31 December:  Well I guess you had to know it would happen. I kept going back to Sick Bike Parts to look at that damned shfit kit.  I just know it would be fun to build a bike that you can shift gears on.  So yesterday I bit the bullet and ordered one.  My neighbor gave me a frame that he had.  I figure I can use that and my Columbia frame to figure out how I am going to build bike number 2.  Since I have one bike working I can take time to screw around with the whole thing to come up with a good design.  So of course I needed to get an engine.  This time I did a little more research before buying an engine.  I like Spooky Tooth they are nice folks with a nice web site but the price is high for the Bike Engine Kit at $250. So I wandered around to see what I could find.  I came across someone in Canada with a much lower price and sent them an email asking about the engine.  I did not get a response.  Later reading leads me to believe that although I like Canada when it comes to bike engines you just have to say no.  

More research lead to Live Fast Motors which sells the motor mount that my neighbor gave me and worked out so well on the first bike.  But oh my god these engines must be platinum plated. $350 for the kit. Well the motor mount is only $15 if I want to get it from them.  I later found out that this is my neighbors friend.  My neighbor is the guy who assembles the engines for him.  My neighbor is also the guy that designed the spring chain tensioner  for them.  I haven't seen it yet and there is no photo on the site.  They also sell something that really is a great idea, the "Clam Shell Sprocket Adapter" which puts a hub in the wheel rather than attaching the sprocket to the spokes.  I won't be needing that for this project since I am going to use the jack shaft shifer kit.

Some how I ended up at Zone8Cycling  The price for their kit is $139.95. Plus with a little looking around on the site there is is also a 10% discount code available and free shipping.  I have seen a couple other sites that had around the same price.  This engine is supposed to be the EPA certifiied version of the engine.  

    This kit includes:
  • ½ gallon Black Gas Tank
  • 44 Tooth chrome sprocket with 9 holes
  • Magneto with kill switch (on throttle)
  • Clutch cable 
  • Drive chain idler
  • Low profile carburetor assembly
  • High quality main bearings
  • CD ignition assembly
  • 415 Heavy duty bike chain
  • Chain tensioner guide
  • Chain guard
  • Spark plug
  • Exhaust pipe (chrome or black depending on kit)
  • all the needed mounting brackets, gaskets, and hardware.
  • NEW Twist Throttle and cable with matching grip (retail at $20 yours FREE)
  • UPGRADED ALLOY CLUTCH LEVER (retail at $15 yours FREE)
  • Complete easy to follow installation instructions/Manual (English)
  • Kit comes with 1 universal plate, for bigger frame tube
  • Bonus fuel filter yours FREE

Wow all that free stuff!!  I know that the bolts and stuff will all be cheap metal, that I probably will have to replace but  we will see.  I ordered it this morning.  So some time next week I should see this and the shift kit on my doorstep.

3 January:  I was checking the shipping status of  the new motor this morning.  It's somewhere in California right now.  I though well I wonder where the shift kit is.  I clicked on the USPS tracking link in my email from Sick Bikes.  To my surprise it said "Your item was delivered at 1:00 PM on January 2, 2009 in PHOENIX, AZ 85023."  I popped off the couch and opened my front door.  Sure enough I found a small box on my door step.  It's not a very big box.  So what do you get for $200?  I don't really know.  I was surprised that there was no parts list (see parts list) in the box.  
You do get a note telling you to get the manual online.  Still I would have liked a parts list to check off.

13 January:frame columbia2 Well I almost killed myself working on this thing yesterday.  Here is an update.  Received engine from  Zone8Cycling on 6 Jan.  The kit is a bit different from SpookyTooth kit but not much.  Yet another different mounting bracket for the front of the engine, a muffler hanger, a nice installation manual with some pretty good pictures, different instructions for installing the kill switch.  My neighbor gave me a frame, so I am using it and the Columbia  for parts.  What I don't have is handlebars or a seat.  My neighbor is loaning me a seat until  I find one.  I wanted  to do this slow and right so I have been taking my time.

broke breakerI  got a little help in that as I was shortening the drive chain my new chain breaker broke.   I emailed  Sick Bikes and they  sent one out the next day. I could still work on the bike, since I would not need to worry about the chain s for a while.

clutch mod 2clutch back mod 1So onward.  The most difficult task is getting the gear shifter together, or so I thought.  The kit definately requires making tweaks to the motor  mostly just grinding where bolts need to attach the brackets as you can see here. Once that was all worked out I could move on to the pedals and freewheeling crank.

Taking out the bottom end was a bitch.  Only because I didn't have the tool.  Xhale told me that if I brought the bike in they could tell me which one to buy to get the work done.  Oh well,  I put the frame in the truck.  It turned out that they couldn't sell me what the didn't have, they were out of ones to sell.  I did buy the bottom end tool and order the dual brake pull.

I thought I would work on other parts of the bike a simple task like putting the petcock on the gas tank, working out the front mounting bracket.  Well that did not go so well, the clamp for the front mount is too long, or at least is sure seems to be so I had to work out an alternative.  Well the petcock did not fit.  I couldn't thread it on.  I could see that there was paint on the threads.  I tried getting the hole with a steel brush from my dremel knockoff.  No joy.  I  ended up buying a tap to recut the threads.  Most amazing, Ace had the right tap, I didn't have to buy a whole set just the one tap.  They had a set of 5 pliers, Ace Professionals  for $12.99 a good price since they sell one pair for $14.99, we will see, they have a Lifetime Warranty.
  

Still I dont have handlebars so I have been checking Goodwill and Savers for parts.  I did look at some bikes listed on Craig's List but they all were way to expensive, read that ast more than $50.  Yes I am cheap.  Yesterday, I had eggs and french toast at Alexi's (check the food pages   I went from there to Goodwill, saw the same tired 10 speed that has been there for a week, and then off a bit from the bikes was a little green stingray.  It had handlebars that I was looking for as well as nice side pull brakes and the strangest brake pull I have seen.  you pull on one lever and it splits off to two cables that pull on a collar that in turns pulls the back brake.  It also had a seat post that will work with the frame, $7.99 and there was a 26" tire for $3. $11 out the door.  Did I mention I was on my bike?  I will tell you that walking two bikes a half a mile is a bitch.  especially if one has a motor and the other has two flat tires.  That just about killed me.  When I was close enough to see my house I dropped the stingray and pedaled home, then walked back and walked the stingray home.  Parked the bikes in the garage and gave up any kind of work.  After about an hour I was up to reading.  I started "Dead Until Dark" LOL.  Later in the day I put tap to tank and all was well with the world.  Took the handlebars off  the stingray drilled the whole for the throttle grip, then sanded the scratched paint off.

Part 7