Aaron Fowler
Last Login:
n/a
IM:
AOL: deathplaybanjo
Mopeds:
- 2008 Tomos Streetmate
- 2007 Tomos Sprint
- 1977 Motobecane Mobylette
- 1976 Motobecane 40T
- Scorpion Scrambler
- Tomos Targa LX
Age:
28
City:
Richmond
State:
Virginia
Country:
United States
livin' fast, ridin' slow, 30 miles/day, 5 days a week. I'm a computer software engineer that loves tinkering, gaming, and beer.
Rallies:
HS - Southbound and Drowned 2010
HS - The Trend is Over 2011
WLR - Southern Comfort 2 2011 (utter disaster, thanx to Dusty for the good times and hospitality)
Everything below this point is to remind me of things i should remember.
:::::::::::: Future Plans ::::::::::::
1) replacing engine mounts and assembling the drive-train for Liz's 40T over the weekend. Its entirely possible she'll end up with the 13T Pug pulley on my Moby if i don't find a better pulley for her 40T.
2) All my parts for Tomos project #1 (anti-plastic Streetmate) will be here next week, so i'll be dedicating all my garage time to assembling and tuning this stocker to replace my stockish '08 Streetmate as my reliable daily driver.
3a) going to wallow in the depths of cylinder porting/matching/timeing for a while. Who knows, i might even write a program (or excel spreadsheet) to handle all the math so i only have to do it once. Will apply this newly acquired knowledge to Liz's spare stock cylinder.
3b) The Scorpumos will eventually returned, be sent out for powder coating, and then return for assembly and tuning.
4) get back to my moby
X) write a program to merge Excel spreadsheets
:::::::::::: Garage ::::::::::::
:::::::::::: Tomos Streetmate ::::::::::::
daily driver, trade in progress.
to go:
0. stop breaking plasitc stuff
1. Trade Pending
2. periodically tighten the chain
completed/acquired/installed:
1. 50cc high comp head w/ improved squish clearance
2. BiTurbo pipe
3. 24T rear sprocket
before -> after above mods:
uphill: 16 -> 25
flats: 23 -> 35+
A)
airbox replaced by purple pantyhose(+7 to speeds above, difficult to start, exceptional throttle response)
B/Current)
airbox w/ some holes drilled in specific locations(+5 to speeds above, 1-kick start, exceptional throttle response)
::::::::::::AV7 Mobylette 50V::::::::::::
Parmakit
Simonini pipe
19mm clamp mount PHBG w/ Molassi intake
Doppler crank
powder coated frame
Doppler ER2
TunR pulley w/ 13T Peugeot sprocket
MBK CDI
40T rear sprocket
Gazelles
Tomos Revival front fork w/ hyrdo brakes
Honda CR-80 front wheel + axle + random washers
hoorahs
to go:
0. install a new stock engine spring with intact rubber bushing.
1. tune
2. test rope start with ER2 installed
3. ensure the engine wont variate the pipe baffle into the rear wheel/axle/whatever
::::::::::::A3 Scorpion Scrambler::::::::::::
Scorpion scrambler frame
Puch EBRs + front wheel assembly
rebuilt A3 engine
20mm VM Mikuni
weak-ends mikuni intake
techno bullet
to go:
1. found a welder, new engine mounts + seat mount + Pipe mount
2. same dude is rebuilding the A3 engine
::::::::::::A55 Streetmate::::::::::::
currently being stripped and powdered blue
Suzuki K10 forks(?)
Streetmate engine + frame + swing-arm + intake + carb.
A55 Biturbo
A35 airbox
adjustable shocks
SPARE:
A35 stock cylinder+intake+reeds
SHA 16.16
to go:
0. assemble rolling chassis
1. find a front wheel assembly
2. mount a seat
3. find controls
4. same dude is rebuilding the A55 engine
::::::::::::AV7 Mobylette 40T::::::::::::
my wife's project ped. Thats right, shes doin the work, im supervising (teaching and helping), and im not allowed to sell it
needs:
0) engine mounts
1) grips(have)
2) pedal crank arms (sand + paint)
3) hoorah (hoop bracket dealie) that holds the headlight in the bucket
4) side panels
5) carb jet + air filter(have)
6) clutch
7) pulley
8) belt (maybe?)
9) new chains (have)
13) pedal crank arms + pedal crank pins + pedals(have)
janky:
2) exhaust pipe port mount
3) cables
5) tires
to go:
0) install needed parts
1) figure out what else is missing
2) buy parts needed to make it run
3) try to make it run
4) repeat #2 and #3 until success
5) disassemble, fix the jankiness, rebuild
::::::::::::Ex mopeds::::::::::::
1987 Derbi Variant Sport
2001 Tomos Targa
???? Sears Free Spirit
???? Tomos A3 Sprint
:::::::::::: learning opportunities ::::::::::::
0) shelters greatly decrease the likelihood weather will prevent work on your moped.
1) engineering your own solution will work better and be quicker to perform than finding the stock part specified in the manual.
2) if something isn't broken or completely non-functional when taking apart moped, expect a crucial and most likely irreplaceable part to break. proceed to #1
3) if unable to figure out how to put something back together that wasn't elegant, especially effective, and/or visually appealing to begin with, proceed to #1
4) connecting the spark plug wire to the spark plug causes combustion, pushing the piston down, eventually spinning the rear wheel so that you don't have to with the pedals.
5) Drain the gas tank before transporting a moped in your car. Not 5 minutes before, but rather days in advance. *this also applies to oil reservoirs
6) Work on your moped with a friend. At some point, they will pick up something random and ask, "what is this for?" You will look and discover you have to take off everything you just put back on.
7) Does your moped start, run, and then die after a few minutes? First thing (instead of 4th as in my case) you should do is empty and clean your gas tank b/c it may be full of sand, which will block the fuel filter, petcock, and petcock intake.
8) Always come up with 2 ways (or more) to fix an issue. This doubles (at a minimum) your chances for not failing the first attempt.
9) When something is slightly larger than its new home allows, use a metal file.
10) "C" is for closed, "R" is for reserve, and no letter is open. Positioning the petcock lever appropriately prevents your float bowl from being empty with 1/2 tank of gas. Also, you might not kick your air filter off in the middle of an intersection when the moped quits and you start pedaling frantically.
11) Some Tomos center stands don't work when facing backwards.
12) Take a moment to go read #4 again.
13) Before removing a part that seems pointless, make sure removing it won't cause a cascade of failures.
14) Even if you spend all day failing to fix an issue, so long as you don't break anything else, you've succeeded in determining how NOT to do something.
15) If a part you're removing is stuck behind something else, before you break something in the vicinity attempting to force it out, begin removing the parts needed to free it. You never know when your stuck part will just fall out.
16) Drink beer when working on your moped. Make sure not to exceed the moped tinkerer's equivalent Ballmer Peak.
17) Hard plastics become brittle when cold.
18) Stripped moby flywheel nuts are no match for airplane grade rotary cutting tools.
19) When in doubt and well beyond your skill set, stop working and consult someone/something who/that possesses the required skills/knowledge
20) pullers make "cleaning rusty threads" the most difficult part of removing that which they were designed to pull off.
21) Sometimes a simpler approach to a problem is superior.
22) Don't expect anyone to do what you expect them to while riding. Else, you could end up pancaking on the back of a green Jeep Cherokee.
23) Its ideal for your significant other to adore at least one of your mopeds as much as you adore them all.
24) Money isn't the answer to moped problems, knowledge is.
25) Tomos front and rear brake hubs are different and will not work properly when swapped. Don't spend an hour trying to straighten the front wheel with the rear hub on it.
26) "Quality of used parts" and "how quickly they arrive when shipped" are inversely proportional.
27) Eventually, you'll run out of original, stock parts to replace.
28) Money is an abstract method to obtain goods and services. Avoiding it entirely via bartering with moped parts nets me services and free space in the garage simultaneously.
Rallies:
HS - Southbound and Drowned 2010
HS - The Trend is Over 2011
WLR - Southern Comfort 2 2011 (utter disaster, thanx to Dusty for the good times and hospitality)
Everything below this point is to remind me of things i should remember.
:::::::::::: Future Plans ::::::::::::
1) replacing engine mounts and assembling the drive-train for Liz's 40T over the weekend. Its entirely possible she'll end up with the 13T Pug pulley on my Moby if i don't find a better pulley for her 40T.
2) All my parts for Tomos project #1 (anti-plastic Streetmate) will be here next week, so i'll be dedicating all my garage time to assembling and tuning this stocker to replace my stockish '08 Streetmate as my reliable daily driver.
3a) going to wallow in the depths of cylinder porting/matching/timeing for a while. Who knows, i might even write a program (or excel spreadsheet) to handle all the math so i only have to do it once. Will apply this newly acquired knowledge to Liz's spare stock cylinder.
3b) The Scorpumos will eventually returned, be sent out for powder coating, and then return for assembly and tuning.
4) get back to my moby
X) write a program to merge Excel spreadsheets
:::::::::::: Garage ::::::::::::
:::::::::::: Tomos Streetmate ::::::::::::
daily driver, trade in progress.
to go:
0. stop breaking plasitc stuff
1. Trade Pending
2. periodically tighten the chain
completed/acquired/installed:
1. 50cc high comp head w/ improved squish clearance
2. BiTurbo pipe
3. 24T rear sprocket
before -> after above mods:
uphill: 16 -> 25
flats: 23 -> 35+
A)
airbox replaced by purple pantyhose(+7 to speeds above, difficult to start, exceptional throttle response)
B/Current)
airbox w/ some holes drilled in specific locations(+5 to speeds above, 1-kick start, exceptional throttle response)
::::::::::::AV7 Mobylette 50V::::::::::::
Parmakit
Simonini pipe
19mm clamp mount PHBG w/ Molassi intake
Doppler crank
powder coated frame
Doppler ER2
TunR pulley w/ 13T Peugeot sprocket
MBK CDI
40T rear sprocket
Gazelles
Tomos Revival front fork w/ hyrdo brakes
Honda CR-80 front wheel + axle + random washers
hoorahs
to go:
0. install a new stock engine spring with intact rubber bushing.
1. tune
2. test rope start with ER2 installed
3. ensure the engine wont variate the pipe baffle into the rear wheel/axle/whatever
::::::::::::A3 Scorpion Scrambler::::::::::::
Scorpion scrambler frame
Puch EBRs + front wheel assembly
rebuilt A3 engine
20mm VM Mikuni
weak-ends mikuni intake
techno bullet
to go:
1. found a welder, new engine mounts + seat mount + Pipe mount
2. same dude is rebuilding the A3 engine
::::::::::::A55 Streetmate::::::::::::
currently being stripped and powdered blue
Suzuki K10 forks(?)
Streetmate engine + frame + swing-arm + intake + carb.
A55 Biturbo
A35 airbox
adjustable shocks
SPARE:
A35 stock cylinder+intake+reeds
SHA 16.16
to go:
0. assemble rolling chassis
1. find a front wheel assembly
2. mount a seat
3. find controls
4. same dude is rebuilding the A55 engine
::::::::::::AV7 Mobylette 40T::::::::::::
my wife's project ped. Thats right, shes doin the work, im supervising (teaching and helping), and im not allowed to sell it
needs:
0) engine mounts
1) grips(have)
2) pedal crank arms (sand + paint)
3) hoorah (hoop bracket dealie) that holds the headlight in the bucket
4) side panels
5) carb jet + air filter(have)
6) clutch
7) pulley
8) belt (maybe?)
9) new chains (have)
13) pedal crank arms + pedal crank pins + pedals(have)
janky:
2) exhaust pipe port mount
3) cables
5) tires
to go:
0) install needed parts
1) figure out what else is missing
2) buy parts needed to make it run
3) try to make it run
4) repeat #2 and #3 until success
5) disassemble, fix the jankiness, rebuild
::::::::::::Ex mopeds::::::::::::
1987 Derbi Variant Sport
2001 Tomos Targa
???? Sears Free Spirit
???? Tomos A3 Sprint
:::::::::::: learning opportunities ::::::::::::
0) shelters greatly decrease the likelihood weather will prevent work on your moped.
1) engineering your own solution will work better and be quicker to perform than finding the stock part specified in the manual.
2) if something isn't broken or completely non-functional when taking apart moped, expect a crucial and most likely irreplaceable part to break. proceed to #1
3) if unable to figure out how to put something back together that wasn't elegant, especially effective, and/or visually appealing to begin with, proceed to #1
4) connecting the spark plug wire to the spark plug causes combustion, pushing the piston down, eventually spinning the rear wheel so that you don't have to with the pedals.
5) Drain the gas tank before transporting a moped in your car. Not 5 minutes before, but rather days in advance. *this also applies to oil reservoirs
6) Work on your moped with a friend. At some point, they will pick up something random and ask, "what is this for?" You will look and discover you have to take off everything you just put back on.
7) Does your moped start, run, and then die after a few minutes? First thing (instead of 4th as in my case) you should do is empty and clean your gas tank b/c it may be full of sand, which will block the fuel filter, petcock, and petcock intake.
8) Always come up with 2 ways (or more) to fix an issue. This doubles (at a minimum) your chances for not failing the first attempt.
9) When something is slightly larger than its new home allows, use a metal file.
10) "C" is for closed, "R" is for reserve, and no letter is open. Positioning the petcock lever appropriately prevents your float bowl from being empty with 1/2 tank of gas. Also, you might not kick your air filter off in the middle of an intersection when the moped quits and you start pedaling frantically.
11) Some Tomos center stands don't work when facing backwards.
12) Take a moment to go read #4 again.
13) Before removing a part that seems pointless, make sure removing it won't cause a cascade of failures.
14) Even if you spend all day failing to fix an issue, so long as you don't break anything else, you've succeeded in determining how NOT to do something.
15) If a part you're removing is stuck behind something else, before you break something in the vicinity attempting to force it out, begin removing the parts needed to free it. You never know when your stuck part will just fall out.
16) Drink beer when working on your moped. Make sure not to exceed the moped tinkerer's equivalent Ballmer Peak.
17) Hard plastics become brittle when cold.
18) Stripped moby flywheel nuts are no match for airplane grade rotary cutting tools.
19) When in doubt and well beyond your skill set, stop working and consult someone/something who/that possesses the required skills/knowledge
20) pullers make "cleaning rusty threads" the most difficult part of removing that which they were designed to pull off.
21) Sometimes a simpler approach to a problem is superior.
22) Don't expect anyone to do what you expect them to while riding. Else, you could end up pancaking on the back of a green Jeep Cherokee.
23) Its ideal for your significant other to adore at least one of your mopeds as much as you adore them all.
24) Money isn't the answer to moped problems, knowledge is.
25) Tomos front and rear brake hubs are different and will not work properly when swapped. Don't spend an hour trying to straighten the front wheel with the rear hub on it.
26) "Quality of used parts" and "how quickly they arrive when shipped" are inversely proportional.
27) Eventually, you'll run out of original, stock parts to replace.
28) Money is an abstract method to obtain goods and services. Avoiding it entirely via bartering with moped parts nets me services and free space in the garage simultaneously.
