[22 October 2006]
Since the last posting-
-----the pump showed up ( a Topeak Micro Rocket Carbon MasterBlaster ) and it is small. It definitely fits onto the valve stem. It takes a bit of experimentation to learn how to use right--because it doesn't use a locking lever at all, just a parachute-type seal. So after you pump the tire up, you need to leave the pump on the stem for a few seconds while it leaks out air enough that you can pull it off without raking the pump's rubber stem seal over the cap threads on the presta stem. ...I also found a cheapo floor pump at Target that is a lever-locking schrader-valve, but that came with a presta adaptor and the head on this pump was very short. It fits on easily even with the presta-to-schrader adaptor screwed onto the valve stem. I concluded that it would be better to use this pump for regular home airing-up because it would spare the tiny Topeak pump that much wear.
-----The longer throttle cable showed up from Golden Eagle (I also ordered a spare belt with it as well, as I couldn't find the same part number on any regular website). The longer cable ends didn't fit quite perfect into the throttle (they were smaller and didn't sit quite right) but it is the right length for the jacket and overall it does feel better--more "solid". In my home-lengthened job, I had made metal brackets to join the three sections of cable jacket and there was some flex in them. I also had a concern that the massive cablestops I used to join the cables would get jammed while motoring.
-----I got the kill button working, but I mounted it in a different place. It is fastened to the forward engine strut. This definitely isn't as convenient to hit as it would be on the handlebars, but it certainly works.
The above image ( _13_rear_fender_lw8f... ) shows a few things. The kill button is circled in red, mounted to the forward end of the front motor mount strut. It also shows the rear fender mounted again, with the front pair of wire supports moved forward (and the excess wire not trimmed off yet...). The excess kill button wire is just folded over here and zip tied, as I may change my mind on where to locate the button later. This location seemed like a perfectly good place when I had lycra riding shorts on, but I noticed on the first long ride (25 miles) that the baggy windbreaker pants I had on that day prevented me from being able to easily see or reach the kill button. Ideally it would be somewhere that it is easily seen and reasonably easy to reach--but not on the handlebars, because I'm guessing the wires will suffer from being flexed constantly. I never did poke around enough to find out where the break in continuity was between the handlebars and the engine, so I was still just assuming that I'd need to run a "ground" wire up to the button.
The above image also shows how far back the engine is tilted. I may bring it up closer to the seat by shortening the forward mounting strut. The problem with having it tilt backwards is that the filler cap for the fuel tank is located facing backwards, and so by tinting it backwards like this, I am losing some fuel capacity.
I went out on a day that was rather windy, with 15 mph winds. When I was riding across the wind the bicycle would get up to right around 27 mph (just like what Golden Eagle's website claims) but when I was going into the wind, it would only get up to 18 mph or so (with the wind it got up to 32 mph at one point, on flat ground). Before I started out, I filled the engine's gas tank until it was dripping out the filler neck and this much fuel only got me 15.91 miles according to the cyclocomputer, a bit more than halfway through the ride. I had also filled the 22-oz MSR fuel bottle to its maximum mark before starting, and all that wouldn't fit into the engine's fuel tank. When I got home, I still had some fuel in the engine's tank, and still had a half-inch or so left in the fuel bottle. It is obvious that being able to use more of the tank's capacity would be a good thing, and tilting the engine backwards means that you can't fill the fuel tank all the way. I reached back at one point ahd felt how hot the engine case was--because the muffler is facing the seat--and it's not bad, but you wouldn't want your clothes draped over it! So I'm guessing I will need a screen or something placed there to make sure that the engine gets airflow and my clothes don't touch it.
The image above ( _14_fender_zip_d5nh.jpg ) shows how the front end of the rear fender is currently zip-tied on. There is a minor problem with the rear fender of this bicycle in that the front edge of it only clips on. After I modified the wire fender supports, I found that if you would hit a bump, the fender would tend to rotate backwards on the supports, and pull the front clip off the frame. (-this is a moderate risk normally, but it happens very easily if you move the fender supports as I had to-) The frame has a small vertical hole in the chainstay bridge for a bolt but the clip on the fender has no hole. ...I intend to drill a hole and use a bolt (sooner or later) but didn't feel like bothering with it lately, so I just used a couple zip ties to make sure that the fender wouldn't come off the frame.
I had a rear rack mounted on the front and side baskets mounted on that, but I took that off because it seemed to make the front wheel rather top-heavy. Aside from wearing a backpack there doesn't seem to be any other good way to carry much while on the bike. I had planned on buying a handlebar bag but needed somewhere else to mount the headlights; I now have them on the low center section of the handlebars. I had planned on making a metal tube to mount to the forward end of the rack, but I don't know that the rack will be on there at all.
I'm also not real certain now that this particular model is the best choice for a motorized-bicycle project.
Another reviewer (here) of one of these engine kits noted how it puts more stress and wear on the bike, because you hit lots of stuff way faster than you would if you were pedalling. This I noticed is VERY true--cracks in the pavement that were no problem to ride over at pedalling speeds (12-15 mph) were delivering serious jolts to me at 25 mph. I tried to slow down for the bigger ones, but that doesn't work real well--this bike has rim brakes and again--they seem to work fine at regular riding speeds, but just don't seem to stop very well at engine cruising speeds.
It's typical to use MTB's but I don't know so much that an MTB is necessary as it is to be able to run big tires. The bike came with 1.5" wide tires, it might be possible to mount 2" tires, but with the fenders on it wouldn't accept much more than that. The bike has a long wheelbase which is good, but the steering angle is pretty far back, which isn't ideal. It would feel better if it had a normal head tube angle. If I needed a motorized bike setup to use regularly, I think now that I would try to get a longer-wheelbase normal cruiser frame (not a chopper) that can take the 3"-wide tires. It seems like rather than having narrower tires and good brakes to slow down for every bump in the road, it would be more useful to just have bigger tires and be able to bounce right over more bumps. I know I can't get 3"s on, but I plan to obtain some cheap 2" wide balloon tires and see if they ride much better. Also I will get schrader tubes, as a normal mini-pump might fit onto them (-and the Topeak Rocket Micro is presta-only...).