I've finished my motor-bicycle.

[oprn]

I like it!
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old!

[cdennisg]

[oprn]

[markswagen]

one of my neighbours has an aircooled motor on his bicycle.
l wish l was deaf when he is riding it about the neighbourhood.
the noise is horrendous, it would be a lot less of an issue if he didn't go to work on it before 06:00 daily, l can hear him for at least a mile.
l know the route he goes, l drive the same route, mostly up hill, so he's ''on it'' all the time.
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markswagen {mobile mechanic} san diego area all early VW's cared for.

619 201 0310

[calvinater]

Mark, a few strategitly placed roof nails should solve the issue.
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"Albatross"!

[markswagen]

no sir, that's not kosher, to do damage to someone else's property, just because it's too noisy.
best l'll do, is hope he is abducted by aliens, and given the appropriate probing.

[goober]

I putt-putt quietly, safely and legally blending in as I follow the Rules of the Road. There's no excuse for being reckless or offensive. As a motorized bicycle we have a right to be on the road but we also have an obligation to follow the Rules of the Road. A vehicle making undue noise should be ticketed. A driver violating the Rules of the Road or local laws should be ticketed. Illegal vehicles should be ticketed.

If people riding motorized bicycles break laws, damage property or injure people they will simply pass laws making us the same as every other vehicle using the road. That means, title, registration, license, plates and insurance. And who's going to spend that kind of time, money and hassle to go 14 mph?

To those riding putt putts I would like to remind them that we've got a good inexpensive fun thing going, let's not ruin it. It would make me unhappy.

[Malokin Martin]

I rode (drove?) one of these to school for a full 6 months. My one piece of advice is that the spokes on the bike rim aren’t meant for this. I had one fly past my head like an arrow… you know that sound they make on the movies? Yeah. Extremely lucky.

I didn’t see if yours were “upgraded” but I wouldn’t ever ride a gas/electric conversion if they weren’t. For what it’s worth.

[oprn]

Can't see why that would happen if the spokes are checked regularly and kept in tune.
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old!

[busdaddy]

[oprn]

It's really not about HP, it's about torque and any reasonably fit adult can produce as much or more torque than a 50cc engine but for a shorter duration of course. That is why serious bike racers have a guy on the team that tunes wheels.
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old!

[cdennisg]

[goober]

On spokes...

I'm no expert on bicycle wheels but I've always assumed your typical bottom-end box-store steel bike wheels would withstand around 300lbs total weight using 14ga (2.0mm/.079") spokes.

I center mount/clamp my rear wheel pulley to the hub then help hold it squarely in place with a support from between the spokes. There's no direct engine load on the spokes proper. My legal motor only puts out 1 hp (31cc). I also have caliper rim brakes.

I broke 2 rear wheel spokes with my 1st putt-putt. I tensioned and trued the wheel better and it seems to have helped. Most of the weight was on the rear wheel. My current putt-putt has the weight better distributed between the wheels.

I weigh about 215 lbs and the current putt-putt weighs about 65 lbs. The 1st putt-putt weighs about 70 lbs. I was thinking about 12ga (2.6mm/.102") spokes but my top legal speed is only 20mph/32kph. I do most of my putt-putting under 15mph/24kph on smooth roads. On occasion, even cyclists pass me by.

I'll see how my latest wheels/spokes hold up.

[oprn]

Applying power directly to the spokes is NOT very smart! Of course that will lead to failure! How could it not?
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old!

[busdaddy]

[oprn]

I can't say that I have ever seen spokes straight from the hub on anything larger than a kid's tricycle. That would be extremely weak!
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old!

[Malokin Martin]