I was really working my creative muscle with this winter project. I was wandering aimlessly on the information superhighway and came across something called a "Whizzer." The Whizzer company produced gasoline engines that could be affixed to a bicycle to provide motorized transportation. The engine bolted to the frame of the bicycle and a drive "hoop" was attached to the rear wheel. A small fuel tank was supplied which bolted to the main tube between the saddle and handle bars. A leather belt was used to transfer the power from the engine to the rear wheel. These were great looking and simple machines that looked very much like the early motorcycles made by Harley, Indian, etc.
Needless to say, finding one of these ancient machines was not an easy task. And when you were lucky enough to come across one, the price was shocking. So, I decided to build one of my own. E-bay to the rescue! Here's my version.
The power plant is a 64cc 2-stroke motor with manual clutch. It produces 6v used to fire a CDI ignition.
I found a band-brake from a motorscooter website that I attached to the front wheel. Works pretty nicely and looks "retro."
Beehive Springer front suspension.
An old-fashioned generator powers the headlight.
And a horn - for safety's sake...
I liked the way it turned out so much, I made another in all chrome!
I decided to black-out the engine and polish the fins on the head and cylinder.
Here's Walt and I having some fun. Walter's reaction, "This is the most fun I've ever had on a motorcycle going 30mph!"
