A DIY chainsaw motorcycle is a solution for those men who don’t want to spend money on a car and its subsequent maintenance and who don’t like pedaling a bicycle. In this case, an excellent way out of the situation would be a moped from a chainsaw and a bicycle, which you can assemble with your own hands in the garage, having purchased some of the necessary, missing parts and spare parts. The remodeling process itself is not particularly difficult.
Before starting assembly or if you have questions, you can always refer to the drawings and numerous video reviews available on the Internet.
The principle of a homemade moped from a chainsaw
As the basis for a future moped, you can choose an old bicycle that you want to breathe new life into. You will also need a chainsaw to install the motor on the bike. Thus, you will get a motorbike that you can upgrade: repaint it, install wider wheels, change the handlebars and do other procedures that will make your homemade bike more like a motorcycle.
Moped from a chainsaw Ural
How to install an engine from a walk-behind tractor on an Ant
For some owners of walk-behind tractors, it is easier to install an engine on an Ant scooter than to modify the walk-behind tractor by creating an adapter or cart.
The Ant is capable of carrying loads of up to 250 kg, so the engine must be adequate. Lifan with a power of 11 hp is suitable.
Before starting work, it is necessary to “try on” the new engine. Domestic motors are smaller, so the frame with mount may not be suitable for the new motor. It is necessary to take measurements and adjust the dimensions of the fasteners.
Domestic and imported engines have different rotations - clockwise and counterclockwise - so it is necessary to install the engine so that it coincides with the rotation of the pulleys on the gearbox, or move the gearbox to the opposite side.
The clutch belt and cable must be new. Having secured the engine, it is necessary to stretch the belt; all parts must be lubricated to increase service life.
What does it take to make a moped from a chainsaw and a bike?
For the most part, converting a bicycle into a moped with your own hands by attaching a chainsaw motor to it does not require any special skills of a mechanic or engineer. If you are new to this business, then numerous drawings of a moped made from a chainsaw, as well as educational video reviews, will help you. Also, not every man has everything he needs in his garage to make a motorbike from a chainsaw with his own hands. Therefore, before assembly, it is recommended to study the list of necessary parts, fasteners and spare parts and buy the missing elements.
Moped
In specialty stores you can find entire kits that include a ready-to-install engine, fasteners and other parts that are necessary to transform a bicycle into a moped. This kit will greatly facilitate the process of assembling a motorcycle, since there is no need to select an engine, suitable power, fasteners, battery, transmission belt, cable, etc.
Speaking of tools, you will really need all the popular types of auto mechanic kit components: screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, wire cutters, etc.
Assembly instructions and drawings of a homemade moped
Firstly, we will first look at the simplest and most affordable option for how to make a moped from a chainsaw from the photo above. During assembly, the question often arises of how to install a chainsaw motor on a bicycle. It is important that it is securely attached and does not move while riding. For this type of homemade motorcycle, you need to secure the following parts with clamps in certain places:
- the battery is installed on the top tube;
- the chainsaw bicycle motor itself is mounted at the intersection of the lower front and seat tubes;
- fuel tank - near the engine.
The next step in the conversion is to create and install the pulleys on the bike. They are needed so that engine operation provokes rotation of the rear wheel. Typically, pulleys use external barrier wheels, which are about the size of CDs.
DIY moped
When selecting wheels, take into account the strength and reliability of both the material itself and the fasteners. To install the pulleys, the front wheel is attached to the motor shaft, and the second pulley is attached to the rear wheel hub. Next you need to put the belt on the pulleys. Sometimes men use a chain instead of a belt. In this case, the pulleys are replaced with a chain, and the principle of its installation is no different.
All that's left to do is connect the engine. First, the motor is connected to the battery, and then the ignition is assembled. To do this, you need to install the brake lever on the steering wheel and connect it with a cable to the engine.
If we talk about a more complex option, then as a result you will get a homemade vehicle that is most similar to a real motorcycle. The main differences from the previous design are a more reliable and durable frame, wider wheels that can be removed from an old moped, the presence of shock absorption and the installation of an engine from a chainsaw.
The most convenient place for the engine will be a separate platform welded at the bottom of the frame. You can also place a fuel tank there. An exhaust pipe is also attached to the engine. As for the battery, owners of homemade mopeds recommend placing it closer to the steering wheel. The next step will also be the transmission and connecting the engine. You can watch all the nuances of how to properly make a motorcycle from a chainsaw with your own hands in the video.
How to make an electric bike
If you don’t want to bother with a gasoline engine, there is another option - install an electric motor. It can be purchased or installed from another device. The first option for creating electric mopeds is preferable, since the engines already provide the necessary power.
Options for installing an electric drive on a bicycle are a wheel motor and a separate engine on a chain or belt drive.
The wheel motor differs from the usual one by the presence of a drive mechanism in the central part. It is connected to the control unit using wires. A significant advantage is the ability to make the bike front-wheel drive without making changes to the classic transmission. And if you wish, you can even install two motor wheels. Installation is quite simple, provided that the bike itself allows it. However, it’s a stretch to classify a bike with such wheels as a moped.
An electric moped, that is, an analogue of the one discussed above, is a completely different matter. Of course, an exhaust pipe will not be needed here - this is a plus both in terms of reliability and overall weight.
Assembling an engine from scratch at home will be problematic, so let’s look at how to install a ready-made shaft motor.
Progress:
- Install a new sprocket and belt pulley onto the carriage axle.
- A shaft with a drive pulley is attached to the seat tube.
- The pulleys are connected by a belt.
- The shaft is connected to a power source through wires.
- Route the wires from the battery to the switch on the steering wheel.
The location of the battery is on the lower front tube of the frame or trunk. Electric motor operation diagram:
- When the electric motor is turned on, the rotating roller engages the rear tire tire, pushing it.
- The pulleys and front sprocket transmit torque to the transmission.
- Changing gear causes a change in torque output. At the same time, the rotation speed of the roller remains constant.
DIY electric bicycle:
Additionally, you can connect a second shaft to the front wheel by connecting it to the driven pulley of the main drive.
The engine allows you to reach the optimal speed faster and maintain it longer. A bicycle-based moped is a budget option to become the owner of a faster and more powerful vehicle. Transforming a bicycle into a moped in most cases does not make irreversible changes to the design, so it is possible to return everything to its place.
Tips and tricks
Many users insist on paying attention to how the belt is held on the wheels. The degree of its fastening affects the transmission of force from the engine, and, consequently, the driving process. The chain is a more reliable and durable part, but do not forget that when using a chain on a homemade moped, gears are used instead of pulleys.
The engine that you removed from the chainsaw should be in full working order. Otherwise, spend a little more time assembling the moped yourself and rebuilding the engine. Try to fix failed parts or completely replace them with new ones.
Motor types
Only a few types of motors are suitable for such miniature and fragile equipment, so it won’t be possible to talk about them for a long time.
You can hang the engine on the frame or put it on the trunk - this is not so important, the main thing is what fuel the new “heart” of the bicycle will run on
Petrol
Until recently, a gasoline engine was the first thing you should think about when powering your bike. As already mentioned, the history of the use of gasoline engines on bicycles goes back more than half a century. Not only serial engines for bicycles were used, but also various exotic ones, for example, engines from trimmers and chainsaws.
To move the bike, there is enough minimal force, by the standards of gasoline engines. Usually it is 1-2 hp. Accordingly, engine volume starts at 50 cubic centimeters. There are single-cylinder (most Soviet models, retired engines) and two-cylinder engines. With a difference in power of 1.5-2 times, the latter are usually installed when motorization is taken seriously. Usually, of course, these are imported engines, for example, Honda.
Typically, a gasoline engine is as simple as possible, and two-stroke mechanisms are used, which are fueled with a mixture of gasoline and oil and do not require special care. Comet, D-5 and D-6 and their Chinese clones F50 and F80 are two-stroke. In addition, they are easier to start and can be removable. A 4-stroke engine is a rarity on a bike; a more complex mechanism is more economical, but its “grip” is lower, and repairs, weight and cost are much more expensive.
Electric
Electric bikes have dramatically overtaken gas bikes in recent years. Several factors came into play here:
An electric motor on a bicycle is easier to install and maintain, but engineers went further than just the first step of replacing a gasoline engine with an electric one. Nowadays, wheel motors have become very popular, when an electric motor for a bicycle is installed on the wheel hub in an integral way. This increases both ease of installation (just attach the wheel and battery) and service life. The absence of an additional chain drive and switching mechanisms makes the design simpler and more reliable.
