Upcoming Predator Project.

[GreenMantis]

So I'm waiting on the parts I ordered to get underway, so it's going to. I'm going to go with the 212cc and "torque converter", not so much as because the t/c will bleed a considerable amount of power, but really because even though the 79cc engine is (only) $20 less than the 212cc, but the 79cc will still cost $30 more, since it requires an special $50, 5/8 bore driven pulley in order to work with the t/c.

Now on the matter of the 212cc predator, there are, in fact, 3 of them, the first two I believe are essentially the same engine, the only difference is that one is EPA/CARB, whatever that means. These are # 69730, and # 69727 EPA/CARB.

And then there is the third engine, # 60363,the one I bought, that is commonly called the "hemi", although there is nothing about it that I can see in the pictures that would suggest that actually is a hemi, in fact, it doesn't look like it is at all. Who knows, there is a famous airplane in the Air Force Museum called "The Cornfield Bomber", even though it's a fighter, and it was a wheat field. It does have a lot of different parts from the other two, so it is an entirely different engine. And they sell them side by side for the exact same price, I wonder why?

 

[curtisfox]

https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/0412179 You also need a 1/4" x 3/16" key way, 212 is over kill, and better have all heavy duty wheels. 12 Gage spokes and all.............Curt

 

[GreenMantis]

I'm not going to use the standard sprocket arrangement that clamps to the spokes. I'm going to loose the rear brake caliper, and I have a sprocket with the brake rotor's bolt pattern. Spokes shouldn't be that big of an issue. But I am still considering adding an electric hub motor, I can use one of those for the back wheel, they have heavy duty rims and spokes, and also have holes for a brake rotor, which is where my spr0ket will go. I have a front wheel hub motor on my 2 stroke, now, it works well. And it's too late to change plans, I already bought the 212, it should be here on tuesday. I do, however, have one other project on the back burner, a Workman trike that is just begging to get motorized as well. Maybe the 212 can end up on that. If I do that, I really want to loose the back axle in favor of one with a differential, like a Peerless. That will handle the power better, but I have to admit, that thing is a b**ch to ride under pedal power, it really doesn't handle very well at all. I guess it takes getting used to. None of these have any possibility of being the worst idea for a project I ever built, though. That would probably be the 400ci "Formula 4oo" Pontiac Fierro with over 500hp, or possibly the 1500 watt E-100 Razor scooter. Those were overpowered death traps, I'd be hard pressed to match that kind of stupidity on a bicycle build. In my own experience, the secret to happiness is learning to sort the occasional good idea from an endless body of bad ones, and I've gotten better at it over the years, and actually survived it. I guess the point is that I know a thing or two about overkill, and just because it can go too fast, doesn't mean I have to drive that way. And I won't, the 1hp china girl goes as fast as I am comfortable going on a bicycle, but horsepower is like a warm gun, it's better to have it even when you don't need it than it is to need it when you just don't have it. Besides, I really want to try to construct a hybrid that can actually charge the batteries with the gas engine while it's running, so I'll need the extra power to play with.
This all reminds of another project I built, once. I was given an old golf cart, and no charger. That was okay, because in those days I lived off the grid, and "out in the sticks", as it were. I rigged a generator with Briggs and Stratton engine on the shelf on the back where the golf clubs would normally ride, and even stuck solar panels on the roof, not that they did that much, but if I left it out in the sun for a few weeks, it would charge the batteries up slowly. I had enough of those to power my house, and didn't really know what else to do with those panels. I upgraded the ones on the house, the golf cart got the old ones. I cruised all over the place out there on that thing. I could also boost the house with it if it was overcast for a long time, and the batteries got low. It got remarkable fuel economy, believe it or not, I could cruise around all day on the half gallon tank. I wish I could have had today's lithium battery technology back then, it would have been an interesting upgrade. I guess I am still interested in hybridizing gas and electric systems together, it's become commonplace technology, now, but I have been thinking about it longer than that, I knew it was a good idea way back when. It's how freight trains work, and for a reason, they use only a small fraction of the fuel that trucks require to move the same cargo the same distance. It's the most efficient way to go. And they waste the regenerative braking power, they use the electric drive motors as brakes by dumping it into essentially a huge heating element on the top of the locomotive, if you look at the top of one, you'll see huge fans that cool heating element when the train brakes. What a waste, they should have batteries on trains, like old submarines, which actually borrowed most of their technology from trains, like the engines and generators.

 

[curtisfox]

I also have a Worksman trike , road it everyday for one summer to get used to it, was able to tip it up on 2 wheels and ride. The differential is the only way to go on a trike, both wheels pull then. Norther tool and staton-inc both have them, staton also has sprockets.
Check these out they were raced years ago..........Curt

http://www.dogdragons.com/dogdragons/trikes/de_dion_bouton/de_dion_bouton.html

 

[GreenMantis]

That's a nice trike, where did you find that engine?

 

[curtisfox]

LOL Not mine its a antique de Dion Bouton (1898-1904) They used to race them back in the day , on oval tracks. My intent is to do one something like it

 

[GreenMantis]

That could only possibly made any cooler if it had a steam engine. It looks like a steam engine. And as for cool old engines, Maytag made 2 stroke gas powered washing machines back in the '20's and '30's, and those have neat little engines, too.

 

[curtisfox]

Yes they did 1 and 2 cylinder, would be a little small for a trike though. If one could find a slant fin Briggs, would be really kool

 

[Will'smotobikes19]

Wow so a hybrid bike gas/electric? Cool you could use the electric going through town. There used to be a guy on YouTube that made one but I can't find the video anymore it was an army theme bike with saddlebags. I think it would be cool to have a small inline 2 stroke kinda like a downscaled snowmobile engine say a 2 cylinder 50cc or something.

 

[GreenMantis]

Yeah, my workhorse has a 500 watt, 36v hub motor in the front wheel, and the china girl in the frame. It's convenient, and makes starting the gas engine effortless. I ride it in ways I wouldn't with the gas engine only. I shut that off when I use the sidewalk or crosswalks, and save the gas engine for longer stretches when I am on the street. So I am starting and stopping the gas engine all the time, I leave the electric motor on. I pedal, too, since I could loose a couple of pounds, and that was the whole point, powering it gave me the motivation to ride it at all. It's a lot of fun, too.

This is an older pic, I moved the bag with the batteries in the front from in the basket, to underneath it, and did some comprehensive wire management since I took these. I also replaced the 3 led's I added for brake lights with a single, old school chrome bullet with a red cone lens that I stuck a laser diode that came from a dvd burner into, minus the focusing lens on the laser. It still ridiculously bright, as brake lights go.