Group 36 - Beginner Dirt Bike Proposal

Sunday May 19 2013 22:33

Introduction

This is the request for proposal for Group 36. The material covered in this gate is the work proposal, management proposal, and the initial product assessment. The work proposal provides the plan and tools for product dissection as well as the skills and shortcomings of the team members. The management proposal has the information regarding the work distribution between the team members. The initial product assessment is a list of answers to questions corresponding to the first impressions the group had with the product.

Directory

Home: Group 36 Home Page

Gate 2: Preliminary Project Review

Gate 3: Coordination Review

Gate 4: Critical Design Review

Work Proposal

The initial view of the mini-dirt bike has shown that a wide array of tools will be needed to disassemble the motor and transmission systems. The mini dirt bike has been split between two groups. Our group chose the motor and transmission systems.

Basic

• a metric socket set will be needed, starting from a 6mm and going up to a 21 mm.
• a 3/8 ratchet and various sizes of extensions will be needed, starting with a #1 and going up to a #4 just in case some prying becomes necessary.
• a box end wrench set will also be needed in the same sizes of the socket set.

Engine and transmission systems

• a piston-spring compressor
• a leather-skin mallet and a bearing press to remove and reinstall the pressed-in bearing.

Misc

• a drain pan for the oil inside the motor
• a chain breaker, in order to remove the engine and transmission from the chassis of the dirt bike.

The complete dis-assembly of the dirt bike should take between 2 to 3 hours, in a non-crowded area with full tool availability.

Management Proposal

Personal Assessment

Team Strengths and Weaknesses

Member	Strengths	Weaknesses
Dan Cocciardi	•Worked as a NYS Project Manager for Asbestos, Lead, and Mold removal •Knowledge of various power tools and their proper employment: Including but not limited too, drills, skill saws, jigsaw, sawzaw, nail guns, etc. •Engineering club President (DCC), participating in robotics and catapult construction competitions •Knowledge of Autodesk Inventor	•very basic car repair knowledge regarding disk and drum break replacement, oil change, spark plugs, tension pulley maintenance •Tendency to "over think" or "over complicate" a situation •Difficulty relinquishing control
Eric Gande	•Training in solid modeling •methodical •Has done a reverse engineering project before	•Never did extensive work with an engine
Nnamaka Nwufoh	•5 years in the U.S. Navy as an aircraft power plants technician •Her specialty was in the Sikorsky's H-60 helicopters •As a power plants technician she maintained and performed troubleshooting of the aircraft engines, Auxiliary Power Units, Gear boxes, Drive shafts and fuel and rotary systems •Her technical expertise made her well-versed in tool and equipment mastery, and the assembly and dis-assembly of components and parts •Technical writing	• A little too heavy-handed with component parts. Needs to learn to stay within the torque range of hardware.
John Flight	•Years of experience in the automotive industry •Working experience in a machine shop •Knowledge on solid modeling (Solidworks)	•Prefers to work alone •Motivation only in the face of deadlines •Unorganized
Devershi Gupta	•Doesn’t show up to class or group meetings	•Doesn’t show up to class

Time Management and Team Positions

Gantt Chart	Team Members	Meeting Schedule
Gantt Sheet	Team Members	Calendar

Initial Product Assessment

*The focus for Group 36 was on the engine and transmission of the dirt bike. The answers to questions 1, 3, 6 and 7 refer to the product as a whole. The answers to questions 2, 4, and 5 refer to only the transmission and engine.

1) The product is a dirt bike. The intended use for the product is for off road transport. This model is intended for beginners to learn the basics of riding a dirt bike before they progress to a more powerful bike. The specific system of the product is the engine and transmission, which provide the power for the dirt bike.

a. This product is intended primarily for personal use. The fact that it is smaller and has a less powerful engine makes it better for casual and beginner riders as apposed to a professional rider. Professional riders would most likely use dirt bikes with 150cc engines as apposed to the smaller engine (around 90cc) of this dirt bike.

b. The function of this product is to transport a rider from one place to another with out the use of paved roads. Other than recreation, off road motorcycles are used in a variety of races such as motocross, rallies, and track racing. However, this specific product would not typically be found in races because it is a beginner model and does not have sufficient power to be competitive in these events.

2) This product functions similarly to most other motorcycles. It utilizes a kick start combustion engine, which is typical of off road motorcycles (reduces weight compared to electric start). The motor supplies power to the rear wheel via a chain. The bike only has one gear and has a pedal on the left side which switches the bike between neutral and first gear.

a. Mechanical energy is the main type used throughout the engine and transmission. All the chains and gears transmit power so that it can get to the rear wheel to provide motion to the dirt bike. This energy comes from the chemical energy stored in the gasoline. Electrical energy is used by the magneto and spark plug.

b. Energy starts with the chemical energy in the gasoline. The engine releases this energy during combustion, which in turn is converted into mechanical energy when it is transferred to the piston. Electrical energy is created by rotating the magneto around the ignition coil which creates a current. This current is used by the spark plug to create a spark to help in the combustion process. The engines mechanical energy drives the magneto while it is running, but the kick start provides the mechanical energy when it is being started.

3) Initial trials of the dirt bike showed that it would start and run properly. The break and suspension systems also appeared to be working correctly.

a. All preliminary testing showed that it was operating at an expected level. The dirt bike was able to start, support the weight of the rider, and able to move (and accelerate) with the rider.

b. The only minor issue is that there is an underinflated rear tire. Any other issues would be how efficiently the engine is running. This is not easy to determine because the history of the dirt bike is not known so we can not compare how well it is running now to when it was first produced. The only visual damage to the bike is some grinding on the engine casing and some rusted components including bolts and the exhaust.

4) The engine and transmission are the most complex parts of the bike. The internal combustion engine is also a relatively complex mechanism compared to many other tools and devices. However, this particular engine is much less complex than larger combustion engines found in cars.

a. This particular dirt bike has a four stroke single cylinder engine. The transmission only has neutral and first gear. This makes the entire system drastically simpler than even the smallest car engines. The number of components in these systems is probably around 100 parts. These parts include the piston and cylinder (the chamber they are housed in), spark plug, air intake and filter, exhaust, gas tank, chain and gears.

b. The most complex components of the bike are the engine and the transmission. They contain the most parts that move and act to convert chemical energy to rotational energy in the back wheel. Compared to other engines and transmissions however they are relatively simple. There is only one cylinder in the engine and the transmission only shifts the bike from neutral to first gear (first being the only gear).

5) The materials used in this product are the standard materials found in any combustion engine. Steel and aluminum are the primary components for the engine and transmission. Rubber is used in the tubing around the break cords and in the tubing found around the engine. A magnet was used to test the difference between aluminum and steel. Most grades of steel possess at least some magnetism while aluminum is never magnetic.

a. The visible materials for the engine and transmission are rubber and aluminum. The wiring coming out of the transmission housing has a rubber sheathing. The metal that makes up the transmission and piston housing as well as the valve assembly were all aluminum. The visible bolts were made of steel. There was a small amount of plastic insulation on the spark plug.

b. The same materials are also present in the non visible areas. Aluminum would be used in parts to reduce weight, while steel would be present in the parts that would be under the most stresses. The wiring would be made of copper underneath the rubber insulation.

6) I would be happy with this product because I never rode a motorcycle before and a dirt bike with a small engine would be a good place to start. This particular dirt bike is also easy to use because it only has one gear and would make getting use to a motorcycle easier.

a. The product felt comfortable enough to use. The seat and suspension made it comfortable to sit on and ride on paved surfaces. The intended use of the product is inherently uncomfortable however and if the bike were to be used in an off road setting the bike would probably become a less physically comfortable vehicle. The controls are also intuitive and straight forward. The simplicity of the controls would make the bike comfortable during its intended use.

b. The product is very simple to use. It starts in neutral with a kick start engine and is ready to be ridden once you put it in gear. To accelerate you rotate the throttle on the right handle bar away from you. The rear wheel break is by your right foot and the front wheel break is by your right hand. These things are easily seen upon initial inspection of the dirt bike.

c. As with all combustion engines maintenance is required. As stated in earlier this dirk bike is markedly simpler than other internal combustion engines; however this is still a somewhat complex machine. Servicing this product would probably be difficult for your average person. Someone with a decent amount of knowledge on the workings of an engine would most likely find this dirt bike easy to work on.

7) An alternative vehicle to the dirt bike would be an ATV. ATV’s give better stability and more power. ATV’s also have bigger engines, the smallest one being around 110cc, while dirt bike engines can be as low as 70cc. Comparable dirt bikes with engines around 90cc can offer different features such as auto start, a greater suspension compression, and alternate wheel sizes.

a. Group 36's dirt bike is about $700.00. Other dirt bikes of comparable size are also around this price. Other companies have their dirt bikes listed at $669.95 and $559.00. ATV’s with 110cc engines are also around $700.00 as well. See the website http://www.powersportsmax.com/ for price comparisons between dirt bikes and ATVs.

b. Advantages of other bikes with greater compressibility in the suspension will be to more comfortably get over rough terrain. Larger wheels will give greater ground clearance. Larger engines will give other bike more power allowing it to move and accelerate faster. ATV’s will allow someone to have more stability over rough terrain. The wider base of the ATV will provide more stability and traction than a dirt bike, but the size of the ATV will limit the paths a rider can take compared to if they were riding a dirt bike.

c. Most other dirt bikes are an improvement over this product in terms of performance. Larger engine sizes and variable gears will improve how well the dirt bike runs. However, the benefit of our product is that it is easy to use. Other products are more difficult to start and the increase in power would make them harder to handle than this beginner dirt bike.