Took my Motorized Norco for it's first ride-Holy carp this one's fast...

[Bigfoot]

First of all I'd like to say that these things are way too much fun

I took my roommates dog for a run-she's a little fat.She was afraid of the engine a little, but not too much.Once she got running along side me she understood that I mean her no harm.I went around the block a couple times.It goes up to 30mph quite easily-a total shock considering that it's a new, cheezy engine.My roommate says I was doing about 40 as I came towards the driveway in the back alley.In order to stop where I wanted to I had to make a nice loong skid mark in the dirt

I'm firuring out how to turn corners really, really slow-just at the stalling point, & then gradually speed up as I go out of the turn.

I notice that I have to be very very aware of what's going on around me.No bad experiences w/traffic yet-a regular bicycle is my main form of transportation,& I've developed an almost psychic sense of what other motorists & pedestrians intensions are, & what they are about to do.

I also notice that it's not very loud-I thought it would be hellishly loud, being a two-stroke, but it isn't.This is very good-I won't have to worry about complaining neighbors that much.

My next plan is to explore some nice back roads where there's barely any traffic.I don't drive a car or anything, so for me, to get outta town & cruise is great fun.

I use the origional air filter that came w/the kit, but I use this oil stuff I got at a small engine place- I spray it all through the air filter, & it's supposed to catch all the dust and stuff.I'll just have to clean it out once in a while.

I know I'm going to have to be careful on this thing-the engine is so new, yet so fast, that I'm wondering if I could fry it.I strictly measure the oil/gas ratios, so that should be fine, but I'm still wondering about precautions when it's so new.I don't go full throttle though-I don't really need to.

I just hope it lasts-I'd rather not run it into the ground

 

[Large Filipino]

We need pics,man.
I gotta see this thing.

 

[Alaskavan]

Sounds like you're having fun. The main thing I've read about the break-in period for the HT, is that you shouldn't run it at a constant speed, whether that's creeping along or WOT.

 

[Large Filipino]

BigFoot. This is important. When you go down a hill PRESS IN YOUR CLUTCH!

Don't EVER run your engine down a hill.

That's asking for trouble.

It goes down hills faster with no engine anyway.

 

[Bigfoot]

BigFoot. This is important. When you go down a hill PRESS IN YOUR CLUTCH!

Don't EVER run your engine down a hill.

That's asking for trouble.

It goes down hills faster with no engine anyway.

Thanks for the tip-I didn't know that one

I have done that a bit in the past couple days, just going real slow downhill w/no throttle-hopefully nothing will happen because of it-we'll see I guess.I won't do it anymore I can assure you.

I'm really new to these things

I do constantly change speeds.My brother has broken in motorcycle engines, so I got some tips from him about that.

I'll see if I can load a pic-although it's just a norco mountain bike.

 

[Demosthenese]

if you're heading down a steep hill with the engine engaged, you're effectively applying a friction brake. The engine wouldn't die from it unless it ran out of lubrication. For instance, if you're in a mountainy area, you could use the engine to slow you down when going down very steep hills. All you have to do is make sure that you periodically open the throttle to allow more oil/gas in to lubricate the engine.
Having said that, i would NEVER recommend it, or do it . All of the "braking" force you would derive would be putting all it's effort into making your clutch slip, and if you didn't get enough oil in, the consequences of overheating/seizure should be obvious.
LF is right, if it's going to go faster downhill with the clutch disengaged, then you should disengage it .

I always pull the clutch in on corners if i've slowed down to take them; the engine picks up from the momentum as i release the clutch slowly coming out of the turn.

I would also describe myself as "psychically aware" lol, and in terms of motoredbiking, i think you'll find the most dangerous part on the road is when you're at a red light at a large four way intersection. When it goes green, those first couple cars will accelerate through the intersection, and they certainly won't anticipate a bike keeping up with them. This means that the car on the right, closest to the curb, will probably have you in their blind spot if you accelerate with them through the intersection, and they might not leave enough space for you on the right between them and the curb once you're through the intersection. I don't use the idle on my bike, i just let the engine die when im not moving. This means that it forces me to pedal a couple times whenever i'm accelerating from a standing start, and that solves the problem for me. Just mentioning it because it really does seem (in my experience) like the biggest difference between regular biking and motored-biking.
Your reported speed is pretty fast for a brand new engine; what size sprocket are you running on the rear wheel? I assume the kit is stock apart from that, but who did you order it from? And pics!

 

[Bigfoot]

if you're heading down a steep hill with the engine engaged, you're effectively applying a friction brake. The engine wouldn't die from it unless it ran out of lubrication. For instance, if you're in a mountainy area, you could use the engine to slow you down when going down very steep hills. All you have to do is make sure that you periodically open the throttle to allow more oil/gas in to lubricate the engine.
Having said that, i would NEVER recommend it, or do it . All of the "braking" force you would derive would be putting all it's effort into making your clutch slip, and if you didn't get enough oil in, the consequences of overheating/seizure should be obvious.
LF is right, if it's going to go faster downhill with the clutch disengaged, then you should disengage it .

I always pull the clutch in on corners if i've slowed down to take them; the engine picks up from the momentum as i release the clutch slowly coming out of the turn.

I would also describe myself as "psychically aware" lol, and in terms of motoredbiking, i think you'll find the most dangerous part on the road is when you're at a red light at a large four way intersection. When it goes green, those first couple cars will accelerate through the intersection, and they certainly won't anticipate a bike keeping up with them. This means that the car on the right, closest to the curb, will probably have you in their blind spot if you accelerate with them through the intersection, and they might not leave enough space for you on the right between them and the curb once you're through the intersection. I don't use the idle on my bike, i just let the engine die when im not moving. This means that it forces me to pedal a couple times whenever i'm accelerating from a standing start, and that solves the problem for me. Just mentioning it because it really does seem (in my experience) like the biggest difference between regular biking and motored-biking.
Your reported speed is pretty fast for a brand new engine; what size sprocket are you running on the rear wheel? I assume the kit is stock apart from that, but who did you order it from? And pics!

i'm running a 44T sprocket on the rear wheel, & it's stock other than then toggle on/off switch I put in between the blue wires, instead of the kill switch going to the magneto to short circuit it.I use a finger throttle,using an old bicycle brake lever, instead of the plastic throttle that came w/the kit (the cable housing broke).Also, I use 2-stroke racing oil, so that could help things a bit.The kit is from DAX.

I don't use the kill stich in the kit- When I shut off the engine I usually just pull the clutch & let the revs die down until it stops.It only takes a couple seconds.I'm finding that when I pull the clutch to disengage the engine when going downhill, I can use the last few feet or so of the hill to start the engine again.I just release the clutch & apply throttle, & I'm going again.I guess that the kill switch just makes it more difficult for theives-a paniky thief might not be able to get it started if he can't figure out the workings of the switch/primer/choke/clutch/fuel valve/throttle/brake+clutch+throttle levers (I have 4 brake levers on it -clutch,throttle,front brake,rear brake).

I'm also finding that it doesn't like to start in cool weather I switch it on, pedal,choke lever up, prime the engine some, pedal up to a decent speed, release the clutch,choke lever down+apply throttle, ...& nothing.I do that for about 5-10 minutes & it starts in cool weather..Any cooler than about 5 degrees above freezing & it probably wouldn't start at all.When it's nice & warm, it starts right away.Today it's been cool & windy & cloudy-it's also my day off.I get tomorrow off too, so I'm hoping to get out tomorrow.Sometimes it sort of putputputs along when I start it, like it's going to die, so I prime it, & give it throttle, & it smooths out.

One thing I gotta remember-this is a NEW, CRAPPY ENGINE, so don't just max the throttle & take off

I always vary the throttle at all speeds to break it in.I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to take it to faster speeds a little bit at first, to break it in evenly at all RPMs, rather than not taking it above 20, or full throttle at first, like the crappy chinese to english translated manual says.Wouldn't it break in more evenly this way, provided it is gently brought up & down from top speed, & let to cool off afterwards for a few minutes?

Breaking in only from 20mph downwards would only break it in smoothly for those RPMs, upon which any higher speeds after the break in would be reached somoothly...am I right about this, or does breaking it in just from 20mph & below break it in for higher speeds as well?

I gotta add that GOOD BRAKING POWER IS ESSENTIAL! I had to slow down on a steep hill, from a long flat section (I was going quite fast).I could not stop in time, & even though I used the clutch as a brake (it was an emergency-don't do that!), I still sailed rigth through the intersection-luckily it was only a small residential intersection, not a large busy one, or the results could've been very bad.

Ah well-live/learn (well...maybe live )

 

[Demosthenese]

if you're having trouble starting it in cold weather, something that has always worked for me is squirting some lighter fluid into the air intake. not a lot, just a squirt. I live in ottawa, canada, and i was starting it in minus 15 C last year just fine with this technique. Choke on full and within a couple pedals it would fire.