LesMiserable
- Thread starter Oldbiscuit
- Start date
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Stuck the handle bar and seat on it just to get some perspective and self motivation.
still looks out of proportion without a gas tank. I’m going to get the engine, carb, exhaust and drive line figured out, then I’ll tackle building the tank.
I also got my crankset bent so it will clear the motor and frame.
This is looking great so far. I like the look of that crankset a lot.
I remember a similar build of mine (unfortunately not documented on the interwebs, got some pics left) where I mounted this big wide two stroke engine. We could start it by putting a rope around the pulley and pull/yank it. Took quite some strength and a lot of buddies helped me out. Some of them wound the rope around a little bit too less times and ended up punching themselves in the face (if the rope is too long, the engine, when starting to run, would use that excess piece of rope to pull it back in, or wind it back up / the other way round). Pretty dangerous if you ask me.
Is your bike also being started by a similar pulley of by cycling on the cranks?
Maybe even a powertool of handcrank.
Anyway, I really enjoy this build, love that rim and widened frame thanks
[Edit] found a picture, not the best build ever, but we had fun. The 'starting pulley' is on the other side.
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Cool work on that crank.
I don’t understand all this pull rope and hand crank stuff. You pedal the bike until it’s moving and then throw in the clutch, and the motor starts.
Or you push the bike, hop over the saddle and drop the clutch.
In Duluth this was always easier because the whole city is on a hill. We just point a bike downhill until you get it going, and can turn around.
Or you push the bike, hop over the saddle and drop the clutch.
In Duluth this was always easier because the whole city is on a hill. We just point a bike downhill until you get it going, and can turn around.
After 50 seconds, the guy picks up some rope to start the engine.
Pushing works too, but a bit harder in our waterlevel flat Dutch country. A slight bit.
@Oldbiscuit I also noticed some grinding on that crank, did you cut (maybe even partially in depth) and weld or bend it? I am curious.
After 50 seconds, the guy picks up some rope to start the engine.
Pushing works too, but a bit harder in our waterlevel flat Dutch country. A slight bit.
@Oldbiscuit I also noticed some grinding on that crank, did you cut (maybe even partially in depth) and weld or bend it? I am curious.
Well my original plan was to use a serpentine belt with a hand clutch with a idler pulley to tighten the belt. After getting everything mounted, it appears that I won’t have the clearance between the engine drive pulley and the BB to do it without the belt hitting the crank. So plan B is to install a centrifugal clutch, which will necessitate using a rope start.
And yes I took the torch to the crank to bend it into the offset shape. I had some stretch cracks in the metal doing it which caused me to weld the bends and grind them down. It’s all rough at this point, I may have to redo the right sides little for another couple of inch clearance.
Yeah with the centrifugal clutch you’re pretty much stuck with pull starting.
I don’t like them myself.
I don’t like them myself.
Hmmm, that is an idea. I’ll have to plot this out.
this is impressive. Looking forward to seeing more.
We built a go kart that didn’t really have a clutch.
The engine was mounted on a door hinge and it was counter balanced by its own weight and a lever, so when you took the “safety” hook (coathanger) off the clutch lever and let it up, the engine pully would grab the belt.
We started it by pointing it downhill towards Lake Superior and letting out the clutch.
We had to steer that go kart with the feet and a rope, And we had to run the clutch and the throttle with the right hand and hold the rope in the left hand, like a cowboy.
The engine was mounted on a door hinge and it was counter balanced by its own weight and a lever, so when you took the “safety” hook (coathanger) off the clutch lever and let it up, the engine pully would grab the belt.
We started it by pointing it downhill towards Lake Superior and letting out the clutch.
We had to steer that go kart with the feet and a rope, And we had to run the clutch and the throttle with the right hand and hold the rope in the left hand, like a cowboy.
By the way, I just watched that video about the guy with the rope pull starter on a bike which doesn’t have pedals. On flatland with pedals there should be no problem starting the gasoline engine. Unless you have a centrifugal clutch of course.
50 years ago when they quit building airplanes for the Vietnam war and laid off half the engineers in California, I found myself in the Teamsters union driving heavy equipment around and servicing small engines.
I’ve started dozens of rope start engines and crank start engines of every variety.
The first time you turn the crank over on a Perkins diesel engine, you wonder how in the devil am I ever going to start this thing, but they start!
50 years ago when they quit building airplanes for the Vietnam war and laid off half the engineers in California, I found myself in the Teamsters union driving heavy equipment around and servicing small engines.
I’ve started dozens of rope start engines and crank start engines of every variety.
The first time you turn the crank over on a Perkins diesel engine, you wonder how in the devil am I ever going to start this thing, but they start!
Here is a picture of my first “car”. Like yours, we had a rope steering, lawn mower throttle and a foot clutch. The barn door hinge was tied to a 2x4 with a pulley on the end. The rear wheel had a pulley bolted to the inside of the rim . The belt went from engine to the wheel and when you pushed on the barn hinge it tightened the belt putting power to the ground . Thing went stupid fast for no brakes and terrible steering. Second lap around the block, my buddy lost control and rolled it, ripping the engine clear off and busting the front axle. Fun while it lasted !
LOL ours had better wheels but otherwise just junk. The axle was a piece of architectural iron and it was soft as butter when I drilled it for the cottter pins.
A guy in our neighborhood built a wooden go cart using genuine old soapbox derby wheels, which are tall and skinny. It was steered with the feet, and only one wheel ran off the motor: by running the engine crankshaft directly against the rubber tire.
I drove it one time, spun out, fell off, and I got grabbed in the elbow buy a nail which left a nice scar. I still have a spot in my skin there 55 years later.
I later found out that the lawnmower engine on that go cart was stolen, and I was somehow implicated in the crime.
This wouldn’t be the last time such a casual involvement in an automotive crime haunted me.
I drove it one time, spun out, fell off, and I got grabbed in the elbow buy a nail which left a nice scar. I still have a spot in my skin there 55 years later.
I later found out that the lawnmower engine on that go cart was stolen, and I was somehow implicated in the crime.
This wouldn’t be the last time such a casual involvement in an automotive crime haunted me.
Back to the bike! I decided today to start on the fuel tank. I started with a 4 1/2” piece of tubing, cut a slot 1 1/4”wide lengthwise. I then formed a piece of sheet metal to fit over the top bar and tacked it into place in the tank slot. Next step will be to install a filler neck, nipples on the bottom and tank ends. All in due time.
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Finally found time the last couple of days to work on the tank. I reshaped the front and rear of the tank, cut and welded on the end caps and installed the filler neck, petcock bungs and breather bung. Then I remounted the seat a little farther back and lower.
