Riding That Friction Thing in the rain !!!

[Mountainman]

too young to be left alone

I think I was still a little too young to be left alone at home, I was about 12 years old.

Randy

well the little Lady did get home
right when I was riding my MB out the front door

she said almost exactly what you said Randy

Mountainman may be a little too young to be left alone at home
I was about -- just turned 58 years old -- when she got home

as we ride those things

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Caught in the rain AGAIN!

I rode "The Dragon Lady" to work this beautiful clear-skied morning. Yeah!

Leaving my workplace, the rain caught me 3 miles from home. Daughter called my cell, asked if I needed to be picked up. Knowing that the bike would need disassembly and THREE tanks drained, I told her to bring my raingear instead. I'd ride "The Dragon Lady" home.

In a few minutes it stopped raining, so I told daughter not to come. Riding home through the MANY deep puddles was a true test for twin friction drives. Although totally wet, there was still a "sweet spot" where I could pedal and motor-cruise steadily even uphill, just not as fast as on dry land.

Even wet clothes and a muddy shirtback could not erase the smile on my face as I limped home.

Lessons learned:

Must carry raincoat, boots and gloves while motorbiking and

SHOULD convert rear friction drive to Titan chain drive.

Should but I probably won't. "The Dragon Lady" is just a temporary plaything until "The Iron Dragon" gets retrofitted with downhill racer-type disc brake and suspension fork. Then I strip her down to a non-motorized girlie bike.

I'm gonna miss her.

 

[Zomby Builder]

Oh My

Reminds me of the time I put super-glue in my grandmothers Pola-dent... She didn't say nothin' for about a week. Boy did I take a Mountain Man beatin' that time...........Sure wished I had a get away MB so I could have ESCAPED that THING!!!!!!

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

I rode my dual friction drive monster to work yesterday. In the morning it started to rain two miles from work so I stopped and put my raingear on. Ran through some 6" deep LONNNNNG water puddles. Friction drives kept working with pedal assist at slow speed and surprisingly little slippage.

Heard some scraping noises up front. It might be the spindle bearings so I removed the front drive. Time to change from 1.25" to 1.375" roller. Front engine is WAYYY over the redline at top speed.

Today I'll ride to work with just rear engine and 1.5" roller. It'll be much slower than twin-engine configuration but still fun to ride.

Beats driving a car to work anyday. If Friday afternoon traffic is normal, I'll reach home faster on my bike than my car.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Rained Again!

Last night I removed front friction drive from "The Dragon Lady" to change to new roller and bearings.

A few minutes before leaving work this morning it started to drizzle. Put on my rain gear and pedalled out of the apartment area before firing up the single engine-rear drive.

A very enjoyable ride, even tho it was drizzling and had to pedal and motor thru a couple puddles.

FWIW, friction drive DOES work in the rain on flat ground, just not as good as on dry ground.

Ya just gotta find its "sweet spot".

 

[Mountainman]

the THING'S "sweet spot"

Ya just gotta find its "sweet spot".

that's truly what I also enjoy so so much

finding the THING'S "sweet spot"

how sweet it is as we ride those motor bike THINGS

 

[Esteban]

that's truly what I also enjoy so so much

finding the THING'S "sweet spot"

how sweet it is as we ride those motor bike THINGS

I like that Sweet spot, too. Friction power takes a little getting used to, & after that , no matter what others have said,, it doesn't EAT TIRES !

 

[Mountainman]

friction eat tires ???

no matter what others have said,, it doesn't EAT TIRES !

friction eat tires

I agree with you Esteban
my rear tire seems to be holding rubber real well
very happy with the simple little set up

basic at it's best

ride the motor bike

 

[Happy Valley]

Yuck. 2nd wettest June here in since record keeping began in 1880. New record 18 days straight with measurable precipitation. July not getting off to a much start either. This summer has been like a PNW winter.

I agree with Esteban above that STEEL rollers do not eat tires but STEEL rollers are a pain in the but in the rain. I've been using a DE assembly with aggregate rollers which do not slip when wet but will eat tires when dry.

If the weather were like this every year I probably wouldn't own a friction drive.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Brand X friction rollers eat tires, and I have a stack of casings to prove it.

Part of the reason was my inexperience in setting tire engagement, a slow learning curve and what i believe to be an ineffective tire engagement system.

Now with my homemade tire engagement, it provides bulletproof, precise and adjustable lockdowns.

But the friction roller will still eat tires over X number of miles.

For me it was less than 1,000 miles. With my new adjusters my tires WILL last longer.