Weedwacker madwagon

Madwagons are a cheap steel frame bike made to look like old time bikes, this is the Fulsom model. Its very heavy very sturdy and easy to pedal. From what I can tell the company has gone out of business a long time ago. Anyway, I picked this one up for a mere $35, I like the frame.

The engine is a 31cc ryobi weed wacker that I've put a BMX peg on and built a frame for and a gravity clutch. The stock clutch on the thing wasn't capable of driving anything but the shaft.

It cruises my uneven and bumpy streets between 14 and 19 mph at about half throttle and I only need to pedal until I hit about 5mph and then I can drop the engine on the tire and give her gas. If I pedal I can let back on teh gas and everything feels like down hill.

the second picture os of the Mass tag. I made a little plexi holder for it and I'll be able to move it if needed.
 

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Neither had I until I saw the ad on Craigslist and I took one look at the cool frame and figured for $35 it was worth the drive out into the sticks to get it.

there isn't a lot of info on the web about them other than they had a particularly funny ad campaign.
 
MadWagon tours Beverly, MA

Took the MadWagon for it's first initial spin around the "other" side of town. Visited several local landmarks and took a picture of the bike with the park's/landmarks sign.

I've got a lot more pics up on my flickr account here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leslieherger/sets/72157605978399730/

Stopping to take a pic was a nice rest for my out-of-shape self, also the helper motor made it possible for me to pedal up hills that I never could have before and kept me safer in traffic that I wouldn't have been safe in before this.

So the small engine is a win for exercise and safety!
 

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I built it- It's not like a regular clutch, gravity and a spring pull the peg into the tire- causing it to move the tire as the engine rotates it. I pull the peg off the tire with a brake lever. There are a series of rollers acting as pulleys so that I can move the frame of the engine and peg off the tire. All I need is about 1 inch of pull to move it.

It works pretty well. I 'll see if I can get some pictures of it soon. It only works for a friction drive though.

Another person is working on adding a different style of clutch to his homelite. Using a go cart clutch. Im waiting to se how that works. Are you working on a friction drive or a rack mount?

I LOVE the ryobi. It hauls my fat butt around pretty easily.
 
my Friday Evening COnstitutional Ride

Got my fat butt onto the bike tonight and took a good 5.6 mile spin around town and got 3 more landmark pics.

Got yelled at by some college kids because I didn't notice they were trying to let me pass. Kids being good for once. :0


First Pic is Contreau Walkway or as we call it Bum Park- I suppose if you are going to be homeless and you have to sleep on a bench this is place to do it, not too far from the water, slightly secluded and not too far from Stop and Slops dumpsters. I think my flash unnerved the guy on the bench...

Second Pic is Shoe Pond, I thought it was appropriate. It's a man made waterway- concrete bottomed pond made to hold fresh water for some Marine Corp thing. Its pretty and a good place to snag a picnic lunch.

Final Pic is a blurry image of the rear brake light of the MadWagon in front of the main Cummin's center sign and water fountain. I figured I talked about going there enough that I should take a picture of it, I wish the pic came out better.
 

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re: Madwagon bike

I found one of these in the dumpster, missing a back wheel, with a scuffed seat and very rough, notchy headset.

What did they go for new? Is it worth buying a coaster brake wheel and bargain front lever and brake to make a moped out of ? Will it hold up to 30mph speeds?
 
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