180 mpg 30cc bicycle

[sendler]

That's probably a little high, even for a recumbent streamliner. But could be done with electric drive in a streamliner. Terry's electric Zero streamliner is getting 280 mpgE at 70 mph.

[Slick401]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

Frank, I recall Aqua Bug being based in Melville, NY but I don't know who designed the engine. I know the literature on my Bumble Bike engine said that a chain saw company in Ontario designed their product.

You say you have "literature" on the Bumble Bike engine? I have been searching high and low for any sort of assembly, instructions, parts manual, etc. Can you tell me what you have and would you be willing to share? My bumble bike is missing a few pieces and I'm not exactly sure what to look for. Thanks!

[Grant-53]

I'm sorry I didn't see your post sooner. I will go through my files and send what ever I can find. I have a complete unit if you are interested. Reminder that the home built motor bikes are not street legal in NY. The general opinion of LEO I spoke with is that a quiet machine under 20 mph will be ignored.

[Slick401]

Cool, thanks! Anything would be appreciated. I rebuilt the carb and got the engine running well, but cannot seem to get the friction drive to work properly ( the motor just revs and slips on the tire). Look forward to hearing back from you. Thanks again.

[Grant-53]

Good news and not so good news. I found all my papers and the carb is a Walbro. The TML company is no longer in business so my parts sheets may not be much good.
See http:yetmans.mb.ca/trivia/36.html

The rear drive is the problem as it needs a heavy spring to get enough bite from the knurled shaft on the tire. I used a automotive brake return spring. I also used a section of 15/16" radiator hose for grip and reduced tire wear. Once I got enough pressure on the wheel to go 25 mph the internal gear hub wouldn't shift properly. One suggestion would be to switch to a front mount where the torque pulls the drive into the tire. Another option would be to mount a clutch and belt drive.

[Slick401]

Well it seems as though I have been on the right track in my attempt to get this project rolling. I'm thinking that I first need to find a stronger tension spring although the one on it is pretty tight on the clutch lever. The other contributor to the slippage I believe is the new tire I put on it (the old one was worn right through!). The center of the new tire has a raised tread so the friction wheel on the motor probably only contacts about an 1/8". I thought about shaving off the tire to give it more surface area. I just haven't gotten around to messing with it much lately and it isn't real high on the priority list. I'm actually thinking about parting with it but just can't bring myself to do it..it is just a unique piece. Thanks for the replies and input.

[Grant-53]

What size tire are you using? My original set up was 26 x 1 3/8 on my Huffy 3 speed. I plan to try it on a wider cruiser tire and put some silicone windshield sealer on the hose surface. The Aqua bug used a soft silicone roller that formed to the contours of the tire.

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

If enough people build these great machines hopefully there will be a category for them in the Green Grand Prix. Could we possibly see 500 mpg at 45 mph some day?

Absolutely. I'm certain the potential is there.

The Shell Eco Marathon sees vehicles every year that do significantly better than 500mpg, and those are designed and built by students. 2015's winning student car did over 800mpg and was designed and built by high school students, not college students.

Get people with a bit more schooling and experience in on the project, perhaps with access to better materials, and the results will be even better. The cars arent' getting anywhere close to 45mph, but they're not moseying along at walking pace, either.

The Microjoule team in France - I have no idea what stage they're competing on, as it is far and away a whole different league than what I just quoted - has produced over 10,000mpg from their car.

This is probably a completely different kind of event. I imagine the car isn't going very fast at all. But even so, you can see just by looking at the car that moving it down the road doesn't take much motivation. 500mpg at 45mph might be in its performance envelope.

Whether the car can actually sustain 45mph is another question. It's about as high as a doorstop.

EM member Allert Jacobs whistled up well over 230mpg in a 125cc streamlined Honda scooter, and that was at 55mph. With careful attention to aerodynamics, weight and power optimization do I think 500mpg is attainable at 45? Yes I do. It's only a matter of time.

[Grant-53]

I went through my boxes of parts for the TML 34cc Bumble Bike kit and I have all the parts needed to make a high speed motorized bike. I had bought some 2" OD rubber motor mounts to change the speed (NAPA Balkamp 602-1049). Then I realized there is no place to ride a 45 mph motorized bike legally except a race track! If I go across the border into Pennsylvania I can ride at 25 mph so maybe 700-800 mpg is possible. I plan to use the HPV shell design software at recumbent.com.

The TML engine design was eventually sold to Poulan. I looked up a parts list for the 1800 chain saw and some part numbers might interchange. It would have to take a fair amount of research to find current part that match up. If anyone is interested I can supply copies of the original parts diagrams.

[Grant-53]

To mount the engine in the front, the hinge would have to be behind the engine. The 26" wheel can be replaced with a 20" BMX wheel to give room on the fork for mounting the base. The gas tank would have to be relocated. To keep the controls similar to a motorcycle I have a 3 speed internal gear hub with a coaster brake. A 44/16T gear ratio give a top speed of 24.4 mph at 90 ppm. I have some homemade aero bars that use bar end grips and angle aluminum. The fairing would be a 3:1 aspect shell covering the rider from the shoulders to just below the knees. Hmmm this may not be so hard after all