Building Day 1

So, now that I have my Moon Dog and Engine, I can start. I'm going by the directions on thatsdax.com for how to assemble their engine. The first step is to mount the rear sproket.
The first thing I do is take the rear tire off the bike frame (which I know will be a pain getting back on. The directions online explain to take one of the two gaskets and cut to go inside the wheel (between the spokes).
With the gasket cut, slide it around the axel (or whatever that is on the weel), but the other gasket on the outside of the spokes, and the sproket furthers outside. Using the bolts, flat washers and lock washers, secure the three pieces with the "half-moon" brackets furthest inside.
It may seem like what I just described was easy. believe me, it was not. It took forever to do. My gaskets were not quite lined up with the holes on the sproket or the half-moon brackets and so it took a long time to align everything. Then, after that, it was extremely difficult to tighten each bolt with the spokes in the way. The whole process took about 1 to 1.5 hours with minor scratches and abrasions on my hands. but hey, it's at least done!

Next up, I'm gonna do something that's not a standard installation step. While I have the tires off, I'm going to reinforce the wheels to try and prevent blowout. I read online that motorized bicycles are prone to blowouts and some people recommended to line the inner rim with duct tape.
I don't know how effective this will be, but it wasn't hard to do and it couldn't hurt. After that was done, I re-mounted the tires and cleaned up my tools. Took the bike for a quick ride and everything seemed to be working the way it should. That's all the sun would allow for me today. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be able to mount the engine.