XR-75/Staton NuVinci Build

Okay, This project isn't near finished yet but I have been taking pictures at just about every step of the way. Heres a list of features that are going to be included on this build:
-Mongoose XR-75 dual suspension MTB, aluminum frame, steel rear triangle.
-Staton NuVinci drive with Mitsubishi TLE43 engine, half-lever left hand throttle/killswitch , right side NVshifter. Torsion bars.
-center handlebar mounted digital speedo.
-left handle bar end nashbar convex mirror.
-New aluminum nashbar Jaws pedals.
-double thick and slimed Bell innertubes
-Bell kevlar lined 26x1.75 road tires (thin but should allow this thing to be pedaled if need be.)
-Bottle and cage for extra fuel
-Bell comfort Gel seat (black)
-Finished and painted Staton hardware (gloss black to match rear triangle of bike.)
-Emaxi break levers with internal switches for brake light activation.
-Full lighting to New Hampshire moped standards. Enclosed in a soft (hard lined) black/silver lunchbox to be mounted to the left hand side of the Staton rack opposite the engine.
--55w Halogen headlamp w/ small rectangular enclosure and mounting hardware wired through a very efficient 12v turn dial dimmer switch to adjust brightness.
--A 7 LED taillamp that doubles as a brake light when wired with the Emaxi levers.
--Electrical master on/off switch and 12v battery gauge.
--5ah SLA battery.
--Charger port.
--Possibly an on the move charging system as well as I have a 1200mAh 12v power rectifier that I may be able to hook into a dynamo or DC brushed motor.
-All wires/cables to the staton rack are going to be run down (and through) the center of the frame and will be wrapped in spiral casing and zip tied clean and secure.


I would have this beast finished but I'm still waiting for the weather to get nice (clear and over 50F) so I can prime and paint the staton rack to match the bike. I've already done a lot of grinding and rounding to make the staton kit not appear as chunky. I have to say though this thing is rock solid. I've already mocked everything up and it should all fit together nicely. So here are the pictures. I have tons more but I've had to do the steps all out of order as I got the chance to do them so it would be more confusing to you folks than its worth.

Pic1: The mongoose last summer after a muddy thrillride down a trail near my house.
Pic2: Mongoose with NuVinci installed and cables run, torsion straps are backwards (was just measuring at the time) and heavy duty pedal chain.
Pic3: NuVinci out of the box.
Pic4: Mocked up rack to make sure everything would fit and work well.
Pic5: Cooler electrical box. Front pocket (with penguin) has the dimmer, switch and battery gauge mounted into plastic underneath. Unfinished.

 

[SirJakesus]

My headlight has a high efficiency 12v dimmer switch normally used for LED home/car lighting systems. The battery would be undersized at 5ah if I ran it full 55w but I usually only crank it up to about a quarter power and it is plenty bright. When I was ordering it I wasn't quite sure how much space and weight I could afford to add to the bike but now that I have it I know I could have gone with an 8 ah with no problems. I'll probably do that once this battery kicks the bucket. But I'm not expecting that for another couple years. Or I'll just migrate it to my Ebike or something. I don't do too much night riding so the battery is only mostly to run the tail/brake light and the horn (once I get that hooked up). You shouldn't be disappointed with the NV hub at all, It would only be beaten by a wide range torque converter I bet just for ease of use. The only downfall of this system is that it adds quite a bit of weight to the rear end of your bike which changes its handling characteristics. Once at any speed over 5mph the weight virtually disappears and I'm still able to do quick maneuvers to avoid potholes and such without having to really throw my weight around. If you figure out a good charging system or at least a good generator let me know. I already have a 12v rectifier that should work well to even out the power output. But right now my electrical system works for me very well.

 

[stiche]

How much power?

Nice project, looks good.
Would the 35cc Robin not have pulled well enough for you or do you do have a lot of hills where you ride? I am planning on getting the Nuvinci and 35cc Robin for a street commuter and I am hefty at 255lbs. I thought the 35cc would be enough with the CVT gearing. Am I wrong? Thanks

 

[duivendyk]

Engine choice

The attraction of the NV hub is that with the variable "gearing" you can make better use of the limited available engine power,you can get up steep hills at relatively low speed but using max. engine power (high rpm,full throttle),but you can also cruise at high speed on the flats in high gear.It also allows you to get up to speed more quickly from standstill by starting in low gear
By and large, for the same power output, running at full throttle,but lower rpm causes more wear&tear than running at part throttle and higher rpm.If there are no significant hills your weight is not that much of an issue really.In hilly terrain, it's a very different story of course.
As far as engine choice is concerned 4 stroke designs are more economical to operate,they also don't require pre-mixing oil,they have generally better low-end torque, pollute less and have a lower-pitched exhaust note.They weigh more and are bulkier (higher that is) than 2 strokes for the same power output and require periodic oil changes (not easy to do and easy to neglect).The main advantages of 2 strokes are: simplicity of design, high power/weight ratio, and small size.The disadvantages are : more prone to ignition problems (plug fouling),less low-end torque,pre-mixing oil a hassle.Both the 35 cc. Subaru Robin and the Mitsubishi 43 cc are proven designs with a good reliability record,in really hilly terrain I would favor the Mitsubishi (more power),otherwise I would favor the Subaru, it has a nice decompression feature that makes it easy to start and I believe it to be a bit cheaper too,JJ

 

[SirJakesus]

Yeah I chose the Mitsu TLE43 because I live in a very hilly area and wanted something as light and powerful as possible to navigate the trails around here. While mixing may be a hassle I'm used to it and like the fact that the only engine maintenance I have to perform is air filter cleanings and periodic spark plug cleaning and gaping.

 

[sparky]

Why would the Mitsubishi be better than the Subaru for hills, because it's larger?? I thought 4-strokes were supposed to have more torque, but I guess the size makes a good bit of difference here.

I've been enjoying mixing 2-stroke fuel, and might even end up buying a TLE33 for my current bike & a TLE43 for later down the road, but I'm trying to figure out if maybe I should use a 4-stroke with the NuVinci... because I don't have many hills. What duivendyk has said is really confusing me now.

 

[Alaskavan]

Sparky, I seem to remember the TLE43 being rates at 2.5 hp. the R/S EHO 35 (33.5cc) is rated at 1.6. Quite a difference.

 

[sparky]

Apparently, the TLE43 is 2.2hp and the TLE33 is 1.3hp... that too is quite a difference.

I was considering the TLE33 before, but now... I don't think so.

 

[SirJakesus]

To put things in perspective the TLE43 with NuVinci can pull me up a DIRT hill or trail that I would have normally had to walk up with my normal pedal MTB at HALF THROTTLE. I'm guessing that any engine hooked to a NuVinci hub could pull just about any hill. Top speed would be the only factor that would change (whether it would be top speed going up a steep incline OR on a perfectly flat road)

 

[sparky]

What top speeds are you seeing? Any other NuVinciites care to share their top speeds? Even 33cc engines prolly have more than most bikes could handle.

otherwise I would favor the Subaru, it has a nice decompression feature that makes it easy to start...

And is this the same feature found on the Chung Yang GP420 & GP460 (goped motors)?? Those engines have something that makes it super easy to start... very rarely more than 2 cranks on a cold start.

 

[djase10]

Nice..