thinking about motorizing the kulana Moon Dog

[CARROT-The DESTROYER]

1st RIDE!!

Yeah man!

Nervous like everyone else going for that first pedal and hoping to hear that spark of hope ingnite!!

Mine didn't.

So like a good researcher, I checked:

the CDI connections - good

nixed the on/off switch

Earthed the Spark plug - good spark

gap was .038 - changed to .024

voltmeter on the magneto - good

fuel - coming out the exhaust - so getting fuel.

Carb was sitting almost perfect vertical.

Like I said, I did my research

brand new carb - can't be that - decided to take it apart anyhow. Didn't see any particles what so ever. Decided to blow down the jet - BIG chunk of black plastic comes flying out.
So here's the odds: - I did some dremmel cutting on the bike rack - I reversed it to fit the carry bag better - 10 feet away from the carb. But somehow, a piece of the slag shot straight into that carb. - what - 10,000 to 1 I could ever do that again?

Put everything back together - had the idle set to 4.5 turns - but read to start at 4 -so did. Dropped the choke to 3/4 full - held my breath and it FIRED!!
and then died. It fired again, and stayed running!! -

I have been riding on and off today for about 15 minute stretches at about 15-17 mph. - that should be safe for break in spec's.

It's a BLAST - even at that speed.
I have already had someone ask me where I got it? - could be a great business opportunity. My wife and I are already talking about it as a secondary business.

Couple questions though:

•1 I have the push button clutch vs. the one that looks like a 2nd handbrake. When I depress the button, it only holds the clutch at 1/4 disengaged. IOW - 3/4 of it would still need to be pushed in to completey free it.
How do I fix that??
Do I need to adjust my clutch to fall w/in a 1/4 gap to engage and disengage it?? - that seems like a very narrow margin.

•2 I already don't like the clutch brake set up I have. Pushing the clutch to freewheel down the many hills in my area while trying to pull the brake at the same time is labor intensive to say the least.
I had read it's "bad" - to let the clutch act as a brake, which makes sense to me.
What is the best set up for the brakes and the clutch you have used?

Again, thanks for all the help.

Troy Fitz.

Oh yeah, the on/off switch works great using the splice on the blue wire only.

 

[CARROT-The DESTROYER]

WOW. nice bike. I like the handle bars, are those the stock one that you get from Wally.

also Nice custom gastank. at firt, i was like wheres his gas tank, then i seen your fuel line run to the back and i was like WOAH. that was sweet.
cool job.
how much capacticy does your tank have.


Also, what do you all think about me putting my 49cc in the WM mountain bike i posted above.

honestly, i dont think it will be able to the push the kahuna. I am 5'10 140 lbs, ( i will stay this weight becuase i wrestle, so i have to maintain my weight)

so do you think it will go good in the mountain bike at walmart ?

Yep -these are the bars that came w/ the bike.

Probably a little under a half gallon. But plenty of room to change that in the future.

I think a frame needs to have 26" to clear the engine, but not positive on that. - bring a tape measure w/ you. That is one of the reasons I went for the KMD - it's already been used to great success. So finding info on that specific build would be a breeze.

Your weight in not an issue in the least. I am 6'3" at 150lbs - and it moved me just fine. In other threads you will read about people a lot heavier than we are. That is an adult bike, and works just fine.

Don't know, take a tape measure w/ you.

Good luck w/ whatever you choose, and keep us updated.
You may be one of the first to use this bike~!! and the info will help others in the future.

That is why I put so much info specific to the KMD for anyone who reads my posts.

Enjoy it - "8^)

Troy Fitz.

 

[Alan]

Troy,
I highly suggest one of these. Dual cable pull.

 

[eljefino]

The clutch arm lack-of-motion is typical for these engines. Hopefully your clutch acts as an on-off switch anyway. You should use it as one regardless.

I flip-flop my brake levers; make the front brake my main lever on the right side and the clutch my main lever on the left... like a motorcycle. Made my rear brake lever my "oh nuts" lever sticking up on the left side, so I can activate it with the palm of my hand while pulling the handlebar with my fingertips. (hard to explain)

If you go into business selling bikes consider your liabilities; this is a whole other topic but I would NOT do any bill of sale etc if I didn't have to to register the thing. And take cash only.

 

[eljefino]

Found this blue Moon Dog for $93.90 shipped to your door.

Walmart haters and blue lovers rejoice. Savers of $6 can have a footlong sub sandwich and a coke.

Sure it's scratched and dented, but you'll do worse when you mount the motor to the downtube.

Coincidentally a google search for KMDs turns up more than half of them being motorized, or so it appears. KMD's breakout role!

Offtopic, but "pacific cycles" conjures images of cheerful hippies working on the beach in california, not, uh, chinese sweatshops across the pacific... but I digress...

 

[elcalvo]

Alan -- sweet. Where did you get that twin cablebrake lever? I would love to do away with my clutch-plus-front-brake lever setup. I find myself wishing I had a coaster break on my KMD lately.

eljefino -- I agree re: the business aspects. I have people here practically begging me to go into business building these things, but liability is a huge issue, and disclaimers simply are not sufficient legal coverage. Would be good to find out from outfits like King's and Spooky Tooth how they handle liability issues.

 

[eljefino]

So like a good lemming I got a "good" KMD from WM at tossed a BGF 48cc HT on there. Compared to my 67cc alloy mountain bike the KMD is a nice, low key ride. Barely feel any vibration at all in the handlebars. Yes the seat is mush but the springs are nice. Odd having a bike with fenders; can hear the sand in my driveway ticking away at it.

The BGF pushbutton locking clutch lever looks almost exactly like the KMD brake lever so it integrates very nicely. I de-stickered my bike. Where I neatly wrapped electrical tape it almost looks like an integral part of the design. Black and Orange are the only two colors... oops, except for the grey motor, LOL.

What would make this thing really shine would be a couple of LEDs on the fenders, I was thinking 59 cadillac "rocket" ripoff for the rear. Have to be LEDs for the light weight and small size as the fenders are, yup, notoriously flimsy. Would be white-wire powered for simplicity. A while ago I saw some license plate screws with these lights at pep boys or some rice-my-car store that would be perfect but haven't seen 'em since. Would probably get some 3/8" wire loom and run the wire through that on the "coat hanger" that tensions the far rear of the fender. And loom the other side to match, maybe.

If I cheap out I'll get a WM $2 trailer marker light like I put on the MTB, take it apart, paint the white stuff black, and stick that on the 12 oclock position on the rear fender... but I'd like to find something a little more space age. But marker lights are cool.

 

[Egor]

Have to be LEDs for the light weight and small size as the fenders are, yup, notoriously flimsy. Would be white-wire powered for simplicity.

Eljefino - Glue those fenders to the frame with Silicone rubber, just get the clear and fill in at the brackets. If you have ridden far as yet you will see the brackets are broken, they all do it. Don't wait till it wads up in the wheel, not fun. Have fun Dave

 

[CARROT-The DESTROYER]

Alan -- sweet. Where did you get that twin cablebrake lever? I would love to do away with my clutch-plus-front-brake lever setup. I find myself wishing I had a coaster break on my KMD lately.

eljefino -- I agree re: the business aspects. I have people here practically begging me to go into business building these things, but liability is a huge issue, and disclaimers simply are not sufficient legal coverage. Would be good to find out from outfits like King's and Spooky Tooth how they handle liability issues.

Hey,
Spooky Tooth has the twin lever for 13.00 + shipping - For that cost, I am getting one for sure. Just holding off for now to see if when my motor is properly broken in or not if I will need to get the 50 tooth sprocket to get up the hills in my area.

I owned my own business for 13 year. So I am knowledgeable about liability issues. But thanks.

Well, I have 30 miles on my motor now w/out a single problem other than needed to change the fuel line a little. It had a small dip in the line and that seemed to create a fuel starvation problem. All is good now though.

Loving the bike!!

ALLAN::: thanks for the heads up on the dual cable brake.

eljefino::: - my clutch lever is defective. It will not hold the clutch in. It doesn't have any material in the location that it would make contact w/ the push button. My new motorbike friend on our hill as the same lever, and we were able to see the difference between the two.
I need to contact Kingsport and hopefully they will send me a replacement.

K - did this during my lunch break, gotta go,


Troy Fitz.

 

[eljefino]

Found the best rear marker light ever, it is a Optronics MC-21RS I got at advance auto. Figure Kragen/Schucks/Checker might have it too.

It's 12 volts but runs fine on the white wire, and about $2.68! Hooray!

Has my rocket age 59 cadillac look I was hoping for. Comes with a nice L-bracket with perfectly sized holes. Put mine in my seat adjuster bolt but it would also go well in a fender-to-frame bolt or who knows where? They also come in yellow which would look good up front.