View From The Porch: Do want!

Monday, September 02, 2013

Do want!

Our neighbors from National Moto + Cycle Co. had a setup at WARMfest today. I has the wantsies really bad...

That just looks like stupid fun right there. About as practical as a kickstand on a tank, but who cares?

30 comments:

Anonymous said...: When I was a kid, I had a Matelle Vrroom for my bike (powered by D cells).
http://museum-of-vintage-v-rroom-collectible-mattel-toys.2291616.n2.nabble.com/Discuss-Mattel-V-RROOM-Engines-f2292208.html

That yellow bike looks suspiciously similar....

Samsam von Virginia; 7:35 PM, September 02, 2013
Steve Skubinna said...: I've been seeing E-bikes frequently, that is, on my forays into metropolitan areas. They look fun, but I have no idea how long or far they go on a charge, or how long they take to charge.

One of the more interesting models I saw up in Seattle about three months ago had extra fat sand tires. Not sure how close to sea water I'd want to get my electrically powered conveyance (okay, I am sure - the value is "not close").; 7:37 PM, September 02, 2013
Tam said...: Samsam von Virginia,

Yes, but the Mattel toy just made noise, not 40+ MPH on 2-stroke fuel. Looking around the net, there are all kinds of upgrade parts for the basic motor, too: High performance exhausts, flat slide carbs, nitrous bottles...; 7:49 PM, September 02, 2013
Steve Skubinna said...: Nitrous bottles? Crap, I don't know what's going to be worse - checking online and finding I fell for a snipe hunt, or that such things do exist.

Anyway an E-bike is way better, because it won't rape Gaia. The electricity is free, and distilled from unicorn farts.

TW: smocrat. I have no idea what it is, but it's obviously a slur of some kind. I know I speak for all of us here when I declaim how offended I am, which is why I typed it here.; 7:55 PM, September 02, 2013
og said...: I had gone a good way down a path of designing a cycle with a radial built into one of the wheels, then I discovered it had already been done

http://www.city-data.com/forum/motorcycles-scooters-atvs-boats-watercrafts-snowmobiles/1101193-1922-front-drive-radial-engine-megola.html; 8:02 PM, September 02, 2013
Steve Skubinna said...: Found this, local to you:

http://goodsparkgarage.com/we-visit-national-motocycle-co/

A while ago you posted a pic of Bobbi's miniature pennyfarthing. Where did she get it?; 8:16 PM, September 02, 2013
Johnny - Oh said...: I checked out the link, and I must say that I Lurve the whole "check me out, I'm a classic board-tracker" vibe they've got going on. Bonus: Two stroke engines are also Earth F***ers... although, since these also have pedals they might be more of an "Earth F***er Lite".; 8:24 PM, September 02, 2013
Darrell said...: Nice composition to the pics, ma'am. :); 8:26 PM, September 02, 2013
Tam said...: Steve Skubinna,

"Found this, local to you"

Yes, those are our neighbors that this post is about. :); 8:28 PM, September 02, 2013
Tam said...: I think she got the mini pennyfarthing from the people at the link in this post: http://retrotechnologist.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-own-mini-pennyfarthing.html; 8:33 PM, September 02, 2013
Tam said...: "Bonus: Two stroke engines are also Earth F***ers... although, since these also have pedals"

Saves having to pull-start, though, and if you run out of gas, you can always curse your way home. ;); 8:34 PM, September 02, 2013
Anonymous said...: In the 70's I had a sideline biz selling canoes, and for the lazy paddlers I had a line of AquaBug clamp-on motors that were basically tiny 2-stroke motors with a flex-shaft, propeller, and c-clamp to attach it to the gunwale.

They had an offshoot, the BikeBug; same motor with a friction roller and clamp to attach it to the front fork of a cruiser bike. Sold a bunch of the Aquas and a few of the Bikes...they made a hell of a racket, would do about 25 mph, and cost under 2 bills then.

I'm guessing that's a G or two cheaper than the cool customs you show here...don't know if they're still around or not, but you could slap one on your current 2-wheeler, maybe send some pics of you riding it to all your old (surviving)crotchrocket buddies.

-chaz-; 9:35 PM, September 02, 2013
Buzz said...: Tam:

Think of them as akin to early motorcyles, then they don't seem so kickstandy.; 10:18 PM, September 02, 2013
Paul said...: I built a moped mated to an old whizzer frame in my teens. Was a danger to man and beast, but was fun to ride. Went down with a wheel failure before I got to wild with the thing.; 10:28 PM, September 02, 2013
Tam said...: Buzz,

"Think of them as akin to early motorcyles..."

Yup, that's more or less exactly what they're shooting for. (My impractical comment comes from the fact that you can buy a late-model used scooter with luggage racks and enough underseat stowage to hold a full-face helmet and a sack lunch for probably less than one of these... but it won't be as cool. :))

-chaz-

You can buy a Chicom 2-stroke (that's all those motors are) to bolt onto an existing bicycle for beans. You can buy a paint-by-numbers kit of the Mona Lisa, too.; 11:19 PM, September 02, 2013
Kristophr said...: You could make your own with a kit ...; 11:28 PM, September 02, 2013
Ed said...: No change guards X 2 per bike!; 11:46 PM, September 02, 2013
RevolverRob said...: Nice. If I happen to get into Berkeley for my PhD, it's going to be so hard to figure out which way is the best for subverting and pissing off the Californians and in particular the Berkeley-ites.

This (and any other two-stroke equipped vehicle) has appeal. It could only be better if it ran on endangered panda tears.

-Rob; 12:15 AM, September 03, 2013
Steve Skubinna said...: Or on whale oil.; 1:03 AM, September 03, 2013
Sendarius said...: ... or on oil whale sperm!

Hang on, that doesn't sound right...; 4:51 AM, September 03, 2013
AM said...: A buddy of mine at Fort Knox did the "build your own" thing with a Craigslist Schwinn and a 48cc chicom motor kit.

A rattle can of flat black Krylon gave it a retro feel and it worked out really well for a "putz around post" vehicle that he could park anywhere.

I'm sure you know someone who is mechanically inclined that would help with the nut turning and bolt tightening if you decided to make your own.; 6:17 AM, September 03, 2013
RollsCanardly said...: If you like these, Tam, you might enjoy whiling away a few hours here:

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=619303

This details the scratch-build of a board-tracker replica using a more modern engine.

Enjoy...
Rolls; 8:49 AM, September 03, 2013
Anonymous said...: "You can buy a paint-by-numbers kit of the Mona Lisa, too."

Yup. And like the bike (and millionmile Subie) you can actally HAVE them, as opposed to their waycool albeit unattainable counterparts.:)

-chaz-; 9:01 AM, September 03, 2013
Anonymous said...: Oh noez, Umma gittin' the gattahavit's!; 9:27 AM, September 03, 2013
Siege said...: Convenient, I was just thinking I needed to examine the connections for bikes with engine kits for a personal project, and you come along and post a bunch of fine pictures of exactly what I need.; 10:50 AM, September 03, 2013
global village idiot said...: Pissonit. I want a real motorcycle.

I've given up on my dream of having a Ural - just isn't for me anymore - but I'd be happy with a Royal Enfield.

gvi; 12:12 PM, September 03, 2013
NotClauswitz said...: Whether it's practical or not is beyond reproach when Fun is involved - especially & absolutely OK and not ironic - and the smell of Blendzall and Nitro in the morning is like the tears of a Hippie.; 1:57 PM, September 03, 2013
Anonymous said...: Dang it Tam, your snobbery (I jest) about my BikeBug reminisce pushed me down the google hole to see if they're still around.

Apparently not, but hell, there's a whole subculture around the things. And I'm thinking this old bird:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikebug.net%2Fdocuments%2FAquaBug.pdf&ei=RCUmUpn5E-qxsATYq4GIDA&usg=AFQjCNF6_II3PKGu8LNle9JZIcL0PVZoIA&sig2=sWeuLSeNKyAq9SsBVsM_WQ would have taken offense at being lumped with the ChiComs.

So, those nifty retro repros are US made engine and all? Sadly, that's a rarity right there.

-chaz-; 2:30 PM, September 03, 2013
Anonymous said...: Link no worky...but googling aquabug bikebug big sucker little sucker brings up an hilarious pdf article written by the co. founder.; 2:38 PM, September 03, 2013
Michael Bane said...: Holy crap, Tam! Am overcome with motorcycle...er...bicycle...er...strange retro thingie lust! This after I just scraped up the bucks to get my aging Honda Magna out of hock!

It's the perfect ride to get to my zeppelin, while listening to Abney Park's "To the Apocalypse in Daddy's Sidecar!"

Michael B; 9:10 PM, September 03, 2013

View From The Porch

Monday, September 02, 2013

Do want!

30 comments:

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