motored bike for fat guy (me)

[spanky4x4]

I want to frame mount a honda gx100 to a 41 schwinn, if there is enough room to. I also have an idea for a drive set up . my main question right now is the commercially available kits able to pull me.? (375lbs) what about the clutch set ups. I am concerned that they wont last.
I have riden bikes on and off most of my life and even when I am in good shape riding all the time I am around #300 so things like clutch life matter. I also like to tour a little and go bike camping on the weekends and use my other bike to pull a bob
I have a mechanical background and have built everything from racecars to boats,so fabricating and getting it to work shouldnt be that hard to figure out. thanks for any advice you can throw my way.

 

[spanky4x4]

well I did a little more reading in past posts and found one of you guys pulled himself and all his **** equaling around 650 lbs total and the clutch did burn out. so I guess I will take the plunge and get a happy time chineses kit and go from there.

 

[JemmaUK]

650lbs on a single 52mm centrifugal clutch would fry it in short order whatever you did.. babying it or otherwise. The one thing most of us on here dont do is baby our machines...

However all is not lost - have you considered a twinnie?

Two engines and two clutches - give you alot of advantages - more power, more torque and better survivability of components...

To be honest as long as you dont try and pull away from rest and pedal up to a reasonable speed before you throttle you should be fine... that and dont strain the engine on hills... if it starts to labour, LPA (light pedal assist) as required...

Its very similar to driving a stick-shift car in that way ... a car engine is not going to like you if you try and convince it that pulling uphill in top at 500rpm is the way to go... which is why (most sane people) dont attempt Porlock Hill in 5th (or with a caravan, go dad lol). In the same way there is no point running your GEBE or STANTON or beijingmobile to a standstill - because you will end up causing failure at the weakest point (normally the clutch) and may well end up causing problems with other components as well..

I have one other recommendation to make and that concerns wheels... and its not so much the unsprung weight - its more a combination of that and the extra speed... make sure they are up to the job - or get the toughened up pre-builds from companies such as GEBE ... that and slick them/puncture proof tubes etc... which will save you the royal b*****ation of taking the whole thing to bits again to repair a flat tyre..

hope that helped..

Jemma xx

 

[dave1490]

well I did a little more reading in past posts and found one of you guys pulled himself and all his **** equaling around 650 lbs total and the clutch did burn out. so I guess I will take the plunge and get a happy time chineses kit and go from there.

im 270 and have never replaced the clutch,has 1800km on it.and if you do some engine mod,s it,ll pickup as quick as a 170ib person.right now im moding it to take off without pedeling.it,ll take more then stock power to do that.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Spanky, the best way to extend clutch life is to engage the engine at 10mph.

Myron

 

[spanky4x4]

thanks for the replys. I am going to try one of the small chinese kits befor I do any custom work,mostly so I can get a fell of how it all works.

 

[Roy Carpenter]

Spanky, I weigh in at 345, and have had no problems except constant spoke breakage, (which is nothing uncommon among much lighter riders as well). The only problem with the GEBE wheels, or any other wheel you mail order with say 12 guage spokes is that if a spoke breaks, you can't get a replacement. I bought a nice sun rino lite rim, a shimano hub, and sent those to "The Wheelmaster", in Auburn, WA. He laced my rear wheel with 10 guage spokes, and I have not had any problems since. If a spoke were to break, he guarantees his spokes/wheels for life. I have over 700 miles on the Robin/Suburu 35, and for curiosity, I pulled the tranny off the other day and looked at the centrifugal clutch shoes.....hardly worn at all. I don't know what they are made of now days, but they are much harder to wear out than the older clutches that I was more accustomed to. Just a little insight for ya. Good Luck.