Test ride: Tomahawk clip-ons and pulley Xtreme kit
Last night I test rode my motobecane Av10 moped 50cc with the Tomahawk 28mm clip-ons and the Doppler clutch pulley with the Tomahawk Xtreme kit + push/pedal start one way bearing HFL 3030 wider than stock (I had to lightly grind the circlip to clear the shoe springs).
CLIP-ONS:
The tubes can be cut or inserted deeper but I wanted to test the widest position with the tubes 10.5 inches long from the clipon. Even though I was afraid that the aluminum tube gauge might be a little too thin, matching the standard handle bars steel gauge (to fit any bar end without drilling), they were actually strong enough after braking hard with my upper body weight on them and hitting the potholes of Los Angeles bad roads. The advantage is their super light weight and if you crash they’ll probably bend or break before the expensive CNC machined clipon part. The racing position with 8 degree angle felt good, I like them.
PULLEY XTREME KIT:
The heat treated 8mm posts + the triangle brace are bulletproof. The brace is not stainless steel so remember to wipe it with oil to protect it from potential rust. The push start HFL 30/30 one way bearing upgrade is wider and feels stronger than the stock doppler 30/20 bearing, with no shuttering problem. So far so good, the best one out of all the one way bearings I’ve been testing. The clutch pulley doesn’t shutter anymore. Thanks for the tip Naz! (moped builder and racer from Seattle).
VIDEO:
Back from the ride. The clutch grabs a little late at high rpms with the strong clutch stock springs, feels good for track but might be annoying, loud, and fuel consuming for street riding. Also, my piston ring is completely worn out with loss of compression and power, the engine revs high but with less torque doesn’t pull as hard as it used to. The Bidalot 50cc kit is a 3rd hand with thousands of miles on the nikasil and a leaking exhaust ball joint, the port duration was also set for high rpms and top speed for the track, not low end power. I couldn’t go full speed, too dangerous with the cell phone is my left hand.
CLIP-ONS RAFFLE:
The raffle ended today Wednesday, Feb 1st 2012. Thanks everybody for the great feedback!
And the lucky winner is….
#15 SCOTT BIRDSEY
From the Mohawk Mammoths, Albany NY. http://mohawkmammoths.com/
Congrats man! Email us your shipping address so you can rock those Tomahawk clip-ons on your bike soon.
From AV7 to AV10
Here’s a motobecane 50cc engine I built for a customer who wants to swap his av7 engine 2 ports cylinder inducted and experience the power of a better av10 engine 3 ports case inducted reed valve with lubricating holes for the crank bearings.
I’m using used stock av10 cases, used crank + new bearings and seals, new 50cc doppler kit, used stock RMZ head with decomp, used stock cdi (also have a back up new mvt cdi), new 19 carb, new doppler exhaust, new doppler er3 variator with bearing clutch function, stock double spring, no launch lever.
I’m using my wonder bread moby frame to test the engine, once perfectly tuned I’ll send it back to Chicago, ready to mount and blast after re-jetting.
If you’re interested in a similar set-up for your moby or build a whole bike just contact Tomahawk.
Short video 1st start a mano:
2h break in session with rich carburetion + heavy variator weights, and old doppler pipe (thx Tracy!)
The engine is ready for final test runs, carb and variator tuning. Then pack it and ship it.
Motobecane stock cases available at http://www.treatland.tv
AV7 AV10
Bonus pics:
Back from my meeting with Santa Claus after reinstalling my 50cc Bidalot engine, blasting everybody’s ears and racing some Ford Mustangs on Hollywood Blvd with my screaming 12,000 rpms pressing hard on the launch lever. I never get tired of it!
The perfect plug, the color looks richer in real with a nice light chocolate brown/brick red.
Mobylette av10, doppler clutch pulley
I’m going to start using my motobecane race frame to build, tune, test and ship complete engines. So if you’re interested in replacing your av7 cylinder inducted engine or building a fast av10 case inducted engine, just contact me for more details. I will also build a Peugeot 103 test bike for kitted engines or solid 45 mph 50cc sotckish engine. Whatever fits your needs and budget. Moving to a new shop next year, I may start doing it with other mopeds like Puch and Tomos. I’ll continue to take special orders for custom moped builds.
I just received a set of 2 way regular bearings to replace the push start one way bearing on the Doppler clutch pulley and use a kick start unit to start the engine.
VIDEO:
Here’s a test run with the HK 3020 bearing.
The stock Doppler clutch pulley is available at Treats moped super store http://www.treatland.tv
https://www.treatland.tv/motobecane-av7-av10-doppler-clutch-pulley-p/motobecane-doppler-pulley.htm
Gentlemen, kick sart your av10 engines!
I rebuilt my motobecane av10 engine with new crank bearings + seals and mounted the kick start unit to use the modified Doppler Er2 clutch pulley with a solid 2 way bearing to solve the problems I’ve been having with the one way bearing designed to push start the bike.
I can’t wait to try that new transmission set-up. It should be the perfect street/race 50cc motobecane with reliability, fast take offs, accelerations and top speed. I’ll remove the clutch pulley + kick start on the track to get a more direct and quicker acceleration and to keep the bike lighter.
Bonus pics and videos:
I came back from a Friday night ride with the Wooly Bullies moped gang. Lots of mopeds and lots of fun. I can’t get enough of that 2 stroke smell. I finally met Honest Mike, cool dude. The ride was fast but no bikes could keep up with our mobys. I love the power of 50cc variated motobecane bikes with launch lever. People don’t really realize how fast they are until they get blasted on a ride. I replaced the air box with a TNT scooter filter. The bike is starting to look more like a moped now. I might repaint the frame once I’m done with the clutch pulley/kick start set-up.
The 2 fastest motobecane bikes in LA parked in downtown at Farmer Boys restaurant.
Meeting at Choke moped store. Check out the Tron neon lights, rad!
Cruising through Pasadena. I’m still having problems at low end with slow throttle response, I may have to change my spark plug and check the ignition.
Here’s a video from Honest Mike “the King of Low Def”. He goes to a lot of moped/scooter rides and brings videos edited and uploaded in record time. He shot some videos last night of the Bullies ride, blasting his bike the camera in one hand to the other hand on the handlebars, that guy is a pro.
I just got a cool home made trophy gift from Treats. Gender bender hill race 2008 1st place. Thanks guys! I feel like I was there and won it 
. I missed all the good races since I only started doing mopeds in the US in 2009. I will proudly expose it in my living room and maybe in my future shop.
WOW!
I’m never going back to 70cc kits at least with french variated mopeds, ever! Less power with reduced port duration, overheating with bigger piston head and more vibrations to brake your engine parts, bad combo.
Motobecane av10 mopeds are so fast with small stock cases and a good 50cc kit slightly ported. I have to do so much more work on 50cc peugeot bikes though to get that kind of power, even though on paper it should be faster using a “square engine”. It must be the stroke that makes the difference on motobecane bikes. Now I understand why motobecane race bikes ruled french moped racing for more than 30 years and peugeot bikes ruled the streets with custom tuning.
I’m glad I did a bunch of research and stuck with 50cc engines for the past 2 years to take my tuning skills to the next level. When you want to increase the power of your 2 stroke moped engine you should learn the basics of tuning first and find out how to get the most power out of your 50cc engine. Choosing the “bigger bore” route is not necessarily the right approach if you don’t have the tuning skills yet, you’ll never learn. It takes time, research and hours of testing but once you’ve mastered 50cc 2 stroke tuning you can apply the same formula to 70cc or 80cc kits for insane power. The problem with mopeds or even scooters sometimes is to find a crank that can last and take such power at high rpms. Also remember that the key element hard to master in 2 stroke tuning is the final touch, the pipe!
I did a quick test run at night with a Doppler clutch pulley that I modified to make it more heavy duty than the weak stock version + a smaller rear 52T sprocket. The idle is a little high, the Doppler stock springs makes the clutch 3 shoes grab a little late but the power is insane! The bike has super fast take offs and keeps pulling even with the small sprocket even though it toned down the engine a little. There’s still room to increase the rpms by modifying the pipe but I prefer to keep the engine reliable. With better wheels and tires I honestly believe, after competing in 2010 against the fastest 75cc mopeds and watching videos of other moped races, that right now that bike or my other fast Peugeot 103 rcx 50cc h20 would be hard to beat. I’ll keep the cheaper to maintain motobecane for street racing and the more expansive high tech peugeot for the race track.
The bike is so much fun to ride now with power everywhere, fast take offs, crazy acceleration and top speed. It’s scooter fast now but with better top speed, scooter type dual variated transmissions absorb some of the engine’s power, they rev high but don’t pull like a single variated bike and don’t make you feel that kick when the engine hits the pipe at maximum power. It makes me want to keep the clutch pulley even if I have to take it off after almost each ride to keep an eye on the one way bearing that tends to brake if not lubricated often. I can’t wait to get one of those new prototype heavy duty clutch pulleys that I’m working on with an engineer in France and that are being tested taking a beating on the track to fit on peugeot and motobecane street bikes. I hope to be able to manufacture and import them very soon.
Cut off pedal to hold the pulley Exhaust safety brake cables
Bonus pics: Entry level 2008 motobecane av10 Bidalot 50cc air cooled Gr1 french race moped.
Special thanks to my friend Remi master tuner from France with 20+ years of experience in 50cc moped racing who guided me in my quest for 50cc power.
Pics of his first Motobecane av10 Gr2 Bidalot 50cc race bike (high mount exhaust) 23 years ago blasting the streets of Paris at 75 mph and his top level Bidalot Replica Gr3 50cc race bike currently competing in the french 50cc variated championship.
1- Test run with Doppler Er2 clutch pulley.
The acceleration lifts the front end and you can feel the pulling force. I need to buy a steering damper just like the race bike above asap!
Man… that test run reminded me of the early 90′s when we used to race our mopeds, scooters, motorcycles, cars every Friday night in the streets just outside East of Paris on the Esplanade de Vincennes plaza just behind the castle located in a big park. Hundreds of crazy machines, latest technology, stolen bikes, loud engines, burn outs, smoke, fast runs, leathers, hot dogs, alcohol, prostitutes, cops, etc… It’s gone now.
I’ll never be late for work with that bike!
Another test run with the same Doppler clutch. Very good acceleration but I’m already having problems with the one way bearing.
Next test runs with adjustable Mykitech scooter clutch 3 shoes and vintage RGD/Bidalot clutch no one way bearing with special 2 shoes dual function to start the bike…
2- Test run with Mykitech clutch pulley:
It took me a while to tune the Mykitech clutch. It feels very heavy and the springs are way to hard making the shoes grab super late. My 50cc engine was screaming and I could barely take off. The shoes feel light and seem to start a little too far from the TGB clutch bell. That clutch pulley was definitely made for the race track with super high rpms screaming engines like a motobecane 50cc Gr3 moped or a ported 80cc minarelli scooter kit with the Mykitech cases designed to mount on moped frames.
The winning ticket is to use the softer Doppler stock springs and adjust the tension according to your engine’s power and rpms. Even with my 11,500 rpm engine the shoes still grab a little late and too smoothly compared to the Doppler clutch. Good thing I’m a using a launch lever to compensate and find the sweet spot to make that clutch work. I lost some the violent acceleration but that clutch definitely feels more heavy duty than the Doppler, no problem with the one way bearing that fits tighter on the shaft. But that being said, it would have to be tested over time doing a lot of stop and go in the city which wears out the one way bearing faster than on the race track being used mostly at the starting lane. Overall I don’t recommend that clutch for street riding but should work fine on the track.
I think I’m going to go back up 2 teeth with 11 x 54T rear sprocket for the next test run with the vintage RGD clutch pulley. It should the perfect transmission with the engine’s high rpms for street riding with quick accelerations and fast top speed.
I hate doing test runs in traffic.
3- Test run with vintage RGD clutch pulley.
I really like that clutch but it’s only a copy of the Bidalot clutch pulley and doesn’t come with adjustable weights on the 2 shoes. I only have one set of springs so I can’t tune it yet. The good thing about that clutch is that it doesn’t use a one way bearing and allows you use any front sprocket from 10T to 13T, unlike the other pulleys that come with a machined shaft with 11T sprocket. That’s “race shit”…
I took a couple of runs to get used to it, learning the transition between the starting function pads and the clutch function pads. I couldn’t fully test it because I still need to machine and replace the damaged pins that rubbed against the steel bell, probably after taking a beating on the french race tracks and probably not being assembled right. I can hear a clutch metallic sound so I may need to add extra washers inside. I’ll ask Remi about that noise since he’s used the Bidalot racing version for years.
I really had to press hard on the launch lever and make my engine scream to get the full potential of that clutch but I had to ease off because it was on a hot day using a air cooled engine. It’s definitely another clutch designed for the race track and very high rpms engines but once I can tune it for street riding it should be good.
After testing those 3 different clutch pulleys, the Doppler one feels the best for street riding. Too bad it has a cheap bell that heats up, doesn’t come with heavy duty pins + triangle brace and that half of the models have problems with the one way bearing under extreme power. It’s time to manufacture an improved version of the Doppler pulley or start from scratch with a regular 2 way bearing and maybe a kick start just like on the 90′s stock motobecane av10 50cc h20 version.
Street riding URT clutch pulleys 15mm shoes for peugeot 103 and motobecane av10 + racing Bidalot adjustable clutch pulley 25mm shoes for motobecane race bikes (like my RGD).
RDG clutch pulley test run.
Until I can find the perfect clutch pulley for street riding I’m switching back to a standard pulley with no clutch. I don’t have to worry about bearing and shoe pads wear or being stock on the side of the road. I did a final test ride with the standard pulley and 11 x 54T rear sprocket. As I anticipated, this is the perfect transmission with my “low” 11,500 rmps 50cc gr1 engine for quick acceleration and 70+ mph top speed. I actually regained a more direct and violent acceleration than with any of the 3 clutch pulleys I tested. It feels less like a scooter and it’s slower of the line like a one speed Puch but faster once the engine hits the pipe, it’s scary.
There’s nothing like blasting down Hollywood Blvd at night for a quick test run.
I think I’m done for a while with speed, tuning and testing fast french 50cc variated race mopeds. I’m gonna concentrate on finishing my peugeot 103 streetfighter and the motobecane 40T project. After that I want to explore stock Tomos Sprint mopeds and convert them into nice top tank bikes 45 mph.
Is moped racing dead?
It seems like it. At least for now in California.
So far, half way into the 2011 moped racing season I’m starting to have doubts that moped racing will make a come back to California this year. It’s a little disappointing. There’s no moped racers to compete against. I was planning on going to the race #6 at Buttonwillow August 20th for the SoCal vs NoCal event but I have little hope to see a lot of moped racers there. I can always race in the mini gp motorcycles class again but it’s not as fun. If I skipped race #6 I might go to the race #8 October 15th at Grange’ just for practice with few friends.
After reading Will’s comment on my blog, I’m starting to turn my eyes on motorized bicycle racing (2 stroke, 4 stroke and electric) that seems to be taking off. The organization will be at Grange’ for their next race October 22nd. I don’t think that any of my fast 50cc race mopeds would blend with those guys on the track but I might bring my motobecane av10 and just check out the event. It seems like they’re having fun rubbing elbows with at least 15 bikes on the track. Why not getting one of those 2 stroke motorized bicycles and bring my moped tuning skills to the game? They seem to care about aesthetic too with a best in show award. That could be a fun, cheap and revive my motivation for 2 stroke racing.
Will’s electric powered race bicycle
BONUS VIDEOS:
My white Motobecane Av10 49.9cc race moped (stock cases + 19 carb) at 66 mph uphill with a 56T rear sprocket.
I finally bought a GPS to find out the real top speed of my race mopeds. In the video, I don’t know what happened at the end of the ride but I focused the camera on the wrong reading maybe because the sun was blinding my eyes.
I made another video of the ride downhill but I ran out of battery and gasoline so I wasn’t able to read the top speed either. It felt like a solid 70 mph though and got a little scary with such small tires and no steering damper, plus I was worried about the traffic, radars, turns, etc…
I’m now confident that the bike will reach 75 mph with smaller rear sprockets. Next time I’ll try a 54T then 52T and probably a 45T. I’ll have to drive up north in the Valley outside LA and find some long straight roads with no traffic this time to be safer. I already know a sweet area.
I can’t wait to test my other faster race moped, the yellow Peugeot 103 Rcx 49.9cc Bidalot H2O 14,000 rpms (malossi cases + 21 carb) with a small 53T rear sprocket instead of my 74T sprocket currently 65 mph. I’m hoping to reach 80 mph with that bike.
It’s time to adjust the chain! Loose is good though, less friction, less resistance, more speed… Not recommended on puch or tomos bikes with small sprockets. Keep it a secret and switch to french variated bikes 
Like my buddy Shaw the moped guru would say as a joke: ” That’s some race shit! “
66 mph uphill with an old beat up Bidalot 49.9cc replica cylinder with modified port duration.
Transmission 11 x 56
Estimated 70+ mph downhill:
Updates after the test ride:
I installed a smaller 52T rear sprocket for faster 70+ top speed on flat road + a clutch pulley for fast take off and idling. I’m using a modified heavy duty doppler clutch pulley with 8mm custom made pins and a custom triangle shoe brace. In the future I’ll probably replace the doppler er3 variator with my better Bidalot junior variator. The next test ride should be really fun and scary! Now I wish I had better mag wheels and bigger tires. It was a side project built within strict 50cc race class rules using cheap old parts to show that it was possible to build a race variated moped with a small budget and no French high tech racing parts.
I’m tempted to remove the fairings and the air box, mount a regular seat and a round head light to make it look more like a street bike since I’ll be riding the streets more than the track. It could look cool.
G1 Saturday night ride
I took my motobecane av10 50cc moped for a Saturday moped ride with the “Woolly Bullies”. I’ve noticed that more people are getting into peugeot and motobecane mopeds, yeah! Thanks for the ride and the tacos!
The bike felt really good and the more I ride it the more I love it. I’m actually working on building a faster version of my Bidalot 50cc air cooled engine with stock cases + polini 50cc h20 kit (special porting and nikasil plating) + 21 carb by the end of the year and might sell my current engine ready to mount on any motobecane frame. I finally got the red tongue sticker from http://www.treatland.tv to complete my collection. Thanks Treats!
http://www.treatland.tv/motobecane-AV10-engine-case-p/motobecane-av10-budget-case.htm
I found a smaller 54T rear sprocket for better street riding top speed (65 to 70mph) but without losing the quick acceleration. At high speed on Los Angeles bad roads, I’m gonna need one of those cheap NHK adjustable steering dampers. There’s nothing like blasting a 70cc kitted moped with gigantic Gilardoni size 4 petal reed block with your motobecane 50cc kit and stock size 2 petal reed block way more fuel efficient.
54T sprocket for 65+ mph 45T sprocket for 75+ mph
After the ride I made a dual control launch lever allowing to rest my foot at idle by pressing down the rear lever with my heel instead of lifting the front one with my toes. It should be more comfortable for street riding but I can still remove it for the race track. I’ll test next time.
Some videos of the ride and the moby 50cc doppler variator with no clutch in action, holding the camera in one hand and the handle bars in the other (not very safe!).
No clutch = no more problems.
BONUS PIC:
I didn’t know we could buy Motobecane bicycles in the US, they’re cheap too. Now I want one!
G1 street legal
Well… almost with no pedals
I’m gonna to try to make the “Latebirds” weekly Tuesday night open ride tonight at Choke motorcycle shop with my Mbk Av10 50cc G1 race bike. I need to get out of the shop and ride for a change. I drained the leaded race fuel, mixed some unleaded premium gas station fuel, installed a license plate and bicycle LED lights. It gave me some good ideas for my peugeot 103 streetfighter headlight options.
Bonus pic, my dad in France just finished my polini cup 2010 oil painting. It just needs a final clear coat and apparently should be dry enough to be shipped to the US by the end of September. Yeah!
Back from the ride:
It was fun blasting the streets, hanging out in downtown and catching up with everybody. It was also a good occasion to test the bike against other fast mopeds since no moped comes to the race track. We didn’t race each other but it felt like none of the 70cc Honda, Puch or Tomos could really keep up with the acceleration and speed of my 50cc Motobecane. It makes me want to install my Doppler or RGD clutch pulley with a smaller rear sprocket and a steering damper to convert the bike into a street racer I guess… Instead of sitting at the shop, at least I could have fun riding it and chasing 70cc bikes, hopefully some of the fastest Derbis out there. Bernie test rode the bike and is now hooked on Motobecane 50cc power (and reliability) + the launch lever action, it feels like downshifting on an automatic transmission, and also the Av10 frame’s good stability.
VIDEO:
Just pulling out of Choke motorcycle store.
If you want your moby to rip all day long with more fuel efficiency than a 70cc kit and less overheating or vibrations breaking parts, here’s a similar and powerful engine set up if assembled and tuned right (it’s recommended to mount the crankshaft with polyamide or nylon cage bearings over steel cage bearings):
Doppler 50cc kit ($145), Doppler head ($55), stock cases ($99), stock reeds ($20), Teknix stock crank ($75), stock cdi ignition ($75), Dell’orto PHBG DS 19mm carb ($98), Doppler intake ($27), Doppler exhaust ($167), Doppler variator ER3 ($145) available at http://www.treatland.tv
G1 goes for a spin
Tomahawk ripping the streets with G1 50cc race bike for the monthly test ride.
There’s no clutch pulley but I’m lifting the launch lever with my foot at each red light to keep the idle by making the belt slip on the variator. The bike is really flying, there’s plenty of power and acceleration to test an even smaller rear sprocket for better top speed. The pipe can still be modified to gain some extra rpms and power but I prefer to keep the engine reliable. I wish I could have some moped racers to compete against on a track.
Back from the test run, good combustion with a chocolate brown spark plug and still room to lean out the fuel mixture for better performance.
Motobecane av10 race moped with stock engine cases, stock 2 petal reed valve, 19 carb, stock cdi, old 50cc Bidalot kit, enjoy the ride…
Here are some pics of a 1991 Bidalot G1 50cc vintage racing kit (not replica version) with stock cases, stock intake manifold, Bidalot crank, Dell’orto 15 carb, Champion spark plug, 9.5 hp @ 10,000 rpms.
I’ve just ordered some new moped race fairings from http://www.treatland.tv for a future fast motobecane av10 50cc Gr2 race bike project with 30mm Paioli adjustable hydraulic fork, stock engine cases, 21 carb, malossi or polini 50cc h20 kit. Thanks Treats for shipping them so fast!
http://www.treatland.tv/bidalot-RS-fiberglass-fairing-body-section-p/fairing-body-bidalot-rs.htm
http://www.treatland.tv/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=fairing-front-malossi&CartID=1
Y’a plus qu’a reassembler le p’tit G1
Time to reassemble and blast.
Thanks Jamisin for helping design and paint the bike. It looks good.
Chain sliders.
Seat pad and exhaust spring rubber sleeve.
Plate number and gas tank air vent.
THE TRANSFORMATION:
Few more details before firing it up.
I don’t know when I’ll be hitting the track with that little 50cc G1 race bike since there’s nobody to compete against after no mopeders showed up at Grange’ race track last Sat and the next Sat practice day at Adams is being canceled. Maybe I’ll have to wait for the race in August at Buttonwillow NoCal vs SoCal if any moped racer even shows up. Oh well, I’ll try to find a way to test ride the bike on some track around LA or practice and compete against the minigp 50cc 6 speed motorcycles until a moped shows up.
I’m keeping up the faith…
SET UP / CONFIG
Stock cases / Carters d’origine
Doppler crankshaft / Vilebrequin Doppler
Old replica Bidalot G1 50cc kit ported / Vieux kit Bidalot replica G1 50cc prepare’
Bidalot replica head / Culasse Bidalot replica
Stock 2 petal reed block / Clapets d’origine
Polini 19mm intake manifold / Pipe polini 19mm
Dell’orto PHBG 19mm carb / Carbu Dell’orto PHBG 19mm
Bidalot exhaust G1 replica / Pot Bidalot G1 replica
Stock cdi / Allumage d’origine
Doppler ER3 variator / Variateur Doppler ER3
Doppler standard pulley / Poulie simple Doppler
Doppler belt / Courroie Doppler
Transmission 11 x 56
Daggr1, another Tomahawk 50cc ripper
The engine feels just the way I anticipated it. I can tell by ear that we’re close to 11,500 rpm. Not bad for a beat up 50cc Bidalot kit with an old nikasil. When I looked at the small ports I never thought that kit could rip but I increased the port duration to Gr2 specs and it worked. I was afraid to lose some low end power with the new port duration but it didn’t happen, even with a standard pulley. I can’t imagine how good the bike would feel with a clutch pulley. In general, Gr1 set ups are not as powerful as Gr2 or Gr3 but have more torque.
Overall the bike feels good, not quite as powerful as my Peugeot 103 Rcx 50cc h20 but close with more torque and way lighter. The downside is that it’s an air cooled engine so it won’t stay as consistent during the entire race, especially if it gets hot in the desert.
Daggr1, push powered
Today I finished all the electrical on the bike which is usually my least favorite part but it’s much easier on a race bike than a street bike. I didn’t have to deal with lights, brake lights, regulator, etc… All I had to do is connect the cdi box + the kill switch and it was done, loved it.
I checked the brakes and made sure that everything on the chassis spins freely without slowing the bike. everything feels really good and the bike still feels light.
The chain slightly rubs against the swing arm. I’ll take care of it by shaving off some metal and building some kind of rubber chain slide. By the way, those are all the sounds you hear on an electric bike.
It’s funny because every time I pull a new bike out the shop the neighbors either give me a big smile or stare at me with curiosity like if I just landed from outer space.
Daggrs Gr1 project, c’est parti!
So once again, I’m not going to be able to work on my street bike next month.
Tracy gave me an Av10 engine a while ago and recently convinced me to work on the daggrs Gr1 race bike. I’m going to try to get it ready for the first race March 12 at Grange’ motor circuit (1h45 from LA). The goal is to build it as cheap and quick as possible. We wanted a race bike to represent “Daggrs” our moped riding club and have fun on the track. I’m using an old beat up Bidalot 50cc replica with very small ports and the ball joint thread is gone. I don’t expect much power out of it but it’s a free 50cc kit and at least we’ll add an other bike on the track.
Today I disassembled the bike and dropped the Av7 engine (Tracy, its yours if you want it). The first step will be to reinforce the chassis with a frame brace, the swing arm mount with plates and move the shocks mount.
I’ve got most of the parts but here ‘s what I’m missing:
Chassis: shorter fork legs, rear shocks, a front disc, racing seat, engine spring bushing.
Engine: all seals and gaskets, head viton O ring, new piston ring, cdi box+ coil, spark plug, pull choke, fuel valve + filter, chain adjusters, and finally the most expensive = racing variator + exhaust.
I’m including of photo (with black background) of the malossi Gr1 50cc kit that I got from Tracy (thanks man!) + my stock Av10 cases that I will send to Terry Dean in San Francisco who’s trying to build a Gr1 race bike for March 19 and needs parts. If you have any spare parts and want to help him out, check out his blog post: http://destroymopeds.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/mbk-and-other-parts-wanted/
I’m excited about this new Gr1 project and will post as much photos as I can to give anybody who wants to build an mbk Gr1 bike some kind of direction.
With only 6 weeks before the race the pressure is on!
Daggrs Gr1 race bike project
I just got that old rusty Motobecane for $100.
I think it’s going to be perfect to build the official Daggrs bike to race in the open class next year. We’re probably going to build it based on the 50cc gr1 specs though. I hope the 2011 season brings some exciting battles between tuners but also between moped gangs built.
I don’t know if we’ll have a bike to compete in the stock Tomos and Puch class yet.
I want to build a “cheap” competitive variated bike. We already have some used av10 engine parts, stock cases with stock reeds, stock crank, stock engine spring, Bidalot 50cc head, stock cdi ignition, pulley, wheels, etc…
All we need is a good 50cc air kit, new rubber bushings, a variator, a pipe, a carb and a belt. The most expensive parts are probably going to be the shocks, fork, disk break, tires, and fairings.
We don’t plan on winning in the open class race against monster dual variated moped 75+ cc but have fun battling in the middle of the track against the other 50cc Gr1 (polini cases or stock) that will show up. Who knows we might be able to catch some 70cc non-variated or single variated bikes.
I’ll try to battle the monster mopeds with my Peugeot rcx 50cc Bidalot H20 : )
Let’s all have fun next year on the track and outside the track, in the middle of the desert at Grange motor circuit!
I’ve heard that some racers in LA have already started building secret projects for next year… that ‘s exciting !
