R
Roy Carpenter
Guest
Howdy all!
I just purchased the Golden Eagle Robin Suburu 35cc kit just over a month ago. Before I go any further, I'll be honest with you-I weigh in at over 300 lbs. I have ridden my Schwinn Alloy Seven cruiser for over 2 years, and quite a lot before getting the Golden Eagle kit. Here's the bottom line: The Suburu engine is excellent, I move at 30 mph with the street gear on level ground. The Golden Eagle mounting system is well designed, and made, BUT the drive ring causes spokes to break on the rear wheel. Needless to say, that gets old very quickly!! I've had four spokes break within the last 5 weeks, and all four spokes were driven spokes which were attached to the drive ring. After breaking 3 spokes, and 3 trips to the truing stand, I replaced my stock rear wheel with a good triple V rim, with 14 guage wheelsmith stainless steel straight spokes, and also took plastic ties, and laced the "driven" spokes to the 18 "non-driven" spokes so that when torque is applied to the drive ring, 36 spokes "give" instead of 18, still thinking that my weight was the real issue. I broke another spoke today. I have to ask myself this: If it's my 310 lbs that is causing this, why is it always a "driven" spoke that breaks on the rear wheel? And now that "driven", and "undriven" spokes have been laced together right where the "driven" spokes attach to the drive ring, then my weight would theoreticly be cut in half, (as far as torque on the "driven" spokes, when throttle is applied are concerned), and it would be the same as a 170 lb rider WITHOUT tie wrapping the spokes together so that all 36 spokes are "driven". The folks at Golden Eagle wanted to sell me a heavy duty back wheel with 12 guage spokes, (which they said they couldn't order replacement spokes if a spoke breaks, so I'd have to buy a whole new wheel). They were also very quick to say that my weight was the issue, but said nothing of it when I was talking to them about ordering the kit. (I explained my weight to them at that time as well). As long as the drive ring slightly bends the spoke forward at the nipple, and releases the spoke to it's original position, when you let off the gas, then eventually the spoke will break, regardless of it's guage. I don't think it is too much to say that the drive ring should be designed so that it engages all 36 spokes, and should mount much closer to the spoke nipple, and rim, instead of practically mid spoke where the spokes are more vulnerable to being pushed forward, then backward, then forward, then backward, and so on. That's pretty obvious!
I don't even know what to do at this point...maybe loose 150 lbs, but I'll bet ya those spokes will keep breaking anyways. I feel like I wasted $630.oo. Anybody have any suggestions? Does anybody know where to buy, or order 12 guage stainless steel spokes? (If that will even solve the problem)
I just purchased the Golden Eagle Robin Suburu 35cc kit just over a month ago. Before I go any further, I'll be honest with you-I weigh in at over 300 lbs. I have ridden my Schwinn Alloy Seven cruiser for over 2 years, and quite a lot before getting the Golden Eagle kit. Here's the bottom line: The Suburu engine is excellent, I move at 30 mph with the street gear on level ground. The Golden Eagle mounting system is well designed, and made, BUT the drive ring causes spokes to break on the rear wheel. Needless to say, that gets old very quickly!! I've had four spokes break within the last 5 weeks, and all four spokes were driven spokes which were attached to the drive ring. After breaking 3 spokes, and 3 trips to the truing stand, I replaced my stock rear wheel with a good triple V rim, with 14 guage wheelsmith stainless steel straight spokes, and also took plastic ties, and laced the "driven" spokes to the 18 "non-driven" spokes so that when torque is applied to the drive ring, 36 spokes "give" instead of 18, still thinking that my weight was the real issue. I broke another spoke today. I have to ask myself this: If it's my 310 lbs that is causing this, why is it always a "driven" spoke that breaks on the rear wheel? And now that "driven", and "undriven" spokes have been laced together right where the "driven" spokes attach to the drive ring, then my weight would theoreticly be cut in half, (as far as torque on the "driven" spokes, when throttle is applied are concerned), and it would be the same as a 170 lb rider WITHOUT tie wrapping the spokes together so that all 36 spokes are "driven". The folks at Golden Eagle wanted to sell me a heavy duty back wheel with 12 guage spokes, (which they said they couldn't order replacement spokes if a spoke breaks, so I'd have to buy a whole new wheel). They were also very quick to say that my weight was the issue, but said nothing of it when I was talking to them about ordering the kit. (I explained my weight to them at that time as well). As long as the drive ring slightly bends the spoke forward at the nipple, and releases the spoke to it's original position, when you let off the gas, then eventually the spoke will break, regardless of it's guage. I don't think it is too much to say that the drive ring should be designed so that it engages all 36 spokes, and should mount much closer to the spoke nipple, and rim, instead of practically mid spoke where the spokes are more vulnerable to being pushed forward, then backward, then forward, then backward, and so on. That's pretty obvious!
I don't even know what to do at this point...maybe loose 150 lbs, but I'll bet ya those spokes will keep breaking anyways. I feel like I wasted $630.oo. Anybody have any suggestions? Does anybody know where to buy, or order 12 guage stainless steel spokes? (If that will even solve the problem)
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Roy, no offense, but before i gained another 125lbs, i'd be using at least 12g spokes. then again, i'm not a GEBE guy. 
