High altitude?

TWeatherford

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Mar 8, 2008
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Hi all,
I am wanting to build a motor bike, my main reason for justifying the expenditure is that I would use it as a sole means of transportation this summer, and park my car. Right now it would be cool, but I need the car to get me some places, like two days ago when I drove over 560 miles on various necessary errands to two states. I spend my summers in Colorado on a guest ranch, and the bike would be a convenient. I got away by getting rides last summer, this summer I'd like to cruise around on my bike and be a little more independent. However, the ranch sits at 9,000 feet and town is 7,000 feet. I'd like to go into some of the higher country as well, for fun cruising (10,000 feet tops). Thats a lot of hill climbing, not very steep though, just a long slow gradual kind of deal. I was thinking, will the motor even run well at this altitude? My initial though was of course it will, since lawnmowers and weed eaters seem to run fine up there, but then I thought I might as well ask here anyway and make sure. I'm assuming I'd have to adjust the carb some to run right at that altitude, and may have to do some pedaling to help the little motor out, but what do you all think?
 
Yes but it will require either of the following:
1. Rejet carburertor with smaller jet.

2. Blend E85 fuel (optimum ratio will require experimentation) into your regular fuel. Start at a 75% gasoline to 25% E85 ratio. Straight E85 requires 40% richer fuel setting at compared to straight gasoline.

Even with optimum fuel mixture expect 3% decline in poweroutput for every 1000 feet in altitude ASL.
 
You may want something in the 4 stroke simply cause from the way people talk about them they pretty much rule.
I'm gonna get clobbered for this,but as sole transportation and in the mountains yet a motoredbike is a cool way to go but you may also want to consider a moped.....actually it just depends on what kind of bike you're looking at. Rack mounts I hear tend to be smoother and stuff....
 
Well the only way I'm doing this is if I can do it cheap. If I don't get a motor kit I'll just be riding the bike as is, and doing less of it. If a motor would help me out, that'd be great. But if its going to die and be really low on power up there I'd just as soon not pedal the bike + motor and all that stuff.
 
You'd prolly be alright with either Mitsubishi TLE43 2-stroke w/ Klotz Super Techniplate oil (or Maxima Castor 927) & NuVinci CVP (tho this isn't cheap unless you get it from... or just a Robin/Subaru or Honda if you really feel like you can't afford the NuVinci. I'd be afraid that a 2-stroke by itself wouldn't have enough torque for hill climbing (which is why i say TLE43 & NuVinci together), and of course you can pedal assist uphill... but where's the fun in that?
 
Sparky,
The 2 stroke Happy Time engines have plenty of power for high altitude operations. I know because I speak from experience and live just shy of 7,000 foot altitude and often ride up higher altitudes 10-12k on mountain trails.
A 48-55 tooth sprocket is all you need with some of my previous tips and off course a castor based oil. Can I do 30mph uphill? No, but 15-20mph is plenty in the mountain region and sure beats pedalling.
 
A 48-55 tooth sprocket is all you need with some of my previous tips and off course a castor based oil. Can I do 30mph uphill? No, but 15-20mph is plenty in the mountain region and sure beats pedalling.
Doh! I totally forgot about sprockets. That is a pretty nice benefit to going with chains over belts.
 
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