Cyclemotors mounted in rear wheel
Hello. There are only two true cyclemotors ever designed that were completely within the rear wheel. The original was by Tube Investments (Raleigh) of the UK and it was designed in 1951-52 and was completely within the hub where the motor was stationary and the wheel rotated. Fuel supply was through a hollow axle one side and throttle control through a hollow axle the other side. This was most probably one of the most incredible pieces of engineering in the history of cyclemotors and they actually built five or six of them however full production did not proceed because of the cost of building the unit. The name of this cyclemotor was Power Wheel and one still exists today.
Steve K... of Denver, Colorado, ex-Adelaide, Australia, designed a modern version of the Power Wheel and some 30-40 units were produced. In this case the engine rotated with the wheel and the speed reduction was done with chains and cogs. However Steve made a fatal mistake as most plagiarists always do. Where the motor rotates with the wheel there is a major problem of cooling and it was thermal issues that defeated the Revopower from Denver, Colorado. (Revopower has folded effectively owing somewhere in the region of $US5m or maybe more and everybody is suing everybody else.) So you can understand this design, if the engine was rotating at effectively less than the wheel was rotating then the engine was braking. If the engine effectively was rotating at the same speed as the wheel, then the unit was "cruising" (no load either way). If the engine was effectively rotating at greater than the speed of the wheel, then the engine was driving the wheel. The word "effectively" is used as one rotation of the engine did not match one rotation of the wheel due to gearing reduction.
The cyclemotor units that I have are where the engine and transmission are within the rear wheel hub, Cyclemaster and BSA Winged Wheel, both ex-UK. Both of these, part of the cyclemotor is within the hub and part is just outside.
There is a Dutch unit, Wing Wheel, that goes within the hub of the front wheel. There are other Dutch, German and Italian designs similar to Cyclemaster and BSA Winged
Wheel.
Your message came through when I was downstairs at our holiday place working on the Cyclemaster of which three photos are attached to this message. This unit is a little unusual in that it is a 32 cc Cyclemaster whereas the mot common Cyclemasters are 25.7 cc. I will send you a picture of my BSA Winged Wheel. I have multiple Cyclemasters and multiple Winged Wheels.
The units that I have that are mounted on the rear axle just outside the rear wheel are Bantamoto (UK), Victoria (German), VAP 3 and VAP 4.
For those visiting this site, the best general information on cyclemotors of the 1950s printed in English is Stink-wheel Saga Episode 1 and Stink-wheel Saga Episode 2. In a further message soon I will supply the contact details to obtain these two excellent books. There are other books which I will list printed in English, and then there are other printed in Italian and Dutch.
I hope this all helps. Regards Geoffrey
