Foldable bike, rear-wheel engagement -- how to make the best of it?

[PublicRadio]

Hi there,

I have an older 2-stroke bike kit, pictured below, that engages with the rear wheel, rather than the drivetrain. I have a couple questions about this:

• Is there a recommended way to reduce wear on the back tire? I just recently moved the original front tire to the back, because the replacement tire I put on there started getting chewed up pretty quickly. I'm wondering if there's something I could spray on the point of contact to rubberize the metal, or otherwise prevent as much erosion of the wheel.
• If this isn't possible, is there a partial kit that will convert what I have into a drivetrain system? You can see that I have plenty of space behind the seat, and I'll bet this thing would go a lot faster with a better kit.

 

[PublicRadio]

I should have taken a clearer picture of the roller. I've learned this is called a friction drive gas bike, and this bike's friction drive roller has an array of pyramid-shaped teeth that clamp onto the wheel. I guess I could try wrapping some innertube around the roller and seeing what happens. I'd rather wear out lengths of tube than the actual tire. All the new friction-drive bikes I see online have a rotor shaped like the paddle-wheel on a steamboat.

 

[Frogslayer]

It must be out of adjustment or maybe that spring has lost its pull over time?

 

[mark20]

does it slip when you give it gas? if see if theres a height adjust on it. (might want to deinflate the tire to like 5psi) the adjust it and re-inflate. that should hopefully fix the tire wear issue.

for more power, id check the bolt spacing for the clutch (if there is one)
as a 49cc pocket bike engine might fit on there (with a proper pipe those things fly!)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ridgeyard-...166182?hash=item1a902000e6:g:fKIAAOSwS3Za3Y1T

and pipe
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Exhaust-Pi...617109&hash=item3b1e9a707e:g:AiQAAOSw5-lbjO-G

 

[darwin]

Always pedal when taking off just for a few feet. That helps a lot. From my experience once the roller is laying on the tire with just gravity pulling it down just a 1/4in of deflection on the tire is needed to get the right amount of pressure for a good ride. Metal rollers will wear a tire faster than normal, part of the price for using a simple friction drive. You can minimize the wear though using proper techniques.

 

[darwin]

Is there a brand name for that friction drive? It's a sweet setup, I'd like to google it see about it.

 

[Deleted member 26224]

Motorizing a folding bike is extremely dangerous.

 

[PublicRadio]

Hey everyone, thanks so much for the replies. I'm going to have to check my settings here (and my spam filter) because I didn't realize I had replies. @mark20, I am pretty sure the engine is a Chinese pocket bike engine. @darwin, I bought this from a friend second-hand, and I haven't seen this kit online anywhere. I'll try to track down the details about it.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Motorizing a folding bike is extremely dangerous.

My first mb was a Dahon folder w/Subaru & friction drive. Top speed was 27mph. The perfect starter. When I installed a Mits 43cc engine and rear chain drive, the bike became squirrelly. So I moved the engine to a 26" bike and sol the Dahon.