eRuckus style

OCD

100 W
Joined
Jan 9, 2011
Messages
146
Location
Nanaimo BC Canada
While travelling in Asia you see a lot of these lowered/highly customized Honda Ruckus scooters which I think have a cool look. I've decided to borrow the vibe for a fun, low dollar build although there's no cheap way to replicate the look of those fat little tires.
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Here's my starting point from our local road side recycle/reuse day.
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Down to the bare bones after stripping all the plastic off.
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Chopped about 6" out of steering/head tube to lower front end.
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Extended rear swing arm and mocking up laid back stock shocks.
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Fabbed 1/4" drop outs which will be made clamping later as planning to use lots of regen to support poor stock braking. Changed out motor to a higher power handling Golden Motor 901 based wheel which allows for rear 6" disc/Avid BB7 caliper. Initial plans are for 48-72v 45amp controller.
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Decided to tuck the pedals in closer to the frame to use as foot rests. Will design pedal lock soon.
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Cut off the stock handlebars and welded on a modified stem to install lower bars. May replace the bicycle seat with a custom built flat seat which would give more of a nod to the Ruckus style. Got stance?
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Tire size currently 2.5" x 16 front, 3.0" x 16 rear. That's as large as they come I believe.

Here's the pedal lock I made mostly out of scraps from my tool box junk drawer. Now I'll have somewhere secure to put my feet without having to add an extra set of foot pegs. Tapped the holes and installed bolts in the pedals instead of the spring loaded ball arrangement which makes it easy to flip both pedals around in the same direction.

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It's the little things that keep the project moving forward...
 
There may be some wider tire options. Not sure if the 16" is the actual rim size or the OD of the tire (like bicycle tires). There may be a moped type tire that fits but you need to figure out the rim size as the sizes are measured differently than bicycle tires.

Also, the frame is going to have a major bending stress at the spot where it's all on a single tube:

Frame 1.jpg

If the tube is heavy enough, it will be OK, but finding a way to triangulate that section would make it a lot stronger. It might be bad if it fails there.
 
The tires are 16" (e)bicycle tires, that's why I doubt anything wider than 3" is available. This is supposed to be a low dollar build from mostly scrap materials.
The area you have pointed to is actually the factory frame but where I have added the upright seat support is tacked only and not welded yet. There will also be a diagonal brace between the (unwelded) upright and the original frame. Don't worry, once reinforced and finished it won't break. :mrgreen:
 
Good on the frame. The original steel must be pretty thick.

On my A2B, it has 20" wheels but I found that 16" moped tires fit perfectly. If you know the rim diameter, there may be a non-bicycle tire that would fit. Probably somewhere around 12". There are lots of gas scooter that use 12" tires. The rim width may be a limiting factor.

Here's an example
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/4-00x12-4-0...rcycle-4-ply-Helix-CN250-I-TR34-/221799702922
 
This is an exciting build! Great aesthetics, and look at all that low frame space for battery storage. Can't wait to see this develop further, you've got my attention :shock:
 
Cool build! I am into the vintage Japanese Monkey Bike scene. There are some top notch parts albeit spendy from companys like Takagawa, G-Craft, and Over Racing. Might be worth a look if for nothing other than inspitation.
 
Thanks guys:

There's a lot of other things dragging me away from this build but it will progress as time permits. My chain management is all worked out now so it at least "looks legal" if I get pulled over. Mostly some frame elements to finish, mount lights, make a rear cargo rack, etc.
 
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