Sidewinder By Gemco
- Thread starter Alice
- Start date
- Tags gemco sidewinder
Hmmm, there was someone asking about one of those about a month ago. I don't think he got an answer either.
http://www.oldminibikes.com/forum/what/83081-gemco-sidwinder.html
Oh wait, that was you. :no:
http://www.oldminibikes.com/forum/what/83081-gemco-sidwinder.html
Oh wait, that was you. :no:
Yes, Alice, I know exactly what it is. It is a mountain bike made by a company called General Machine Company, in Ogden, Utah. The Company's primary product was Gemco Sugarbeet Harvesters. Some of the dealers were in WI. I was a draftsman for that company and worked on the design of that scooter.
LOL, of course if you were the draftsman, it would have been you doing the copying if it occurred. I was making a joke here, but the design and geography makes that suspect. (with all due respect)
Looks like the front suspension is superior to the "pogo sticks" on the Gotes.
Fixed the photo link.
Well Dave, we looked the Tote Gote over pretty carefully and then made a better machine. The SW is narrower and the engine is mounted more forward and at the time we built these, TG had no suspension at all which made our machine easier to ride. The driver's foot pegs were higher and more inboard that the Gote. This kept your feet from getting hit by stuff along the trail.
The swing arm front suspension is adjustable for travel distance and stiffness. There is a spring steel pressure washer under a stop nut that can add more friction to the spring action. My scooter has a broken spring and they were custom made for the SW. Replacements can't be found. I'll have to have one made. The rear suspension is a single torsion bar with an adjustment wedge at its base. It ran on a diagonal from the frame up toward the rear. The arm on the upper end gave the rear swing arm its spring action. The arm had a tendency to break.
As a demonstration, we made a thing that looked like a ladder made with 2x4s for the sides a rungs. It would lay flat on the ground with the 2x4s on edge spaced about 12 to 18 inches apart. The whole thing was about 10 feet long. We could hit it at full speed and travel its length with hardly a bump. TG guys didn't dare try it with their solid axle scooters.
We made those scooters for 3 or 4 years until the company was purchased by Heston Equipment Co. in Kansas. They bought the equipment and patents for our Sugar Beet Harvesters. They did not get the SW patents or rights. We made 2 models, a 4 HP and a 6HP unit. They both had B&S engines. Production was probably less than 300 units made in 1963 thru 1965. Production ended when the company was sold. The owner always had plans of making more, but that's about time that the Japanese invaded with their scooters.
Alice's scooter looks to be in pretty good shape. Looks like it has a different engine though.
Mine is a 6HP that need restoration, I have the little trailer too. I doubt there are any more in existence.
)
The swing arm front suspension is adjustable for travel distance and stiffness. There is a spring steel pressure washer under a stop nut that can add more friction to the spring action. My scooter has a broken spring and they were custom made for the SW. Replacements can't be found. I'll have to have one made. The rear suspension is a single torsion bar with an adjustment wedge at its base. It ran on a diagonal from the frame up toward the rear. The arm on the upper end gave the rear swing arm its spring action. The arm had a tendency to break.
As a demonstration, we made a thing that looked like a ladder made with 2x4s for the sides a rungs. It would lay flat on the ground with the 2x4s on edge spaced about 12 to 18 inches apart. The whole thing was about 10 feet long. We could hit it at full speed and travel its length with hardly a bump. TG guys didn't dare try it with their solid axle scooters.
We made those scooters for 3 or 4 years until the company was purchased by Heston Equipment Co. in Kansas. They bought the equipment and patents for our Sugar Beet Harvesters. They did not get the SW patents or rights. We made 2 models, a 4 HP and a 6HP unit. They both had B&S engines. Production was probably less than 300 units made in 1963 thru 1965. Production ended when the company was sold. The owner always had plans of making more, but that's about time that the Japanese invaded with their scooters.
Alice's scooter looks to be in pretty good shape. Looks like it has a different engine though.
Mine is a 6HP that need restoration, I have the little trailer too. I doubt there are any more in existence.
)
Sidewinder
We did quite a bit of experimenting with the centrifugal clutch and driven pulleys. I think the clutch was Japanese which worked with weights and springs. We lightened the weights so more RPM was required for it to engage to add power. We made our own driven pulley, we called it a torque converter. It just had a spring that was adjustable to change the amount pull required to make it spread apart. The floating half casting also had 3 wedge shaped ramps around the center shaft. Some experimental models had a device that held the floating half from moving when high torque was applied. There were 3 wheels that ran against the wedges to accomplish this. The idea was to keep the gear ratio as low as possible when under load. When the load decreased it was allowed to slip to a higher gear ratio. I think this idea is pretty common now.
Clear as mud, right! You have to think about it awhile and maybe it will make sense. When I start working on my scooter I'll post some photos.
The 6HP machine would run about 45MPH on the level. They were a blast to ride.
Being and old fart now, I ride a Polaris ATV. They are fun too!
We did quite a bit of experimenting with the centrifugal clutch and driven pulleys. I think the clutch was Japanese which worked with weights and springs. We lightened the weights so more RPM was required for it to engage to add power. We made our own driven pulley, we called it a torque converter. It just had a spring that was adjustable to change the amount pull required to make it spread apart. The floating half casting also had 3 wedge shaped ramps around the center shaft. Some experimental models had a device that held the floating half from moving when high torque was applied. There were 3 wheels that ran against the wedges to accomplish this. The idea was to keep the gear ratio as low as possible when under load. When the load decreased it was allowed to slip to a higher gear ratio. I think this idea is pretty common now.
Clear as mud, right! You have to think about it awhile and maybe it will make sense. When I start working on my scooter I'll post some photos.
The 6HP machine would run about 45MPH on the level. They were a blast to ride.
Being and old fart now, I ride a Polaris ATV. They are fun too!