Well, It's Orange...Flying Merkel Tribute Build Progress

[Chainlube]

Two Steps forward, one back. Had accidentally removed the welded tensioner bracket and installed a conventional one. BIG MISTAKE. After the first day's run, tried it out again the next week without inspecting for any signs of looseness, etc. Friend put it in a low speed turn and as it came out of it, gnarly noises and stop. Tore out about nine spokes. However getting the wheel respoked and a friend said he was getting it welded this time. Hope to have it running again in a month. It was so smooth until the disaster. I had pushed too hard to complete it and it pushed back. View attachment 195802

Is your friend OK? It looks like when I grenaded the coaster brake on my old Huffy. 'cept I wrecked the whole wheel and flew into the ditch.

 

[cloakedvillain]

Interesting... this the first time I have heard of eschewing a tensioner.

You would need one for the pedal side

 

[Hoodoo]

YEP, it sure was a big mistake as I can see in the picture.


These things do tend to bite ya in the butt everytime if things are rushed and/or overlooked.

Well, it ain't the first time. At the worst I though only a chain might come loose. We only have a few days a month to work on projects and we have self imposed deadlines. I did push it to be ready for static display for May 6 and rather than go back a few steps decided to chance it....and lost. In the long run we repair stuff better than it was before it broke and this will be also.

 

[DAMIEN1307]

Interesting... this the first time I have heard of eschewing a tensioner.

Well then, here is my bike, a Hyper Beach Cruiser frame with Phantom 85 motor, sans tensioner...lol

 

[DAMIEN1307]

You would need one for the pedal side

NOPE, you don't...lol.

Here is the other side of the bike to show you it also has no tensioner on the pedal side either...lol.

 

[GW's Motorized]

I don't have the pedal side chain. My crank needs to be replaced with an even wider.one, so I don't bother with the pedal chain. My bike will take off from dead stops just fine

 

[cloakedvillain]

NOPE, you don't...lol.

Here is the other side of the bike to show you it also has no tensioner on the pedal side either...lol.

View attachment 195807

You got lucky with the angles there.

 

[DAMIEN1307]

You got lucky with the angles there.

No "luck" it is called skill and knowing what I was doing by the custom cutting and making of my chains.

 

[cloakedvillain]

No "luck" it is called skill and knowing what I was doing by the custom cutting and making of my chains.

Both chains have a length of a half inch per link. Chains should have a quarter of an inch deflection per foot of span. Raising or lowering the height of the engine affects the span, obviously sprocket sizes and how far forward and back affect it too. Now chains have some tolerance but to get both within it requires playing with sprockets or the mounting of the engine unless you get lucky.

 

[DAMIEN1307]

it requires playing with sprockets or the mounting of the engine unless you get lucky.

Again I tell you, no luck whatsoever...Everything was measured exactly before one piece of anything ever went onto that bike...I didn't even move my homemade front motor mount knowing I had it measured exactly right,when I replaced the Zeda 80 with the Phantom 85...Slipped into it like a hand into a glove, perfectly aligned...Havent touched that mount since I put it on over three years ago when I originally put the Zeda on that bike.

Homemade motor mount pic.