Do I need a quad bike or is there an alternative?

[nuggetino]

Am in the process of planning a trip to WA for a year or so to have a crack at detecting full time. I've been doing a lot of research over the last year or so on what i need and am currently looking for a set up that will enable me to cover more ground in the WA goldfields. I know a drag coil and quad bike is the way to go if i want to have any chance of finding some patches of my own. The downside is I'd need to spend about 15 grand extra on the setup. Currently have a 4x4 camper and hadn't planned on towing a trailer (more $$$$). I'm wondering if anyone has played with the idea of a pedal powered tricycle or a small motorcycle set up in conjunction with a drag coil. CT 110 postie? Just trying to pull out some ideas and hoping some of you who've been out there have played with a few different set ups to see what actually works?

 

[Twapster]

Wow sounds very interesting!

 

[Diggerdude]

You definately don't have to have a drag coil setup to find patches, I have found many patches containing hundreds of small nuggets that you'd drive straight over with one of those. The only spot you can really use them properly are on salt lakes. Most people I know that have forked out for the setup generally sell soon after disappointed.
Postie bikes are pretty common over there and can usually be picked up for a couple hundred to help you get around.
Save the $15k and use it to help get by while your learning the ropes.

DD

 

[BrisJoe]

Just put the drag coil on the back of your 4by you can get mats from the US that are like 6x8 foot

 

[Diggerdude]

Just put the drag coil on the back of your 4by you can get mats from the US that are like 6x8 foot

Yeh top fun digging your 4wd out of that sticky mud on the salt lakes

 

[Outback]

A cheap lightweight alternative is to motorise an older type mountain bike , Ive built many , the motor kits sell for around $ 150 on eBay , But for off road you need a 56 tooth rear sprocket to give the lowdown grunt , will still go faster than you can run flat out .

This set up is not to drag a coil but just to cover more ground with the detector slung over your back .

 

[Guest]

Over the years I've had about 8 ct110 postie bikes now have a Polaris quad and wish I had my postie!
Make a rack and put the postie on the drawbar if it's rego'd you can run in and out of town to get beers' teach the wife to ride it and she can do the shopping and bring you smoko on it!

 

[nuggetino]

Cheers for replies.

Diggerdude, I hadn't thought about the patches of small nuggets that will be missed with a drag coil set up but I can tell you now I don't want to risk driving straight over the top of them. A very good point!

Outback, the motorized mountain bike idea would sounds good being lightweight but the engines are dodgy at best and reliability is paramount for where I'll be riding around. I guess I can always just pedal back to the car if the engine fails.

I like your thinking Zuke I think I'm sold on the postie bike idea.. From research I've done it seems a low KM postie bike, well serviced and sorted is about as reliable a mount as I'll find which is pretty important where I'm going. Since posting I've looked at some set ups and they seem perfect for the task of exploration. If it means I can explore areas within a 50km range or so of camp it'd be a great addition.

 

[Mr Boring]

yeah its just so easy in WA, thats all you need to do guys! although I think you will find it a little different in practice ur drag coil will need to be tuned out of the quad and only used on salt lake type ground. ( you will see what i mean) The pushbike idea is ridiculous, You need a quad for this exercise. but the quad coil is not very sensitive. rubber or teflon mats should be used as "skid plates" I tried this method in WA many times and gave up on it.

 

[Outback]

Cheers for replies.

Outback, the motorized mountain bike idea would sounds good being lightweight but the engines are dodgy at best and reliability is paramount for where I'll be riding around. I guess I can always just pedal back to the car if the engine fails.

.

There is a outlet that sells pre-tested China bike 2 strokes , they replace the crap parts & then back the units , check this site .

http://www.rocksolidengines.com.au/collections/70cc-standard-kit

 

[Mr Boring]

and postie bikes rule!!! I used one for many years. Centrifugal clutch, excellent for pulling up to gates and getting through, Milk crate on front and back..way to go!! (but watch that front wheel in dust, mud and sand!! :/ ) Came to grief many times but luckily the bike was not big enough to cause damage (except when i hit a barbed wire fence a flung back of it like a rubber band and snapped my detector in two! :| )

 

[jon_m]

take your pick;

http://store.onetenmotorcycles.com.au/

See the top one's even got a drag coil mount

 

[Mr Boring]

pushbikes don't even work in leonora townsite because of the amount of goat head spikes in the ground, not to mention the rocky ground that gold occurs in over here, go for a walk in the WA bush with a pair of thongs and you will see what i mean, don't bother with green gel in ur tyres either, you need silicon, The spikes are to big for the green gel to fix

 

[Outback]

The best offroad postie bike is the AG model with the lever that switches all gears to the lower range , but it's still to heavy for me to lift it over a wire fence :/

 

[Mr Boring]

is that the american 90cc outback? or the yamaha AG?

 

[Outback]

is that the american 90cc outback? or the yamaha AG?

It's the 110 that was sold here for farm use only without a compliance plate .
You can still buy a Yamaha 100AG new ' but can't be registered BUGGER 8.(

 

[Guest]

Very few ct110 with the hi/lo could be registered I was lucky enough to have one' all the ct90 had hi/lo but the newer ct110 12v Cdi really have enough power without it but still only do 85km flat out.
On one of my ct110 I fit a 125cc big bore kit, hot cam, ported head, bigger carbie & exhaust but still struggled to hold 100kmh
When I find some photos I'll add them I'm I just can't find em.
After all the mucking around and money I've spent id leave the next postie stock with new nobbie tyres they do a great job, are very reliable and simple to work on.

 

[Outback]

Very few ct110 with the hi/lo could be registered I was lucky enough to have one' .

Can you quote the compliance plate details & date of your bike with Hi /Lo range please ?

 

[Guest]

By memory the first of the ct110 was 1980 it didn't have hi/lo 1981 didn't either and too many requested it and the 1982 was the first to have hi/lo also the last of the 6v points then it continued though to 1986 with hi/low 6v Cdi then they stopped being imported to America and we only got ct110 12v Cdi without hi/lo but over the years they continued to produce ag models with hi/lo but no compliance plate but I'm not sure what year about 2003 they released so many hi/low models with compliance plates one of my mates had a brand new one in the shed and wanted $3000 for it.
you can add a second sprocket to the rear wheel and add a link of chain.

 

[Guest]

Loaded for 2 nights camping 400km return trip

Last photo I have before I sold her the boys at work called it the HONDA Davidson

The old girl over the back getting the big bore kit and the two newer ones were 2008 models one was a spare the other the wife's oh and the blue bike is a 2008 yamaha ag 100 iv had about 8 of them too a lot better prospecting bike but can't be registed.