Group 21 - Beginner Cruiser Motorcycle
Product Summary
We are group 21 and we were assigned the mini cruiser motorcycle along with group 22. We have decided to take apart the cruiser motorcycle with our group starting from the front of the bike and group 22 starting from the rear of the bike and meeting at the engine in the center. Our groups will collaborate to take apart the engine.
Group Info
Ryan Boyle: Communication, CAD Lead:
-Allows communication between TA’s and group via email.
-Person who will make CAD drawings for the project.
Carl Eckhardt: Master Wiki Designer, Communication:
-In charge of editing information, and translating information to wiki.
Dylan La Lone: Project Manager, Technical Lead:
-Person who assigns group work, and keeps everyone on track.
Josh Brynat: Technical Expert, Wiki:
-Answers assembly/disassembly questions, under any means necessary including online references.
Greg Gasiorczyk: Technical Lead, Technical Expert, CAD:
-In charge of takedown, and reassembly.
-Keeps track of all parts, and keeps team on track during lab time.
- Members will be able to assist other responsibilities if circumstances require. Those roles are italicized. The description is only stated with the Role if it is the main role of the individual.
Request for Proposal
Tools:
- Socket/ Ratchet Set
- Allen Key Set
- Philips and Flat Head Screw Drivers
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Chanel Lock Wrench
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Philips and Flat Head Screw Drivers
- Allen Key Set
Capabilities:
Ryan Boyle
His experience with disassembling things is limited. He’s taken apart bicycles and small electronics, but never anything like a cruiser motorcycle, so has almost no knowledge about what is to be expected with this project. Ryan is not that good with computers beyond basic computing skills. Also, he has never made a wiki. Overall, he doesn't have much experience with any of these things.
Carl Eckhardt
Carl has a little experience with taking gas engines and bikes apart. He mostly took apart and put back together R/C cars when he was younger. He does have some experience with Wiki’s from a required project he had to do in his senior year of high school.
Dylan La Lone
Dylan has experience with small gas engines, carpentry, bicycles, paintball guns, and his dirt bike. He has taken apart and reassembled a go cart engine as well as a chainsaw engine, and worked on his dirt bike. He is fairly good with computers, but is new to using Wiki’s.
Josh Bryant
When he was young he used to build model cars but doesn’t feel that those skills will useful with a real reverse engineering situation. Outside of that he has very little experience with disassembling machines.
Josh’s computer skills are slightly above average for today’s college student but no exceptional skill and mostly good with Macs. In terms of Wiki’s, he uses wiki pages for reference regularly but has never put one together nor added to one in any way.
Greg Gasiorczyk
Greg has experience when it comes to small engines and cruiser motorcycles. He has held an internship at Jiffy-tite, and has learned the process needed to keep projects on track, and the need of properly storing components to assure a quick reassembly. He is a little rusty when it comes to any CAD software, but can quickly pick it back up if needed. Greg has no experience when it comes to Wiki.
Time and Management Proposal:
Groups 21 and 22 are sharing the Beginner Motorcycle Cruiser, so we have planned to divide some of the dissection between the groups, and share the remaining parts. Group 22 is taking the section of the bike from the engine back. Group 21 is taking on the front fork, suspension, and handlebars. We will meet in the middle, to share the dissection of the engine. Our goals for each stage in our dissection are to finish the separate dissections by Sunday, October 18th, and the engine dissection by Wednesday, October 28th. Some possible challenges or obstacles we have forecasted are the pull start and fly wheel, the clutch, and aligning the back wheel.
At the beginning of every week we will decide through email, when we can meet that week. Because of peoples after class work schedules, we will aim to meet one or two times through Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Initial Product Assessment
- The intended use of our product is to provide a motorized, two wheeled platform to ride on for entertainment. Intended for home/recreational use, the Beginner Motorcycle Cruiser imitates a real motorcycle for younger and older users. Like the name suggests, it’s a simpler, easier, and safer yard, woods or off-road miniature motorcycle.
- The product runs on a gas engine: 196 cc, one cylinder, four stroke. The engine is started by pull start, not electric and runs via carburetor, not fuel injection. Inside the engine chemical energy is turned into thermal energy when the gasoline is ignited. The thermal energy is converted into kinetic energy when the piston is thrust down, and the drive shaft is spun. The drive shaft is connected to the clutch. It uses a centrifugal clutch which transfers mechanical/kinetic energy indirectly to a back larger sprocket via a chain.
- The Cruiser is currently running and operating. Every group member in groups 21 and 22 was able to ride it twice. It ran very successfully over gradual hills and bumps in the field next to Governors Dorms, as well as the two way trip up and down campus. The Cruiser consumed about ¾ of a 20oz Gatorade bottle of gasoline. There were no problems encountered during our outing.
- Compared to some of the other products available to us for MAE 277, the Cruiser probably falls above average. Compared to an actually motorcycle the Cruiser is considered fairly simple. If you divide the bike into systems, it falls into six main parts. The frame, the suspension, the engine, the clutch/sprockets, the handlebars, and then the fabrication like the fenders, fake gas tank, headlight, and big comfy leather seat.
- There are many materials that make up the Cruiser. So far we can say that several different types of metals are used. Some type of fake leather covers the seat. The tires and grips are made of rubber. There is also plastic around the cables, the kill switch, the exhaust, intake, and clutch guards, possibly the piston rings, and some other tubes and pieces on the engine.
- We would be happy with this product. It was very fun, comfortable, and easy to use. It is a 4 stroke engine so no mixing of gas and oil is necessary, and by nature the engine should be more reliable being a 4 stroke. With no gears the only two controls during operation were the gas and the brake, which makes it very easy to use. Our only complaints were the size of the large front tire which seemed week in turns, and the stoppers on the front fork that limited our turning radius without leaning. The only maintenance you could plan for is changing the oil, keeping the tires full of air, and always supplying it with gas.
- Some alternatives to the cruiser are dirt bikes, mini bikes, quads, and go-karts. All of these (excluding the mini bike) are more expensive than the cruiser. All of these pricier options are also more complex, but probably better performing. Dirt bikes and quads usually have gears which are less user friendly, but give more capability, power, and speed. Go karts are very similar to the Cruiser, but have four wheels and can hold more than one person. Mini-bikes are very similar to the Cruiser in every aspect except for the fancy fabrications, and suspension found on our product. The Cruiser is cheaper and simpler than most of its competition, but surpassed in performance.
Preliminary Product Review
Causes for Corrective Action:
-As we meet the deadline for our first major product review our group can confidently say everything has gone effectively with no issues up to this point in the process. We were successful because we set a solid foundation in gate 1 of how we were going to manage our time, work and roles during the disassembly. It contained realistic goals and tactics that were met by all members and groups involved by our deadlines.
-The disassembly of the motorbike took approximately 8 hours. We started at the front end of the bike and worked our way towards the center (engine). While disassembling the front section, group 22 was disassembling the rear of the vehicle. Once we had both reached the engine both groups worked together. We planned it this way because it was only fair that both groups get a chance with the “heart” of the bike. Also because the engine is the most complex part and combining our expertise would benefit both groups.
-The only potential problem that was of concern was sharing our product with another large group. This could easily have lead to some cooperation and communication issues. As a result of excellent collaboration no issues arose and everything went smoothly. Both groups worked on the bike simultaneously and met deadlines as a team.
-Sharing with another group was actually a positive situation as opposed to a potential problem. It acted as a support group that kept both groups on time and working efficiently. It also allowed us to combine notes, pictures and ideas incase one group forgot the size of a screw or what part was in a picture.
-Overall everything went as the group had planned. Disassembly deadlines were met with pictures and descriptions of all parts. As a group, meetings were productive and free of conflict. The project so far has proceeded very well and more smoothly than predicted, having one of the more complicated products distributed throughout the class. The bike seemed overwhelming at first to some students who have never disassembled motor vehicles prior to this class.
Procedure for Disassembly:
- difficulty ratings go from 1 to 5. 1 describes simple tasks that do not require physical effort or tedious procedure. 5 describes physically straining tasks or difficult processes that must be followed carefully.
Front End:
Tire:
- Remove axle (using 18mm socket) and nut (using 19mm socket), careful to not misplace washers. Remove tire and wheel from front fork by hand.
- Difficulty: 1
Fender:
- Remove 3 nuts with 8 mm socket from 3 bolts through fender and fender bracket, being careful not to lose washers. Bracket will fall from underneath the fender. Lift the fender out of fork by hand.
- Difficulty: 1
Gas Tank (fake):
- Remove 2 nuts with ½ inch socket from bolts welded to support arms underside the tank shell. Be careful not to lose rubber vibration reducing washers.
- Difficulty: 1
Headlight:
- Unclip white plug from engine, unscrew grounding washer (1) (at end of wire) from the engine using a Phillips head screwdriver, and slip wire out of zip ties (2).
- Remove nuts (2) and bolts (2) through bracket on back of headlight using pliers.
- Unscrew, holding screw (1), from back of light with Phillips head screwdriver, pop cover off back of light.
- Difficulty: 1
Throttle Grip:
- Remove screws (2), with Phillips head screwdriver, from plastic clamp throttle casing. Slide apart while holding throttle grip, keep both halve facing upward. Pull out small black plastic piece on top of cable. Twist the throttle grip and remove metal piece at the end of the throttle cable from white plastic.
- Difficulty: 2
Kill Switch:
- Remove screws (2), with Phillips head screwdriver, from clamping metal piece on backside of kill switch casing. Remove black wire from plug and grounding washer screw (1) with Phillips head screwdriver.
- Difficulty: 1
Handle Bar:
- Using Allen key 6mm, remove 4 screws from each other corner of handle bar bracket. Pull top half of bracket off and lift handle bar out. From the underside of the fork plate, remove the two bolts holding on the handle bar bracket (16mm socket).
- Difficulty: 1
Front Fork:
- Using a large vice grip, remove the large nut in the center of the fork plate. Using 17mm socket, remove bolts through top of plate into fork. Lift plate off center steering shaft. Remove the next 2 spacing nuts on the shaft using a vice grip. Take the last largest nut off the shaft, using a vice grip, make sure not loses the ball bearings that are held underneath this last large nut. Lean the bike back and slide the fork out of the frame.
- Difficulty: 1
Back End
- To view back have of bike dissection procedure performed by group 22 click on link above.
Engine
Clutch Cover (plastic):
- By gripping the cover firmly, bend sides out so that clips come out of holes in cover. Pull off gently.
- Difficulty: 1
Clutch:
- Using 12 mm socket, remove bolt and washer at end of drive shaft. To pull the clutch off, the chain must be removed. Find the master link, with a flat head screw driver push between pointed clips so that they spread apart. Slide past the first pin in that link. The master clip can be lifted off second pin at this time. Remove chain and slide clutch off of the drive shaft.
- Difficulty: 3
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Pull Start, Flywheel:
- Remove bolts (3) using an 8mm socket. Pull the pull start assembly off of the fly wheel cover. Make sure to remove both halves slowly from each other as coiled spring is under a lot of tension. Remove bolts (4) from fly wheel cover using a 10mm socket. While holding the flywheel firmly remove nut at center of fly wheel using 19mm socket. Pull metal outer piece and white plastic blades from flywheel.
- Difficulty: 4
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Air Filter and Cover:
- Remove wing nut on top of black plastic air filter cover, with your hand, off of the bolt running thought air filter assembly. Slide the cover up and off of the air filter. Next remove the second wing nut from above the air filter. Slide the air filter off of the long bolt. Next unscrew the two screws in the base of the air filter case with a Philips head screw driver. Slide the base of the air filter case up and off the long bolt.
- Difficulty: 2
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Gas Tank:
- Remove small wire hose clamp (1) with hands and slide hose off of gas tank fitting. Remove nuts from bolts apoxied to the tank (3) using pliers. Lift gas tank off of engine.
- Difficulty: 1
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Clutch Bracket Plate:
- Remove bolts (4) and nuts (4) using pliers and 12mm socket to remove the gold colored clutch bracket plate.
- Difficulty: 1
Heat Plate:
- Remove three bolts from the heat plate using a 10mm socket. The heat plate is located underneath the front part of the engine, along the underside of the cylinder.
- Difficulty: 1
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Exhaust:
- Remove nuts (2) from bolts (2) holding the exhaust header to the engine block, using 12mm socket. Remove screws (4) with a Philips head screw driver, from the heat shield around the muffler. Muffler and exhaust slide out of heat shield by hand.
- Difficulty: 1
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Carburetor, Throttle:
- Remove the springs (2) connecting throttle to connection rod using needle nose pliers. Using pliers remove the nut from the bolt running through the throttle assembly. Lift entire throttle assembly off of the carburetor. Remove hose clamp and rubber hose from carburetor. Remove nuts (2) holding carburetor cover and carburetor onto engine, using pliers.
- Difficulty: 2
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Magneto and Spark Plug:
- First pull rubber plug off of the spark plug by hand. Remove bolts (2) holding magneto next to flywheel using 12mm socket. Using a 13/16 socket remove the spark plug from the cylinder.
- Difficulty: 1
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Head, Head Cover, Valve Train:
- Remove bolts (4) holding down head cover using 10mm socket. Lift with hands. Remove bolts (4) holding down entire head assembly using 12mm socket. Lift off with hands. Be careful not to lose push rods. By removing the head you can access the valves and the top of the piston.
- Difficulty: 2
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Crank Cover:
- Remove bolts (6) using 10 mm socket. Using two flat head screw drivers, slowly and gently pry the cover off of the side of the engine. This action allows access to the cam, drive shaft, and lower piston assembly.
- Difficulty: 2
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COORDINATION REVIEW
Engine Component Summary:
Component Summary Chart:
| Component | Number of Component | Material Used | Manufacturing Method |
|---|
In-Depth Component Summary
Engine Block:
The outside is very rough and does not need to be precise in every place, the places that are, have been machined. Casting is used because it is efficient and quick, machining the entire engine down from a large block of metal is time consuming and inefficient. The inside is machined because it needs to be very precise for the piston and the head to fit onto. Steel is used because the block undergoes high temperature and pressure from within, while also withstanding many forces from components attached to it (including the frame) as well as moving parts inside it. The piston and drive shaft are in direct contact with the block and exert friction on the block. The components attached exert their own gravitational forces on the block. Also the momentum bike and the parts inside require the block to be strong enough to hold itself to the frame. Finally the force exerted on the block from the driveshaft, clutch, chains, tire and ultimately the ground require the block be incredibly strong.
Clutch:
The clutch is another piece that undergoes great force, and in many places does not need to be precise. The general shape of the clutch is cast, and the inside is machined as well as the multiple holes through it. The sprocket is welded to the outer drum of the clutch. The sprocket needs to be machined separately so it cannot be part of the cast drum. The clutch is cast in steel because several large forces act on it. These forces are exists as torque and friction. The force from the engine and the force from the chain which indirectly connects to the ground are exerted on the clutch. Because of the weight of the bike and the rider the force the clutch receives from the ground, back tire, and chain is very large and must be overcome to make the bike move effectively. The inside of the clutch must expand and exert enough force on the outer drum to overcome these external forces to create a strong enough friction force to make the drum spin at the same rate as the driveshaft. The clutch would fail very quickly due to any deformation.
