Another Newbie

[46er]

G'day,G'day ,G'day,

I hope that's enough G'day's and what a good way to start.


Ian is my name and I live in Warburton in the beautiful Yarra Valley.

Somewhat new to forums so hope I do the right thing.

I have been turning for a few years on and off and quite often ended up on this site when researching for info on turning so thought I'd better join up.

Have had many other hobbies including RC Planes(still happening) ,Bonsai,Gardening,....... too many to mention other than the last one, a motorised pushbike with a jack shaft.

Had better get this sent and get back up the shed before my good Lady find's something else foe me to do.

Ian

[Da bunny lover]

Welcome:)

[dabbler]

Hello and welcome 46er.

There are lots of interests discussed here so you should be at home.

[tdrumnut]

G'day & welcome 46er

[Scott]

Welcome 46er, you've got the first rule of these forums right, avoid the good lady :D

[Christos]

Welcome to the forum. Do continue to visit and post. You seem to have quite a large amount of hobbies.

[46er]

Thanks for the welcome and comments .
Will try hard to visit and post and keep away from the Good Lady.
Have had a few years practice at keeping away and trying all my hobbies.

[JJF]

Welcome to the forum

[Hermit]

Welcome, Ian.

Looking forward to seeing some of your work.

[crowie]

G'Day & Welcome Ian.
You'll find a heap of knowledgable & helpful blokes & ladies on the forum, all will to assist.
Don't forget that a picture is worth a thousand words, so show off your handiwork with photos & WIP notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork.
Cheers crowie

PS - the good lady will always help you find ways to fill in your time.....
at least if you're in the shed, she'll know were to find you...lol....

[Allan at Wallan]

A very warm welcome to you Ian.

Warburton is a great town, played tennis against their
team as a youngster as I grew up in Powelltown.

Love to see some of your work.

Allan

[46er]

G'day Allan,
Not sure if I'm talking to you personally ,not that it matters.
I used to play table tennis in Powly against the Coles and a few others many years ago.
I'd have to rack my brain to remember their names tho.No doubt you'd know them.
Will get some work on when I work out how to.
Regards Ian

[Hermit]

Will get some work on when I work out how to.
Regards Ian

Click on 'Post Reply' below, then in the following window, scroll down to 'Manage Attachments' and click.
From here, it's self-explanatory, I think. Browse to your file, then press Upload.
It will appear as an attachment below your reply.

Hope this helps, Ian. If not, sing out.

Edit: I used to get around your area a little when I was young too, dragged around by my step-father who was a mad gold prospector.

[munruben]

Hi Ian and welcome to the forum. :2tsup:

[_fly_]

Welcome, Do you still have plans for a Dickie Steel trainer anywhere (not the stick trainer).
I want to make one for my nephew as I still have the old 2.5's and control lines etc in the garage.
Peter

[46er]

Hi Pete,
I did buy a lot of stuff from Dick Steel,probably all the supplies for the first plane I built
came from Dick but what the plane was I have no idea now.
I sure loved going to Dick's house to get supplies.
No Dick Steel plans but I do have a couple of lager glider plans.
I also have a mate in Ballarat that is a champion at control line and may have some good plans.
Regards Ian

[46er]

Osage Orange.
Thanks Hermit I think it has worked.

[46er]

Thanks Hermit,
I still do a bit of panning in the Yarra & Hoddles Creek.
Have yet to make a fortune tho'.
Regards Ian.
PS Will put more pic's on when I get home in a couple of days as the Good Lady is getting a new knee so that she can keep up with me.
Ian

[Hermit]

too many to mention other than the last one, a motorised pushbike with a jack shaft.

Ian, somehow I missed this bit when I first read your post. I HAD one, complete with SBP shift kit and heaps of other accessories, up until last week. I never ride it, so I sold it cheap. A 26" Malvern Star mountain bike with a ZBox 66cc engine, shift kit, dual-pull brake lever, high compression head from Rock Solid Engines in Adelaide,12V moped hi/low headlight with 7ah battery, decent seat and heaps more. Sold it, brand new condition but 2 1/2 years old, for $200 with tons of spares. I even gave it a new gear cluster, with an extra-low first gear - 5mph flat-out in first. Will climb anything.
If I'd realised, it might have been more useful to you, for spares.

I ride a 200W electric now, much nicer and actually legal. I bought both at the same time. Anything above 200W is illegal in NSW. Even a 48cc petrol runs in at over 1000W.

A link to some pics of the bikes, (and home brewing but I don't drink any more so stopped that).: -
nowrasteve's Public Profile on Photobucket.com (http://s869.photobucket.com/profile/nowrasteve)


I still have two plastic gold pans, large and small, but haven't done anything for many years

[46er]

All I can say is Bugger Hermit,I bought my bike from a 93yo man in Geelong.
The bike had only done about 50 klm and was on a cheap W/worths repco bike for $400.
$400 hurts more, now i know what you sold yours for than when i fell off mine but that's another story.
I purchased a jack shaft from SBP and swapped it all onto my old bike frame .Much better than the Repco.
Would also have loved to have a motor from R Solid but didn't find them till after my purchase.
I put on an extra low gear as well which climbs some awesome hills.
I am having trouble getting much out of the last 1/2 to 1/3 of the throttle so need to do some more fine tuning.
Not that I want to go any faster but would like to get it perking as it should.
Have had it up to 43 kph but from what I read they should do better than that.
Electric's good but hard to get 200klms from a charge or two.
I'll send some pic's of mine plus a mate that is about to start producing electric scooters
and they go well but $2000 is a bit out of reach for me .
Regards Ian

[Hermit]

All I can say is Bugger Hermit,I bought my bike from a 93yo man in Geelong.
The bike had only done about 50 klm and was on a cheap W/worths repco bike for $400.
$400 hurts more, now i know what you sold yours for than when i fell off mine but that's another story.
I purchased a jack shaft from SBP and swapped it all onto my old bike frame .Much better than the Repco.
Would also have loved to have a motor from R Solid but didn't find them till after my purchase.
I put on an extra low gear as well which climbs some awesome hills.
I am having trouble getting much out of the last 1/2 to 1/3 of the throttle so need to do some more fine tuning.
Not that I want to go any faster but would like to get it perking as it should.
Have had it up to 43 kph but from what I read they should do better than that.
Electric's good but hard to get 200klms from a charge or two.
I'll send some pic's of mine plus a mate that is about to start producing electric scooters
and they go well but $2000 is a bit out of reach for me .
Regards Ian

Depending on weight, you should get better than 43kph. With shift kit and a tail wind, I could get 70kph, 80 on a slight downhill. (I only weigh 50kg.)

No, you don't get 200km from a charge on an electric, but how often do you go for 200km rides? Personally, I never need to do more than about 10-15km on a ride. I just plug it in when I get home and it's ready for next time. If I'm going further, I take it on the train and throw the charger in my bag - it's only a plugpack. Electric bikes are legal on trains, petrol ones are not.
Quiet and unobtrusive, very, (very), low maintenance.
Electric bikes aren't as bad as you think. They're here to stay, the petrol ones are on the way out.
That's my spiel done.

Have you seen the MBc motorised bike forum, here: - MotoredBikes.com: Motorized Bicycle Forum - Gas & Electric Bikes (http://www.motoredbikes.com/) ?
Worth a look and the 2-stroke section has some useful tuning info, some written by AussieSteve, who I happen to know very well.
First thing is to check plug colour. If you don't already have one fitted, buy a B5HS or B6HS plug, too. Especially if you have the standard Chinese plug fitted.

Is your's 48cc or 66cc?

[46er]

Your right Hermit, who does 200 klms on a ride but it sounds good,to me anyway.I don't particularly want to do 70kph but know it should do better than 43kph.

I have fitted theB6HS plug and I'm sure mine is the 66cc only by the piston measurements.The plug looks pretty good but might need to seal a few air leaks.Will do more tuning when I get a bit more time.

I am on the MotoredBikes site and do enjoy reading AussieSteve's comments which are very well put and informative.

Had I been lucky enough to get your bike i certainly wouldn't have used it for spares, more likely to have used mine for spares.

Did you have the standard HT carby? as i have tried to get a better one but no luck yet.

[Hermit]

Your right Hermit, who does 200 klms on a ride but it sounds good,to me anyway.I don't particularly want to do 70kph but know it should do better than 43kph.

I have fitted theB6HS plug and I'm sure mine is the 66cc only by the piston measurements.The plug looks pretty good but might need to seal a few air leaks.Will do more tuning when I get a bit more time.

I am on the MotoredBikes site and do enjoy reading AussieSteve's comments which are very well put and informative.

Had I been lucky enough to get your bike i certainly wouldn't have used it for spares, more likely to have used mine for spares.

Did you have the standard HT carby? as i have tried to get a better one but no luck yet.

Regarding the air leaks, I finished up buying an after-market alloy intake, same shape as the original, then cut a groove and fitted an 'O' ring. Others just sit an 'O' ring in the opening, push the carb on and hope for the best. That won't guarantee a good seal.
As I said in those stickies, go by your plug colour. If it's whitish/grey, then the mixture is lean and you most likely have an air leak. Also, the lean mix will cause the engine to idle high.

Often, when these engines won't rev right out, it's due to a rich mixture. Again, plug colour - it will be blackish with a rich mixture.
Raising/lowering the slide needle, (up for richer, down for leaner), is the only mixture adjustment on those things short of re-jetting. That's exactly what I had to do to get mine running right, especially after fitting the high-compression head. Rock Solid Engines sell a range of jets. Tony is pretty helpful.
From memory, I think that Jim and Paul at SBP sell jets as well. They were planning to start stocking them. I stopped riding that bike due to health - couldn't kick it over any more without puffing like a steam train for 10 minutes afterwards.

I stuck with the standard carb and re-jetted, as mentioned. Also took to the inlet side of the carb with a Dremel and opened/smoothed things out. The CNS and other carbs on the market aren't worth the trouble. They don't tune properly on these engines. I've heard of some successes with re-jetted chainsaw carbs, but it's a bit hit and miss.

I bought a SBP expansion chamber at one point, too, but it was too loud, so I went back to the stock exhaust, but drilled the innards to slightly reduce back pressure.
Porting and polishing helps, too, though I didn't go too far with that.


Hope this helps, Ian.

[46er]

Thanks for the info Hermit,

I'm glad you mentioned the expansion chamber as had thought I might get one but if they are noisier then I wont bother.

Will look into plug colour, re-jetting and and a better inlet manifold as it doesn't look too good where the carby fits on.Just need to find the time now that I'm retired.

Where did you you get your after market inlet manifold from Hermit?

[Hermit]

Thanks for the info Hermit,

I'm glad you mentioned the expansion chamber as had thought I might get one but if they are noisier then I wont bother.

Will look into plug colour, re-jetting and and a better inlet manifold as it doesn't look too good where the carby fits on.Just need to find the time now that I'm retired.

Where did you you get your after market inlet manifold from Hermit?

Boy, that took some searching. I got it from Rock Solid Engines, $10, far better than the original welded steel one. It's on the middle of the page here: - Spare Parts (http://shop.rocksolidengines.com.au/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&category_id=1&page=shop.browse&limit=20&limitstart=20)

Here's the thread on the inlet tube modification. Also has the supplier for the rubber 'O' rings, Fitch Rubber. If you use another type, ensure it's petrol-resistant.
NT carby/inlet leaks - a reliable solution - MotoredBikes.com: Motorized Bicycle Forum (http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=24800)

[46er]

Thanks for that Hermit,sorry to put you to all that trouble but very much appreciated.
Will give me something to do when I get a bit more time.

[46er]

A few finished items

[Allan at Wallan]

Good work Ian, glad to see you managed to
post some pics.

Like the creativity with the worms and the apples.:2tsup:

Allan.

[crowie]

A few finished items

Just beautiful....well done!

[46er]

Thanks for that Crowie,
Regards Ian

[Hermit]

G'day Ian. Lovely work.
I especially like the jig-saw style lid design on the 'apples'.
I might have to use it sometime, I think. Thanks in advance.

[46er]

G'day Hermit,
A couple of pics of the electric scooters my mate is looking at producing.

[Hermit]

G'day Hermit,
A couple of pics of the electric scooters my mate is looking at producing.

I like them - they look pretty good. Do you know what size the motor is?

[46er]

Thanks Hermit,
Should have been sawn on a 1/8blade but I only have 3mm.Probably not much diff tho'.
The worm locks the lid on.

[46er]

I think they're 200w but can be tricked up if needed.
Also can fit a seat if wanted

[Hermit]

I think they're 200w but can be tricked up if needed.
Also can fit a seat if wanted

200W is the legal limit most places, but they'd never know the difference if a 400W or 1000W was used. I've never been stopped and asked what size my motor is.
I considered buying a kit and beefing mine up to 400W, but decided to keep the range.

In NSW, they have to be a 'modified bicycle design', so I'm not sure where a scooter would stand, by the letter of the law, but the cops would leave them alone.

I like the idea. Even at 30kph, on slightly rough roads you spend much of the time standing on the pedals anyway. Plenty of luggage space, too, on the footboard and the box on the back. Mine has none - my backpack.

[46er]

I'll find out a bit more about them for you when I get time to catch up .
He also talked about being able to carry two batt packs.
I believe he has changed them again with a bit more carry space,will see if I can get some more up to date pics.

[Hermit]

Thanks. I'll be interested to see more.

[46er]

I'd like to think I designed the apples with the worm Alan but I'm not that smart.
I got the plan out of a book by Donna Menke plus a few other neat plans.
The worm locks the lid on.
Ian

[46er]

Hermit,
If you contact Stephen on this email address , Stephen Taylor <[email protected]>he will be happy to give you the good oil on his electric scooters.
Regards Ian

[Hermit]

Hermit,
If you contact Stephen on this email address , Stephen Taylor <[email protected]>he will be happy to give you the good oil on his electric scooters.
Regards Ian

I won't put him out by especially contacting him, since I have no interest in buying one - just a general interest.

My electric bike is pretty good, and has done thousands of kms now over almost 3 years, without a problem except a couple of flat tyres and now, worn out front brake pads.
I like the idea of electric scooters, but they're not for me.

One drawback that crossed my mind today while I was riding mine is that with pedals, you can easily assist the electric motor on hills etc at 30kph, but that's much harder on a scooter, since there are no gears.

The other drawback is that they're technically illegal here. I checked the rules again today and in NSW the law only covers power-assisted pedal cycles. A scooter comes under the legal definition of a moped and needs registration and a licensed rider, indicators, brake light, horn, etc. Not fair, but that's how it is here.

What about VIC? Different laws?

[46er]

Not sure about the laws here Hermit but I'm sure Steph would be glad to give you the
info buying or not.
Ian

[bj383ss]

Very nice work Ian. And welcome to the forum. I am from the other side of the world but the good folks here have taken me in as their own.

Bret

[46er]

Thanks for the comments Bret and I'm glad you feel at home here as I do.
Regards Ian