Hello from Arkansas

Albert Wagner

New Member
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May 24, 2008
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Hello. I'm a retired programmer from Arkansas. My wife will also retire in a couple of years. We are interested in motorized bicycles, but know next to nothing about them. I have begun to browse bikes and motors with google, but have not yet found what I think I need. We don't yet own bikes or motors so I will be initially just asking for help on what to buy, not necessarily in terms of brands, but in terms of features that would make a bike good for motorization. For example, on one site they said that I needed a specific number of spokes (32, 36?) and a front hand brake. I have no idea how geared bikes interface with motors. Do I want single speed? I have many more such questions. If there is already some place on this site that answers those questions, please point me there. Thanks.
 
The "clamshell" sprocket has 9 evenly spaced bolt holes that go through your spokes. If you have a multiple of 9 (36) there will always be a gap where you want one. Clamshell is popular with the cheap 2 stroke "happy time" chinese engine kit. If your kit is <$200 odds are real good it's a HT. There are several factories and reassemblers that make slightly different versions of the same basic motor.

The chain pitch of the common happy-time motor is 1/2" while a typical bicycle chain is 3/8". Therefore you won't have any mix/matching of human-drive and motor-drive components. A single speed bike is fine as you simply pedal long enough to get moving then the motor takes over-- if that is your style. Believe me, it's mine. Laziness trumps most. While the human chain is on the right side of the bike, the motorized chain is on the left. Look through the galleries and seperate the two sides in your mind and maybe someone's pic will be good and that little "!" will go off in your head.
 
Albert, where are you from? I'm in Rogers and a new menmber, but haven't completed my introduction yet. Just wondered if you're from the same area.
Alan
 
Albert, where are you from? I'm in Rogers and a new menmber, but haven't completed my introduction yet. Just wondered if you're from the same area.
Alan

Hi, Alan. I'm a neighbor in Fayetteville (at least until gas reaches $8/gal)
 
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The "clamshell" sprocket has 9 evenly spaced bolt holes that go through your spokes. If you have a multiple of 9 (36) there will always be a gap where you want one. Clamshell is popular with the cheap 2 stroke "happy time" chinese engine kit. If your kit is <$200 odds are real good it's a HT. There are several factories and reassemblers that make slightly different versions of the same basic motor.

Well, that explains that. I would assume that any reasonable multiple of 9 would work. I don't have a kit yet, nor a bike. I googled for Happy Time but that must be a sort of generic name for Chinese motors. I couldn't find one that admitted to the name.

The chain pitch of the common happy-time motor is 1/2" while a typical bicycle chain is 3/8". Therefore you won't have any mix/matching of human-drive and motor-drive components. A single speed bike is fine as you simply pedal long enough to get moving then the motor takes over-- if that is your style. Believe me, it's mine. Laziness trumps most. While the human chain is on the right side of the bike, the motorized chain is on the left. Look through the galleries and seperate the two sides in your mind and maybe someone's pic will be good and that little "!" will go off in your head.

Thank you.
 
It was this forum and I think Augi Dog who coined the phrase, " Happy Time" which is an endearment to the little in-frame, chinese, two stroke engine.
 
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