Posted 13 years ago
Pony_Express
(1 item)
This bicycle motor appears to be all alone in the world and I'm trying to figure out why. I got it from an "everything" collector and he didn't know much about it except that the manufacturer, Advanced Engine Products, was formerly Ohlsson & Rice. I did find a similar motor named Chicken Power by O&R, but nothing about the Pony Express. All I found on the Internet was the manufacturer's ad in a Popular Mechanics magazine from 1978, and a forum thread by someone looking for parts. There must be other Pony Express engines somewhere, tucked away in garages, but I've searched high and low and can't even find a product review.
I would register in the forum where someone was looking for parts and ask him/her if they knew anything about it. Someone that is restoring something is likely to have some kind of information.
Since you mentioned it, I just now took another look at that forum (from May 2010) and saw a phone number on one of the replies. Thanks, but the mystery isn't solved yet. :)
HI I HAVE THE OPERATORS MANUAL AND ASSM. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PONY EXPRESS MOTOR IT WAS PRINTED IN 1978 .THANKS RANDY
Hiya,
I have a Pony Express. It has a miniature centrifugal clutch and 6:1 gear box. You can see it in these video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db8N46nHIGA
hi my name is fabian i came across your massage , i have a pony express motor im looking for someone to offer me for it . if you intrested email me and i will gladly send a pic. tubens47@gmail.com
I was a distributor in San Diego for the Chicken Power and Pony Express engines during the first oil embargo in the 70's. I actually made a TV commercial about the Chicken Power Engines. The original company got bought out a few years after I started selling them by a company that basically bought the company as a write off for there larger company. Improved the product a bit, change the name and the color of the product, increase the price to $169.95, then promptly went out of business! The original price when I started carrying the kits were $69.95! I was the warranty repair, parts shop for them in San Diego and had ALL the parts ALL the time...but sadly I sold the bike shop years and years ago and don't know what happened to all the parts? I worked on all the other version of the O & R's products as well....the basic engine was used in everything from hedge trimmers, chain saws, generators, etc....the list goes on!! It was the state of the art for tiny engines back in the day and had 9 sets of needle/roller bearings to boot! WOW!
Yes, Advanced Engine Products was the name of the company that bought out O & R. I worked with an engineer when I ran into any issues and he was the one who actually warned me early on about the company's demise, so I quickly sold everything out in time to not have a huge loss and possibly effect my core business. Keep in mind, back those days, there was NO laws on the books about these products being "MOPEDS" once you converted your bike into them by attaching them to your bikes and in California at least, once you engaged the lever so the drive wheel powered your bike, it was considered a full fledged "motorcycle" with all the laws and regulations involved! Regardless of that I sold hundreds of them to customers, mail order and other bike dealers in the area!