PULSE AUTOCYCLE NETWORK

[Steve Schmidt]

All automobile manufacturer's have Recall Notices if defects are found. Since Owosso Motor Car is closed, I believe it is up to this club and it's membership to carefully record defects and find remedies for problems with our Pulses in regards to safety issues.

The Litestar/Pulse has had a good safety record.

http://www.autocycles.org/safety.html

This page will report any known safety concerns related to this vehicle, so that owners may have a better understanding about this aspect.

But lets face it, our vehicles generally have very low miles for a 15-20 year car. One reason may be because it is not easy to find someone to work on it.....you can't just lift up the hood to inspect the engine. The rear body panels must be first removed. Owners may have been disenchanted after the novelty wore off and break downs left them stranded.

Our club is growing in membership every year. More Pulses are back on the road as new owners recondition their cars and bring them to the national rally. Some of these cars have sat outdoors for years and rust is taking its toll on frames.

None of us wants anyone to get hurt.......so

This webpage attempts to put a handle on all aspects of Safety. Thanks to those owners who have added incite to this webpage and if you have additional comments, please email the webmaster........

steveschmidt at hotmail.com

CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING WEBPAGE:

http://www.autocycles.org/safety.html

WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS...........

Here are a few of the points of your Pulse which should be inspected today:

Outrigger Attachment Points and the Main Tube of the Pulse Frame

Since the manufacturer used spray in foam around the outrigger attachment points,
it is difficult to determine the amount of rust which may be eatting away at your frame parts.

Also you should remove your carpeting and inspect the Main 5" round Tube for rust. This tube is 1/8th inch thick and Phil Dawes reported that when rebuilding his Pulse the Main Tube was completely rusted through in several areas. His Pulse had set outside in Michigan for most of its life.

Where the front forks and neck are attached to the Main Tube is an important
area to inspect and difficult to do. There is alot of stress in this area at 70 MPH.

[steveg]

A couple of items I would bring up concering safety of the autocycles one is the attachment point of the front steering assembly to the frame. the two bolts is wha tI am talking about. these should be checked periodically for looseness, I had mine loose for some time and never knew it until it was lifted for painting! they should be secured with safty wire by drilling through the head and tied to each other in the direction that makes them TITE.

the second issue is agian in the steering, this time its the steering rod itself.
while towing a PULSE to its new owner I found the steering rod had come loose, and had actually bent to the point of almost breaking.. agian you would have never known because of its location..

some of the earlier Litestars (like mine) had what I would consider questionable welding.. and lack of gussets.. another point to consider.

I also added a fitted 3/4 in plywood bulkhead/rollbar just behind the rear pass seat and forward of the gas tank. giving support to the rear cowling,
making it a firewall and almost crush-proof in the event(!!!!) of a roll over.

safe flying all.
_________________
steve george litestar #009
otisco NY

[mikepulse325]

Another bolt to check is for a later model Pulses or those with the battery in front of the front tire. My friendly motor mechanic replaced the battery gratis when he worked on the clutch. Only problem was his replacement had plastic mold points on the bottom and he did not fully tighten battery tie down. So a couple of bumps going 70 miles an hour down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway had the battery jumping from the tray and into the front tire. There but the grace of god go I...
Managed to pull over (I thought it was frame bolts for front tire) and save ingesting a battery.