6.5HP Bicycle Pusher Trailer

Hey Another sale on the Lifan 6.5 hp engine.There's still time.Get on down to your Harbor Freight....
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Thanks!

Do I have to print out the coupon to get the price? Or do I need a flyer with the coupon in it? My brother is building a trailer right now, and that would save some much needed money.
 
From what I have read from Oldminibikes.com you can go to HF's website and print it out.Then just take it with you.I hear the engines go quick.
 
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Thanks!

Do I have to print out the coupon to get the price? Or do I need a flyer with the coupon in it? My brother is building a trailer right now, and that would save some much needed money.

Yes ZR,you have to print the coupon out.Go to HF's site,print and go pick up your engine...
 
Some much needed updates.....................

I painted it black, and gotta take pics. It looks more like a trailer and less like a former handtruck when it's all black. The Engine is still HF blue! :D

Also got some Flat-Free solid poly tires! It rides the BEST with these and bounces less and is WAY more stable. I had to gorilla-glue the tires to the rim because they would expand and wobble at over 45mph :eek: Now with them glued, I have NO issues, and so far it rides GREAT, and wears much slower than the rubber tires. No air pressure to fool with any more! Over 320miles so far on these tires. (y)

Also changed clutch springs to only 1800RPM. Stock was 2300 RPM, and now it moves forward slightly over the idle speed! I can cruise at 22Mph now with the engine purring quietly! Also gained control and driveability, and more HP is going to the ground, and not being wasted by the clutch at lower speeds. I get more use from my tall gearing this way. It drives more like a motorized bicycle than a Go-kart now! Much easier to go more comfortable legal speeds now.

I recommend to anyone using a big engine like this to lower the engagement RPM of the clutch. It made a big difference in actual usable power, and the engine doesn't have to rev up to get going.

Isn't it amazing that it costs less gas to ride a motoredbike than it takes to pay for gas for a ride in a car! I'm so glad I've been able to enjoy this, and all the support of MBC members, and now I'm moving on to new bikes and ideas. I have a new 80cc (4-stroke) rack-mount bike in the works now to hopefully take place of my bike+trailer for daily riding!
 

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Looks like your getting more then your moneys worth out of the setup. few questions for you.

1. How does it handle when you are climbing hills? Does it bog down much?
2. How does it handle when you hit bumps on the road? My concern is that there is not much weight pushing the tire to the road so do you feel it skip alot?
3. When you take off from a stop, do you have to peddle much or does it punch from a complete stop?

Thanks for all your info.
 
Looks like your getting more then your moneys worth out of the setup. few questions for you.

1. How does it handle when you are climbing hills? Does it bog down much?
2. How does it handle when you hit bumps on the road? My concern is that there is not much weight pushing the tire to the road so do you feel it skip alot?
3. When you take off from a stop, do you have to peddle much or does it punch from a complete stop?

Thanks for all your info.

It's been great so far, a repair here and there, but gets me around. And filling up nearly full for $1.50 on 93 octane is wonderful. I got over 86 miles on my last tank before I refilled it, had some gas in the bottom still, I don't let it run out of gas, or it could have gone over 90 on that tank.

To answer your questions.......

1. It does great on hills. It's more stress on the clutch, and the belt, but the engine has no problem pulling up a hill. I pedal to start just to reduce wear, but it will climb from a dead-stop. Even on super-steep hills around lakes in FL, I just pedal about 5-7mph to start, with a slight bit of throttle, and it goes right up the hill. On a large hill (small bridge) going over the interstate, I can accelerate while going up the hill, going over 35mph, there's plenty of power!

2. It does best on smooth road. It goes over small bumps fine, the big ones are harder on it, but it takes them. The engine is heavy, so the wheels stay on the ground fine, and when you hit a big bump, the trailer jumps off the road, then lands back down. It's jumps more at low speeds than high speeds. Also, because of the angle, when accelerating, it pushes the wheels harder into the road. I'm usually NOT throttling when going over large bumps. On my rough dirt road, I pedal over 50% of it before I get to the asphault road. Changing to the Marathon Flat-Free poly foam tires made the BIGGEST improvement on bumps. Air tires bounce more, and you can only fill MAX 18PSI so they don't bounce too much, so now I just stay with flat-free.

3. It will go from a dead stop on hills, dirt, and grass. However, I pedal first to get a much better takeoff, and balance of the bicycle, then throttle up. I can beat cars from a dead stop at a red-light if I pedal AND use the engine at the same time! :devilish: I recommend pedaling a LOT because it saves the life of the clutch, and gives much better MPG. Even though it goes from a dead stop, I like to pedal up to 10-15mph most of the time, then hit the gas and get up to speed, and it gives a healthy balance of a workout and rest.
 
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Have you ever had any problems where you got stuck on the road do to the engine? How far do you think that motor can take you on a one way commute. I plan on a 17mile commute one way with one big hill, if i have difficulties with the engine then i won't be able to catch the bus the rest of the way home with the trailer. If i have a problem with my Friction drive I just pay a dollar and put the bike on the Bus Rack, which is often on my 33Poulan and the bus takes to long to get home. I could go with a bigger friction drive engine but for the price of the total project i could build a push trailer with motor for half the price. Whats the longest distance in miles and time that you have driven continuous?
 
Have you ever had any problems where you got stuck on the road do to the engine? ..................................... Whats the longest distance in miles and time that you have driven continuous?

Glad you ask. I've been stuck luckily near home most of the time when it has broken, so I just pedaled home and fixed it. It pedals fine. The key to not breaking down is to fix worn parts ASAP before they break, and it will be reliable. For example.....

I've only had to leave it behind one time, when my axle broke in two from worn bearings cutting through the axle. I just used my keyed bike-chain to chain the trailer to a fence, then I pedaled home bike only, and my bro helped me get it later.

There was this one time when it was first built, and I had my dying clutch self-destruct on me, so I had to disconnect the belt, and pedal it up the road for a while, which was fine.. Luckily, my brother was driving on that road and he saw me pedaling, and came to see why I wasn't motoring, then we put my trailer on his TRUCK and my bicycle in the back, and towed the trailer with the truck to my friend's house where I replaced my clutch, and was riding again.

Other than these extremes, it usually never leaves me stranded anywhere and has got more reliable over time with each improvement.

Now I've driven LONG hours and miles continuously with this trailer since I built it. I let the engine cool off sometimes during trips or multiple stops, but I drive this as much as I was driving my car. I drove over 80 miles in a day before. I did over 40 miles non-stop one time.

If you want your trailer to last long, I recommend some important upgrades, tips, and items to keep handy on your rides to make it possible.

1. WD-40! Have to have this stuff to lube the clutch when it chatters, or general use for everything else.
2. Hilliard Extreme-Duty clutch. It's meant to run longer, and isn't a typical go-kart clutch that can only run short times. Just lube or replace the bronze bushing as needed and it lasts.
3. Tough Tires Get thick Cheng-Shin or Carlisle rubber tires, or Flat-Free foam tires. Cheap utility tires will wear fast and pop.
4. High-quality bearings MAJOR difference over cheap radial bearings, no more broken axles.
5. Motor Oil Even though it doesn't use much, you don't want to be somewhere and have low oil.

Have fun with your builds! I see more people here making trailers now. It's like the ultimate grocery-getter for the bicycle.
 
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