upgrade my rear wheel soon. Thanks for the tips.

Dub