> > I never pass up a chance to list my scooters. I now have a '47 Cushman, a '53 Cushman, a '53 Allstate (made by Cushman), a '61 Cushman Highlander, a 1963 Cushman Eagle, a 1972 Vespa Rally 180, and a 1974 Vespa 90. There are also a few vintage motorbikes and unassembled scooters lying around here and there, but the scooters are in my new shop.
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> Glad to hear it man. You were who I was targeting with "...cushing the Cushmans". Missed ya. Heh heh I'd lik to see that washing machine motor on a scooter. Kinda makes you wonder if you could ride it through a mud puddle and come out cleaner than when you went in...
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> Later,
> Drac

The thing that is more likely to happen is that it could go on a three-wheeled granny bike that I recently accquired. It's a tricycle built of bicycle parts, brand name Columbia, and it has 24 inch bicycle wheels. There is a small cargo basket for Grandma's groceries. It's mounted on the back between the rear wheels and by removing it, there is plenty of space for this rather compact little engine.

So how fast can I go on a 5/8 hp engine? Five to ten miles per hour would be fine. It beats walking. The problem is that it is a constant-speed engine that runs at 1100 rpms, so I would have to get the family engineer to calculate the drive ratio. Then I would have to come up with a drive line that would allow it to accelerate to that engine speed when the trike hits 5-10 mph. That won't be easy for someone like me with limited mechanical ability and no welding equipment.

Assuming I get it to work, where would I be able to ride something like that? Well, I live on a dead end road, four miles out of town, but a more likely place would be around a fairgrounds or recreation complex where scooter meets are held. Some of us tend to compete for the title of "Inventor of the Weirdest Mode of Transportation." Some of the modes I have seen include a scooter with a tiny front wheel and a rear wheel off a dragster. The engine was so small it fit inside the rear wheel and top speed was a little faster than walking. I've also seen a go-cart with a toilet for a seat, and a gasoline powered bathtub.

I get a great deal of enjoyment out of doing whacky stuff like that, but nothing is more fun than putt-putting down a country road at 25 mph on a 50 year old scooter.
Howard