New Build and hitting speedbumbs.

[Karamil]

Ok I finally got my bike yesterday and the engine arrived today.

I have hit a few speedbumps in the install.


First the frame of my bike is WAY too big for the front mount .. i can squeeze the rear motor mount over the frame but it is not wanting to go around the front frame... I have no way to drill the frame and would much rather not do that anyway..

Also the coaster brake .. I think i may have messed up the coaster arm bending it to where it would clear the sprocket bolts. I dont have access to a vice so its been interesting trying to bend that sucker with vice grips and finding unique areas to wedge that thing to bend it...(and i seem to have lost the bolt that holds on the coaster break arm to the axle)

This is the bike i'm using. Only its flat black with red rims.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f210/fagan420/BC-105DM-BRONZE-405x283.jpg

 

[Bean Oil]

That brake reaction arm is a critical piece... bent too far from the plane where it connects to the hub, it can twist and fail when you need it most while riding.

If you don't have access to the machinery and don't have the experience to create your own mounts yourself, you might have to pay out some additional dollars if you want a solid installation.

You're gonna need some local help from either a machinist and/or a fabricator... the issues of your particular installation cannot be solved here on the internet.



Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!


~

 

[Karamil]

Well i've fixed the coaster brake issue ...And i think i've got the mount figured out... Hopefully i'll have it up and running by the end of the week .. Sofar though every time i seem to work through one problem something else develops.

I should have prolly gotten a frame that fit the kit but i really like the way this bike looks so one way or another it's gunna fit!

 

[Bean Oil]

So far though every time i seem to work through one problem something else develops.

And so it goes... my build was littered with cans-O-worms I opened at almost every stage of the assembly because I too was working with a non-standard (to the design of these kits, anyway...) frameset. I had the good fortune, though, of having access to the tools necessary to get a custom mounting accomplished without having to spend a small forune. I am grateful for that to be sure...

I should have prolly gotten a frame that fit the kit but i really like the way this bike looks so one way or another it's gunna fit!

That's the spirit!

~

 

[Karamil]

So.... Its been one of those days.


Yesterday before i had to hit work i got the motor "attached" to the frame and and packed up the rest of the items to finish the job at work. ( I work overnight shift with a bunch of downtime round midnight-4am).


Well i got to work and after taking care of all the calls and messages between 9-11ish i started unpacking other parts that needed attaching. Gas tank mounts were again too small for my frame so i used my adjustable wrench as an adjustable hammer to adjust their ..... shape. Sooo check tank of my list.

By this time i'm feeling pretty good, get the killswitch/throttle handle out and realize i have the kill switch/throttle unit that you screw on ... i left the actual throttle twist handle at the house .. /sigh To make myself feel better i rout the trottle cable and attach it to the carb and tighten that killswitch down enough not to move. I then move on to install the clutch handle/cable.

This part has plauged me since 1:15am this morning ... Seems this is my next speedbump for now. I've searched for info on clutch installation and adjustment all over this sight and have found 2 main things you guys say..

1st. is that link augi has that is basically 2 pics of the clutch lever already installed .. one pic is engaged and one pic is disengaged.
2nd Someone posted that to install the cable to the clutch arm you push the arm in as far as you can .... grab it with vice grips behind the retainer nut. Tighten the retainer on the cable and then you can do you final adjustments...

This must be MUCH easier said then done. I think i'm a hand short because i need one hand to push in the clutch lever and hold it while maintaining enough tension on the cable that i can slide that nut up enough to tighten it on the cable. And yet still have a hand to clamp the vice grips.

There has to be a trick ... something i'm missing ... I'm giving my hands another break before i start working on it again..

 

[gone_fishin]

don't do this until you've removed the cover & run the chain over the drive-sprocket. no sense doing anything twice if you can avoid it. but you can do it now if you want.

run the cable, follow my pics for assembly. make sure the engine-end and the lever-end adjusters are in the mostly all-in position (so we can tighten up later)

after you have the cable through the engine-adjuster, slide the small spring on. slide the small brass lock on. (you may cuss under your breath while doing this)

left hand: push the clutch-arm until you feel a fair amont of pressure, right at the point where it's dis-engaging.
right hand: hold the cable/spring/lock next to the arm, and note where the lock's going to be when assembled.

slide the brass-lock just a smidge more onto the cable. using pliers to hold it, tighten the screw. make sure it's tight or you'll be looking for it on the other side of the room 1st time you pull the lever

now, push the clutch-arm in again. other hand: force the spring back far enough to clear, and run the cable thru the slot on the arm, brass-lock on the outside. let go.

don't worry about being too tight, the cable's gonna start stretching almost immediately. you'll make final adjustments later, but if you managed to make use of this 2-handed post, i bet it's close enough to get you going

oh! if you have a few minutes, you might want to do this before going ahead: http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=6249

 

[SirJakesus]

I've found that the easiest way to get good tension on the clutch arm is to loosen all the screws covering the small sprocket on the HT engine, this will allow the clutch arm to swing in further so you can get a tighter adjustment. Lock the brass cable fastener then screw the sprocket cover all the way back in. If the clutch is pulled so far in that it wont fully engage if the lever is let out then its much easier to loosen the brass fastener and adjust the pull from there. Hope it helps.

 

[mickey]

My clutch arm is slotted. I just push the arm in, slip the cable off, and move the retaining collar about how much I think it needs to go and tighten. Then I push the lever back in and reslot the cable. Rinse and repeat.

 

[Karamil]

Success!!!!



Kinda... Well it runs ..but its not pretty yet .... will see if i can track down someone with a digital camera and post a pic later... I still have to road test .. lots and lots of road tests../grin

 

[fetor56]

"Success!!!!"......it's not so daunting after-all is it.
Ride your new bike with pride and when u get around to it(if u want) tweek it i little......Mk2 improved.