I tested it

I tested it and the bike works fine. I imagine a 250 and 350 watt work work maybe not as well be they would certainly work. I rode the bike and changed the gearing a little but I rode it about seven miles all together so I'm pretty satisfied with it.

I tossed the 250 watt engine because I couldn't attach a drive wheel to it very well. I am going to toss the 350 watt tomorrow I think. I might also junk out the suspension bike. Or I might move everything over to it. I just don't know about that part yet.

the good, the bad and the not so ugly

I got to test the 350 bike. I wasn't bad but left something to be desired. I think the old weak batteries made is seem like a underpowered bike. I know that for sure but I think so.

I built the 500 bike and got to ride it just a little. It is much better than the 350 but it had the new batteries. I should really try the 350 with better batteries. I think I am going to charge them up as best I can and give it another shot later.

I just coated the wheel tonight and I have to set two more controls and it's finished. I need to do an engine lift which is almost ready and to set up a tension control.

test it first

I want to test ride this a few times before I finish the 500 watt drive bike. I want to see if the drive wheel will hold up. That will determine how I build the next one.

The more or less finished 350 watt bike

350 done

I think the 350 watt bike is complete. I will know how it does soon, but I think it is complete. The engine is one it. It has a lift.. it has a drive wheel that seems to work. It has a battery holder for a small set... It had a trailer hit spot. So it it is pretty much a go now. I will have to wait for a dry day to test ride it but it looks pretty good.

so far so good

Today has been a good day so far and its only 830am... I got work up by the dogs so I was out in the shop at seven. I figured out what I am going to do for a battery holder on the 350watt exercise bike.

I still haven't decided how to attach the drive wheel to the 500 watt bike. I want to check to see if My spare sprockets will fit that kind of shaft. Is so I need to make interchangeable drives. If not then I have to worry about screwing up the sprocket.

I need to devise an engine lift for the exercise bike. I want to ride it like a regular bike on the bike trail then drop the motor to get home up some wicked hills. I want power on demand but an engine lock up.

it came and it went

and I'm still messin' with the bikes. I did get the drive on the second 350 watt bike. I am thinking now about how to put one on the 500 watt bike. It has a totally different sprocket set up. I might try to redo one of the other engine and come back to the 500 watt when I have figure out how to build a drive for it.

back to basics

I have been testing and experimenting for a couple of weeks. I have now decided that I'm not mechanical enough for all this detailed work. Best thing I can do is go back to build the basic motorized bike. I need to have something to ride so, I'm going to build a couple of rider bikes. I need to ride. I have a 250 watt bike that I am going to ride a while then Friday I'm going to the thrift store to possibly buy a mountain bike with gears. It will make the friction drive a lot more useful. I am also going to try to make another bike work. I at least will get a couple of coaster bike wheels. I want to make a big time bike. I think I will try that today.

test day and not a pop

I have to test fit the new improved version of the bike motor and drive. Should be interesting.

it held

the bike held together for about a hundred yard test. I know that doesn't sound like much but it was enough to convince me that this might work. I am rebuilding the motor mount for more stability. I need that so the chain won't jump off the pulley. This #25 chain is a pain in the butt. I expect that I will be forced to return to the bicycle chain. But I really wanted to give this a fair shot first.

It's sibling christmas dinner day

My wife and I did the Saturday shopping thing so now it is the brother and sister dinner day. I am looking forward to it actually.

Not much

there isnt much to do today. I still have to get the skateboard wheels to begin work on the drive wheel assembly. I might build a motor mount for the second engine I plan to test. It has the #25 chain and sprocket system. It will be the easiest to convert and build I hope.

If I can get it worked out, it will be the basis of my ebike builds. the bike chain drive is too difficult to convert. It might be useful as a jack shaft type unit. But I think I can accomplish the same thing but using the size of the drive wheel.

One inch to one inch sprokets but the axle with the final sprocket would also have a three inch drive wheel. But if I need more rpms I can certainly use a rear coaster sprocket on a jack shaft with a #25 sprocket. then the large sprocket to a 11 tooth bike chain sprocket. that combination should allow for a really high speed drive wheel. I have no idea what it would be like torque wise.

test complete

I got the test done. In the process I ruined a wheel, which was no big deal. I really am going to have to get this show on the road. If the guy with the skateboard wheels doesn't get a move on I'm going to have to do something else. what I have no idea.

Dude in waiting

I'm stuck till the skateboard wheels I bought arrive. I really can't do much of anything until then. I have a couple of test I want to make then I'm pretty much stuck.

not a bad day

Not a bad day in the shop. I messed with the motor I was trying to save and discovered that i wasn't going to be able to save it without a lot more work than it was worth.

The sprocket arrived from the scooter store so i can get one of my projects done. it is a jackleg one so it probably won't be really effective but I do have another project sprocket on the way and that one should be a killer.

I made a friction drive wheel for the new project. It looks promising.

test test test

I made more tests today. I found that I can not do the chain drive as I planned. If I do it and I still might. I will have to build a rack mount of somekind. the frame on that bike is in the way.

I did some friction drive tests and found that I can change the design a little and be able to better put tension on the chain and adjust the line.

I also removed the sprockets from the test motor and I will try to save it somehow.I don't think I can weld to the motor shaft but I am going to try again. But I am not going to waste one of the good sprockets I just bought on it. I will try with a rear sprocket from a coaster brake bike. They are pretty easy to get and they seem to weld fine.I think it most unlikely to work but I just have to try rather than to toss the motor.

Plan of attack

today I plan to work on the friction drive system again.

what I did

I got the suspension bike ready for the motor. Im waiting for a motor sprocket to arrive that should be any day now. I also need to build a battery rack for the bike.

But things are moving along as they should be.

I also found time to run a couple of tests. I rean the bike with the direct drive from the motor. Just a drive wheel hooked directly to the drive shaft of the motor. It ran well. then I built a one to one chain drive with a small drive wheel. It woked okay but the speed was down. I'm going to try to back off on the axle nuts and see if that helps it do better. that's tomorrow's project if I don't forget.

Rainy monday

If Monday is bad, a rainy Monday is ten times worse. Today I am at least going to put the rear wheel with the bolt on sprocket onto the suspension bike. I can use it to determine where the motor should be located. I do not yet have an acceptable motor mount. Something that wont move around. If I know where it needs to go, I can begin thinking about how to do it.

so today is more head than hand work. If I can't make this work, I will just trash bikes and go back to walking for exercise. I have had a long run of bad luck with bikes. The only problem with just using a pedal bike for exercise it the oxygen factor. I get a pain in my lungs from long or very steep hills. I think I am going to find something to do for exercise if the bike doesn't work.

The bike kits are falling in price but I don't really care about using one as a way to get around. I'm more interested in an exercise bike at the moment. Gas prices are down and I really don't go anywhere except to buy parts for bikes. If I'm not building bikes I wont be going anywhere. Ergo I dont need a bike kit.

lifes a cruel joke

most of the time it seems to be on me. I spent about five days working with an electric motor that had been more or less trashed from the start. I never could get a good weld on it but I was able to get a good weld on the sprocket I bought. I am confident that when the new sprocket I ordered arrives i will be able to use it on a twin of the motor I trashed. How to use it is another question all together.

right now Im planning to use it as a rear wheel drive on the suspension bike that I have. We will see.

Im waiting

Im waiting for the weather to break before I give the bike a fair evaluation. I need to give it a fair test. I'm not sure which way to go next. I'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

plan a again

The sprocket wasn't straight enough on the motor to allow for a long chain run, so It's back to a short friction drive chain run. I have no idea what is going on but the bike's wheel turns slowly. I'm going to test it before I move on, but I am sure it is running far too slow to be useful.

plan c from outter space

well plan be is moving along. I won't know the final verdict until I get the tensioner made and try it out.

But if that doesn't work for some reason Im going to remove the motor and put one on with a factory sprocket. it is for a #25 chain but I have some of that. I also have a number twenty five wheel sprocket but it is one a scooter wheel. I am going to attemp to remove it. If that won't work I'm going to order one. It is a small sprocket so I have no idea what it will do. It's only 8 inches in diameter.

It didn't rain

But the bike was a bust. It happens sometimes. I had a plan b in mind and went to it. Plan be turned out to be pretty easy so far. I attached a sprocket to the front wheel. It is a big one and then I redid the sprocket on the electric motor. Actually it wasn't as hard as I thought but then I'm not finished yet either. I need to make a chain tensioner/chain guide. I don't think that will be a big deal but then I have never made one either.

I made some pictures of the bike so here they are..

If only

If only the rains hold off a while I might get to test the bike today. It is supposed to be cloudy not a good sign but up to 50 which is a good thing. I am dying to test ride this bike.

My friend shoes has made me a cover for the batteries and I'm looking forward to that coming in.

interesting day

It proved to be an interesting day even though I didn't get much done. The batteries came early and then the motor threw the chain off several times. I found that my welding wasn't holding at all.

Then I found that I could use a different chain and engine combination and have it work. How well? only time will tell. i have a couple of more options if necessary.

Anyway the bike is ready to test ride but the weather is not cooperating. Maybe someday soon.

It was a lot more work than it sounds but all is well for the moment.

first thing

First thing after I take care of the pack of dogs that live in my house, two, is to go to the post office and over to home depot. I need an extension cord. I need to move some air out of my bedroom at night. My house is so old the plugs are never where you need them.

Then I will have to find some puttering to do. My hands are all cut up and my energy level is down, so it might not be any real work.

I tried it

I tried the bike in the drive way. It seems to roll nice with the drive freewheeling. I didn't put any power on it yet. I am waiting for the batteries to arrive, I might still test it later with the old batteries.

it's 1:30 pm

I have been cleaning since ten am and Im exhausted. Doesn't take much to wear me out. After some rest I will probably try to do something else. The big assembly area, not that big, is clean. I should go into my smaller tool shop and keep going but I really am exhausted. I might get up the energy to put a coat of JBweld on the drive wheel. Actually I know I will do that. I might even cut a piece of masonite for the bottom of the battery rack. The rack could use it. I would love to take the bike for a quick driveway test to see if the front wheel is out of balance with the motor on it. I might do that.

We will just have to wait and see what I can get done.

so much done

I got so much done yesterday that I am left with cleaning the shop. Miserable job. I have nothing to do on the bikes till the new battery arrives. Well I can and well be adding layers of jbweld and sand to the drive roller hoping to get it fairly even.

But mostly it is clean the shop. I might try to roll the bike out for pictures but I'm not sure just yet. Most important to me is to straighten the big shop and get the junk out of it. Try to get ready for my next adventure.

done for the day

I got the battery rack built and installed on the bike. I got a better set of handlebars on it. I junked out two bikes and I restored the suspension bike to its condition before I mounted the gas engine on the front. It isn't original but It is pretty close. I just cut a brace off to make it compatible with a 26" wheel. It might come apart later but for now it looks just fine.

cold sat morn project

It is cold so the best I can do is work about a half hour at a time in the shop. I did manage so far, in two trips, to get the top frame of the luggage carried welded. Next trip out I'll clean up the welds and slap a coat of paint on that part. Then I have to figure out how I am going to attach it securely to the bike. Should be an interesting project. The wiring is pretty much ready to go just have to customize it to the rack.

I am going to strip and junk out the jungle scout bike. I would make a pretty good ebike I think but I have too many frames and I want to keep the suspension bike for that purpose. I also might dump my old test bike. The three speed I had. I don't really need it for anything once this bike is up and funning. I'll probably keep the wheels and chain at least. I don't really need anymore chain ring and crank sets. I am never going to produce bikes. I will make sure I have one spare chain ring and crank but thats all i need.

all day for a motor mounted

It took me all day to mount and remount this motor. I'm still not sure It will do the job but it is about as good as I can do. I do plan to put some bjweld and sand on it. to help keep the flange stubs off the tire.

Tomorrow I'm going to work on the luggage rack. Building the rack shouldn't be as much trouble as mounting the engine. But we will see. I shot a couple of pictures of the bike so far. I know the shop is a wreck, it is much worse than you see in the picture.

I did test the motor and it works just fine. Pulls the coaster hub just fine and the coaster hub free wheels. the bike is not going to roll backwards though since the coaster arm is still attached. I can lift it or just turn it if I need to back up.m Bikes aren't supposed to go backwards anyway.

the ebike adventure part two

I rebuilt the motor mount for the front wheel. I shortened it and took the platform off. I switched to a coaster wheel hub. I tried to weld some to it so that it wouldn't have the flange hitting the tire. That's when I discovered welding to a wheel is not a good idea. It screws the bearing up.

So instead I cut the flange off with my new black and decker clone of the dremel. It worked fine but it ate up the cutting wheels.I finally got the motor and the sprocket on the coaster wheel in line so now I bolt it on and the motor will be in place. That's a big part of this.

I am going to lose the front hand brake but I don't really have to have it. It would be nice to have a safety break but I don't think the bike is going to go fast enough to be dangerous.

I'm in on a break and to warm up then its back out into the cold to finish the engine at least today.

test results

batteries are ruined too long in storage while I played with gasoline. I found a 24v 12 amh pack I can make for 60bucks so I'm going to do that.

The engine did run at two different speeds which is a good thing. It ran very slow because of the old batteries. It was able to pull itself even so. I want a larger drive wheel and a smoother tire. I have the smooth tires on the front and I have a larger drive wheel almost ready to go so It isn't a big thing.

After the short ride, I decided to more the motor to the front wheel. To do that I will have to remake the frame but that is a minor thing. Then I will build a battery compartment as if it were a luggage rack on over the rear wheel. All the weight except for may fat butt will be over the axles hopefully reducing the stress on the bike frame. I can build the bike before the batteries arrive so it is ready to go when they get here. It looks like clear sailing now till the end. Of course I just jinxed myself.

Anyway tomorrow I am going to redo the engine frame and build the battery carrier. I can even set up the wiring, I think. That will be the last thing so I probably will wait for the batteries.

today is test day

Today I either clean up the shop because I have the bike petty much ready to go, or I clean up the shop and throw everything out in frustration. With this particular drive system, I could also buy a new weed whacker and mount it the same way. I could keep the recoil starter and just attach the front sprocket to the adapter.

If I stay healthy, and this is too slow, or the range is too small, I just might go back and do that.

one more test passed

I hooked up the controller and the throttle and they both work just fine. For a while that is. Then smoke came from the controller so I'm pretty sure it is toast. I don't really mind because I had already decided in the next build I would not use it. I am going with a three way switch. Actually I already have it wired up and it works. I have off, half speed and full speed that is enough for me. I put 12 volts on one leg and 24 on the other.

So Now it is a matter of will the jb weld cure or not. If it doesn't cure by tomorrow, I will roll the bike outside and make some welding marks on the roller. Just to give it a little traction. I expect I will have to do that at least. Possibly even replace the drive mechanism. Anyway tomorrow is test day one way or another. If the jb wears off I will at least know what part of the roller is making contact. That will get some welding blobs.

pictures of the new drive...

I don't want to sound dramatic but this should revolutionize diy friction drive bikes. It is simple inexpensive and solves most of the old problems.

the parts are from a junked out kids bike which are around everywhere. and a couple of hardware items. It's not expensive to do and elegant in it;s simplicity,

progress report

I welded the sprocket onto the front hub of a bicycle wheel. It is now my friction drive wheel. I rigged the engine to the frame and it wasn't too hard to alight the sprockets.

I added a hinge, a couple of frame ties one on each side of the wheel and rigged the electrical circuit. It is pretty much ready to go. I have a few tiny things to do then test it a few times. I expect it to fly apart by the way. I won't be shocked at all. it's just a matter of which parts fly off into space.

got it started

I went to the hardware store. I got the motor drive system started. I got the frame built, the sprocket welded to the front wheel bike hub. Then the drive assembled. Im sure there will be a lot of problems before it is ready to go but so far so good.

cruise ships...

I am waiting for it to warm up a little before I head to the hardware store. I was reading the news while I waited. It seems that a cruise ship outran a pirate boat. Not there were 6 pirates and about 700 passengers. I think that the thing to do is to arm the passengers when a pirate ship is spotted. The could all fire at the pirates just as soon as they are spotted. It would beat shuffleboard for the passengers. I bet if they offered pirate shooting as an activity they would stay full all the time.

should be easier because

Since the engine/drive assembly is really a modular unit. Which will be attached to the bike in one piece, I should be able to build and test it on the work bench. Then when it is ready, just bolt it to the bike. Much easier than trying to fit and motor to a bike and make it work. Which drove me a little mad with the helper bike I tried to build.

So today's project, when it the sun come up to warm up and is to fabricate a prototype frame. Also to see if the motor I have the bike sprocket on will work with a friction wheel. Actually I have to make the friction wheel from a coaster rear wheel first. I just happen to have a few of those laying about. I could actually use a mountain bike rear hub and use the gears to slow it down, but I don't think that will be necessary.

Now it's coffee and kill time till sunup

reassessment

Last night at 4am I took a look at what I can do and what I can't do. It is too dangerous for me to work with gasoline and gasoline engines. Fortunately for me I started with electric engines so I still have a few laying around. I plan to go back to them with the new knowledge I gained from the gasoline bikes.

The plan is to build a 20-20-20 bike. It's a little ambitious for a DIY electric bike. Twenty mpm -twenty mile range - at about twenty pounds.

For my knowledge and skill levels it has to be friction drive. But I have learned enough so that it doesn't have to be direct friction drive. I am pretty sure that I can use a pulley or chain to make the drive a little easier to balance. I am also pretty sure I will go with a trailer for the batteries. That should make it easier to carry the weight without making the bike all crazy.

so what about an motor design. I just happen to have two motors that might work. One for sure will the other is a possibility. Both are going to require some experimentation, but I love that crap.

I also want it to be easily moved from one bike to another. Here is the concept drawing

If I try again

If I try again for the bike I'm working on I will bolt the frame onto the bike. I might secure it by welding but I won't try to just do a weld. My welds aren't nearly good enough.

I seriously doubt that the sprocket I welded will work, but hey I did it so I gotta try it at least. Then I will probably build me agood

welding done

With my welding it isn't is it done? It is will it hold. I got the frame for the 42 bike done but I'm not happy with it. I got the sprocket on the ebike but I don't know it if will work or not.

I might have been spinning my wheels today. Even so it was a learning experience, it always is.

I also tested the homelite gas bike and it runs so I will try to get the carb right then ride it. Probably not today though I'm too tired now.

lots of updates today

The weather is gray and looks like snow. I suppose I will be working a little and drinking coffee a little. While I drink the coffee I might as well update this blog. Such as it is.

This morning I began getting things ready for a massive weldathon.

I have the 42 engine frame pretty well together. I'm going to weld it if the ground drys up. I don't want to weld on a wet patio brick walk. I might be a bad guy but and the state might pull the plug on me one day, I don't think I want to make a DIY ole sparky...

I also reset the broken seat. I put a c clamp on it around the seat post. I am going to weld the thing in place. I don't need to adjust it. I just need for it to be stationary.

So for sure I am going to weld the seat.... and the frame for the 42 engine... I need to stiffen up the 42 frame as well as to put ends on it. I weakened it with the notch I cut in for the wheel adustment.

I hope the postman brings the new sprocket so I can weld it on as well.

too wet to ride

It's too wet to ride the bike but I can try to start the engine again today. I want to try to fix that seat again even though it really is old and pretty worn out. It is still more comfortable than the small mountain bike seat.

I can also start rebuilding the 42cc bike.

everytime I think I change my mind...

This current build is going to be very different from anything I have built, or anyone else as far as I know. The idea is that the electric motor freewheels most of the time. It is my understanding that the freewheeling motor if engages slightly will actually charge the battery or batteries. The only time the engine comes into play is when I am tired or the hill is steep enough to be uncomfortable. Then I just throttle ups and off it goes. Since the pedals turn with the engine there is no temptation to run on the engine alone. I am going to be pedaling no matter how much throttle I uses. I hope it works out so that I enjoy the bike experience again. It would be fun to be able to just sit back and take it easy without riding like on a mini motorcycle.

I could ride the bike trail near my house for the experience and then ride it home up some pretty nasty hills with the same amount of effort as riding on the flat ground. It will just be the great equalizer for those of us in hilly terrain. At least that is my hope. The way it is going to be set up, it probably won't even look like a power bike. I know it damn sure won't sound like one.

The question now is how many rpms will I need to make it work the way I want. I can run the bike on 12 or 24 volts. 12 vots will give me 1500 rpms 24 volts will give me double. I have a controller and a throttle so it should work out that I can ease the power on to get to a comfortable level.

Well that is my thinking at the moment.

One more time

I have to wait for the postman for one more thing so I am spending my time on the gas bikes that need to be finished as well. I have the homelite bike engine firing now. It was already been rigged so it is ready to ride when the weather finally cooperates.

Tomorrow if not tonight I will begin on the 42cc chainsaw enginge/ scooter wheel friction drive frame.

waiting on the mailman

I have a couple of things I need before I can go on. I got a couple of things though so I have some things I can do. I'll let you know if I actually do anything at all.

rain rain go away

its supposed to rain so I am going to have to find something to do in the shop today. I need to finish the motor mount for the first test of the ebike. I need to weld an L bracket onto the frame I have already. I had hoped to secure the motor with pipe bands but I can't seem to get it squre. i am going to try and L bracket welded to the mount I already welded to the bike frame. this mount is proving to be a pain. I might just have to wait for the other parts to arrive and do a rear rack mount.

way too many..

I have way too many projects half finished.

I have the homelite build, the 42 build and now the ebike build all working at the same time. or actually none of them work. Should be an interesting few days ahead. I want to finsih some of these projects for sure.

What I decided.

I'm going to get away from the gasoline bikes a while. Instead i am going to build an electric bike. I have started brainstorming it now. I am going to pick up a bike frame tomorrow. In exchange I will toss out the old huffy I have laying about.

sick to death of them

I finally reached the end of my patience with gasoline bikes. I know I have enjoyed the challenge but the homelite and the 42 bike have just worn me out. I am going to pack them away tomorrow and go back to building electric bikes. I still have all my motors. I had enough batteries to test but I am going to buy longer life batteries this time. I spent a ton on gasoline bikes, I could have bought batteries to run from here to California for the coast of those engines.

It never was about the money. It was always about staying busy and my keeping my mind active. The bikes in general have been very beneficial for me. My balance is better and so it my self image. I lost some weight and I had some fun and about a year of entertainment. I still need a dependable bike to ride the the bank or to the hardware store so that is my plan.

crapo

I got a shorter distance than last time. I dropped the motor and it bogged down. It's the same reason I switched out the original carb. I put on a different one when I got back and now it won't run either. I'm sure I have flooded it now. Im going to wait a while then give it a shot. I found a big chunk missing from my sparkplug wire that might also be the problem. It ran as a saw but won't run as a bike engine. I don't know, I'm about to give up on these bikes and go back to electric. I have a lot of new skills I can put into the electric bikes.

i test rode it

It runs like crap. Actually I can't say that for sure. I got about half a mile and had trouble with the lift rod. I came home and reworked it. I might give it another try now.

trying to cure the ailing

I mixed up a couple of ounces of carb cleaner and gas and I'm pulling it through the carb. Since the engine is hard to use as It is now, I'm going to pull it through a few times each day till I get it mounted then see. If it isn't going to work, I have plenty of carbs around.

it still runs

Well the 42 engine runs. I can't really test the carb because the engine isn't attached to anything and it is very unstable. Most of the chainsaw housing is gone so it is hard to keep in place. Plus im not sure about my kill switch. If I have it mounted and the kill doesn't work, I can pull the spark plug. Loose like this if I try that I'm most likely going to get a hand full of hot engine.

It did start on gas from the carb that I pumped in with the bulb. Whether that carb will suck gas on that engine is the question. But I did learn something useful from all these tests. When you read in an adv for a used engine that it will start but only runs a few seconds, most likely the carb is in need of a diaphragm.

almost ready to test.

The 42 engine is almost ready for it's next test. I have the maybe bad carb on it, the used plug is installed, the recoil starter is back on it held on with just two large screws, the gas tank from a Ryobi weed whacker is waiting to be attached. After that I will add gas and give it a try.

This franken-engine just might explode lol...

It looks as though the weather is going to cooperate with a test ride for the homelite bike. I hope so it has been too long since I have ridden.

I am going to work on the 42 engine while I wait for the ride. I need to attach the recoil starter and rig a gas tank. After that I will probably be switching carbs till I find one that will run. I put the original carb back on the engine. You might remember it is the one that would not work on the homelite engine. If it won't work on the 42 bike I'm going to trash it. I have way too many dead carbs laying around. I am never going to rebuild them. It's time to test then toss carbs. Sounds like a bar game instead of toss the midget, it would be toss the carbs and see which ones stick to the crap wall.

sooo many posts

There reason there are so many posts today is there is so much time and so little to do.

I went out and found the recoil for the 42engine. I will be able to make a few adjustments and then reset it I think. That I might do a little late today. Just finding it and finding that there is enough of the case left to either bolt it too or epoxy it is a relief.

I test ran it

I test ran the engine and it did fine. Even better after I adjusted the carb linkage. That carb does not have an idle adjustment so I just adjusted the cable to keep it from retuning fully. That seems to work for now. I might epoxy a bit of plastic on it somewhere to make a throttle stop.

I am turning my attention to the 42bike to see if I can get it to start again. It ran the day I broke the shaft so it should run now. I just have to rig a starter onto it now so that I can try it. I usually wrap a rope around the drive wheel but I can't do that now that I have just a sprocket on the short drive shaft. I'm going to have to find a way to start it from the flywheel side.

I have a lot of recoil starters laying about I will have to rig something up.

carb final results sorta

as I expected when I raised the carb the gas stayed in the line but the carb still wouldn't pull it through. Now it ran on the larger engine but would not run on the smaller one. I have no idea if it will run on the large one again or not. I'm going to give it a try later. Maybe even today.

I put a smaller carb with built in bulb and choke. I haven't started it yet but I'm pretty confident that it will work.

carb experiments today..

I moved the gas tank closer to the engine and it still runs out of gas after a few seconds of running on that gas that was pumped in. it is pretty cold so I'm taking a warm up break before I go back to it.

I am going to try one more position on the gas tank before I move on to a different carb. I haven't elevated the gas tank above the carb yet. If it is just a weak diaphragm not a dead one, that might do the trick. Those of you who have siphoned gas know that if the tank is higher once you get the gas flowing it will continue to flow. I'm hoping that will do the trick.

If it doesn't i will be trying to go with the simplest carb I have first. I have one with a built in bulb and choke. That would be the carb of choice if the big one is a bust.

Gina's bike Walter

Monday morning broke cold and hard, but Walter was determined to work on the bike. After ten minutes in the unheated shop, Walter headed to the Home Depot in search of some kind of heater. He didn't care much for the thought of an open flame around gasoline engines so he settled for an electric ceramic space heater. It provided just enough heat to warm his hands.

Since Walter had learned how to dress for the cold during his winter bike rides, he was layered up to the point that he resembled the Pillsbury Doughboy. He sat on a stool from his old garage shop as he made his plans for the bike. The Saw he bought was easy to convert to a bicycle engine. There was a side panel and once it was off the clutch was visible. He would loved to have used the clutch, but from what he read the engine lift, like the one on Gina's bike, would be the easiest thing to build.

He forgot all about the cold and even lunch as he worked on the engine mount. It was a lot more difficult to figure out than he had expected. There were a lot of starts and stops to redo it along the way, but late in the afternoon he had the frame assembled. After test fitting the engine Walter stopped for the day. He carried the frame from the shop, but left the engine inside. He locked up then went into the house to eat his second meal of the day.

The microwave dinner wasn't bad but it was extremely bland. He wrote spice in big letters on his shopping list. It was to become a habit for Walter. He began to make lists for himself. Most likely he should have been doing it for years, but during his depression it was just one more thing that got overlooked.

Walter knew what he wanted to do with the engine frame so I left it by the front door when he went to sleep that evening.

Hope against all hope.

I hope it get to ride today,. It has been way too long since I rode the bike. I'm going to take a look at a few things with the 42 bike today as well.

didn't touch it today

I spent the day working on my sister's computer. So I didn't work on the bike at all. Tomorrow I'm going to shoot some pictures of the bike at least. It also might be ridable in the afternoon.

pretty much done

The new build it pretty much done now. I don't care much for it but I guess it will grow on me. The engine seems to be twisted a little. It might just play havoc with the front tire. I'll just have to ride it to see. I do think I'm going to like the pull rod better than the cable lift.

welding welding who's done the welding now

Okay I welded my first bit of welding without also bolting it. The confidence is much better now. The welds are not pretty and probably some overkill there but it seems to be holding just fine. I'll know more after I use it a while.

Did I say overkill I used almost a whole rod to weld about ten inches of seam. I went over it numerous times since it didn't look like I got it all. I think I am running the bead too fast. It seems to skip. I have some splatter as well since the arc is probably too far away at times. But I'm getting there.

It Snowed early

I woke up to a scene I'm not familiar with, snow on the grass. Yes we do get snow here. Maybe a handful of times after the first of the year. Maybe one in december one a generation but snow in November is as rare as a black cabinet member in the obabma whitehouse.

So the welding I planned ot do will have to wait. I was warned to never try welding when the ground was wet under my feet. I weld outside since I am told there are dangerous fumes and sparks flying everywhere. So I'll just sit here and drink coffee till the sunshine does works its magic.

backward step

I went back to the round canteen gas tank. Then of course the carb that worked last week stopped working. Couldn't even get it to take gas. But I wasn't happy with it anyway so I switched it out for the carb from the 42cc bike. It might actually do better. I will be waiting to see. I got the engine to start with it, but then I just shut it down. I want everything to be working when I start the engine again.

I will be working tomorrow on a different kind of lift for the bike. It isn't a cable or a lever it's a pull bar lift. I'll have to make some pictures after I get it working. One thing I am going to have to do is force myself to lower the engine gently. That might have been the death blow for the 42bike. Just dropping the engine rather than gently engaging it.

I have been bolting and welding every so far but tomorrow I'm going to just weld a handle on my lift rod. I'll see if I have gotten any better.

today it's gas tanks

I have the throttle curing as I write this. One more step and it's done. My next problem is what to use for a gas tank and where to locate it. I have too many options this time.

I have a ryobi tank that is flat, i have the homelite tank that is also flat but sits upring instead of horizontal, I have a tall water bottle I converted and a short water bottle that I can convert easily. I also have one made from a carb cleaner can that is larger than any of the others. Probably too large.

When I finish the throttle I will have to take a look. I also need to shoot some paint on the front fork and engine frame.

moving along

I go the engine frame welded, the engine mounted, and some of the rigging done. The engine is on the bike at this time. The suicide clutch is set up and works it seems.

I need to set the throttle cable, set up the gas tank, attach the kill switch, and test ride the bike.

Then I am going to see if I can resurrect one of the 31cc ww engines. That should be interesting.

project one

Project one for today is to redo the welds on my engine frame. However since it is 24 degrees and probably that in the shop as well, I won't be doing it till after lunch. I might be able to run out and test fit the engine before I continue welding but thats about all I will be doing.

it's way too cold to ride it anyway.

i did some welding

I did some welding on the bike and then I looked it up on the net to see what I was doing wrong. Tomorrow I will see if I can fix it. I'm pretty sure that I can.

I braved the cold

Out my shop it was barely above freezing i'm sure. but I changed the front wheel of the suspension bike and pulled the engine from the scout bike. It was an okay bike but the suspension is a better bike all around. I did pull the front end so I could put a hard fork on there. i am going to mount and engine on the front of the bike and I wanted the forks not to move... So there you are.

NO wonder

the jungle scout bike is a underpowered dog. I just found out the chainsaw engine is only 25cc. Who would have thought anyone would make such and underpwered saw. Damn

learned my lesson finally...

I will never buy another engine on ebay. The one that came today was junk absolutely. Usually I can make them run this one had a broken rod connector. It is beyond help. From now on I buy on craig's list or not at all.

Gina's bike Walter

At noon on Sunday Walter pulled into the walmart parking lot. There were only two items on his list from Walmart that morning. A bicycle suitable for a chain saw engine to be mounted upon. The items to make the mount would have to come from the Home Depot or some other place like it.

Walter bought the largest chain saw the store carried. It was 42cc and a terrible shade of green. It didn't matter it was what he wanted and he could afford it. Then Walter went in search of a bicycle. What he found was something called a comfort bike. It had the rear wheel of an old coaster bike and the front wheel hand brake. Since he planned to put the engine on the rear the braking system would be just fine for him. The idea was not to pedal too much so the rear coaster type wheel would work as well.

The bike was heavier than Gina's bike since the steel tubes were larger. All in all the bike looked sturdy. He would have preferred a suspension bike but someone on the forum had a bad experience with one of those with an engine mounted on it. Walter loaded his car then drove home.

At home he unloaded the car to the shed then went into the house to change. A few minutes later in his work clothes Walter began to design his own engine mount. He used the designs from the forum as a beginning, then moved on to add his personal touches.

With a list of parts he drove to the Home Depot just before it closed for the evening. When his days shopping ended Walter has spent a whopping three hundred dollars and change. He hoped that his attempt at bike building wouldn't turn into a disaster but he feared that it might.

He went to bed Sunday night with nothing more than shopping accomplished. His plan was to start fresh Monday morning and to complete the frame building that same day. He might not complete the bike in one day, but he thought for sure he could get the frame assembled.

today I plan to get he jungle scout running again. Well at least to see what it will do. After that I may have to do some more work on the carb but for now it is almost there for testing.

I need to finish the suicide clutch, rig the throttle and fish the filter out of the gas tank and run a new line.

When the 31cc WW arrives I'm thinking front wheel drive on the test bike. It never had a front wheel drive. That should be interesting.

back to work

I spent the day happily reworking the mount for the jungle scout bike. I think the stopped up air filter was the problem. I will be finishing it up tomorrow and testing it I hope.

i rode it

now I want to shoot it. The homelite engine just don't want to pull me up the hills. I think the carb needs adjusting. I will have to do that when I am feeling better about it. Frankly at the moment I would put a wrench through it.

That funky bike I built and the engine are a good match neither of them seems to be much good. I hope it is just that the carb needs adjusting but I'm not counting on it.The weather is supposed too be clear and colder this week. I'll try to adjust the carb and see if it does any better. I know the idle is too high, I'm not sure about anything else. It takes gas fine as long as it isn't under pressure it accelerated well. When I rode it the bike did poorly overall. Nasty acceleration on the tire. and it had a rhythmic bump but it couldn't be from the drive it was going way to fast for that. Im going to have to investigate that as well.

Gina's bike walter

On Saturday he checked the forum and found that he had even more things to read. He spent all his spare time on Saturday researching his new project. At the end of the day Walter wasn't sure whether he was better off for all the reading or not. He had made his decision. He decided that first thing Sunday morning he would be shopping for a chain saw and bicycle to put it on.

It was after dark when Walter made his decision. His normal dinner hour was long passed unnoticed since he had lost himself in the research. There was nothing in the house he could fix in a hurry, and the crowded restaurants had no appeal for a man eating alone. Walter made a quick decision, then drove off in his automobile.

He went into the grocery store to buy frozen microwave dinners but as men often do he pickup many other things as well. Since he was not on the bike, he loaded up. He even stopped by the deli for one of their pizzas. He had eaten the pizza before and knew that it was almost as good as the ones delivered to his house.

The pizza was still warm when he got home, even after putting away the frozen food. The warm pizza and icy Coke satisfied his apatite for food, but did nothing for his loneliness. Walter realized for the first time since moving that he was still alone. The thought made him sad but it didn't drive him into a deep funk as it might have before his interest in the bikes began.

new way of thinking

I was kicking around ideas with my friend leslie last night and we came up with the idea of using the rear coaster brake hub as a drive wheel for a friction drive bike. All I need is to be able to mount a sprocket to the wheel of a weed eater engine and its a go. Now I need to find a sprocket or find out how to mount one from the rear of a bike to the engine.

Todays project.

gina's bike walter

The big ole chain saw sounded promising. Walter got back on the net to search for a chain saw at the local stores. He found a 42cc chain saw at Walmart for a hundred and a fifty dollars. It sounded like a lot till he considered that a months gas and insurance premium on his car ran as much. The motorized bike would use less than a gallon of gas and no insurance at all in that same month's time. The same would be true every month for as long as Walter could stand it.

Walter found a Chinese engine kit on the internet and looked it over carefully. He even read a lot about it and found that it would be difficult to install for someone with Walter's lack of skill. Walter liked the simplicity of Gina's bike. He really did think that he could build one like it himself.

He stumbled onto a forum which specialized in the china bike kits while he was researching them. The forum also had a thread for people who built home made bikes. Walter found several entries for friction drive bicycles. Before he bought anything he spent the rest of that Friday just reading about them. it was pretty late in the afternoon when he finished reading all the entries. Several people posted in that area but two of them were the most prolific. One was a man a few hundred miles away. The other was a woman of all things. She was also several hundred miles away. The forum had contact information for both. Walter sent them both an email before he rode Gina's bike out to dinner.

The man answered sending along a very generic set of instructions for the manufacturing of an engine mount. Walter realized that the mount wouldn't be difficult to build but it would be challenging. The plans had everything he needed except that they needed to be taylored to the engine. A trip to the hardware store was in order but he decided that it should wait for the next day.

The woman's email showed up just before bedtime. She offered any advice he needed and suggested he contact the man who had sent him the set of plans for advice as well. He replied to her then sat down to watch late night TV.

The tonight show was a bore, so he tried the computer instead. He checked ebay for chain saws and found a brand new saw just like the one he was planning to purchase from Walmart. By the time he added in the shipping it was going to cost twenty dollars more on ebay. Walter chuckled at that then moved on to the forum for motorized bicycles.

Walter made a post in the homemade bike area of the forum. He introduced himself and explained what he planned to do, then he went to bed.

comtemplating new build

I just won a non working engine on ebay. If I can get it to run, I have to decide what to do with it. I have the full suspension bike I would love to use it on but that bike broke off the drive shaft of the chainsaw engine. I am sure it would have no problem popping the shaft on the small blower engine.

I have the engine from the poulan on the other good bike I have. I guess I will remove it and put the Blower engine on it. If I can make it work that is. I think I will do that reed valve adaptation then use the big carb and see what the bike will do. That engine and the homelite are about the same size and with the adaptation they might run the same. I will have to be more careful with the gasket on this one though. Also before I mount it I am going to make some changes to that frame so that there isn't any stress on the engine case. Or at least minimize it.

Im not gonna pay a lot for this muffler

It wasn't the muffler but I had to cut it open to get it off the bike. I still can't start it so I moved on to finish up the homelite bike. I didn't get to test it yet but it is at least 89% complete. Now I need to figure out how to move the seat back about two or three inches.

Yesterday when I was young

I spent the day yesterday messin with the poulan engine that wont start. I also bought a homelight chainsaw to use on the 20" hybred if I can. If not I will just buy a bike for it.

I asked for help and the guys suggested a few things. I tried them all yesterday. Last night my friend Shoes suggested that the muffler might be clogged. It was at that point that out of the fog of a brain being squeezed I remember the bike blew some of the muffler off just as it failed. It has never fun since. The muffler could very well be the problem.

First thing today the muffler comes off that bike. If it runs i have to give some thought to a new one. I am also going to clean the muffler on the homelite regardless.

still dont get it

Well I got the WW bike to run long enough to shake itself apart. So much for that one. I am going to devise a better mount for the engine the next time I do one. I also welded the engine mount pieces together for the next one to fit into the frame.

I still don't have the chainsaw bike up and running. I have the carbs working for it but it still won't start. I think I have a vacuum leak somewhere. I am going to take the bike apart tomorrow to look for one.

Monday monday

I got some good advice last night. I think I know what is wrong with the chiansaw bike. the common element with both carbs on the bike was the fuel system. I think I have a leak in one of the lines. Air getting in. I crimped it during installation of the fuel tank. We shall see.

Also Im going to clean up the manifold and try some formagasket on the rear for the WW.

another zero day. Unbelieveable.

I still cant get either of the bikes to run. both of them want to run but it's carb problems. I just don't know what they are. I am pretty sure the WW had an air leak from the manifold gasket.

The chainsaw I am still working on making the 42carb work on it 33 bike. It should work I had it running for a while but it just wouldnt do right.

todays project

Today is family day so I will have a short workday. My plan is to get the WW finished and then to work on starting the chainsaw bike. Not so ambitious as it sounds. The WW needs to have the engine lift system made and the throttle connected. It isn't a large job.

I think now that the problem with the chainsaw bike is that the gas tank I built wasn't vented. I think that because I changed the carb and it did the same thing. Then I poured some gas down the pug hole and it fired up. The plug was dry before so I know it wasn't getting any gas. I'm pretty sure it was the gas tank.

I have the WW almost ready to try out as well. I need to set up the controls and the hinges but I got the mount welded to the bike frame. So I'm more than halfway there. I also have a bigger carb on the bike with the reed valve adjusted to allow more gas.

not a good day yet

yesterday I worked my butt off then had to undo all i did. Last night I tried redo it and pretty much succeeded. It's noon and I tried to fire up the chainsaw bike that I have left. It runs a bit then it stops. It won't start at all now. I hope it is just flooded.

Im about sick of bikes. I get this way for a while then things will work good and I will love them again. just have to work through it.

Gina Bike Walter

Friday was a gray day but Walter was feeling very optimistic after his morning shower. Hell he was almost, but not quite, whistling while he mixed up his morning cereal. There was almost a ceremony to the simple breakfast. First he found an old restaurant type bowl that his wife had collected as her everyday dishes. Then he cut off the bottom of a banana. Slicing then dicing a banana is a simple step but a necessary step, after the banana he added a few chopped raisins and dates to the mix. Next he topped that off with a mixture of corn and bran flakes. Walter like mixtures of things in his cereal bowl. He sprinkled on some ground cinnamon, poured on a bit of sugarless pancake syrup, added milk and he had himself a bowl of very complicated cereal. It was packed with different textures and flavors.

That bowl of cereal and his two cups of black coffee got his day started. Walter ate it while at his homemade kitchen table with the slightly oversized TV in the adjacent living area providing him with the morning's usual bleak news.

After his morning cereal and bad news, Walter checked his email. Mixed with the spam were a couple of replies to his questions about which motor to use for his new bike. Even one from the prison where Gina's bike was born.

Dear Mr Mcguire.... My name is Rita Deeds and I was kinda of a friend of your daughters. I knew her only because I built her bike and later I got a burned hand and she treated me. It weren't one of them prison things.

Walter had no idea what one of those prison things was. He did know that the way it sounded in the email 'one of those prison things' wasn't a good thing.

So you have her bike, I'm glad it ain't sittin in no evidence room somewhere. Those bikes need to be rode regular. If you don't do that the carburetors get all gunkie.

If they would let me build bigger bikes, I would build one with a big ole chainsaw engine. I would use basically the same mount but put it on the rear tire. The rest would have to be just figuring it out as I went....

I hope this helps and I was very sad to hear about Gina and specially since it was my bike that got her killed.... Rita..

The email seemed a little less than well written. The bit about the bike getting his daughter killed didn't sit well, since the bike had freed him from his personal prison. Even so he appreciated the thoughtfulness of that Rita person bothering to answer his email.

I'm gonna get me a gun

And shoot that damn bike I bought from my grand daughter. I never wanted it but they wanted me to buy it so they could get it out of the garage. It is a full suspention bike and it looks real cool. But today my good 42cc chainsaw engine broke. Not just broke a little it's toast. the rear wheel kept bumping against the drive wheel on the engine until it broke off the drive shaft. I'm so stupid I didn't realize it would do that. now by golly Iknow.

Gina's Bike walter

Walter, being the good shopper that he was, went first to internet. The first thing he needed was to decide on an engine. Google provided him with a hundred different videos and forums to view. It was a confusing day. It was late in the evening when walter entered the name of the prison camp where Gina's bike was born.

Sure enough google had a listing for their retail sales page. On that page he found not only a bike exactly like Gina's but also a list of mail order bakery products. It seemed to be a strange combination but there it was. Walter searched the page carefully and still overlooked the contact us information twice. The prison really didn't want a bunch of emails it seemed.

Walter sent a rambling email explaining who he was and why he was writing. He asked for a suggestion on what engine to use to build a more gutsy bicycle similar to the bike the prison turned out. After he sent the email, Walter went back to searching the web. He found a very informative forum. It probably had the information he needed. Except that he got lost in all the spidery web trails he was forced to follow in order to glean the information. Walter gave up and went to bed without any plan at all.

It's rainy again

Well the election is over and its a dark day outside. I do hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Cold and dark would not be a good thing, I think.

My mind turns back to bikes. I hope the weather clears and the welding helmet comes. I want to work on a bike and get my mind off the political situation in this country. This is one time I hope that I am wrong about politicians and their hidden agendas.

nothing to do

Its cold and rainy today nothing to do but keep an eye on the elections. I did mangage to put a coat of epoxy on a tank I am building. I have no idea if it will hold or not. Still looking for the auto darkening welding helmet so i can return to work on the scout bike.

gina's bike walter

On Thursday between trips to the store on his bike and trips to the store in his car, he struggled with a plan for his future. He managed to fill his cabinets with canned food for a rainy day. Literally he had shopped for days when he could not ride the bike to the store. In the back of his mind was the idea of changing his lifestyle to eliminate the need for an automobile. It was just a pipe dream, he told himself. Still it was an idea with some merit.

On Friday he tried to ride his bike across town. It was his longest trip up to that time. A couple of the hills kicked his butt. Walter came to a startling realization. He was not as young as he used to be so the bike thing might not be practical after all. That realization might have knocked him back into a deep funk except he was more optimistic than he had been even a couple of months before.

Instead of withdrawing into a shell and bemoaning his shortcomings, Walter took stock of his new life. Fact one: Walter was only 58 years old and already retired. Fact two: he was reasonably healthy. As a matter of fact since taking up the daily bike ride he had lost eight pounds. He could stand to lose more, but it was a start. Not only was it a start it was painless. He still ate the same things he always ate. He was getting regular, though limited, exercise on the bike. That and he shopped a little more carefully because it was more difficult to get to the store on the bike. Fact three: he wasn't wealthy but he also did not need to have profit enter into his plan for a new life. Mostly because he didn't live extravagantly, nor did he wish to do so. Fact four: Walter was not only intelligent, he was adaptable. Being adaptable might be the biggest advantage in a lifestyle change. Walter was open to new ideas which could only help.

The one thing weighing on Walter's mind was simply that, if he wanted to go to bikes only, Gina's bike just wasn't powerful enough. So Walter, being adaptable, began to wonder if the design of Gina's bike was also adaptable. Since Gina's bike was based on a simple friction drive system, there was no reason that it couldn't be modified to accept a more powerful engine.

At first Walter thought about replacing the engine with a more powerful one. After more thought he decided that to do so would be a bad idea. Gina's bike was front wheel drive. Front wheel drive needed a light weight engine he decided. A larger engine would be heavier he decided. However all the basic principles of Gina's bike would work just fine on any bike with any engine. He would just need to be open minded in his adaptation of the basics.

new carb cleaner gas tank..

I turned an empty carb cleaner can into a gas tank this morning. It took about an hour and most of that was searching for something to use as a lid. I expect I will rig a filter into my premix bottle and filter it into the gas tanks so that I can use them without a filter. The smaller opening makes it difficult to get a filter inside. I am not convinced that the inline filter wasn't part of my problem with the carb on the 33 bike.

believe it or not

Its 54 degrees at 4am here. I know what the hell am I doing up at 4am. Well I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep. Since i can't sleep. I thought I would fool around here instead.

I expect that I will be sleepy later on and go back to bed. It's one of the few advantages of being retired.

I don't want to work on the new bike till the welder is ready so it gets a rest till later in the week. I need to go to the film lab later this morning so I'm glad the weather will cooperate. The 42bike is good for that kind of thing.

all in all this will probably be a goof off day.

been a ridin'

I have had the 42cc bike all over today. I even did some tension adjustments and that thing will really move out now. I had the 1/2 drive on the bike and it skips like mad. It does require less pedaling to get it going on it's own, but the speed is way way down.

Since I don't like the 1/2 in at all, I covered it with pvc pipe to add a quarter inch to it at least. I also made up a sand mix for it. If that wears off to quickly I might give fine sandpaper a go.

The epoxie I used was not jb weld. I had another brand laying about thought I would use it up. I'll let you know how it does.

Gina's Bike Walter

Walter did stop by Walmart for a TV. The cheapest thing he could find was a $300 HDTV probably made in Korea. He called from his cell phone to have the cable account moved from the big house to the small house. He was told that the last owners of the house had cable service so it was a matter of making the switch at the office. He would have cable by the time he arrived home. As a matter of fact all the utilities had been left in tact. Walter was tankful for that.

With the power on it had meant coffee and a hot shower that morning Walter didn't buy any more furniture because he wanted to see what he could do with the doors he had purchased.

The one thing walter did not have was internet access. He canceled his DSL because it would be days before it could be installed. He decided to go with dial up service instead. Yes it was slow but he had no plans to do anything in a hurry.


Walter manoeuvered Gina's bike from the shed, then headed out for a ride before dark. It was a new neighborhood so his new neighbors stared at him. On the bike he had time to smile and wave at them. He used the bike to explore his new environment. Walter made a mental note to buy some cheap dog biscuits. It would probably be a good idea to make friends with the local K9s.

Since he lived just a couple of miles from his old neighborhood, he could easily get to the fast food joint where he usually stopped during his ride. He had a burger and diet cola while seated at one of their tables.

"You usually don't come in." the young black woman said from behind the counter.

"I just moved and I don't have any furniture yet." Walter was all smiles as he spoke.

"Well you will fill your new place with junk soon enough," She said it as though she were and expert of household junk.

"No doubt at all about that," he replied.

Walter watched TV that night while sitting on the futon with his back against the wall. He decided that he was too old for sleeping on the floor. He slept just fine, it was the getting up and down that was hard on him. In Walter's case getting down to the futon was more of a controlled crash landing than anything else. The hard floor was probably good for his back but it was not especially comfortable.

Tuesday passed in a flurry of activity. The doors and lumber arrived. Walter decided that since he had eaten his breakfast standing over the sink, a kitchen table would be the first order of business. He used the 2x4s from the surplus store and the brackets he had bought at the hardware store to construct two saw horses the right width and height to turn the door into a kitchen table. he placed the table in the open space across from the appliances. He in effect used the table to define the space.

Then he made a similar but shorter table using three saw horses and the narrowest of the doors. He pushed it against the living room wall. On that one he placed the infamous futon, folded so that it rested on the door/table and against the wall.. A third door was sawed in half to make two end tables. they were higher than the sofa/futon/old door. They in effect became the sofa's arms. The new raw cuts on the end tables went against the wall to hide them. With strapping hinges from the hardware store Walter used two of the doors in each corner of the side wall to make closets.

Tuesday and the doors were all gone, but Walter had accomplished what he set out to do. He was more than a little proud of his accomplishments. It had been hard work but the little house was beginning to take on a new personality.

Tuesday evening he put away his clothes in the two new closets. He made a note to go look for lamps for his end tables, chairs of some kind, and for a real bed that next day. The old doors had defined how Walter would decorate the space. He had more than enough money for his project. The money came from the sale of his big house furniture. Walter made the things not out of necessity but out of a desire to be a bigger part of the new place.

On Wednesday Walter found a mattress outlet who would deliver his bed the next day. Everybody seemed to deliver the next day. From them he purchased a box springs mattress and steel bed frame. Walmart provided the lamps for the tables and also one corner floor lamp. From their furniture department he also bought a knocked down entertainment center and student's desk for this computer. From a different part of the store he purchased a fiberglass modernistic chair in a hideous red color.

He assembled furniture on Wednesday afternoon and into the evening. The directions were written by someone who used english as a second language. They were a nightmare but eventually it all came together. Walter sat at in his fiberglass chair, at his knock together kids desk, while he slowly surfed the internet for ideas. After all he had a few good years left, he needed a plan. Walter went to bed three hours later without a plan.

I can hardly wait

for the welding helmet to get here. I want to weld the receiver plate to the scout bike. When that is done I can mount the engine. After I find out if the engine will run, I can take it for a test ride.

The scout type bike is ideal for me to build. It used to take me a couple of days to build a similar bike. It took two bikes to build one and it still will but now I can build one With just one or two change instead of a half dozen. After that accident, I might go with a 24" front wheel. I have least two of those laying about. I do like the look of the scout the way it is.

Saturday afternoon.

I didn't get to ride yet. I am going to take a shower change than then ride. I did build a new bike that will get the 33 chainsaw engine I think. The WW bike is giving me a carb fit. I expect i will either have to buy a carb or trash it and go for something bigger on that bike. I'm going to let that cook a while.

I should add to this that the new bike I built has already dumped me on my ass once. I was on my first test run with it.. No motor thank god. I was pedaling in the drive when I hit a broke piece of pavement. The pavement had broken down leaving a sort of ramp effect. When I hit it the front of the bike lifted up and I slide off the back of the bike. Hit right square on my tail bone. I didn't break anything thank god. I have no idea how they put a cast on ones's tail bone.

Anyway I plan to do some more prep on that bike tomorrow get it read to weld when the welding helmet gets here next week I hope.

come saturday morning again

Since it is supposed to be warm today, I'm going to at least ride the bike today. I am still testing the 42bike for tension. I might ride up and get myself a turnbuckle for it. It could use one for sure.

I really need it either get a better carb for the WW bike or switch the 33 chainsaw to it. It won't idle and I couldn't get it started yesterday for some reason. It would be easier to just fix it than to switch the engines so I will probably go that route.

I think for the chainsaw I will just wait till I try modifying a 20" bike. I like the idea of a power bike that short. I have tried it before but I never tried it by changing the front forks. I think that might be the final attempt at a 20 inch conversion.

I have plenty a front wheel in both 26 and 24 inch sizes. I can put a 26" fork on then if the wheel gets too close to the frame I can swith the wheel for a 24". The trick will be if the forks are the same connection size.

not exactly sure

I'm not exactly sure what I have done but it seems to be better. The cable came loose so it is possible that was the problem with the bike coming back from the store. When I recover from that ride, I will give it a try now that I have fixed the cable. At least I hope I have.

I also tried to ride the WW bike. It did okay at first then it died and I think I flooded it. I might just go back to where I was before and put the 33 engine back on that bike. I haven't decided where I am going to put it. The test bike (old three speed) is shorter than the huffy and it is easier to get in and out of the shop. That is it's big plus.

it would be nice if it were shorter still. I think I need to look into a twenty inch girls bike and then change the front fork for the huffy one. it would make me an almost scooter sized bike. That might be interesting. I'm going to give that some thought before I finish the 33 chainsaw bike.

the 42 cc and a tension headache

I rode the 42cc to the store just now. I knew after a hundred yards that the tension was too great, but I pushed on. It almost killed me coming home. Coming home is up hill all the way and with the tension so tight it bogged the bike down. I didn't think I would ever get home alive. I am still choking for air lol.

I'm going to spend the afternoon adjusting that thing for sure.

gina's bike walter

Walter slept on the futon cushion on the floor Sunday night. On Monday he made the furniture store with same day delivery his first stop. With the cavernous little house in his mind he tried to think what furniture he should buy. He just could not picture any of the sleek looking furniture in that wide open space. The tiny kitchen was no more than a third of the back wall on the left rear of the house. It did have a very small refrigerator and stove. Both appliances were meant for an apartment of about the same size as his little house, so the balance was good.

It was a good thing because Walter know from nothing about decorating. After thirty minutes of wasting his time and that of a salesman, Walter left empty handed. He didn't know what to do next. The one thing he was sure of was that he needed a bed. He also needed a place to make a sandwich.

One of the appeals of the small house was a one car free standing garage. It had been used as a shop/storage building in the rear of the house so long that the driveway leading to it had disappeared under the lawn. Walter moved all his tools the day before so he was ready to build things. That also stayed in the back of his mind while he shopped. Walter's big problem with that was he lack any real skills. Most of what he did was wood butchery.

After his initial shopping debacleWalter was riding around aimlessly on his bike a couple of hours later when he saw the yellow metal building. The sign read Wholesale/salvaged building material for sale. In much smaller print were the words we deliver. That was enough to get Walter's attention.

Walter was surprised to find mostly old doors and window inside the warehouse. It seems that not a lot of other things were of any use to him. He didn't need anything from the bins of copper and galvanized pipe or the piles of hardwood flooring. He bought seven paneled doors from the warehouse and thirty used 2x4's. The price for it all was just over a hundred dollars. The surplus warehouse arranged delivery for the next morning.

Walter stopped on the way home for items from the hardware store. Those were more expensive than the purchases from the surplus building supply store. Walter knew there were going to be many more things he needed but he had a one track mind. That one track mind, even though deeply depressed, had helped him to survive. He could only dwell on one tragedy at a time. He probably would have been overwhelmed and killed himself if he fully grasped the size of his loss.

"Where's your bicycle," the waitress at the family style restaurant asked.

"I had an errand that required the car this afternoon. I was out buying things for my new house."

"New house wow, congratulations."

"Oh it isn't much but I like it. Its less than half the size of the house I lived in before."

"I'm sorry times are tough for everyone."

Walter almost explained that he hadn't lost the big house but he decided not to bother. She was just a waitress. "Yeah, I suppose that is true. Anyway how about a BLT with French Fries?"

"Sure, won't take but a minute."

Walter enjoyed both the food and the iced tea. Iced tea was something he loved but never made at home. It was gallons of diet coke instead.

tomorrow I ride

there will be no welding practice tomorrow. I have a self darking shield type helmet on the way. Until it gets here I will just be riding my bikes. I do plan to ride down to pick up some pain and a water bottle of some kind to make a gas tank. If I get the 33 bike frame painted I might finish the build on Saturday then test the engine over the weekend.

I'll keep you in the loop.

today's issue

had to break the day in half to take care of some family business at lunch. I did give the welder a try this morning with very mixed results. But it did better this afternoon. I'm still not consistent with it, but I expect that to come later.

I haven't ridden for two days now and I'm getting antsy. I think tomorrow I will ride since I can't try welding. My welding lens got broke. I think I dropped the shield and it broke. Oh well I want a self darkening one anyway.

gina's bike Walter

The house on Macy street had started life as a very small two bedroom, one bath house. Somewhere along the way it had been gutted. All of the interior walls had been removed. That particular renovation, though probably wonderful for the owner at the time, had wrecked the saleability of the house. It proved to be a hard sell especially in an already weak housing market. That more than anything else accounted for the low sale price. That low sale price had attracted Walter to the house in the first place.

The first thing Walter realized was that none of his furniture would fit in the house. Nothing at all was going to work in the tiny space. That was actually a good thing. It was time for a new beginning, he decided. It would be hard enough without the constant reminders of a better time. Very few things would come to the new house except his clothes and a few things he really did want to remember.

Walter arranged what would amount to an estate sale. The first thing he did was to have the Salvation Army come in and take away all the things he refused to haggle over. Walter had been warned about estate sales. He also arranged for the same people to return after the sale to pick up what was left.

After that for the next week he met and haggled with people over his lifelong accumulation of stuff. Stuff he felt he would be better off without. He did not allow anyone into the garage where he had moved things he wanted to keep. In the garage he stored the everyday dishes, pots and pans, linens, towels, and his accumulation of tools, along side boxes of his clothes. At least the ones he hadn't given to the Salvation Army. The garage also housed his five year old car and Gina's bike.

Even during the sale, he found time to ride the bike. He just put a note on the door, "I'm on an errand, I'll be right back." The errand was a ride around the neighborhood with a short stop at the nearest fast food drive thru. He and his bike had become a fixture at that drive thru.

The sale was a nightmare on the final day. It was a Saturday of course and the people made him crazy. Walter lived a couple of blocks into the "right side" of main street. People from the "other" side of main street flocked to his house to strip it. Most likely some things went to their cars without being paid for. Yes Bobbie came to help and even brought Sarah. They did help a great deal, but it was still a nightmare.

Since his bedroom suite was sold to a young couple, Walter spent Saturday night in a motel. After breakfast he returned to the more or less empty house. His day was burned by getting the last items ready for the Salvation army pickup the next day, and moving things to the house three blocks into the "other" side of town. He was still on the fringe of the good area but not quite into the high dollar district. The big house was just on the fringe of the "right side" of main street but still just on the fringe.

Walter decided he did not want to return to the motel, so he bought himself a futon mattress at a local furniture store, which happened to be open on Sunday. Walter could have had a bed delivered to the house on Macy street any time during the week of the sale, but he had a one track mind. His simple mind had probably kept him from going insane over that last year. Walter dealt with one thing at a time but he dealt with it completely then filed it away.

The plan was that on Monday the new house would occupy his mind for a few days. Walter for some reason looked forward to that, a year ago he would have been mortified by the prospect of shopping.

2 count em 2

I have two more projects before I assemble the 33 bike in it's new incarnation. probably more will pop up but I have two for now. I need to buy some spray paint and shoot it for color. Right now it is flat black and i have that on the weed whacker bike. I have a different thing in mind for this one.

Also I want to build a gas tank for it. I have a new easy to build tank in mind. I am going to build it before I paint the bike. I want it to seem to be a part of the frame. Here is a drawing of the design....

Gina's bike Walter

Quickly was an understatement. Walter didn't have a lot of money, but he did have enough for the down payment on the tiny frame house that he had seen. He also had just enough income to make the payments and live reasonably well.

"So this is it?" Walter asked the realtor.

"Yep, Walter you own the house on Macy Street."

"The way you said that, it sounds like a horror movie. You know like, Welcome to the house on Macy Street, the movie."

"Oh it's just way too small a house for a man coming from 2000 square feet. Heck Walter your garage is bigger."

"Not quite Rubin, but it is a small place."

"So what are you going to do with the big house?"

"If Bobby doesn't want it, I'll put it on the Market."

"Well I hope you will let me sell it." Walter had gotten to know Rubin pretty well in the two weeks it took to arrange the sale and the financing. It was a natural question for Rubin to ask.

"Rubin, I don't have a realtor so sure you can list it. Just give me one last chance to convince Bobby to take it."

On Sunday Bobby gave his dad the final replay. "Dad I know you mean well, but I really don't want to live in this house. It's just too much for us. Too much space and too much upkeep." He looked his dad in the eye and continued. "You gave me mom's car when I came home and I appreciate it, but the house is too much."

"Oh, I'm not going to give it to you, I was planning to sell it to you."

"I know but I just can't do it."

"Well Bobby, I am going to list it for sale. The housing market is down, so if you decide before it is sold, I'll still work something out for you, but if not it is gone."

"Do what you think is best dad, but I am sure now. I just wouldn't feel good about it."

Sarah never voiced an opinion but Walter felt pretty sure it was her decision more than his son's. It was probably the right decision for them, so Walter didn't resent her for it.

Walter had become quite taken with Sarah's so Edward. Walter was the only one who ever called him Eddie. That was what Sarah said with just a hint of disapproval. Walter didn't care as long as the disapproval didn't grow into something more. He enjoyed teasing her as well as Eddie. Eddie wasn't quite two, so he really didn't seem to be fond of anyone but his mother. Eddie was found of chocolate though.

so I did it

I tried my hand at welding this morning. It sure as heck isn't pretty but then none of my bikes are. I think I finally got enough metal on it to hold. The mount is bolted on anyway. I just wanted the weld to keep it from sliding up and down. I think I accomplished that.

If I survive this attempt at welding. I think I will give the engine mount a tack here and there to cut down on the not so good vibrations. Only if this attempt at welding worked. I don't dare try a drive wheel yet.

bring on the heat

I think I'm going to give welding a shot tomorrow. I have the mask and the rods so it is just a matter of doing it. It looks like I need to be pretty careful with this old welder I bought. But we shall see what we see.

My first job is going to be to tack a rod to my next bike frame. Actually it is an old bike frame but i am redoing the engine mount. I am putting it back like it was originally. The reverse mount worked good for the full suspension bike but it is unnecessary for the regular ones. I do still have it attached to the weed whacker bike though.

My wife drove me in the car to home depot for my metal to make the frame this time. It was just too miserable to ride the bike. the wind is probably fifteen to twenty five miles an hour and cold as the dickens. I have everything I need now so tomorrow I find out how hard this really is to do.

temp success

I got the WW bike engine going with a 25cc carb. I am beginning to think there isnt a lot of difference in the carbs. It seems to rev just as well as the 31cc but it seemed to make a difference on the 33 bike. I don't know if the openings are the same size or not.

I also go the 33 bike mounted onto a frame from mounting to the bike when I get ready. It looks pretty secure this time. I used bands to connect it to the engine mount. Giant hose clamps actually but the kind that plumbers use. I'll have to keep an eye on them to keep them tight I suppose. If I knew they wouldn't need to be adjusted I would do something to hold them down.

Gina's bike Walter

Walter noticed the for sale sign on the smallest house he had ever seen. The house was on the block behind the house where he and his wife had lived when Gina was born. It was a white frame house that looked to be the size of a double garage. He made a mental note of the realtor for some reason. The house haunted him for some reason as he rode the bike home.

With his new found enthusiasm Walter cleaned the house, while a pot of home made soup boiled in the kitchen. He cleaned the house because it needed it in the worse way. If he had known what was in store for him that afternoon, he would have cleaned it for that reason.

At three in the afternoon Bobby showed up with a young woman about his own age. "Dad I want you to meet Sarah." He turned his attention to the young blonde, "Sarah this is my dad."

The introductions took place in the living room. "Hello Sarah, it's nice to meet you."

"Thank you Mr. McGuire, bobby has told me a great deal about you."

"Well don't believe a word of it. I actually have mellowed out since he was last around me."

"Oh I hope not too mellow. Bobby made you sound like a lot of fun." She smiled the smile only a young woman can pull off innocent yet mischievous.

"Ah, well that only time can tell. So come on in I have a pot of homemade soup cooking. It should be ready shortly."

"We can't stay long dad we are just on the way to look for an apartment."

"What about the place you live now Bobby?"

"It's too small for the three of us. Sarah has a daughter dad."

"Sounds to me like you are going to move in together."

"Yes dad. Sarah and I dated before I went to Iraq and now that I'm home for good, we are going to tie the knot. I came to ask if you would stand up for me."

Sarah showed off her engagement ring at that point.

"Son you know I will. I hope you have given this a lot of thought marriage is a big step. It's supposed to last forever."

"We have dad. We had a over a year to think about it. It's what I want to do."

That was the moment Walter's new plan came to be. It was kismet he decided and time to just take the plunge himself. "Well it comes at a good time. I have decided this old house is too big for me."

"Before you go on dad, I hope you aren't planning to do anything stupid."

"Like what?"

"Like try to give me this house."

"Not likely it's the only thing I have of any real value. I have the rest of my life to think about. What I plan to do is to sell it. If you want to buy it, I will make sure you can afford it, If not then it goes on the market. I have no need for a four bedroom two bath house these days."

"Well we will talk about it but I don't think the place would be right for us. Like you said it's just too big."

"That and it isn't very grand," Walter said it with a smile. "Bobby has always loved flashy things. If it shines he is hooked." Walter said the last part to Sarah.

"You know it isn't that."

Since the tone was getting out of hand, Walter said, "What I was going to offer was that if you don't want a deal on the house, then take any of the furniture you would like. Of course take anything of your mother's that Sarah would like.

Just like that the decision was made. Walter began thinking about a smaller place. He decided that he could buy a smaller cheaper place with a long term mortgage right away. Then when the house he lived in was sold, he could just pay off the new house and do the renovations he wanted done. He was sure there would be renovations.

Walter was lucky the housing bubble had burst. The new house would be dirt cheap and he could hold onto the existing house till the market improved. He could just list it and let it sit or he could rent it. He hated the idea of renting it so probably it would sit empty.

"Bobby, if you don't want to buy this house at a deal, think about renting it. There is no pressure but you know I would make you a deal."

"I'll think about it dad but don't count on it."

"Well let me know soon, I am going to make a move very quickly.

One more time for the dime

I'm going at that 33 engine again today. It is laying on the floor of my shop. I have the 31cc walbro carb from the old ryobi cleaned and on it. If it won't start this time, I'm going to buy a new carb on ebay. I have a list of walbro carbs and what features they have. I can look at what is for sale and then on the list to see if they are 11mm and what features they have. If I buy I want a built in choke but I don't care about the primer bulb. The chainsaw body has one of those. It would be better if it didn't have one as a matter of fact.

I have the carb off an old 25cc engine on the old ryobi engine on the bike now. I'm going to try to ride it today if it starts. I want to convert that bike to the 32 again but I'm going to remount it. I'm going back to the front mount. I think it is more secure. I have the welder now so I can hopefully make it more secure. Of course I don't know that lol

what the hell

That 33 bike has no consistency. Sometimes it would start and sometimes not. I tried two different carbs thinking one of them might be just too far gone to have cleaned up well. They both did fine at first then refused to continue running. I'm wondering if the compression is too low but it seems to be okay. I am going to give a rest for tonight then try again tomorrow.

MY MORNING

I got the 33 bike re-rigged as the WW bike. While I was adjusting the carb I noted that the engine had a lot of vibration. I beefed up the mount. I hope that keeps it from shaking apart.

Next time I am going to try a different kind of mount entirely. But for now I plan to ride this bike for the small amount of exercise I get with A ww as opposed to the Chainsaw that doesn't require much assist from me at all.

My welder came and it is pretty much your basic one each fire box. The only control over the weld is with the size rod I use. It does not have a lower power setting so I guess I better be careful. It is only 70 amps so it shouldn't burn up the stock I'm working. I like things simple so this should do just fine.

miserable sunday so far.

The only good note is I rode the 42cc bike and it did very well. I had to change the tension spring to finally get the tension close to right. It pulls pretty well now. Good enough for me at the moment.

I could not get the 33 bike to fire at all. I got angry and switched the WW engine to the bike instead of the 33. It wouldn't start either. What a mess. It's going to be cold tomorrow so it's probably not going to get done for a while.

The plan now that I have had a minute away from the bike, is to get one of the engines running then rebuild the bike. The welder should be here sometime this week so I will give that a shot at building the frame. But first I want a dependable engine for it. Either of those engines will have enough power for that bike. I really want it just to goof around on and get a little exercise. I think I want to build with the WW since it is where I started. I would like to have one of those around.

I don't think I'm going to find a lighter weight frame than the old three speed girlie bike that I test with. That being the case I am probably going to get the WW running and then set the bike up for it.

It was in the third week of his new found freedom from depression that Walter woke up on a Sunday morning with the desire for pancakes. Walter, since his wife passed, are cereal for breakfast every morning. He usually choked it down with strong black coffee. After Gina's death he often forgot to eat breakfast at all. It was extremely unusual for Walter to think about anything he ate. Most recently he had eaten whatever was around the house, as long as it was easy to prepare.

Walter took it one step farther that Sunday morning he decided that he wanted to have pancakes at the Griddle Cake Restaurant. The Griddle Cake was about two miles from his house. Walter decided that the trip was more than doable with the bike, it was ideal for a Sunday morning ride..

Walter dressed warmly, then he topped off the gas tank on the bike. The bike started with a roar and a cloud of white smoke as it always did. Walter started his two mile ride in something less than a roar but still under power. Since most of the land in his hometown was flat Walter was required to pedal only a couple of times.

He arrived at the Griddle House in really good shape. He was not the least bit tired, not had he raised a sweat. He was in fact on a bicycle high, as he had come to think of the feeling of well being he felt after his morning ride. He left his Walmart bike helmet on the handlebars as he went into the restaurant.

"Walter, how the hell are you," a man only slightly younger than Walter's 59 years asked.

"I'm just fine Jim how are you?"

"I'm good Walter. It's good to see you out and about. It's been too long."

"Yes it has."

"Why don't you come join me and the wife." Jim had been on his return trip from the bathroom. Probably prostrate problems Walter thought.

"Thanks Jim but I'm not quite ready to socialize yet."

"Well when you are ready, keep me and Betty in mind. She would love to see you. At least stop by the table and say hello."

"Oh alright," Walter agreed. The meeting with his friend's wife went well. She managed to say her twenty words without mentioning his wife or Gina. Since it went so well, Walter was still in a good mood when he devoured his pancakes.

Instead of going straight home Walter road through the neighborhood behind the Griddle House. I was the area where he and Gloria's first home was located. Walter decided that he would like to see what had become of the old place.

He found the house pretty much as he had seen it last. The paint was new and the yard showed signs of coming to life after the winter otherwise it was the same. There were even kid's toys in the yard. just as there would have been the day before he moved to the new place. Walter had time to notice all that as he rode by. He decided again that he loved Gina's bike. He love being able to look around a see things not just drive by them.