# rear wheel options for motorized All American



## chris crew (Sep 29, 2010)

Hey folks,

I've got a late-30's early 40's Cleveland Welding All American that I have motorized.

I recently swapped out the front wheel for a beefy worksman wheel with 11 ga spokes and a drum brake and now the 70 year old rear wheel is feeling a little fragile.

What I want to do is swap out the rear for a worksman, but they don't come with skiptooth sprockets. I really want to keep the funky chain and menacing looking sawblade chainwheel as they add so much to the character of the bike.

Is there any way to mount a skiptooth on a modern coaster hub? 

Is there any truth to the rumor that you can grind every other tooth off of a modern 22 tooth rear sproket and run a skiptooth chain on it?

Thanks for the advice.

Chris


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## RMS37 (Sep 29, 2010)

There is often a difference between what you can do and what is a good idea. If you lay a half inch pitch sprocket on top of an inch pitch sprocket you will see that the individual teeth are a different shape and thickness.  Removing every other tooth from a half inch pitch sprocket will work but the chain and the sprocket will not mesh as they were designed and engineered to.  The chain will also be wider than the sprocket allowing it to float from side to side.  If you are relying on this system alone for the braking on a motorized bicycle I would consider going to a half inch pitch sprocket and a brand new chain for your safety and the safety of others.


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## bud poe (Sep 29, 2010)

I agree with Phil, although I understand the impulse to keep the skiptooth set-up.  I too am considering setting my motorbike up with a 1" pitch drivetrain but I have a brand new rear hub (shimano coaster brake) and I'm not sure I'd trust a used antique skiptooth hub (coaster brake being my only means of stopping).  I've got Worksman wheels front and rear, they seem to be the go-to motorbike wheel.  Thought about re-machining a skiptooth rear sproket to fit onto the shimano hub but have not gotten into it yet.  I'd also want a NOS chain if I went that direction...
Let's see some pics and good luck!


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## bairdco (Sep 29, 2010)

best way is to lace the old hub into the new wheel. i have a 42 Colson Imperial with a 2 stroke, and i drilled the original rims and drilled the old New departure hub so i could use 11g. spokes, yet keep the skiptooth.

another bike, i did the "break off every other tooth" method and used a shimano hub, and my main problem was it was such an old and rusty chain, combined with the side to side play because of the wider chain, it would "catch" now and then and it kept breaking links. i finally switched to a new chain set-up because i was sick of fixing it all the time.

the current bike i'm building has an old Sachs Komet Super Hub (the best ever coaster brake hub, in my experience) laced into a Worksman rim (had to drill the holes out for the spokes. not fun with a hardened steel hub) and i modified the sprocket for the skiptooth. i have a NOS chain and the sach's sprocket seems wider, and i've been pedaling the bike to the beach all summer, and it's holding up fine.

as RMS37 said above, though, make sure you have a good front brake. if your chain breaks or your hub fails, you need to stop...

(edit) just re-read that you have a worksman drum up front. those are awesome hubs...


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## chris crew (Sep 29, 2010)

Thanks, lads.  I got the worksman front wheel for the honkin' big drum brake, so stopping isn't an issue. I wasn't aware that modern chains/sprockets are narrower than the old stuff, but it stands to reason--thinner is cheaper.

Bud, you mention re-machining a skiptooth sprocket--looks like you can pick one up for $5-10--what machining would have to be done to make it fit the worksman hub?


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## bud poe (Sep 29, 2010)

I've got a few in a box somewhere, I need to dig them out to see...
I'm imagining the hole would either need to be opened up or an "adaptor" ring would need to be made to match the hole diameter of the 1/2" pitch sprocket..  Also, the skiptooth sprocket would be thicker, it would probably need to be machined down to the same thickness only where it seats onto the hub.  
Like I said it's an idea for now, I'll post pics if and when I get into it....
Let's see your motorbike!


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## chris crew (Sep 29, 2010)

Patience, Bud. I lost a bunch of old pictures of it in a computer crash.  I just got the new worksman wheel and a pair of kenda whites on over the weekend. It started raining on Sunday evening for the first time since August and hasn't let up. Supposed to be nice on Saturday, so I'll take some new ones and get them up, I promise.

I appreciate your advice.

Chris


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## sam (Oct 1, 2010)

This is the hub you will need if you want a "NEW" coaster,a great hub,and one that will take a skiptooth cog:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Velosteel-coast...Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cb1303c04
I think you can get them cheeper than this offering.Seen them at about $40 dollars U.S.


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## sam (Oct 1, 2010)

This might be a better option:
http://cgi.ebay.com/700c-Coaster-br...Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a5ee2a370
Might contact him and get the wheel size you need.


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## bairdco (Oct 1, 2010)

i haven't tried one of those Velosteel hubs yet, but it's a copy of the Sach's Komet Super hub. supposedly they got the original tooling from sachs. it's made in the Czech Republic, and looks like a great hub.

one of my concerns with motorized bikes, is all the coaster brake hubs have pressed-on spoke flanges. i blew up a Bendix 76, and i always thought those were indestructable. the new Velosteel hubs don't have a pressed flange, so one of these days i'm gonna pick one up.


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## bud poe (Oct 1, 2010)

Thanks for posting the link to the Velosteel hub seller.  These look like a great option for a motorized bike, with the added bonus of being able to take a skiptooth sprocket..
When braking on my whizzer, I use a delicate mix of compression release, clutch and light braking.  I posted another thread about making my own brake arm which quickly failed and wrapped itself around the rear dropout of the frame.  It takes a lot to stop these things and I was foolish to think I should make my own brake arm...
This winter I plan on trying to find a front drum brake as well as installing a CWC shockmaster fork.  I've heard this set-up can get weird too as far as the bike "bucking" when braking.  I'll post my progress as I get into the project...


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