Lower Mount Strap on my GeBe broke!!!

P

PiousPedals

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I have over 10,000 miles on my kit. My first major mishap occured yesterday. My Lower Mount Strap broke 25 miles from home in Fort Lauderdale :cry: It broke at the weakest point on the rig, where one of the predrilled bolt holes is for the engine mount. I did manage to motor home at almost full throttle the whole way with only half of the mount strap holding the engine. It was a wobbely ride home. I will say I was glad I had a fender on my rig. It helped keep the engine assembly off the wheel :-/ Cautiously, I was certain to miss larger bumps and other obstacles without disrupting traffic too much more than normal. I still say it's a great kit! :D This hobby is certainly for a person that likes to tinker... My GeBe is as close as I've seen to reliable in this industry... But alas, this is a world where rust destroys. :cool: Stuff Breaks!!! Time to order a new part, or maybe build a better one! ;)

I had a feeling when I left I shouldn't have gone so far from home yesterday, my ride started out with a small run-in with a car that left her fender dented pretty badly and me letting her go before the cops came! :p

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/fishnchamp1/DSC00040.jpg
 
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Seems like I read about someone else having a break in that same spot. I don't think they had a fender. Glad you got home okay.
 
Well, if you got 10,000 relatively trouble free miles, I think it did pretty well for you. If I had one do that, I would have it bronzed and mounted in a place of distinction.

Denny
 
Me Too Alaska! A cell phone and a cab ride is always an option, but that just feels like defeat :-/

Denny,
I am saying the same thing... Great product! Granted, I had problems with it early on, but most of that was because I was trying to do things with that kit that it wasn't designed for (tried to mount the ring on a different spoke pattern)... The only thing that I didn't like about the kit was the kill switch. It tended to kill the engine when I didn't want it to. Ripped that baby off and just use the switch on the side of the engine now... My next project is going to be a GeBe Tandem... :cool:
 
ah-ha!

i also have a mount-strap that is stressed inward to meet my slightly-narrower axle. thanks to this topic, i'll be taking things apart and bending the strap to match without strain. it should last forever after that, altho i wouldn't complain about 10k, either.

ps-i drilled holes in my fender to clear the mounting hardware. it made a huge difference, both in noise and proper alignment.
 
10,000 miles and its still in one piece, there have been cars that havent managed that distance :)...

glad you got home ok and that you didnt end up hurt...

Just a thought but did you have a look at the point of breakage? I just wonder if the metal at that point had crystallised or anything due to stress...

congrats on the 10k - it sounds like you might be the holder of the distance record on here

Jemma xx
 
Jemma said:
Just a thought but did you have a look at the point of breakage?
it's right at a hole...so i'm surmising it's because of the inward stress due to a narrow axle arrangement. imo, best bet would be to use a vise and do 2 offsets on either side, making sure it slips into place instead of being forched inward. after reading this and looking closer at mine, i see how it will also help to perfectly align the belt and drive-gear.

when i next change my rear tire, i'll be doing just that.
 
I didn't have to force it, but there was a very mild spreading action to get the strap on the bike...

As far as belt life I got just over 7000 miles before replacing a belt... The belt had to be replaced because my fender was chewing it up. I'm sure it could have lasted longer!
 
well, even a "mild" spread has to have an effect after 10k...i was just making the obvious observation that your post led me to finally see...

for longest life, the mount-strap should be bent to meet and easily "slide" into place over the axle :cool:
 
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