Buzzbike Upgrade!

The old reduction friction drive has been removed and tossed on a shelf. It was fun, I learned, but its wore out.

Stripped bike to its bearings, cleaned, lubed, new driveline chain and cassette 11-32 / 7 with long cage derailleur, trigger shifter. Dumped front derailleur.
Stole hookworms from wife's bike.

Added BBR 48cc.

And that's my stopping point. There's no way in hell a chain will line up w/o power idlers. Kinda knew that anyway....

Course, now I whine, pout, wife says I can get a shift kit for xmas.


Hope I got everything right, I watched a video b4 installing those circlips, one for the clutch too.

Was planning to break it in on a trainer stand, but as I can't run chain it has to wait.

Do I need a load on the engine for break-in? I have a pull-start I haven't installed yet.

I might also ask, with an 11-32 cassette, do I need anything different from the standard SBP kit sprockets?

I do have hills. 30 degree hills. Buzzbike went up - once. Me pushing for a mile good god what a screw-up.

Trike with a Bafang 750W drive, SRAM DualDrive 3spd hub 12-28 cluster 20in wheels, climbs it like a bulldozer. I'd fall over trying that with a bike, I'd have to move a bit faster.

That hill calls me.
I want to rip up that hill.

Maybe I shoulda got an 80cc?
(but that's not legal...)

 

[Chainlube]

I went over hardware, remixed, ran some loops around my lot. Can’t do that on anything I’ve been riding, it’s a good hard ride. Drive is 1200ft valley in middle, rough rutted gravel. A good 10 minutes of that, checked hardware again, went out to the street running back forth up down hills.

It definitely loosens up. Another ride on my lot it’s running like a dirt bike, I’m standing and hanging with it.
Another hardware check, gotta take two links from my drive chain. It was set on a larger chainring.

I think I need a larger engine drive chainring. Pedaling cadence too fast bumping it up a bigger hill when it starts to sag.

Anyways, maybe another ride today b4 dark?

Check your exhaust studs, it will sound like a dirt bike when they get loose. The exhaust gasket might be shot now.

 

[Urban Fatbiker]

I did, they were snug but could take a bit more. Also head bolts, same, ok but added a touch more.
I might be confusing. Been on pure street machine for two years, I was pretty happy ripping around in a pasture standing up and hanging on. It passed the loose hardware test.

I can ride shoulders again. Trike is a pain in the butt trying to get thru rumble strips and keep 30” btwn 36” and not hit rocks with three tracks.
One track, fatter tires, and it’s no problem. I miss two wheels.

Engine feels smoother? It seemed better on last ride, holding mid-throttle and even picking up a bit, where I had to pedal a bit this morning. About a tank and a half used, I only ran half a tank at the heavy oil mix.

May not get it out tomorrow. Rain and storms.
Waa.

 

[Urban Fatbiker]

I got it out today, good 20 miles or so. Its loosened up considerably, pulling better. Started first kick, and I was gone!

Got a NGK plug in my cart. May swap drive chainring to smaller for a steeper hill pull.

Otherwise?
Needs mirrors, a rack, some bags and lights so I can move on in.
Gotta change my avatar too.

 

[Urban Fatbiker]

A few changes and a few more rides, its feeling better.

Swapped rear wheel with one using 14-34 cluster replacing 11-32. Also swapped drive side jackshaft sprocket from 10 to a 9, swapped plug to NGK.

Added rear rack, horn, lights, speedo.

Took it out for about an hour today, tried some mild hills, a little field riding, some woods trail riding, some open road gear running, hilly suburb streets, and performance seems as expected, its climbing, even in some higher gears it'll hold and even pick up a bit. Good solid 25+ in flats. I think she's broke in and saddled up.

Only issue is RH tensioner spring, its weak, bounced chain off once downshifting banking into curve. I knew it was not gonna last, shoulda already replaced it.

I'd ride more, but snow and ice ends that fun. The birds left already.

I need heated ear muffs, my wife screamed and slapped when I stuck my ear to her cheek after my ride. What da hell wasn't THAT cold.

 

[Urban Fatbiker]

Replaced spring. Did a few other cable cleanups. Took it out a couple of times today.

I am pleased, gearing makes me smile. It'll get to 28mph easy enough cruise good at 22. But most important it'll climb a hill! Woohoo!

Backwoods Buzzbiker now.
I went into the woods last ride. Next ride I'll share in a different post.
THIS BUILD IS DONE.

 

[Karl Snarl]

THIS BUILD IS DONE.

You say that now.... lol

 

[Urban Fatbiker]

That 'done' lasted a good 24 hours and 30 more miles.

Nothing broke, hell I'm impressed with it I almost got lost in the woods yesterday, better yet it does a fine job pulling back out a mild grade at slow speed, I'm thinking knobbies might be better than hookworms for leaves on mud, but I made it up and out just fine.

I want mags, add some brackets, some AVID BB7 I got laying around.

And, a remote choke lever so I don't toss in the yard warming up for the climb out to the street...which it does very fine now too

 

[Urban Fatbiker]

More everyday shakedown. Did some uphill runs in higher gears and pedaling vigorously, its solid and climbs mid-throttle with a slow lugging, a few pedal boots it climbs some more for a while. Course that's in a higher gear going 15mph, not shabby, faster than screaming up on the 34T.

It may get close to climbing like my etrike, but its not gonna beat it, only cause 3×7 gearing and 750W will crawl a mile up 30 degrees, I can't balance that slow on a bike.
That, and stereo, is where trike shines.

Damn.
I need a really loud stereo now.
I can fit two speakers somewhere.

I like the double maglights.

 

[Karl Snarl]

Ya ya, got the bright headlight!!

 

[Urban Fatbiker]

I finally added the pipe. I had to cut out a bend to fit it to the mtn bike. Made a sleeve wrap of shim material inside a 7/8 tube section split with a dremel and clamped for now, I'll go back and weld it later. Hey, it sealed, its rigid. I may just make a prettier coupler.

I like it. Got some growl to it, and more hill grunt, every little piece helps.
Today I found old trails, abandoned properties, one place looked like a Walking Dead set.

If I wanted to go mudding I coulda went a lot further but not on Hookworms. They not mud friendly. Honestly I'm not either so there's that.

Pwrformance-wise, I'm thinking drop my front chainring from 36 to 32, and locking out shifting 6-7 on rear puts it in a sweet spot.

I hit the wall upper 20s in any of the higher gears, and WTF going over 30 on a mtn bike just crazy talk, wheelbase is too short-coupled steering too tall, and I make a big splat when OTB.

Ya know I was only planning to test this engine on this bike then move it to a recumbent but after 100 miles on this thing, I can't get time to waste building it, and now wondering if I even wanna. I like this go anywhere stuff.