SpudFiles

chainsaws already have the clutch dont they?

Yeah they have a clutch and sprocket. But the sprocket wouldn't fit a bike chain. If you plan to use a friction drive and pedal start it then you wouldn't need a clutch.

so if i found a chainsaw all i would need is two sprockets and a throttle cable? are chainsaws easy to mount with out welding?

chainsaws have clutches and so do "weed eaters" i hope there the same thing sa whipper snippers

maybe there different but every whipper snipper i have seen has had a centrifugal clutch, therefore means it cannot be push started.

Dont want a shit fight here, its probably a misunderstanding between cultures.

so if i found a chainsaw all i would need is two sprockets and a throttle cable? are chainsaws easy to mount with out welding?

it would be difficult to make it work properly without breaking with a chainsaw without welding in my opinion, they have a lot more torque and alot more power than "weed eaters".

Well I don't know you might need to weld because I don't know if they're is any spot that you could bolt it. And yeah you would just put one sprocket on the chainsaw output and then put one on the other side of the tire on the bike.

what about the spindle setup? is it easier to setup, effiecant, still kick start?

Yeah i just assumed that since you asked if you needed two sprockets that you were going for chain driven. Yeah If you want to do a spindle friction drive you can just make a roller that will attach to the motor shaft that would press against the rear tire. You just have to make sure that it steadily against the tire. It doesn't have to be on super tight just pressed against it enough so that if you pedal it will spin. A friction drive would be able to start by pedaling and it would be relatively easy to setup but it wouldn't be as effecient as a chain driven. It also wouldn't really work in wet conditions. And you wan't the roller to have some texture to it and not be smooth so that it can grip the tire better.

so a chain setup will be be more efficient than the spindle? just out of curiosity do those speedometers for bikes work on smaller tires or are they calibrated for the bigger tires?

Yeah of course. Spindles can slip sometimes and if you think about it of course a chain would give your more power and speed than just a friction drive. And I have no idea.

ok i know we keep talking bikes but what would be a good ratio for a scooter with four inch wheels?

i dont think it would work with 4'' wheels. though ive never build one so i dont know, that just seems small to me.

Ratio? You wouldn't have any room to have gear ratios on a scooter. Let alone gears. Most if not all scooters use spindles. I have seen some with like 8" tires with gears but 4 wouldn't really work.

well that sucks because i was kind of looking towards doing a scooter for portabilty and i will still have the probolems if i go with a spindle. so for the most torque i would want a low ratio of like 3:1 and for top speed i would want a high ratio of like 10:1? if i put like a 24 tooth sprocket on the scooter wheel and a 6 tooth on the motor will this be any differant than using a 48 tooth on the wheel and a 12 tooth on the motor? please correct me if i am wrong.

you won't be able to fit a 24 tooth sprocket on the scooter cause a 24 tooth is bigger than 4 inches. And I don't know I don't know gear ratios.

neither do i. i think i will mess with the scooter for a while and if it dosnt work i will go with a small bike. thanks for all the good info.