The Saga of Plain Jane

[uncle_punk13]

You know what? This is a GREAT thread, please comtinue, as I believe this to a great piece for many of our first timers to glean a bit of experience before they build...
I can't suggest much here, for the bikes I build, and t he purpose of the bikes I build are completely different, but here's something you might consider.
I generally don't use front brakes (I'm becoming more partially to 'em), but I have a couple of different front Drum brakes and these baby's work very well. You might look into something like that...
Or not.

 

[whitedog]

Hi again, Bama,

Thanks for the heads up. I didn't realize that craigslist had arrived at Las Cruces. I'll have to keep my eyes open on that.

Uncle_punk_13, (Can I call you Unk for short?) I hadn't thought of drum brakes. I'd have to change out the front wheel with this type of brake wouldn't I? Hmmmm...One more thing to start researching. Thanks.

Hey, if I can't be building it, at least I can be thinking about it for now.

 

[try1897]

Hi My bike runs a coaster wheel thats a worksman H/D thats heavy 14 lbs.and I run a 11 lb. front wheel of the same brand. I put a side pull on the rear to take some of the load off the coaster brake. I use those long carbon fiber shoes to get more stop/power. Believe it or not coasters heat up and cause problems in the hub internally. If you use the longer shoes then its all in the adjustment. Wheels need to be true and brakes need to be adjusted tight/ just off drag. Not that you want to but mine will lock the wheel. Tom

 

[whitedog]

Hi Try,

Interesting setup. I didn't realize that workman sold just wheels. I thought that they only sold complete bikes. Stupid me. They have to be able to supply spares. I guess I'll have to see what they charge. Thanks for the info.

 

[whitedog]

Well, I may have found a solution to my brake dilemma. I found an old BMX bike at a junk shop (excuse me, second hand store) that has a set of decent side pull brakes that will probably fit and replace the cheap stamped steel brakes currently on the bike. I bought the whole bike for $10 and the owner said that if I swap the brakes out with the other set, he'll buy the bike back. So I may have a decent set of brakes for cheap to free.

I'll let you know how it goes. Probably won't do anything until I get the new handlebar and brake lever from Spooky Tooth though. no sense setting everything up twice.

 

[whitedog]

Engine Arrived

Well, the dax-wait is certainly not as long as I had been led to expect. The engine was ordered on August 23 and it arrived on August 31. Can't get much better than that without paying for overnight shipping.

I haven't had time to fully unpack things yet. I did note that the tank has taken a hit somewhere. One of the bolts used to hold it to the bike frame is quite bent and there are a couple of dings and scratches on the tank. From the packing, this may have happened in shipping although the box doesn't show that much sign of rough handling. If I can straighten out the bent bolt everything will be fine. If not, I'll have to contact dax and get a new tank. I'll hook up the webcam again and see if I can get a picture of the damage into the next message.

 

[whitedog]

Tank Damage Pix

Well, shooting pictures with a webcam on a long USB cable definitely is an art form I haven't mastered. The two shots I've enclosed are the only two that came close. Parallax is the culprit. The camera just isn't quite pointing where I think it is. At any rate, you can see the extent of it. Unless the bolt breaks while I am trying to straighten it out, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Alaskavan]

Watch for leakage around the base of the bolt.

 

[whitedog]

Frustrating Long Weekend

Well, I was hoping to announce to the group after this labor day weekend that I, at least, had my engine mounted and was waiting for the stuff I ordered from Spooky Tooth for final assembly. Didn't happen.

The first thing that I went to do was to true the wheels and then install the better brakes from the donor BMX bike I picked up. I discovered something about these wheels. Not only were they out of round and not straight but the rim, itself, was bent. This is definitely true for the front wheel. I didn't get to the back one as by the time I discovered that the front rim was unusable I was about ready to use a sledge hammer as my tool of choice on it. In addition, the spoke nipples on these wheels were made of something very, very, very soft. The net result is that in addition to not trusting the brakes, I now don't trust the wheels to stay round for more than a block or two.

Now, I could just get a new set of wheels which would probably cost me more than I paid for the bike to begin with. I think, however, that it is time to cut my losses and look for a better platform to mount the engine on. Back to cruising the classifieds I guess.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[try1897]

Whitedog, About those dogs. Several year ago I was walking down the lane and noticed I wasn't alone. It was a rough lookin white dog that looked to be a stray following along in and out of the roadway and I had to call him out of the path of the cars a few times.Well he followed me home and we found he was covered with ticks and fleas and smelled to high heaven. We gave him a bath and picked the ticks and fed him scrambled eggs and toast. We left him on the front porch so he could go if he wanted to and the next day he was still here. He's been here ever since 7 years now.and yes he's a Sammy. Dusty is our buddy now and a loving part of our family. Tom