Honda GXH50 in Schwinn D7 Cruiser

Here is my latest Fosscati FG4 Billinudgel Bullet. It has a few improvements from the original one shown elsewhere in that it has a paint job on the tank that is baked on in layers, the hub clamp is 318 grade s'steel, the muffler strap is 318 s'steel, the tank is mounted on a strip of high density adhesive foam tape so you don't need to tighten the tank legs to refusal and damage the tank, all bolts are Aussie steel with locnuts on the end, the springer bolt has a locnut & cotter pin on it so it can't come undone & thornproof tubes & slime in both tyres. This is the 8th Bullet I have built and they all have Honda motors - I doubt the HuaSheng could pull this heavy steel bike but the new G4 gearbox might enable it to. Nobody seems to want the HS motor even though they are 20% of the Honda price once I include for adapting the carb and governor. Personally I don't think the Honda is worth the difference which is about Aus$700.
The chain is still being stretched so the line of it isn't how I like it. I stretch all chains and ride each bike for 200 kms before hand them over to their new owners. I'm not happy with using the Grubee tensioners and need to make that my next focus for change. They are quite OK if used by an experienced person but very dangerous if incorrectly fitted by a novice. The gearboxes all whine to varying degrees - some are really bad.
Anyway this bike is going to a bloke in Darwin which is 3700 kms from where I live. Any volunteers to ride the bike there?
These bikes ride really well and have great balance but I personally prefer the alloy framed Schwinns because they are sportier and more responsive but the drawback with the alloy Schwinn is that the 7.5" headtubes can't accommodate a springer fork and that makes for a bumpier front end.
Oh yes I almost forgot - of the 12 Schwinn cruisers I have bought there have been 13 saddles (one was a tandem) - those dual sprung saddles that have springs just like Madonna's bra - every single one comes apart on day one or day two and I have had to disassemble and reassemble every one with threadloc and fabricated washers etc to get them to stay in one piece. this is a really serious defest in the design and assembly and even though I'm now very good at fixing the saddle it still takes a lot of time before I can be sure the saddle springs won't crunch through the supporting bracket when you are riding the bike. Lovely looking saddles but the old rice farmer story again.
 

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looks good!

how fast? :D

Same speed as all Honda\Grubees with 48T sprocket - 53 km\hr sitting upright and 63 km\hr crouched low over the tank. 49 km\hr is its comfortable cruising speed on the level. The difference with a lighter bike is better accelleration but the top speeds seem to be all the same. The best performance comes with a drive train well aligned with the chain not deviating direction much over the tensioner plus cold night air makes a very noticeable difference to the carby performance.
If you mount the engine further back you will notice an improvement in handling and responsiveness but that makes taking the chain off difficult because there isn't space between 11T sprocket and seat tube and it makes oil changes harder so I keep the motor forward a bit. I spend ages getting the engine and drivetrain set up as well as I can - that's about 2 days work.
 
What a neat bike. I just ran across it and had to make a comment. How are you doing with the belt drive back to gear drive project.

I have to say,bikes like yours keep my interest going.



Will Snow
 
What a neat bike. I just ran across it and had to make a comment. How are you doing with the belt drive back to gear drive project.

I have to say,bikes like yours keep my interest going.Will Snow

Thanks Will, I just go for reliability and bulletproofness so I won't be going for the G4 gearbox and I'm not that big on the GT1 cruiser. Price is not my bottom line although I live on the smell of an oily rag. I can't stand goods that fail to perform because they aren't up to the job. Better to spend more on something that lasts and the G4 although smooth to take off is just too wide and it has been released without proper testing which is why not even I have worked out its optimum sprocket size. It certainly isn't 50T which it comes with nor is it 44T which I tried. It's proper sprocket size could well be so small it will present problems.
I'll be sticking with the old gearboxes which I know work OK and although wide are 2.5" narrower than the G4. The G4 was a good idea but it was too wide at the outset. The GT1 is good value but I find it less comfy than the Schwinns so I'll stick with what I know is OK. I'm all for improvements but only if they are better than what came before.
Regards lack of testing of products well my opinion of that sort of mullarkey is as low as whale excrement.
 
Irish John: It sounds like you've had a lot of experience with the 4 strokes. I have one complete bike with the honda/stage 3 skyhawk gearbox with an 11 tooth/56 tooth. Do you think I would notice a big difference in starting power if I went to a 48 tooth in the rear and stayed with the 11 tooth freewheel in front.
 
Irish John: It sounds like you've had a lot of experience with the 4 strokes. I have one complete bike with the honda/stage 3 skyhawk gearbox with an 11 tooth/56 tooth. Do you think I would notice a big difference in starting power if I went to a 48 tooth in the rear and stayed with the 11 tooth freewheel in front.

Thanks for your query Glack, it gives me the chance to make amends for being rude a few pages back. I really think you should ditch the 56T but keep the 11T freewheel cos they make your bike a lot safer. The 56T is not the right sprocket for the HS or the Honda. You have a Honda so it will handle the 48T really nicely and will achieve a much better cruising speed. If you live in heavy traffic or really bad hill country it could be a bit of a strain but I live in an area with big hills and my Honda & 48T does great.
Houghmade likes it too but has decided to try a 50T out to see it he gets more low end grunt. After he tries it out my guess is he will switch back to the 48T. Tonight flying along the freeway I was wishing I could have flicked the chain over to a 44T but that wouldn't be possible. A 44T is great until a hill or a headwind comes along. There might be some sense in using a 56T if you live up a really steep mountain where the road is covered in snow but otherwise try the 48. On a HS I'd probably use a 50T and just go slower on the flat but the Honda has more grunt cos it's built in Japan and engineered to a considerably higher standard so it like the 48T best.
Those 11T freewheel sprockets should be dismantled, have a good glob of lithium greasr thrown in and be reassembled with blue threadlocked on the flange. That is how freewheel sprockets are made as standard in the cycling industry but the Chinese cut corners. They last about 6000 kms with a good chain and are cheap to buy as spares - get yourself a couple so you aren't left waiting for one. when disassebling the 11T take care not to lose the tiny ball bearings - do it at the kitchen table on a towel.
When I joined MBc I knew diddly squat. Everything I've learnt has been on the job and from people on MBc. This Forum is where the knowledge is.
 
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No problem Irish John, working on that 4g sounds like it was plenty frustrating. Thanks for the advise. I'm planning on replaceing the bolt on sprocket I have with one from manicmechanic and I wanted to pick the right size and the only one I've had experience with is the 56. I'm in minnesota and depending on what part of the metro area your in there can be a lot of hills and the 56 tooth definetely does it but I would like a little more cruising speed so the only way to find out is to try it. Here is a link in case your not formiliar. http://home.roadrunner.com/~bikeparts/
 
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