First Build- Stingray

[ComfortableShoes]

I want to keep a running log of my build, write down everything I do to it, as a record so that when I do another one I'll know what I want to change... I"m sure I'm addicted and after I finish this one I'll start another. PLus my significant other wants one now... So I have to comply!

I"m also keeping this on a blog at Motored Bike Whatever I write here will be duplicated there, other than what I've already written.

I"m starting out with a Schwinn Chopper- Style Stingray in blue. I have a distinct feeling that the engine will be a little cramped but I'll manage. I like the look of the bike and because I stand in at only 5'2" it fits me. IN fact finding bikes that are comfortable frame wise and tough has been an issue int he past. I used to ride hard trails when I lived in Maine and went to school (U Maine has a fantastic trail system- or did 9 years ago.) I had to buy a 13.5 inch frame on 26inch wheels. That's neither here nor there.

Snagged a small gas tank off eBay a few days ago and I got it yesterday. Looks like it'll hold 1 gal no problem, needs some TLC and paint, dear god someone painted the thing purple and dayglo green. It'll take a bit of sanding and cleaning to get her up to snuff but it won't be too bad. It's a tank off a honda minibike. Looks a lot like the tanks we had on our Arctic Cat mini bikes. It's a good shape for a chopper. And I think it will attach more easily that I initially expected.

I picked up a cheap speedo at Target last night, can't get it to work. Of course in the heat we've been having here (95+) and with my fan carping out on me, my garage was a cheap greasy sauna.

I'm wondering why more people don't use pocket bike engines? I found one on Craigslist for a good price and I've seen them on eBay also for a good price. So why not a pocket bike engine?

Anyway you can see my bike without anything here:
Before
ComfortableShoes/Less

Also if this isn't the right place for this thread move it and let me know.

 

[ComfortableShoes]

the tank from eBay

Holy tired. Had a long day in the office came home watched the news and then headed to the garage with the sander.

I hit up the tank with the orbital and found 3 layers of old crappy paint. And the tank looked a lot worse then I thought. The thing had been beaten in. There are lots of dents in it which made sanding it down a beast. Great thing though, I dry fitted it to the frame and it fits sweet. Looks like it was made to fit on the bike.It really completes that chopper look.

After I sanded the top 2 layers of paint off and had seriously scuffed up the next layer I hit it up with a nice even layer of primer. I'll sand that baby bottom smooth and then fill in the dents with bondo. Sand that smooth hit the whole thing with another layer of primer and sand that smooth then give it 2 coats of the base coat of silver, sand that smooth and then hit the whole thing with a coat of deep blue, sand it smooth. hit it with another coat of blue, if needed and finally give it a coat of clear gloss. I want that thing to shine like a new car.

Already with the first even coat of primer it looks much better than I expected. When I first pulled it out of the box and saw the god awful neon green and deep purple paint I knew it was going to be more work than it looked like on eBay.

side view 1
top view
sanded
primered

 

[NunyaBidness]

all right CS
can't wait to see the finished build
I bet it's gona look awesome

 

[ComfortableShoes]

engine

I'm getting my engine today after work. Took a few emails and phone calls but the engine I saw on craigslist will be mine!

It's a pocket bike engine that the guy worked on for his son, who then got a deal on a larger, 110cc engine. So they took it off the pocket bike and as he said, it's been sitting in the garage ever since. Said it ran awesome when they took it off the bike.

SO... I'm driving to a less than perfect area and getting myself an engine.

I looked at some pics online and it looks like there are multiple ways to mount these little pocket bike engines. I'm not so worried anymore about it fitting, I'm worried about getting it attached to the bike.

Heres a pic of it. I didn't take it so it's not the best picture.

 

[NunyaBidness]

that's awesome CS
me bro CrazyGringo and I were talking last night about doing the same thing.
I was thinking of using the whole wiring harness in addition to the motor from a little 50cc mini-bike. some of those had lights IIRC.

 

[ComfortableShoes]

more tank and the engine is in thegarage!!!

Picked up my engine today. Looks good and I think it's a 4stroke. I'm looking at it and it's got a dipstick... It's got a 14T sprocket coming out of the gear box. It's also got a 4 speed clutch... I'm not sure how hard it will be to switch over to an automatic. Not that I care if it's got 4 speeds, but law says it needs to be an automatic to be legal... (Looked online and found that there are X7 4 stroke 50cc pocket bikes available, so if I'm right it is a 4 stroke. It also looks the same as the 4 stroke I saw on eBay.) I stepped on the kick start and she had no issues moving about and sounded good. I'm pretty sure I could get her to turn over on starting fluid but I've only got her sitting on a 5 gal bucket and it didn't feel too stable. Also when I took the chain and sprocket cover off the sprocket turned freely. It looked a little rusty at first but I sprayed her with some Wd40 and it loosened up the rust and it fell off, seems it was all from the chain.

It's going to be a tight fit in the frame. It's quite large. It's quite a bit bigger than the HT engines I've seen online. In short its going to be tough to fit in but it's going to fill the frame and look awesome. I've got multiple choices for mounting it to the frame too. There are 4 points on the bottom for vertical access. Then there are more than 4 additional points for horizontal bolts.

I may have to put some sort of riser along the bottom tube to get the engine at the right angle to fit. We'll see though. I didn't attempt to fit anything to the bike on a dry run because of all the darn wires and stuff hanging off the engine. It looks as though a lot of the wiring harness is attached... I'm pretty sure I need a new throttle.

After the excitement of getting the engine I managed to spend some time in my garage and start the bondo filling of the tank. Before I did that I did a dry fit onto the bike and dropped the seat and... I'm pretty excited by how it's going to look. With that fat tank and the engine filling the body it's going to look like a motorcycle. I'm excited.

I sanded a lot of the primer down to smoothness and washed it down and filled a lot of the dents with several layers of bondo. I like to build it up in layers rather than slather it all on at once. I have more control plus it's only 25 minutes between application and sanding and next coat. So all together today I did 3 coats of light bondo over the dents and it looks fantastic. Tomorrow I'll put on the final skim coat sand it down and hit it with the 600 grit wipe it down and then prime it again.

I picked up a can of clear coat and what I thought was the right metal fleck blue pain and it was no where near the right color when I got it home so I'm gonna return it and see if I can find the right shade.

Back to the motor... They guy told me he took it off his kids bike when he got a better engine for the bike and recently. Somehow with the amount of dirt and rust on it, I don't think so. It looks more like its sat in a damp garage or basement for the last 6 months to a year. There's also oxidation on the switch and throttle housing. I'm thinking basement workshop.


BTW does anyone know what the bottom picture is. I know it's not very clear and I know it's part of the electrical system it says: Sanxin 040903E 12V.... One of the screws on the back is marked in red pain and the other in black... I mave more pictures if anyone wants to see them...

 

[NunyaBidness]

it's looking real nice there CS
I may stea....um borrow some of your ideas for a future build.
that's my problem, when I get a new hobby, it NEVER stops at the first build. always I think of better/different ways of doing the same thing
I always enjoy it when people post pics and yours are nice ones of a nice build in progress

 

[ComfortableShoes]

There is no stealing

Nunya, there is no stealing! I look at this place as an educational institution- a place of free flowing ideas. So my ideas are yours and yours are mine..... heh. Its all free for the taking. If I didn't want to share I'd keep it to myself.

Thanks for the pos feedback on my photos. I'll keep 'em comin'!

I've already got my next build forming in my head. Found a sweet cruiser frame in need of love for dirt cheap on Craigslist and I'm waiting to hear back from the seller- I'm thinking a cruiser frame with raked out bars like the stingray chopper. widen the rear to accept a fatter tire and attach a little Honda clone... Paint it up in red fleck paint.

This is how my mind works- get one thing started and immediately start thinking on the next! Glad t know I'm not alone!

 

[ComfortableShoes]

4 stroke pocket bike parts identifiction

I just found this website this AM and I've been able to ID some of the parts I had questions about.

http://www.scooterparts4less.com/4Stroke_motor_parts.htm

No affiliation but they have fantastic pictures in multiple angles of a variety of different items for a variety of different engines. It's been great.

I ID'd the rubberized round "thing" as the solenoid, which oddly enough I suspected. I also ID'd the rectifier.

Now how to hook it all up....

 

[ComfortableShoes]

fit of the engine

The engine is a slight bit too big for the bike... If I cut away the top gusset I'll be able to fit it in . I'll need to put a twisted adapter on for the carb though. While i"m bummed about cutting the gusset I had planned on drilling into it anyway and putting the key in there, but this will allow me to hide more of the electronic junk in there too.

This is going to make attachment all the more interesting.

I"m going to attach with the back bottom 2 spots as well as the 2 forward spots and use the front 2 brackets as well. To use the front bottom 2 mounts I'll need to figure out a riser of some sort.

I also spent some time sanding down and polishing the throttle handle, it looked really nasty but it cleaned up pretty well. I'm going to hit it with the buffing wheel and with some aluminum polish later this afternoon.