Help Engine on Expedition Bicycle?

Lemsteraak

Adventurer
OK, I've got an idea. Alright if I run it past you?


Does all the equipment we need get in our way?


Many of the areas I like have been closed to 4x4 vehicles but are still accessible by bicycle. I like riding bicycles but not the uphill sections, especially under load.


The past couple of years I've been playing around with a hub engine from Germany, adds 20 pounds to the bike but helps you cover longer distances, really long distances. Thought I was alone, turns out there are others with this thought. Just got this in response to a mechanical question I had.


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Well, we started touring in 1994. Our first trip was 6000km through the outback mostly on dirt roads. The following year we toured Western Australlia and came back from Kalgoolie following the railway line across the Nullabor to Adelaide. In 1996 we took all our gear to LA (sneaked our bikes on the plane as luggage – wouldn’t try that now though) and rode 12000 km in a big loop down to Mexico, across to St Louis, followed the Lewis and Clark Trail to Oregon and back to LA via Death Valley. We left our bikes in the US till 2001 doing a bit more each year in both the US and Canada.


Haven’t done much since then except a 6-week trip across northern Qld in 2004. The motors are great. Here’s a photo of our setup in 2004.


Do you know much about the internals of the carburetors? I have two different carbs: one, the Bing, has a simple float, the other (I haven’t seen the name but I’ll check it next time I take it off) has a lever arrangement in the chamber. Is that the TK?


mtb%20australia.bmp


Would a bike like this be of interest to anyone?

Rich @ AutoHomeUS
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Lemsteraak said:
Does all the equipment we need get in our way?
Yes.
Would a bike like this be of interest to anyone?
I think would be making things unnecessarily complex. I would not personally be interested in something like this. If I want to drive, I drive and if I want to ride, I ride. A big part of the beauty of a bike is that it doesn't rely on fossil fuels and is quiet.
 

adrenaline503

Explorer
Myself being an avid cyclist, I would not be interested in such a product. I love the idea of assist motors, models like the cleverchimp stokemonkey hold the key to getting people out of cars and onto bikes. But for long distance touring, I prfer the simple silent nature of my Surly Long Haul Trucker. If I am going to ride something with a motor, it would be a motorcycle. But, inovation isn't going to hurt anything and I wish you the best of luck.
 

Lemsteraak

Adventurer
OK, what if it rides like a your normal mountain bike, by freewheeling when not in use and has a center of gravity lower than your axles so it doesn't disturb the handling.

What if it is very quiet and uses very little fuel when running. Euro II spec, with a catalytic converter so it runs very clean?

Does this make it more appealing?

Rich
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
I've been an avid rider and competitive racer for 23 years, so take my comment with a grain of salt. No, I wouldn't even consider an assist motor. Like another poster said, I like the idea of ELECTRIC assist motors on commuter bikes as a means of attracting more riders to communting, but offroad? No way.

One thing to consider is the performance of the bike in general. Adding even a few pounds to the rear of a bike alters the trail handling.

The best bet is to gear down and ride two or three times a week so you don't need that assist motor in the first place. I'm sure your body, like mine, benefits from more regular workouts. Even a small amount of fitness would make that motor pretty unnecessary.
 

adrenaline503

Explorer
When you consider the weight of fuel, it stops being an efficent assist motor. For me, one of the best parts of cycling is not needed fuel. I also assume that you would need more tools to mantain the engine, so more weight. What if the motor broke? Then you have the weight of the motor, plus fuel to carry with no benefit. Simplicity is the greatest attribute of a expedition bike. Now for cruising around town, maybe.
 

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