Just Between You, Me, and the Bingo Card: Life Lessons from the Assisted Living Facility

my drunkasss has managed to toss that chain twice tonight. gotta adjust it again. about 1/2"+ into the stretch so far. Still flinging cosmoline off the chain.

 

Not sure I approve of my color choice. It clashes with the red wheels.


redid the handle bars by cutting the mount down as low as possible and actually welding the thing straight this time. I'm happier.


burnt the piss out of my arm on the exhaust last night putting the damn chain on in the dark while impaired, I think a heat shield is needed. Couple hose clamps and some sheet metal welded to them and clamp it to the hot parts.


Thought about yellow like the cap in the pic. Pretty sure the frame will end up being black before the end of the weekend and I'll paint the fenders a bright color. Prolly red to match the wheels. Might paint the tank red too, might not.

 

Definitely better in black.






Can you see the spot I missed?

 

That's actually kind of awesome. I copied it and placed it on my POF profile.

 

Balancing act. It's on a 2" piece sitting on it's own. Pretty well centered.


Gave it 2" of lift to further stress the back and gain some ground clearance.








Now it's a legit mobility scooter.

 

Give ya a dollar to ride it around in Walmart

 

If i put a basket on the front, it just might work.
Leather Helmet and ski goggles with a flight jacket would seal the deal. I'd fit right in.

 

Two dollars for a video.
Three if the videographer turns their phone to landscape mode.

 

https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm

Anyone interested Big Boy #4014 will be at Union Station on Labor Day.

 

https://youtu.be/4LmjNnzhKgQ

 

Re-routed the exhaust. Just because I had the time and the fittings.

 

https://youtu.be/Rt6wFzNpznI

https://youtu.be/hdm-hAEc3y0

 

Was cleaning up and tossing shit today, when I had a vision.


Ended up making a bigger mess




I was today years old when I first learned to solder/weld/melt plastic together using zip ties as filler rod.




totally hideous


sands out pretty well though.










waiting for the filler to dry, sand and then paint both red.

 

Tabled the fenders for now, not sure they are actually needed.
The chain flying off randomly is some bullshit though.
The entire time i was in the dirt, it never fell off once.
But 1/2 block from my house,and it drops twice.
3rd time it wedged between the clutch and motor amd had to push the bitch with a locked real wheel two blocks, uphill, in the dark, sweating out whiskey

So focusing on that little issue.
Two sealed bearings and an assortment of hardware.


The bearings turn free in the center, the rest is fixed.

And I'm thinking something like this to pull the slack out of the bottom end and get a few more links on the sprocket.
It'll be fixed in place and tension from the motor.

Oil splatter guard thing.

 

You're a pivoting mount and a spring away from a spring tensioner. Maybe some delrin?

 

A spring tensioner was the first thought, and still might be. Most mini bikes have this roller stationary, but adjustable as an easy way to set tension. I just want the chain to stay put. Seems to happen not in throttle, but when letting off it.
Right now work and upcoming deer season (starts tomorrow) are getting in the way.
Replaced the shocks on that clapped out van today, That sucked ass. Rusty pos. That could have been time spent on the bike.

 

Makes sense. If you ever decelerate to the point of engine braking, you're suddenly tightening the opposite side of the chain and slacking the one that was tight. You probably just kept the throttle pinned in the dirt or mashed the brakes and locked up the rear