How to Strap a Leaf Blower Engine to a Bike and Go Fast

Step 5 Throttle

All of the parts for the handlebars were scavenged. The gas lever was originally a brake pedal on a free bike I found during one of my yard-sale searches. The irony of using a brake for the throttle should not go unnoticed. In fact, it's a borderline bad idea considering this bike has coaster brakes and I'm used to quickly squeezing brake levers for panic stopping. That could be a nasty surprise... The brake levers originally slipped over the ends of the handle bars. Since I couldn't slide the lever into its new position, I instead cut a section of the levers clamping attachment. It still allows for a tight fit without having to remove the handle bar grips. I was able to use the original cable form the brakes of the donor bike, which was plenty long. The end of the cable was secured to the engine in the same way as the original throttle cable. To attach to the throttle lever, I crimped on an electrical terminal with an eyelet and used a small 4-40 screw to bolt the terminal to the lever.