kitting puch magnum

so, i've always been a purist when it comes to mopeds. i like to keep everything stock, or as close as i can. that changed today, when i did a cylinder/carburetor/exhaust upgrade to my 1978 puch magnum xk. i decided to do this because, while the stock magnum is great for getting around boulder, i can't make it easily to any of the surrounding cities (speed limit is at least 45 mph, even on the back roads). the stock moped tops out at around 33 mph. so, to get some more speed out of it i ordered a bunch of parts from treats and 1977. what i got:

- k-star 70cc cylinder kit w/ high compression head. i got the k-star because it was cheap and i didn't come across many people who have had issues with it. for those of you not familiar with mopeds, they all come stock with ~50 cubic centimetres of displacement (the engine size). this is because larger engines are considered motorcycles and therefore require a special license, higher cost of registration, and higher cost to insure (plus they use more gas). in order to get around this, you can buy a "kit" that replaces the cylinder, head, and piston and increases the displacement.
- 19mm dellorto phbg carburetor. a bigger engine needs more air and fuel, which means it needs a bigger carburetor (the part that mixes the air and fuel before it goes into the engine).
- 19mm intake. a bigger carb requires a bigger intake.
- tecno estoril exhaust. more air/fuel means more exhaust and therefore a larger exhaust pipe. i chose the estoril because it has a large powerband (range of RPMs where the engine is creating good torque) and the powerband is located in the middle of the RPM range. this means that it allows relatively good low end torque, which is important for starting, while still giving a good top speed.
- uni pod air filter. clean air means a cleaner carburetor and a cleaner cylinder, which makes for a happier carb and cylinder.
- ignition micrometer. i was tired of my little stick with lines drawn on it. this makes it easier to accurately set the timing (when the spark plug fires).
- cylinder studs. these hold the cylinder and the head to the crank case. i could have used the stock studs, but the threads on one of them was stripped. pow! new studs.

so, let the fun begin. first step, take the old head, cylinder, and piston off:


here is the k-star kit that i'm going to put on with the hi compression head:


first i have to put the new piston on. here's the new piston on the original connecting rod as well as a photo of the new and old piston showing the difference in size. woo! 20 more cubic centimetres:



now i just slide the cylinder over the piston, which is surprisingly easy since there is only one piston ring:


uh oh! first problem. my cheap-o k-star kit has a poorly tapped spark plug thread. this means the spark plug will not thread onto the head:


solution: buy a $30 tap and chase the threads (or send it back, but i am not patient). the proper tap for this spark plug is a 14mm x 1.25:


it was tricky getting the tap started in the existing threads, but i mustered enough patience and managed not to wreck the head. just be sure if you do this to clean off the head thoroughly. i used some isopropyl and a brush. pistons and cylinders don't take kindly to little metal shavings:



the head now attached with the spark plug in place:


next comes the carburetor and the intake. one of the float bowl vents was interfering with the moped's frame, so i just pulled it off. it still leans a little to one side, but it should be fine for now:


finally comes the exhaust:



i didn't expect the exhaust to mount properly since it was designed for a puch maxi and not a magnum. the mounting points don't line up, so i have to fabricate something. for now i'm just using a $4 exhaust mount that should keep it from breaking in half for the meantime:



the results: to my surprise it started right away. it was loud as hell because they sent me the wrong exhaust gasket, but i'm working on fixing that. so, i took it out on the street and it ran pretty well. it was bogging at wide open throttle, which i thought was because it was running lean, so i raised the throttle needle up a notch. it ran a lot better, so i did a plug chop and found it was still running lean, so i up-jetted to a 92 (from the stock 85). after another plug chop it looked better although i think i'm going to try the 95 i have to see how that runs. i'd rather be running rich, especially while i'm breaking in the new cylinder. so, i haven't had anyone pace me in a car to figure out the top speed (the speedometer only goes to 30 mph), but my best guess is she's topping out at 45 mph right now and i should be able to get a little more once i dial in the tuning. i also need a bit of tubing to attach the air filter to the carb, since there is no room for the larger filter. in conclusion: sweet!



next step:
- fabricate a mount for the exhaust. i really wish i had welding equipment.
- tune to perfection.
- install low rise handlebars
- get a voltage regulator so i stop burning out break and tail lights.
- paint the frame.

ipod touch screen repair. success!... sort of

as i mentioned in the last post, my ipod touch screen is cracked and i had the intention of fixing it. as i also mentioned/quoted in my last post, it is good to have the courage to screw up. well, i succeeded in both regards. i fixed the screen and i screwed up. i'll walk you through both below:

so, here is the busted screen. everything works just fine, it just looks lame. before i embarked on this repair it did occur to me that i could potentially make things worse. the new screen is on the right. i got it and a couple tools for taking it apart off ebay for $13.


first step: get it apart. not so tough.


the ipod is held together by a bunch of tiny philips head screws and some adhesive. it takes some care and patience to carefully pry the battery off. i used my library card, but anything thin and plastic should do. for a step by step video for how to disassemble a 1st generation ipod check out this youtube video.


here's a better view of the cracked glass once i have all the electronics disconnected.


in order to remove the glass from frame you have to heat up the glue. this makes it easier to pop it out. unfortunately, despite the "pro" moniker, the andis EuroPro 1875 was not the most effective blow dryer. it eventually got the job done, but i recommend i higher quality dryer or perhaps a heat gun.


once i got the old piece of glass out i re-heated the glue with the dryer and stuck in the new piece. i'm not sure how much i trust this method, but it seems to be working for now. the best bet is probably to get some of that 3M double sided adhesive.


and then disaster! i was trying to be careful and slow with everything, but i still managed to break the little ribbon cable that attaches the wifi antenna. i tried to come up with a way to fix it, but it's pretty much a lost cause. the only way (i can see) to fix it is to replace all the electronics. if you happen to have a busted 1st generation ipod taking up space in a drawer i'd happily take it off your hands and try to make a frankenstein ipod. i'd gladly buy you a six pack of beer or root beer if you're underage. anyway, it's actually not too bad. the wifi still works, but i have to be within 10 feet of a router. that is silly and renders the internet nearly useless, but i do have a new shiny screen. and while that may not be a fair trade off, i'm glad i made the effort. i certainly won't be afraid to take apart my ipod again in the future, and next time i'll be more careful with the wifi antenna.


check out that beautiful screen!

the courage to screw up

this morning i found a great article on the huffington post by Mark Frauenfelder the editor-in-chief at make magazine. he was making the case for diy and listing the benefits of having the courage to screw up. i thought he made a great argument for diy, and certainly more eloquent than my list. here's his:

1. A deeper connection to the things that keep us alive and well. The human-made world is mostly beyond our comprehension. Our daily survival depends on seemingly magical gizmos that provide our food, water, clothing, comfort, transportation, education, well-being, and amusement. But you can make your world a little less confounding by sewing your own clothes, raising chickens, growing vegetables, teaching your children, and doing other activities that put you in touch with the processes of life. In addition, the things you make reflect your personality and have a special meaning. You share a connection with them every time you use them, and you appreciate them in a different way than you do store-bought things. This is why gifts of hand-made preserves, blankets, and furniture are so cherished. You are sharing a part of yourself with the recipient of your gift; they will value the time and effort you put into making something for them with your own hands far more than what it would have took to pick up a gift card at the mall.

2. An appreciation for the things you have and the systems that make it possible.The flip side to enjoying the things you make yourself is discovering how challenging and time-consuming it can be to make them. It takes me hours to whittle one cooking spoon, and while it's enjoyable, I can't imagine making all of our family's cooking implements this way. Now, I pay more attention to the things I buy, and I appreciate them more than before. Because I've become an active participant in the human-made world, I'm more observant of it. I care more about how things are made, paying close attention to each object for lessons in craftsmanship I can apply to my own projects.

3. An opportunity to use your hands and your brain. Human beings evolved opposable thumbs for a reason. The sense of reward you get from making something with your hands can't be earned any other way. It's obvious that people learn faster from "hands-on" experience than they do watching someone else do something. (No wonder kids ask, "Can I try?" when they see their parents using a tool or appliance.) And when people engage in DIY activities like knitting, their heart rate and blood pressure go down. We are tool-using animals and our bodies feel better when we've got tools in our hands.

4. A connection to other people. When I started making cigar box guitars, I stumbled onto a group of DIYers at a website called Cigar Box Nation. These amateur luthiers log in from around the world to share plans, photos, and videos of their home-made stringed instruments. They are happy to share ideas and advice about building guitars, banjoes, and ukuleles with newcomers. I've found this same spirit of generosity at other online hangouts devoted to building electric vehicles, autonomous aerial vehicles, and raising chickens. Even though time is our most precious resource, I've discovered that DIYers are happy to give their own time to people who seek their knowledge. (At Make, we are exploring this admirable quality of DIYers as a way to rethink traditional educational systems.)

5. A path to freedom. A number of DIYers I've met have succeeded in turning their passion for making things from a hobby into a business. In this era of economic uncertainty, DIYers have learned not to rely as much on governments and corporations to take care of them. They seek a more direct way to support themselves by becoming producers of high-quality, short-run products. For instance, Limor Fried transformed her passion for electronics into a full-time business called Ada Fruit that sells mail-order kits to hobbyists. Mitch Altman made a little remote control that could turn off any TV set, and it was so popular he started a company that sells electronic gadgets. Sites like Etsy.com and the Makers Market give DIYers a place to sell their handmade creations, ranging from hollow "spy coins" to silkscreened posters to revolving bookcases to chaotic pendulums. Even if you have no desire to become a full-time maker, DIY can provide a certain degree of freedom from depending on others for everything you need.

he also has a new book that i'm excited to check out.

in other news, i was bummed when my ipod touch screen cracked a few weeks ago. the good news is that it still works despite looking like hell. i was resigned to having an ugly ipod until my friend cameron sent me this link. apparently this can be fixed without paying apple $200. i've ordered some supplies and i'll let you know how it turns out. in the meantime, i'm trying to keep my moped from burning through brake lights every 10 minutes. my shunt resistor isn't working.

road trips and mix tapes

so, i'm living in a friends basement and traveling a lot, which is not conducive to making and doing. someone seriously needs to start a diy workshop that i can go to... seriously. well, until i get around to opening a workshop i've been busy with other passions (the aforementioned traveling, public transit, and coffee shops). i just got back from a road trip from colorado to toronto, ottawa, and montreal. there is already a plan in the works for a trip to california at the end of june and perhaps another journey to the northwest in july. how am i paying for all this? well, i've been doing some freelance design work, which has actually been really enjoyable and lets me travel or sit in a coffee shop all day. i eventually need to get around to actually finding more work, but for now i'm happy to make some money and work on something that i like. by the way, there are some super secret screen printing projects in the works, but i am keeping a lid on it for now. in the meantime, check out some of these records, these are my favourite albums of 2010 so far:

1. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
2. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
3. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
4. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
5. The New Pornographers - Together
6. Portugal. The Man - American Ghetto
7. The Apples In Stereo - Travelers in Space and Time
8. Basia Bulat - Heart of My Own
9. Four Tet - There is Love in You
10. Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago

making spotlight: nathalie in freiburg

my friend nathalie has been busy making stuff between university classes in freiburg, germany. the little guy was a birthday gift for her boyfriend and presumably the magnets were for a refrigerator somewhere. i'm always happy to see my amazing friends being creative.







i was going to link back to a post with nathalie the day we made bowls and stuff out of vinyl records, but apparently i never made a post. anyway, here are some pics from last year when nathalie and i melted some old records and bent/cut them into different stuff. this was followed by her famous crepes.

moped shop update

well the garage (aka "the shop") is now 5 mopeds deep. anthony and i have been busy scrounging up junky mopeds from all around boulder/denver. in order to reduce confusion we've named the bikes (as opposed to saying "the red ciao" or "the blue ciao" all the time). naturally they are getting female names that are native to the country of manufacture. here are our current projects:

"elise"
1979 puch magnum (made in austria)
about: this is the only bike we bought in running condition. the engine was in great shape, but the bike had been wrecked a couple of times, so there was a bit of body damage. there was also a fair amount of cosmetic rust. so, we took everything off the frame, scrubbed off the light rust with scotch-brite, attacked the worst of the rust with naval jelly, and degreased the engine. we cleaned the carb, but the float valve was damaged, so we found a 14mm bing carburetor at a motorcycle junk yard in longmont. because this a bigger than the 12mm stock carb i had to order some larger jets because the engine was running a little on the lean side. i'm hoping this will increase the low-end power as she's a bit slow off the line. the good news is she tops off at around 35mph on level terrain, which is great for a stock ped with only a single gear. basically she just needs a little detailing and tuning and she'll be ready to sell, which is going to be a sad day as top tank mopeds are few and far between.





"annika"
1974 batavus va (made in the netherlands)
about: we bought annika off a nice guy in south denver. he said he had it running the summer before, but it hadn't run since and he hadn't figured out why. batavus are a bit maligned in the moped world, but she is a beautiful bike. i have never seen one that old with mint paint and chrome. anyway, i hate electical problems and annika drove me nuts for a few days. the plug was sparking, but i later found out that it wasn't firing consistently. because the condenser and the ignition coil are attached to the stator plate, they are tricky to test with a multimeter as they are hiding behind the flywheel. eventually i decided to bypass the ignition coil and i strapped ingornada's (see below) ignition coil to the outside of the engine. despite the frankenstein nest of wires and components, she kicked over on the first try. it is such a good feeling to get an engine running again. anyway, i threw on the exhaust and back wheel and took her around the neighborhood. now i just have to put it all back together. my only big decision is whether or not to buy a new internal ignition coil or find a clever place to mount the external one i stole off ingornada.


"ingornada"
1981 vespa piaggio ciao (made in italy)
about: ingornada is in rough shape and we got her for real cheap. she is basically a parts bike as we have another ciao (giada) and a vespa piaggio grande (francesca). maybe she'll run someday.

"giada"
1977 vespa piaggio ciao
about: giada has been anthony's pet project. they are a bit annoying as the engines are not easy to access, so you have to take them off the bike to do much with them. we believe giada has compression issues, which may mean swapping out the engine (or at least the cylinder) from ingornada. unlike annika and elise, the vespa piaggios will need to be painted in order to make them presentable. this will be a giant pain, but a good learning experience.


"francesca"
1979 vespa piaggio grande deluxe
about: francesca is in pretty good mechanical shape, but when we bought her the front variator assembly was missing (fyi: a "variator" is a type of transmission where the diameter of the drive pulley and driven pulley change based on the speed of the bike. this gives it a smooth transition from low to high gear. see explanation). so, there is a new variator on the way. once the drive train is hooked up i can start dealing with the engine.

what i've been up to...

lately all my making and doing energy has gone into mopeds... in fact, nearly all of my energy has gone into mopeds.

so, i'm currently transition between being an engineer and not being an engineer. thus far i've been working on the transition for about 8 months. first step: quit job... check. next step: do something else. well, i'm thinking about applying for industrial design programs, as ID was the only part of my last job that i actually liked. plus this helps me move towards the eventual make stuff/do stuff community workshop i want to start (opening date: TBD). so, that brings us to the meantime. i thought about/tried to get an engineering job, but that wasn't what i wanted, plus the economy sucks. then my buddy anthony came back from india and this was the conversation we had:

anthony: dude (he probably didn't say "dude), we should start a company where we buy up old shitty mopeds, fix them up, and sell them.
geoff: *thinks for a bit* dude (i very likely said "dude"), that is a terrible idea. we'll never make money.
geoff and anthony: *debate followed by some napkin calculations to figure out theoretical business model*
geoff: i still don't think this is a good idea.
anthony: look, the worst thing that can happen is we buy a couple of mopeds, fix them up, and we can't sell them for a profit. then we'll have a couple of sweet mopeds.
geoff: i'm in.

and so that is how yet-to-be-named motorwerks was formed. so far we have 4 mopeds and are checking out another one tomorrow. currently we have two vespa piaggio ciaos, one vespa piaggio grande deluxe, and the crown jewel, a puch magnum xk. i've spent the last week tearing apart the grande deluxe. there has been a lot of good progress and board meetings over coffee. i'll keep everyone updated with the progress. in the meantime here are reasons, other than mopeds are awesome, that we're starting this business:

- we want to build a local community of people driving high mileage personal vehicles
- we want to teach people how to fix and maintain their bikes with periodical workshops (maintain the d.i.y. ethos). this has the potential to morph/expand into the d.i.y. workshop.
- we are both entrepreneurially minded and any business experience is good experience
- we can also sell parts from cannibalized mopeds for additional cash. actually this is the smart business, but defeats the purpose of some of the above reasons, so we'll only do this when we have to.
- we can justify road trips to buy/sell bikes and then write them off as company expenses.
- this is way more fun than an office job... although i think i'm going to start looking for barista jobs this week.

look for a spinoff blog associated with this venture soon