Warren
From Illinois
December 4th, 2006
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There's sixteen inches of snow on the ground
and the Golden Eagle is hanging in the Garage
for the winter (or until everything melts
and the temperature rises significantly above
6 degrees). I picked up the Schwinn at Walmart
for $150 because I wanted a solid framed
steel bike for my Tanaka 40cc. I built it
on a folding table in my basement the night
after the engine arrived. Had to file one
of the forks because the nylon wheel didn't
quite clear and I didn't want (or need) to
jack the forks as mentioned elsewhere. The
whole thing took about 4 hours. I put about
250 miles on it over the summer and it does
at least 38 mph on the straight away (I weigh
200lbs and am 6 feet tall). In fact, I put
away my bicycle helmet and bought a motorcycle
helmet instead. I also installed the brake
light horn combo and it works like a charm.
The looks I get from everyone when I zoom
by are priceless. The engine takes the speed
just fine and my speedometer says I average
about 20 mph per ride. I do make sure I tighten
everything after each ride and check my air
pressure before each ride.
The second week I had this rig, my business
partner took it for a spin and immediately
wanted one. I ordered our second Golden Eagle
Tanaka 40cc and he went out and bought the
last Rolling Rock (painted green and decals
after the now defunct beer) bicycle in Illinois
- a five speed - and we put his together
in our private office one Tuesday afternoon
between patients. This one took about an
hour and a half and that included figuring
out the work around for the funky dérailleur
location.
Thanks for the fun both
in the build and
the ride
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