External Fuel Sources

I've got a super rusted out Maxi tank, and while it isn't anything that is beyond a little acid bath, I need way to get the bike home. So I bungied on this Puch AD plastic fuel tank, and it worked pretty well. It got me thinking, it would be nice to have a small, plastic fuel container with fuel valve and hose that could carry between 1/2 and 1 gallons of gasoline, and could strap easily onto most mopeds. I've found some tanks that come close to what I want, but they all seem to be large and bulky. I just want something to carry a little fuel that could be used in rust tank bikes and also for servicing mopeds or what not, and would perhaps be very cheap. I might try my hand at making my own out of something or other.

Let's cut some grass, quickly!

I got an e-mail from a friend of mine who is a two stroke tinkerer, showing me his first attempt at hydroformed expansion chambers. His plan is to try and make a pipe for his RD this winter, I believe. A good place to start, and I think it turned out pretty nice.

Swinger2 : Glam Edition

A JCPenny Swinger1 was manufactured by Kromag and sold through JCPenny. It was the low dollar model, with a rigid front and rear suspension and no speedometer. Very basic, it only came in blue, with color matched blue fenders and skinny wire wheels. The JCPenny Swinger2 was the next model up, and featured speedometer, and full suspension, in addition to a rear rack with spring loaded book keeper. It also had color matched fenders and the skinny spoke wheels, and came in 3 two colors, orange (some might call a carousel red) and yellow. The JCPenny Pinto had a half crome tank and crome fenders with front fork brace bar, came in orange and yellow with the wider set of spoke wheels. The JCPenny Pinto2 came in both silver and black, with a half chrome tank, chrome fenders, snowflake mag wheels and long seat instead of the traditional saddle. All Pinto and Swinger models had the swiss cheese tube frame.

All that being said, I've started to assemble this rediculous Swinger2 that I got on an impulse this winter. It has a Magnum length swingarm and Murray front forks, making the rear shocks sit low and the front end sit high. Add a chopped seat post and a low saddle, throw in some stupidly blingy metal flake powdercoat, and maybe a touch of gold spokes, and you've got a lowrider moped.
Oh, and here is a tip on the best way I've figured out to put a kickstand spring back on. Watch and learn! Get a large size phillips screwdriver (because they are round completely which works best) and slip it into the lose end of the spring, then put the other end of the screwdriver on the knob and pull the screw driver toward you, using the knob as a fulcrum. The spring slides down the screw driver and pulls itself on nice and tight, then you just wiggle your driver out.

Oh, P.S. I know my shocks are upside down, but they have clearance issues right side up, so don't think I'm an idiot. Well, I'm kind of an idiot for building such a stupid bike, so rather, don't think I'm incompetent.

3 for 4!

I've got the fastest Metra80 in Seattle again. When I built this thing, I didn't have the 23mm deep socket to get on this nut, and tightened it down with an adjustable wrench, thinking that the lock washer would suffice to hold it down. Well, it managed to escape the washer, and the clutches worked themselves off the shaft. No damage done, thankfully, so with the use of the right socket I got this bad boy torqued down again. The magnum is on the road, and that puts me at 3 of 4 working mopeds! Soon to be 4 of 5 after Portland!

ZA50 Clutch Trouble!

ZA50 from the Magnum went clunk a few months back, and it's been sitting. I drained it today and cracked it open. The oil looked clean, but something about one of the clutches seems off. Sadly, the only thing about the clutch that seems off is the fact that it doesn't work. I was unable to open the left handed nut that holds the rear shaft in place. I need to go clean out the shop so I can use the vice and actually torque on this thing instead of using my rear end to hold the engine while I push against myself.
In more successful news, I built an E50 and quickly put it on my wife's moped since her two speed also crapped out. I'm not having two speed luck recently, but her one speed is pulling pretty good and it should be solid enough for Portland which is only a week away. Look for me there, I'll be riding my Swinger1, catch me if you can.