Hallooo and Help!

backazimuth

Member
Local time
8:35 PM
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
36
Location
Laguna Woods, California
Wow, what a site and started by a brilliant young 22-year-old to boot! He has a bright future.

In the meantime, I and my wife, Kristina, are in our future. We each are 65-years-old and are dedicated adventurers. We spent many years sailing the world in a small sailboat and for the last 15 years, have spent as much time as possible doing self-contained bicycle touring and we've been fortunate enough to have cycled much of the world. Last year we rode from San Diego to Jacksonville, Florida. The year before it was down New Zealand's North Island and South Island, then across the Tasman sea to the land of Oz where we rode up the spine of Australia from Adelaide to Darwin. The year before, we rode from Singapore to Tibet and Kat Man Du via Yunnan Province, China. The list goes on and on and on because we are nutz for all-out adventure on two wheels. But we have a problem.

Age.

We are about to turn 66 and while my bride of nearly 48 years is a genetic freak and still is going like a wildcat, I, other the other hand, am sinking quickly. It catches us all sooner or later, the business of age, and I feel its little claws scratching at my backside more and more frequently. I thought about getting a motorcycle, but most motorcyclists have a serious weight problem. I already claim to have been called Santa Clause more than any person on earth and would just as soon not encourage that image by looking any more jolly than I have to (lol). All in all, I was getting depressed because I thought my little life of adventure was about to cease to exist and for me, nothing could be worse.

Then I discovered little tiny bicycle engines. Those wonderful little things that help one along. Most of you seem to want to go as fast as possible. Not me. I just want to go and at a speed that allows me to take in everything. I really don't want to use the engine at all, if I don't have to, but I no longer can get up the mountains with any efficiency. I have to stop every few hundred yards to catch my breath, at least at very high altitude, which in America can get to 10,000 or 12,000 feet. I can haul 60 to 80 pounds with ease on level ground or gentle climbs, but going up the Ozarks, or the Blue Ridge or the Rockies and I find myself getting in trouble. Gasping. Resting. Sometimes popping Nitro. I don't put myself in danger but I'm at the point now where that little 25 cc engine can make the difference between a fun late-life or sitting around waiting to . . . well just waiting.

The only problem is that I need to have my belongings with me. The tent, the cooking gear, the clothes, the tools, the medical supplies, the computer (gotta' have the computer). And did I mention my little dog? Amber. She has about 18,000 miles under her fuzzy little butt.

I can take the belongings with a trailer. I've been everywhere with trailers in America, Europe and Australia, but I'm tired of having the extra vehicle. In addition, they are very expensive to transport over seas. We want to be light and as independent as possible and that means panniers - saddlebags - but the questions is how? I've looked and looked and looked and I have yet to find a set-up for rear panniers and a bicycle with a motor.

Anybody with any advice will be most welcome! Also, I need advice as to which is the better set-up: friction drive or belt drive? They both have wonderful features.

Thanks and forgive this long-winded post.
 
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Welcome,

Why not make them? Your going with one the rack mounts? Take a couple of old hard suit cases and bolt them on the "struts" ( i think you'd call them ) use fender washers or better yet get flat bar and drill holes that match holes on the struts and put them on the inside of suit case.

Just a thought. Good luck in your travels!
 
25 cc's are no longer available.

Carrying all that weight, you aren't going to be interested in speed, so I'd go with the 4 stroke, quieter and more torque. The dog might have to walk.

One thing about potential use of the forum, if you go to the Land of Oz, you might find a way to beg/borrow or trade for the trailer, then leave it there with those fine folks when you are finished.
 
Backazimuth, the choices are very wide. As with everything, evry single choice involves a compromise between the ideal and the realizable. For your needs, I'm gonna suggest you look at something like what you will find here - http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/sgg/.

Good cargo capacity, lots of room for pannier mount baggage on each side of the rear wheel, power assist through the gearing of the bike, so there is just the single chain run to the rear wheel, engine is low enough that if you wish you can put a riding platform for Amber above/behind it quite readily, or just put a front basket on for her.

I envy your lifestyle. If you haven't done it, I have a long ride suggestion for you. Buenos Aires to Punta Arenas. Incredible diversity of terrain, gloriously beautiful mountains to see, great friendly people - it's all there and more.
 
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a frame mount setup would leave you plenty of room for a rear rack and plenty of space for bags. You are pretty much going to have to fabricate something for your needs.
good luck on your build
 
Really, pretty straight forward if you are prepared to do some basic wrenching. Buy a tandem bike, frame mount the engine in the second frame opening, run the power through using the second bottom bracket as a jackshaft. Pull the seat, use the seat tube as the primarey mount point for a high strength rack system for a pair of motorcycle cruising pannier cases, plus a rack top case of whatever size works best. Heck, I'd likely make a dummy tube or pair of dummy tubes that clamp to the riders seat post, run horizontally to the second seat post, and on back to above the rear wheel.
 
sounds like your should get a back tire mounted 4-stroke around 36cc

the real advantage on the rear mounted kits is the better burning 4-stroke, the wheel turns with roller, the engine donesn't add another chain, and also it really easy to install.

i think the frame mounted kits look cool and have a bit of more raw power.
 
Thank You!

Thanks a bunch to you all for the thoughtful responses. It really is nice to find something I can get excited about. Who woulda' thot it would be a motor assisted bicycle?

Ozzyu812 -- Making the panniers is a definite possibility. What I am looking for, though, is the configuration of the mounting hardware you mentioned . . . someone who already has done it. I've studied a lot of pics on line and have a few ideas, but I would just as soon use another person's clever approach rather than to try and re-invent the wheel.

SimpleSimon: Your name is a fraud. You are anything but simple as one quick look at your various building projects will attest. You have built some incredible machines and it makes me itch to see them in action. But they are much to complex for my legitimately simple mind. But I thank you for the thoughts.

350zdrftr -- The frame mount is the obvious solution and I will indeed build that one day, but only after I cannot really pedal myself any longer. My goal is to keep pedaling as long as possible -- to use the bicycle motor as it truly is designed, to be a motor "assisted" bicycle. My primary need is help getting up long and/or steep hills that I no longer am capable of cranking through. Speed is a relative term here. My idea of speed is to go up a six per cent grade (and that is pretty steep) at 8 or 10 mph with me assisting, if necea

I want the motor to be as small and as unobtrusive as possible. The frame mount would, I think, impede the bicycle pedaling and introduce drag while pedaling, even though it may be a small amount.

Echotraveler -- I think you hit the solution squarely on the head, but not quite. Engineering pannier mount on the left side would be relatively simple (many seem to have done it), but putting one on the right side of the rear wheel, where the engine is presents the greatest challenge to me. I know there are guys out there who can figure this out -- have figured this out -- and I simply have to find them.

The bottom line solution, so far, seems to come from the inveterate and prolific bamabikeguy. We are kindred souls, he and I are, and a search of this site has shown he not only has the insatiable drive of a real adventurer, he figured out how to do some complex stuff to accomplish his mission as well.

Rotating the engine back on the wheel to what looks to be about 40 degrees appears to solve the problem of creating enough space to put a rear rack onto which saddlebags can be mounted. The only real question is: will the engine's attitude -- not being level -- hurt it in any way? The solution also demands the more complex belt drive marketed by Golden Eagle.

Bamabikeguy -- Your wrote that you didn't think 25 ccs were available any longer. Stanton sells a Honda GX 25 (23.5 ccs) and a Robin-Subru EHO 25. Both are four stroke engines, which I will probably go with because of the higher torque mentioned by several of you here.

I will do what I can to contribute to the site, but right now it will have to be in the self-contained touring (how to cut down weight, etc.) department as I am not real experienced with mechanical things. I have a tough time just adjusting my bicycle!'

Thanks again for all your thoughtful responses.

Wayne Carpenter

PS -- I kept an on-line journal of last year's ride from San Diego to Florida at:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=3611&v=1EQ

This site is for bicycle tourists and has a ton of info on packing light for those of you interested in doing something similar.
 
Anybody with any advice will be most welcome! Also, I need advice as to which is the better set-up: friction drive or belt drive? They both have wonderful features.

Thanks and forgive this long-winded post.
Forgive? That was a great intro.....:D

Friction drives are OK but I like belt drives better....
Are you dealing with rain or hills?

how did you like NZ?
 
Wow, what a site and started by a brilliant young 22-year-old to boot! He has a bright future.

In the meantime, I and my wife, Kristina, are in our future. We each are 65-years-old and are dedicated adventurers. We spent many years sailing the world in a small sailboat and for the last 15 years, have spent as much time as possible doing self-contained bicycle touring and we've been fortunate enough to have cycled much of the world. Last year we rode from San Diego to Jacksonville, Florida. The year before it was down New Zealand's North Island and South Island, then across the Tasman sea to the land of Oz where we rode up the spine of Australia from Adelaide to Darwin. The year before, we rode from Singapore to Tibet and Kat Man Du via Yunnan Province, China. The list goes on and on and on because we are nutz for all-out adventure on two wheels. But we have a problem.

Age.

We are about to turn 66 and while my bride of nearly 48 years is a genetic freak and still is going like a wildcat, I, other the other hand, am sinking quickly. It catches us all sooner or later, the business of age, and I feel its little claws scratching at my backside more and more frequently. I thought about getting a motorcycle, but most motorcyclists have a serious weight problem. I already claim to have been called Santa Clause more than any person on earth and would just as soon not encourage that image by looking any more jolly than I have to (lol). All in all, I was getting depressed because I thought my little life of adventure was about to cease to exist and for me, nothing could be worse.

Then I discovered little tiny bicycle engines. Those wonderful little things that help one along. Most of you seem to want to go as fast as possible. Not me. I just want to go and at a speed that allows me to take in everything. I really don't want to use the engine at all, if I don't have to, but I no longer can get up the mountains with any efficiency. I have to stop every few hundred yards to catch my breath, at least at very high altitude, which in America can get to 10,000 or 12,000 feet. I can haul 60 to 80 pounds with ease on level ground or gentle climbs, but going up the Ozarks, or the Blue Ridge or the Rockies and I find myself getting in trouble. Gasping. Resting. Sometimes popping Nitro. I don't put myself in danger but I'm at the point now where that little 25 cc engine can make the difference between a fun late-life or sitting around waiting to . . . well just waiting.

The only problem is that I need to have my belongings with me. The tent, the cooking gear, the clothes, the tools, the medical supplies, the computer (gotta' have the computer). And did I mention my little dog? Amber. She has about 18,000 miles under her fuzzy little butt.

I can take the belongings with a trailer. I've been everywhere with trailers in America, Europe and Australia, but I'm tired of having the extra vehicle. In addition, they are very expensive to transport over seas. We want to be light and as independent as possible and that means panniers - saddlebags - but the questions is how? I've looked and looked and looked and I have yet to find a set-up for rear panniers and a bicycle with a motor.

Anybody with any advice will be most welcome! Also, I need advice as to which is the better set-up: friction drive or belt drive? They both have wonderful features.

Thanks and forgive this long-winded post.

I will be doing 800-900 miles starting monday pulling a single wheel bob trailer thru b.c. canada mountains 50cc happy times 2 stroke
 

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