Villiers attachment on 1950s Phillips

[Sianelle]

I hope I'm posting in the right place and I'm on-topic....http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/3862/whiteflagsmileysmallyu2.jpg

I've been spending the past few days figuring out how to mount a Villiers engine on my Phillips roadster bicycle and after much measuring and mucking about I decided to go with this position and drive method (Daniel Rebour drawing)
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9632/babychampionru1.jpg

I had almost gone for a Wall Autowheel clone, but after a lot of thought I decided against it. I'm not that steady on my feet and I'm sure I'd end up endlessly barking my ankles on the thing whenever I had to wheel it about. Deciding a test was necessary I gathered up this engine (the slope finned one) ....... http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/5858/villiersdetailuj0.jpg...... and mounted it into the Phillips frame using a cunning assembly of string and a couple of stout zip ties (pictures soon I promise I'm going to drop the roll of film in for developing this afternoon). I then spent several minutes wheeling the Phillips about, in and out of the courtyard at the back of the house, up and down the steps leading up and out of the carport to the courtyard & etc. My conclusion was that the bike felt nicely balanced and didn't feel like it wanted to fall on its side on top of me or anything. It even stood up nicely on its sidestand without me having to perform any modifications. Good!
Now here is my question; - where can I readily obtain a decent sheave for the rear wheel? As a dodge I could modify a narrow 20inch bicycle wheel rim, but I'd really prefer it if I could lay my hands on something intended for the purpose. Please bear in mind that I live in New Zealand and I would need to deal with a company that can handle an overseas order.

Cheers

 

[Dockspa1]

Hey Sianelle,
Watch the drive pulley so that it matches the back. Don't get cogged unless the front drive is also cogged but then again, You probably knew that.
what did those motors come from originally? Is that a company in N.Z.?
May the Farce be with ya.
Doc

 

[MotorbikeMike]

Drive Sheave

HI sianelle, the only source I know of for drive sheave is Whizzer, and you can see the breakdown here on my site.
Whizzer is NOT world-renowned for thier rock-bottom prices, but they do offer some parts that are apparently unavailable by other means.

http://www.simpsonmotorbikes.com/whizzer_transmission_clutch_and_starter_system.html

Mike

 

[Sianelle]

Villiers engines

Villiers is/was an English engine maker with it's roots waaaay back in the heroic days of motorcycling.

http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/Engineering/Villiers/Villiers11.htm

The engines that I have were used for a variety of uses, but most were used on various types of ancient power lawnmowers......
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5900/villierspowermowerzd3.jpg
Over the years many home constructors have made use of these engines for a variety of purposes and while they aren't wildly powerful, they do seem to last forever. Would you believe that some folk actually race these old power mowers and events have actually been filmed for television

 

[Sianelle]

HI sianelle, the only source I know of for drive sheave is Whizzer, and you can see the breakdown here on my site.
Whizzer is NOT world-renowned for thier rock-bottom prices, but they do offer some parts that are apparently unavailable by other means.

http://www.simpsonmotorbikes.com/whizzer_transmission_clutch_and_starter_system.html

Mike

Thankyou very much Mike Once I know exactly what I want in the way of parts I'll contact you via PM and find out from you how to place an order.

 

[Dockspa1]

Wow Sianelle, that small lawnmower looks EVIL. Bet that thing weighs a ton. Mike can you order non-cogged as well as cogged from your company?
Doc

 

[MotorbikeMike]

Whizzer Sheaves

Hi the Whizzer Sheave is a smooth pulley designed for fractional HP belts, but also works on Automotive v-belts.

As of this writing whizzer offers no cogged pulleys for any purpose.

Mike

 

[Sianelle]

Hi the Whizzer Sheave is a smooth pulley designed for fractional HP belts, but also works on Automotive v-belts.

As of this writing whizzer offers no cogged pulleys for any purpose.

Mike

A smooth pulley is definitely what I want since what I'm doing is building a retro motor-bicycle.

 

[Sianelle]

Pictures at last!

I got a roll of film back from developing this morning and finally I can show you the early mock-up stage of checking how a Villiers engine will fit into the Phillips roadster frame.

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8079/villiersmockupqu8.jpg

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/2577/
villiersmockup2bs8.jpg

This particular Villiers engine is the only one I have with sloped fins and an alloy magneto flywheel and I'm keen to use it for this project of mine. So far everything looks to be lining up nicely, though I will need to gently bend the Phillips long roadster crank arms to clear the flywheel on one side and the drive pulley on the other.
Some years ago I owned a delightful wee book titled 'Reminiscences of Motorcycling' by 'Ixion'. It was a reprint of a book printed back in the 1920s and the motorcycles were of course the ones from circa 1900-1914. I wish I still owned this wee book because it's absolutely delightful and the original illustrations were brilliantly amusing. Anyway to get back to the subject I can remember one chapter in which Ixion relates how it was quite common to have to replace a pedal crank arm after a crash due to them getting horribly bent and all he did was buy a new one from the nearest bicycle shop and then put the appropriate bend in them to clear the 'works' with a large spanner he carried about his person. (sigh) So much of that wee book would be entirely relevant to what I'm trying to achieve; - Oh why did I ever sell it!!

If at all possible I want use a flat leather belt too with this style of tensioner......

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4231/3181910ex1lh7.jpg

The petrol tank is going to be cylindrical and I intend to make it from copper because I have some. I was lucky enough to pick up a lovely brass vintage screw-on gas cap while I was at the dump the other day. All I will need to do now is lathe turn up something for it to screw into, but that shouldn't be too hard. Amongst my treasures I had a slightly battered English P&M carbide cycle lamp, - which has to be about the largest carbide bicycle lamp ever produced by an English maker.
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/1900/carbidelampuw3.jpg

It's easily twice the size of the English Miller carbide lamp I've also got. With a bit of a clean-up it should look fine mounted on the front of my old Phillips roadster.

I'm in the middle of designing and making the engine mountings at the moment, - more pictures soon I promise.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Cool engine, Sianelle!

It seems like there's enough room above the engine for a goped tuned pipe. You could get the bare-metal model to keep in league with this retro engine

That'd probably wake up this sleeping giant.

Myron