Hi! I acquired a 1953 NSU Quick52 Moped without an engine in a trade (accepted it as a trade for a hawthorne/rollfast "zep" tank for it). At first i was a bit hesitant about the trade, thinking there was no way i could find/afford the correct engine parts and do a proper restoration. But then i saw some awesome electric bike/rats/motorcycle builds and i realized that i was basically free from the restrictions of a proper resto job. That being said, i decided to avoid drilling or welding into the original parts in case an opportunity to restore presents itself in the future.
Here it is as i got it:
Here's what it's supposed to look like:
I've been researching a lot but have been getting conflicting info. This is basically a motorized bicycle. The original had a 98cc two stroke engine and ran with 26" bicycle wheels and a coaster brake! As i was disassembling it for cleaning, i found out that the BB and crank do not use any bearings at all. Instead, the BB and crank has a built in oil well which keeps the thing perpetually lubed. It operates very smoothly but i decided to replace this with the more familiar cups and bearings set up. Besides, the chainring couldn't utilize a regular bicycle chain. Luckily, i found modern BMX US (single piece) BB cups that fit snugly. Unfortunately, the one piece cranks did not clear the chain stays. Again, with luck on my side, Euro size cups fit right into the bearing surface of the BMX sealed bearings and i was able to use bent cottered cranks from an engine kit.
Here it is as a very heavy bicycle:
Since this is my first ever motorized build, i decided to keep things simple and use an electric hub motor, in this case a 3000W Mxus motor and a reliable 12-fett controller from Lyen.
I made a fiberglass cast of the NSU tank so i don't have to cut into the vintage original. It's just basically a shell. Rough finish for now. I've attached the controller to the frame with U-bolts and the tank shell goes over it. Fits nicely.
The Mxus is HEAVY!!! I hope my steel bicycle wheels laced with g10 spokes can handle the weight. I hope my tires can too.
Unfortunately, I have no convenient place to mount the caliper for the rear disc brake. The closest i can get places the action lever of the caliper towards the rear of the bike so that a brake cable would have to somehow loop around to activate the brake. Is there some sort of pulley system that can allow this?
I stupidly had the batt box made in stainless steel. Is that an absolute no-no? What if i coated it in EVA foam or something? In any case, i had another battery box frame made in aluminum then i plan to rivet / screw fiberglass/ carbon fiber panels to the frame.
Here it is mocked up:
I've since replaced the bars with an original set and i've also purchased an original front fender, both from Ebay Germany. Still waiting for a few parts before wiring everything together. More to come!
Here it is as i got it:
Here's what it's supposed to look like:
I've been researching a lot but have been getting conflicting info. This is basically a motorized bicycle. The original had a 98cc two stroke engine and ran with 26" bicycle wheels and a coaster brake! As i was disassembling it for cleaning, i found out that the BB and crank do not use any bearings at all. Instead, the BB and crank has a built in oil well which keeps the thing perpetually lubed. It operates very smoothly but i decided to replace this with the more familiar cups and bearings set up. Besides, the chainring couldn't utilize a regular bicycle chain. Luckily, i found modern BMX US (single piece) BB cups that fit snugly. Unfortunately, the one piece cranks did not clear the chain stays. Again, with luck on my side, Euro size cups fit right into the bearing surface of the BMX sealed bearings and i was able to use bent cottered cranks from an engine kit.
Here it is as a very heavy bicycle:
Since this is my first ever motorized build, i decided to keep things simple and use an electric hub motor, in this case a 3000W Mxus motor and a reliable 12-fett controller from Lyen.
I made a fiberglass cast of the NSU tank so i don't have to cut into the vintage original. It's just basically a shell. Rough finish for now. I've attached the controller to the frame with U-bolts and the tank shell goes over it. Fits nicely.
The Mxus is HEAVY!!! I hope my steel bicycle wheels laced with g10 spokes can handle the weight. I hope my tires can too.
Unfortunately, I have no convenient place to mount the caliper for the rear disc brake. The closest i can get places the action lever of the caliper towards the rear of the bike so that a brake cable would have to somehow loop around to activate the brake. Is there some sort of pulley system that can allow this?
I stupidly had the batt box made in stainless steel. Is that an absolute no-no? What if i coated it in EVA foam or something? In any case, i had another battery box frame made in aluminum then i plan to rivet / screw fiberglass/ carbon fiber panels to the frame.
Here it is mocked up:
I've since replaced the bars with an original set and i've also purchased an original front fender, both from Ebay Germany. Still waiting for a few parts before wiring everything together. More to come!