Another full day of work got the scrambler geared up and running. I added another 3:1 reduction step for a total of 12:1, and it’s just barely adequate. The motor doesn’t have enough torque to get the machine moving, but if you get it rolling the motor will keep it cruising. Well, all right.

Tomorrow I have to finish the long chain assembly which connects the pedal gearbox up front to the sprocket on the rear wheel. This will involve welding on five idler brackets which I assembled today. It’s a lot of work yet but I’m on the home stretch – all the really hard stuff is finished.

I didn’t quite get the lighting finished but the taillight looks awesome. The headlight is a 6W white LED, so it’ll be pretty intense too. I have to fab up a bracket still – it’ll bolt on at the end of the silver subframe that holds the pedals.

Big relief to have this thing sorted out. I hear the dust is thick this year – no hard-packed playa surface this time – so it’ll be really nice to have a motor-assisted machine with a six-inch-wide rear tire.