# 1938 Colson , viewer discretion...



## mike j (Sep 9, 2017)

Disclaimer: No original paint Colsons have been harmed in this production. This is pretty much what I picked up at Copake this spring.


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## mike j (Sep 9, 2017)

Forward ; what originally sucked me back into this madness, er hobby was trying to find the perfect dingy for the pop up truck camper that I made during the recession. It was primarily constructed of recycled or reused materials, so an older, repurposed bike fit right in. I got sidelined by all the incredible bikes that I happened upon, but, the quest continues.


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## mike j (Sep 9, 2017)

Intro; I already have a really nice, original paint 1938 Colson, so a second one seemed a little redundant, at first. Picked up a nice amount of custom retrofit bike parts, in a trade with a good Caber, & have been getting into E bike builds as well, (four so far). In for a penny,,,


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## mike j (Sep 9, 2017)

The project: The ultimate dingy for the " Funmobile" as my wife dubbed it. Among the bike parts that I recently got were a Nexus 3spd hub w/ coaster brake & mountain bike type cushion fork w/ disc brake. A pretty cool skull stem came w/ the fork. I'm thinking transformers or the evil spawn manifesting itself. Hoping that the reality somehow mirrors the concept.


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## mike j (Sep 9, 2017)

The juice; Arrived the other day, a 750 watt mid-drive setup from Luna cycles. Had to do some tweaking, as these are made for the newer, smaller bottom brackets, but it works. This unit is twice the power of my current rider and my first mid drive, as all our other bikes have front hub motors.


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## vincev (Sep 10, 2017)

If you are enjoying,all is good !


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## Pauliemon (Sep 13, 2017)

Very cool!


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## mike j (Sep 18, 2017)

I'm an idiot, though knowing and admitting it is ninety nine percent of the battle. The coaster brake hub won't work with a mid drive because the cranks have to free spin backwards. Got a SA 3spd w/ drum brake from 365 bikes in Lancaster, Pa. through Ebay. Highly recommended.  The more HP you put into these bikes, the more commitment is involved, as far as everything, especially braking. Liking the look, so far, can't wait to get it up & running.


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## mike j (Oct 13, 2017)

All together, took it out for a test ride last night after work. This is a powerhouse, popped a couple a wheelies, haven't done that in a while. Took it back out this morning for a photo op, light is much better. Two minutes after these photo's went for a really big wheelie and scrapped up the rear fender & reflector. Have to work on toning them down a notch or two. This bike wants to ride. Still have to paint those peddles.


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## tripple3 (Oct 13, 2017)

Dig that bike; I wanna try....
your seat re-cover; looks saggy. Try Hi density foam padding or send it to one of our members that re-cover or Restore; IMO
Cool Bike. Enjoy the Ride.


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## mike j (Oct 13, 2017)

You're right @tripple3, my seat is saggy.


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## Dizzle Problems (Oct 13, 2017)

I dig it! Have you considered trying to hide the battery in the tank? Usually those battery cases come apart, and the actual battery is smaller. I've retro fitted one brand of battery into another's casing that was proprietary to the frame. 

I really like seeing these conversions!


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## mike j (Oct 14, 2017)

I have the two twelve volt batteries in the tank on this 24 volt hub motor system, they are much smaller. I believe that the pack on my new bike is loaded with Panasonic cylindrical cells which probably could be configured into a tank & the underside of a rack. I'm not there yet, but all for making these bikes as stealthy as possible. This new mid drive unit is absolutely silent.


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## bikewhorder (Oct 14, 2017)

So are the cranks always turning on this set up or is the sprocket somehow independent of the cranks?  I'd want to be able to coast and hit the gas at the same time.


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## mike j (Oct 14, 2017)

You can coast while the engine is throttled up, it's not like a "fixie''. That's why I couldn't use a coaster brake on this setup, the peddles free spin backwards.


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