45 posts tagged “moped”
While driving home from Louisville I had the brilliant idea of how NOT to spend any more unnecessary money on mopeds. I still needed one to get me to classes and work, but I didn't need two. I looked at the cost analysis between the Pintomos and the Moby. The Pintomos would have at least cost me $75 to get back on the road safely. The Moby however only needed nuts and bolts, so a total of $2 to get me back on the road safely. The catch is I needed several parts off my Pintomos to make the Moby run. I got home from the 2 hour drive and made the decision to say goodbye to my Pintomos. It had served me well and I enjoyed building and riding it, but the recent cylinder issue just cost too much. I don't have the time, money, or space to maintain 2+ mopeds anymore. With graduation approaching and the job search beginning I need to focus on more important things than that extra 3mph. I began work last night on the Moby and finished up today. Here it is, the Super Moby! Still 50cc, but definitely closing in on 40mph! I will be taking it out later to test the longevity of my work. Enjoy
Last week while riding I noticed a new sound coming from my moped. At first I didn't think much of it, but every time I hit a small bump it became louder. The sound came from below my normal view. While coming back from work the other day I spent the time to look under my moped and I'm glad I did. It appears while riding I snapped off my exhaust stud inside the cylinder. There are two studs that hold the pipe to the cylinder exhaust port. While one is still attached it's severely weakened and probably dangerous to exceed 5mph. I am in desperate need of a drill with reverse bits now, but don't have the money to get them. The Moby is currently non-running and needs a specific part ordered before I can ride it so my options are limited. If I don't get something together over the weekend I will be using my own power and pedaling my bike to classes and work. Let's hope I find something.
I'm trying to sell both of the mopeds I got last week. I was able to get one running and the other I looked over. I have decided to sell them as a package deal. The rusty one could be a runner, but I would have to put in some time and effort that I don't have. They are posted on Craigslist. So here is a video of the running one!
I have 3 strong runners sitting outside my apartment. Each with their own quarks and feel. I recently upgraded both Tomos' and put a smaller carb on the Moby. Here are the specs:
Bumblebee: Stock cylinder, larger carb/intake, geared out for top speed, expansion chamber for top speed. As of right now it's not dialed in and tops out near 40mph. Still a great ped and my first project. More mods to come!
Moby: Did a small piston mod last month and I didn't notice much. I downgraded the carb to try and get some lowend back. I haven't really messed with it, but hopefully soon. Still a strong runner and a good loaner to friends for small town rides.
Red Tomos: Purchased for my Father and recently got upgraded. I tossed the old exhuast and threw on a ripper. I removed the air filter and upjetted accordingly. Now this thing is pure fun. It's a quick 30+mph and should have the power to pull my father up the driveway. I can't wait for him to ride this. I cleaned it up, installed a new seat and rear rack. The rear brakes are messed up, but nothing a small trip to Indy couldn't fix.
Last week we had a bunch of people show up to our weekly ride, some even came down from Indy. It was AWESOME! 10+ riders going through town with 60 degree weather is about as good as it gets. I was really hyped up and so was everyone else. We rode until the wee hours of the night and got to fix 2 mopeds. I was able to get a Puch Cobra running for a friend and it was a great feeling. It was nice to meet new people and now they will be coming down every Thursday to ride with us. Good times.
I will have to post some updated photos of my fleet before this weekend. My Pucho is now my daily rider, a solid 35+. The Moby is also a daily that was used the other night to haul around 2 people with no problems. My Swinger is now incomplete and a non-runner. I sold some parts from it to help pay for other needs. Hopefully come summer I will be able to fix her up, but as of right now the Moby is my fastest ped at 37.7mph. Going slow has never been so much fun.
Updates:
1. Puchomos is running and 99% complete. Goes about 40mph with decent torque. I'm only going to mod the cylinder to push near 45mph. It's going to maintain it's stock status. No larger cylinder bore or carb.
2. Moby is running decent. Good pull to about 35mph maybe 40mph. Last week something broke while riding and I'm not sure if I fixed it or not. I have to go on some test runs this week. I could add some more performance mods, but the bike is pretty reliable and I'm saving for other things.
3. Swinger is currently running like poo poo. The carb has a horrible air leak and it boggs really bad. I need to fix the air leak and maybe modify the clutch. Right now I can't get past 30mph. This use to be a 50mph bike. Hopefully this week I can fix it.
4. Magnum is running and mostly complete. This weekend I installed new grips and rode the bike around. The cylinder and gearing is definitely holding it back. Next time I go in I am going to install the performance cylinder and exhuast. I'm looking for great pull to 35mph. It's meant to carry people up hills and not 50mph.
Bloomington is still very cold and limits group riding. I did however go out the other day when it was 60 degrees. I spent hours outside and enjoyed every minute of it. I rode pucho up and down all around town.
It's official. My project is now a running moped!!!! I put it all together yesterday while we had the awesome weather and now I'm tuning it. I actually rode it up and down the street. I don't have any photos yet, but I will soon. I also hope to upload a video of it. Yay for awesomeness!
This holiday I managed to acquire a running E50 Puch engine and install it on my Father's Magnum. It still needs some TLC and possibly an upgrade this summer, but it runs! The gearing and pipe severely hinder the speed to about 30mph with a 200lb rider. I will be going into town tomorrow and installing some new grips and a rear-view mirror, oh boy! I hope with some more cleaning and reconditioning this moped will be plenty for my Father.
