Operating Manual and
Service Instructions
NEW
recumbent-
technology
2008
HPVelotechnik
January 2008
General safety instructions
Intended use – 3
The first miles – 3
Legal requirements – 3
Load capacity – 4
Carrying luggage – 4
Transport in the car – 5
Do not take kids with you – 5
Trailers – 5
Added parts and accessories – 5
Fairings – 5
Replacement of parts – 6
No alteration of parts – 6
Final assembly – 6
Screws and bolts – 6
Adjusting your new bike
Adjusting the leg length – 7
Adjusting the seat position – 11
Adjusting the handlebars – 13
Adjusting the suspension – 16
Handling instructions
Learning the new riding technique – 24
Wear protective clothing – 25
Use clipless pedals – 25
Slowly increase the strain – 26
Do not ride freehand – 26
How to ride correctly and safely – 26
Quick release levers – 27
Brakes – 28
Gear system – 30
Light system – 31
Prop stand – 32
Table of Contents
-
HP
Velotechnik
Maintenance and care
Wear and Tear – 33
Brakes – 33
Gear system – 35
Chain – 36
Chain tubes – 38
Chain roller – 40
Suspension fork – 41
Rear suspension element – 45
Swing arm pivot – 47
Seat – 48
Seat cushion – 49
Water bottle cage – 50
Mudguards – 50
Wheels – 51
Cleaning and conservation – 52
Storing the bicycle – 54
Screws and bolts – 54
Tightening torques for screws – 55
Warranty Pass
Warranty – 56
Warranty Pass – 57
Service Plan – 58
Proofs of service – 62
Revision March 2007. For latest product information, please check out our website at
www.hpvelotechnik.com. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
HP V
ELOTECHNIK
Elisabethenstrasse 1
65830 Kriftel / Germany
Tel. ++49 (0) 61 92 - 97 99 2-0
Fax ++49 (0) 61 92 - 91 02 18
thank you for buying a recumbent bike designed by HP VELO-
TECHNIK and congratulations on the purchase of your new
Street Machine Gt! With the Street Machine Gt, a high-quality
touring bike, you will enjoy many years of exhilarating riding
pleasure.
Your safety and your satisfaction are our main concern. On the
following pages, this manual will inform you about important
safety issues as well as maintenance and care instructions.
Even if you have many years of experience with bicycles please
do take your time to read this manual carefully before the first
ride.Your recumbent bike is designed with the latest bicycle
technology by HP V
ELOTECHNIK that partly needs special treat-
ment and care.
In this manual you will find detailed instructions on how to
optimize your Street Machine Gt to meet your demands and riding style as well as your size and weight.
In addition to this, we have put together a collection of information on care and maintenance as well as special technical advice from our engineers.
This guide helps you to keep your Street Machine Gt in perfect
condition so that you will always have maximum fun, comfort
and safety.
Enjoy yourselves and have a great ride!
Paul J.W. Hollants, Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Pulvermüller
and the HP V
ELOTECHNIK team
1
HP
Velotechnik
Introduction
Dear customer,
To this user manual also belong the original
manuals of component manufacturers such as
the brake manufacturer, the gear system manufacturer and the pedal manufacturer.These manuals tell you in detail how to operate and
maintain those specific parts. Please do read
the manuals of the part manufacturers as carefully as the manual on hand. Please have other
users of your recumbent also read the manuals before using the bike.
The maintenance and adjustment of this recumbent partly require special tools and skills.
Do only work within your limits and, in the
interests of your own safety, do not go beyond. Should you be uncertain at any point, get
in contact with your local dealer.
The instructions in this manual apply only to a
completely assembled Street Machine Gt with
standard parts from the series production of
HP VELOTECHNIK.
On special demand HP V
ELOTECHNIK delivers
frame kits with which a specialist dealer can
assemble a bicycle individually. In this case the
manuals on the operation and maintenance of
the parts only represent a guideline, please do
read every manual of every part manufacturer.
The specialist dealer is responsible for the expert assembly, please contact him for detailed
advice! A bicycle that has been assembled from
a frame kit must always be tested and approved by a qualified bicycle mechanic before your
first ride.
Introduction
2
HP
Velotechnik
Caution! The texts in the gray boxes are
particularly important for your safety.Texts
that begin with "Danger!" mark an immediate danger for your life and your health.
Please do read them carefully.
General safety instructions
3
HP
Velotechnik
Legal requirements
When you ride your bike on the public road it
must comply with national legislation and guidelines.These will vary from country to country.
In general, there are minimum standards for
brakes, reflectors and lighting systems, as well
as usually a general duty to ensure that your
vehicle is in roadworthy safe condition.There
will also be a duty to ride in a safe and responsible manner. If you ride your HP V
ELOTECHNIK
bike in traffic you should be sure to observe
all the applicable laws and regulations.
In most countries, including Germany and the
UK, two independent braking systems are required. Do not ride with only one brake working!
Please contact your local dealer to find out about your legal obligations.
As an addition, we recommend to mount a flag
on a pole for better visibility in traffic.
The safety equipment on your bike must be
checked before every ride and maintained in
propper condition.
General Safety Instructions
Intended use
Your Street Machine Gt is a bicycle for the use
on streets and surfaced roads.
This bicycle is not designed for the use in racing and off-road riding, for jumping or acrobatics, and you must not ride across curbs, stairs,
etc.
Damage through inappropriate use, assembly
errors, accidents or similar activities and willful
damage results in the loss of any warranty.
The intended use also includes the precise observation of the prescribed usage and maintenance regulations and instructions.
The first miles
The first 300 km (186 miles) are an important
phase in which you break in the bicycle.
During the first use of a new bicycle the
screws may bed in and come loose. Cables and
spokes may stretch. Bearings may show play.
Please be very attentive during that period.
After 300 km or after two months at the latest you will have to take your bicycle to a bicycle mechanic for the first service. Please record this first service and the tasks performed
in the warranty pass on page 57.This first service is the prerequisite for further use of the
bicycle and for your warranty claims.
4
HP
Velotechnik
Load capacity
The maximum load (rider + luggage) is 130 kg
(286 lbs).The maximum total weight (bicycle +
rider + luggage) is 150 kg (330 lbs).The lower
limit is valid. It is important to adjust the
spring stiffness of the suspension according to
the load, see the chapter about adjusting the
suspension in this manual, page 16.
With an attached trailer, the maximum total
weight must not be higher than 150 kg
(330 lbs).
Carrying luggage
Luggage transport is only allowed with the
special rear racks, lowrider racks and luggage
boxes offered by HP Velotechnik .
Maximum load:
Rear rack 25 kg (57 lbs)
Lowrider under the seat 25 kg (57 lbs)
Luggage box (Speedbag) 10 kg (23 lbs)
When a rear rack or a Speedbag is mounted
you have to make sure that when the rear suspension is fully compressed there is at least a
1 cm (
1
/3") distance between the rear tire or
mudguard and the rear rack. If you want to increase this distance you have to decrease the
suspension travel of the rear suspension element with clip-on spacers. For that purpose
please consult your local dealer.
Additional loading can influence thehandling of
your bike considerably. If you plan on riding
with heavy luggage we advise you to make a
test ride on a street with no traffic to adjust
to the new situation.
The load should be placed as close to the body of the rider as possible, since this leads to a
more stable performance.You can also improve the handling of the bike by positioning the
center of gravity of the luggage as low as pos-
sible, so pack heavy items in the bottom of
your panniers. Hang heavy panniers on the lowrider rack preferably to the rear rack.
Be careful that your luggage on the racks or in
the Speedbag is safely stored. Bags must be
tightly fastened to the rack so they can not
move. In no case may loose parts like straps or
belts touch the wheels, the derailleur or the
suspension.
We recommend waterproof bicycle bags by
the German manufacturer O
RTLIEB.You can buy
them with extra large hooks matching the
oversized tubes of the rack.You can also refit
those large hooks later.
Take care that your luggage does not cover
the lighting system and the reflectors of your
bicycle and that they stay fully functional.
In case you want to park your bicycle take care to lean it on a wall or any other solid object.With the kickstand alone it is not possible
to safely park a bicycle loaded with luggage, it
could fall down and be damaged.
General Safety Instructions
General safety instructions
5
HP
Velotechnik
Transport in the car
The best way of transporting your bicycle is
inside the car. See that it does not lie on the
derailleur.
If you want to transport it outside the car we
recommend a roof-rack or a rear carrier.Take
care to fasten your bicycle at the frame only.
Please remove any part that could come loose
during transport (seat cushion, water bottles,
luggage bags, pumps, pennants, etc.).
Do not take kids with you
The Street Machine Gt is not designed for the
transport of children.You are not allowed to
mount a child's seat. It is only allowed to
transport children in a trailer that has been
specially designed for that purpose.
Trailers
You are allowed to use trailers (single or double trail) up to 40 kg (88 lbs) with the Street
Machine GT.We recommend you to assemble
it with the W
EBER-coupling Type E.Always
check that the suspension and the trailer still
work properly after you have mounted the
trailer.Take care that the trailer does not damage the frame in case the bicycle falls over.
Added parts and accessories
Additional accessories may impair the function
of your Street Machine Gt.We advise you to
generally ask your dealer before you mount
any special parts or accessories to your bicycle.
Take care that the handlebar and the suspension always stay mobile.You may not add any
parts to the handlebar or the seat that might
endanger the rider through sharp edged or
pointed shapes while steering, getting on and
off the bike or bumping against something.
Before you purchase a bell or a lighting system
make sure that these accessories conform to
your national laws and regulations.
Fairings
As front fairing for the Street Machine Gt, you
may use the Streamer offered by HP
V
ELOTECHNIK. Please take care to assure a good
vision over the fairing and sufficient freedom
of movement below.
Please take into account that any fairing makes
the bicycle more prone to crosswind influences. In strong wind or gusts of wind unsafe situations may occur. Please remove the fairing
in such weather conditions before riding.
Caution! Do not fasten your bicycle at the
handlebar or, with disassembled wheels, at
the dropouts.The wind causes violent forces
that can stress the parts and therefore may
cause damage. Such damage may not be noticed immediately.
Caution! Mounting additional parts or accessories is at your own risk. It is important
that you carefully read the installation guide
of the manufacturer.Additions to the handlebar like fairings, handlebar fittings, bottle holders, etc. may impair your safety due to additional loading or clips with sharp edges.
6
HP
Velotechnik
Replacement of parts
The replacement of parts relevant for safety
(especially brakes, light system, stem, handlebar,
fork, drive train, suspension elements) should
only be done with original parts by a bicycle
mechanic, since it requires a certain degree of
skill, suitable tools and mechanical aptitude.
Any technical change you perform on your
own is at your own risk!
No alteration of parts
Final assembly
Your bike has been delivered to your specialist
dealer only partly assembled.
Your dealer has carefully finished the assembly,
perhaps altered the spefication of your bike to
meet your special requirements and performed a test ride. Please make sure that this
pre-delivery service is recorded in the warranty document at the end of this manual.
All screws must be checked and tightened,
especially on the handlebar, stem, fork, swing
arm pivot and wheels. Please follow the tightening torque settings listed in the table on page
55.
Rear derailleur and brakes must be checked
and adjusted. Please follow the instructions in
the manuals of the parts manufacturers that
come with this manual.
Screws and bolts
General Safety Instructions
Danger! If any part is deformed (e.g. due to
an accident or overload), especially frame,
fork, handlebar, seat mounts, pedals, cranks
and brakes, it is not allowed to use it any
further or repair it. Do not try to straighten
bent parts.You must replace them for your
own safety. If you do not replace a damaged
part it can result in a total failure of the part
and you may be seriously injured!
Caution! You are not allowed to perform
any work on the parts of the bicycle, especially frame, fork, handlebar and seat, which
might endanger their solidity.
These works include drilling holes, welding,
brazing, paint methods that add heat or any
other chemical treatment. If any of these
works is done improperly it may result in a
loss of strength through direct damage or
increased susceptibility to corrosion.
Caution! Screws must be tightened with
prescribed tightening torque. In this manual
tightening torques are given in "Nm“
(Newtonmeter).Always use a torque
wrench wherever a torque setting is given in
this manual. Never rely on "feel". Screws
tightened too much or not enough can
break, which can lead to dangerous accidents. In case you don't own a torque
wrench have your bicycle mechanic do the
respective work.You will find a table with
the prescribed torque settings on page 55 in
this manual.
Adjusting your new bike
7
HP
Velotechnik
Before the first ride: adjusting your
new Street Machine Gt
The seating position is essential for your riding
comfort, well-being and efficient cycling on the
Street Machine Gt.Therefore you should adjust the frame, seat, handlebar and suspension
to your individual requirements.
In order to adapt the Street Machine Gt as
closely as possible to your body dimensions
and to find the ideal seating position you need
to adjust the front boom, seat and handlebars.
Adjusting the leg length: moving the
front boom
In order to adjust the leg length you have to
move the front boom (the front part of the
frame where the cranks are mounted) within
the main frame. Unscrew the screw M8x35 under the main tube with a 6 mm Allen key.Take
a grip on the front changer tube or both
cranks and move the front boom into the frame or pull it out while cautiously turning it.
When you pull out the front boom shift the
chain on the smallest chain ring and sprocket
and turn the cranks a little bit backwards while pulling.Thus the chain is not under tension.
Adjusting the leg length
Danger! All procedures described here re-
quire a certain degree of skill, suitable tools
and mechanical aptitude.After any adjustment perform a static check and take a testride on a quiet street, away from traffic. If
you have any doubts please contact your local dealer.
Caution! After you have unscrewed the
clamping screws take them off and examine
them for deformation. Lubricate threads and
heads thoroughly.Then re-fit the screws. If
they don't turn easily you will have to replace the screws.
Unscrew the clamping screw to adjust the front boom.
8
HP
Velotechnik
In order to check the adjustments have another person hold the bicycle while you are sitting on the recumbent.
Adjust the front boom in such a way that your
leg is fully extended when your heel (wearing
flat shoes) is in the foremost position on the
pedal. Experience shows that the pedal-to-seat
distance on a recumbent can be slightly longer
than on a conventional bike.
While you are pedaling, the ball of your foot
should be positioned over the center of the
pedal axle.
It is important that your leg is not fully straightened when the crank is in the foremost position. If the distance is too great it is difficult to
overcome this dead point, pedaling becomes
uncomfortable and there is too much strain on
the sinews of your feet and legs. If the distance
is too short you may suffer from knee pain or
your legs bump on the handlebar.
For riders with a short leg length the front
boom has to be cut by a bicycle mechanic, so
that it can be inserted to the maximum. It is
important to trim the end of the tube neatly.
The bare metal of the shortened tube end has
to be protected against corrosion with a paint
stick or wax spray.
The opening of the main frame is padded with
a plastic paper sleeve that accomplishes the required clamping and protects the surface of
the front boom.When the front boom has
been completely removed take care not to damage the plastic paper adding while inserting it
again.
Adjusting the leg length
Adjust the front boon so that your knee will not be fully straightened when pedaling.
Caution! The minimum insertion depth of
the front boom into the main frame is 10
cm (4"). In no case may the end of the front
boom be visible in the clamping slot when
you look at the main frame from below, since it may result in a damage of the frame.
The rear end of the front boon must never be visible in the clamping slot.
Caution! When you move the front boom
take care that its end does not damage any
light cables that possibly come out of the
main frame near the fork.The light cables
must never be stressed by pulling.
Adjust the front boom so that the bottom
bracket axle is horizontal when you look at it
from the front. For that purpose look beyond
the bottom bracket shell at the rear wheel axle and align the front boom parallel to it.Align
your eyes with the bottom bracket axle and
not the front changer tube above.Then sit on
your bicycle and check the position. (Hint:
When you have the impression that the bottom bracket is turned alternately to the left
and then to the right when cycling you will have found the correct middle position).
Tighten the screw with a torque wrench (tightening torque 14–16 Nm). On your first ride
check whether there is sufficient clamping.
In order to move the bottom bracket tube
your specialist dealer has to adjust the chain
length. By default the Street Machine GT comes with a very long chain so that the adjustment range of the bicycle can be fully used without the need to lengthen the chain.
After the first adjustment of the leg length that
you have done together with your specialist
dealer while handing over the bicycle, the
chain has to be shortened so that the arm of
the derailleur is not fully turned forward while
shifting on the big chain ring in front and the
big sprocket behind.The derailleur must still
be able to compensate a length change of the
chain of at least 4 cm. In order to choose the
right chain length, please consult the manual of
the derailleur manufacturer.
Adjusting your new bike
9
HP
Velotechnik
Danger! If the screws are tightened too
much or bent, the screw or the frame can
break! If the clamping is insufficient the front
boom can turn during a ride which may
cause your feet to slip from the pedals and
lead to a dangerous fall.
Danger! After the chain has been shortened it has to be closed with a special closing
link or a chain riveting tool that expands the
rivet while riveting (i.e. R
OHLOFF- Revolver).
A poorly joined chain may break and thus
lead to a fall. Have adjustments of the chain
length or the changing of the chain be done
by your bicycle mechanic.
Caution! Take care that the chain tubes
have at least a clearance of 5 cm (2") to the
rear derailleur and the front changer even
under maximum tension of the chain and
that the tubes stay tight in their fastenings.
The front upper tube can be moved to the
rear for length adjustment. Shorten the
tubes if necessary. If the end of the chain
tube gets into the rotating drive train it
could be locked-up and destroyed.The end
of the chain tubes have to be tightly secured
with a rubber tube over the retention
spring.
Check that there is at least a 5 cm (2") clearance between the
end of the chain tube and other parts of the drive train.
10
HP
Velotechnik
After you have adjusted the front boom you
should seal the gap in the clamping slot between the front boom and the main frame with
wax or silicone in order to protect your frame
from the penetration of water and dirt and
hence damage through corrosion which may
lead to a broken frame.
We recommend you to slightly readjust the
front boom every 3 months so that knee, muscless and ankles will be used differently, and
you might find a more comfortable and more
efficient riding position.
A wrong adjustment may lead to pain in your
knees and inefficient pedaling. In addition we
recommend to ride with a high pedaling cadence, which means to pedal fast and with little pressure. Pedaling with too much pressure
may also lead to pain in the knees.You will find
more information about this on page 26.
Adjusting the leg length
Adjusting your new bike
11
HP
Velotechnik
Choose the right size
The selection of the right seat size and the
proper seat angle is crucial for a comfortable
feeling while riding a recumbent.
By the time you read this manual, you will already have chosen the correct seat size together
with your specialist dealer. In the following
section you will find the most important items
very briefly, in case you don't feel comfortable
with your current seat size.
The upper curve of the seat in the area of the
shoulder blades determines the correct seat
size:Through this shape the shoulder and neck
area is lifted from the recumbent position so
that the head rests in a natural and relaxed
position. For this reason you shouldn't need a
head rest if you have the right seat position.
On long rides, a head rest can increase your
riding comfort as you can relax your neck for
a few seconds by leaning back.You can mount
our custom headrest to your existing seat.
In order to adjust the seat to your back length
the seat comes in four different sizes:
Approximate values are: Under a height of
1,73 m (5' 8") we recommend seat size S, up
to 1,83 m (6' 4") height seat size M, up to 1,93
m (6' 7") height seat size L, and above we recommend seat size XL. Since however the
length and the shape of the back differ from
person to person we recommend you to carry
out an extensive test ride before ordering. If
you are in doubt we advise you to choose the
larger size, since it will be more comfortable in
most cases.
The seat is too small when you have the impression that your back is pressed too much
into a "hunchback". It is too large when you
have the impression that the seat angle is too
far back when you are in the most upright position, or when you hit the upper seat edge
with the back of your head when you look upwards. Please note that our seat sizes only refer to the length of the seat; the seat width remains the same on all sizes.
Altering the seat shape
You can alter the seat shape individually to
match the shape of your back by adding foam
material under the seat cushion.The seat has a
special channel down the center for your spine
with an extra layer of foam for the spine in the
seat form.Thus, the spinal processi of the vertebrae are comfortably padded. Some people
have single vertebrae that stick out particularly. If your spine is like this you can cut out some padding material at the respective spot in
the spine channel.
The foam cushion in the spine channel is fastened with Velcro and is thus adjustable. Some
users find it comfortable when the seat rises a
little bit at the front edge.This raise gives a
little more hold to the front and can reduce a
possible feeling of slipping out, especially when
the seat position is upright.You can try it out
by fastening the foam cushion so that the lower end under the seat cushion forms a little
bump.You can purchase a special add-on for
your seat to permanently form such a bump.
Adjusting the seat position
HP VELOTECHNIK’s seats feature a special channel for the spine.
You can individually adjust the padding.
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HP
Velotechnik
Adjusting the seat angle
A big advantage of the Street Machine Gt is
that you can adjust the seat angle very quickly.
For beginners or rides in the city you can
choose an upright seat position for a better
view, and for longer travels you can choose a
flat position for better aerodynamics.
The seat is fastened with two quick release levers on slotted aluminum seat mounts.You can
adjust the angle by 10 degrees by simply opening the two quick release levers. In the medium seat position the angle is about 35° from
horizontal.
Because of the special cam shape of the two
slotted holes, the seat effectively pivots around
a central axis, approximately in the area of the
lower lumbar vertebrae.This is the place where you support the biggest part of your pedaling force while riding, so this point determines
the distance to the pedals.The advantage of
this design is that you adjust the distance from
the seat to the bottom bracket only once as
described above, a change in the seat angle
does not require an adjustment of the front
boom.
Adjusting the seat with mounted
Speedbag
A mounted Speedbag impedes the access to
the rear quick release for the adjustment of
the seat angle.
Therefore you should adjust your seat prior to
mounting the Speedbag.You have to screw the
Speedbag to the seat afterwards.
It is possible to simplify the adjustment of the
seat by replacing the knurled nut of the rear
quick release by a big washer and a self-locking
hex headed nut.This allows you to tighten or
loosen the seat mounts with a tool you insert
from behind.
Adjusting the seat position
Caution! The two quick releases have to be
closed firmly (tightening force 15-20 kg / 45
lbs) to safely hold the seat.You are not allowed to open them while riding.After they
have been closed the imprint "close" must
be visible. If the quick releases are not tightened appropriately the seat can move while
riding and you may no more be able to
handle your bicycle.
Adjusting your new bike
13
HP
Velotechnik
Adjusting the handlebars
As standard equipment the Street Machine Gt
comes with under seat steering.The position
of the handlebars is under your legs.
The handlebars are connected with the front
fork through a stem.
Since mid 2002, we solely use a stem that is
clamped onto the steerer tube and at the same time fixes the steering head bearing (so
called "A head stem")
Starting at the fork, the stem has to point
backwards to the seat.
Adjusting the handlebars
Adjusting the stem
The A head stem is clamped onto the steerer
tube with two screws.At the same time it fixes
the steering head bearing.
Adjusting the stem
In case you only want to adjust the already
mounted stem parallel to the front wheel you
don't have to undo the screw on the cap.
Mount your bicycle, fix the front wheel with
your feet and align the stem parallel to the
front wheel.
Then tighten both clamping screws alternately
with 8-10 Nm. Check the clamping by trying
to turn the stem against the front wheel.
Check the play of the steering head bearing,
see below.
Danger! Adjusting the stem also requires
some work at the steering head bearing. In
case of assembly errors the danger of accidents is increased. If you are in doubt have
your bicycle mechanic adjust the stem.
Danger! The hex-headed screw in the cap
adjusts the play of the steering head bearing.
This screw does not help to clamp the stem
tightly to the steerer tube. It does not secure it against turning.Take care that both
clamping screws on the side are tightened as
prescribed after you have finished your
works at the stem. Otherwise the stem may
turn while riding and cause an accident.
The handlebars are connected to the front frok with an A-Head
stem.The two bolts on the side of the stem clamp it to the steerer tube of the front fork.
Adjusting the head set bearing play
The head set bearing has to be adjusted so
that the fork with the front wheel turns easily
without showing play.
To check the bearing play pull the front brake
and grab with your other hand the upper bearing cup. Now move your bicycle back and
forth. If the steering head bearing has play the
upper cup moves noticeably in contrast to the
fixed part. In that case undo the clamping
screws and tighten the screw in the cap a bit
more.
To check whether the front wheel turns
smoothly lift your bicycle at the frame so that
the front wheel moves freely above the
ground. Lean your bike to the side. Now the
handlebars should moove smoothly immediately.When you hold the frame straight and
push the handlebars slightly they should move
smoothly from their middle position. If the bearing is too tight undo the clamping screws at
the side and loosen the hex-headed screw in
the cap a little bit by turning it anti clockwise.
Now move the stem upwards by swinging it a
little bit.
After you have adjusted the bearing play check
if the stem is adjusted in a parallel position to
the front wheel and tighten the two clamping
screws alternately with 8–10 Nm. Check the
clamping by trying to turn the stem against the
front wheel.
Check whether the handlebars move freely without touching the frame or the seat.
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HP
Velotechnik
Removing/mounting the stem
Remove the lower quick release of the seat
mount and lift the seat.
Take off the cap of the steerer tube and remove the hex-headed screw in the cap completely.
Undo both clamping screws at the side of the
stem. Now you can remove the stem upwards.
To mount the stem put it on the lubricated
steerer tube.Tighten the clamping screws at
the side a little bit, put on the cap and tighten
the hex-headed screw again through the cap.
Adjust the steering head bearing. (see below).
Then tighten the two clamping screws alternately with 8–10 Nm. Check the clamping by trying to turn the stem against the front wheel.
Adjusting the handlebars
Caution! The stem fixes the steering head
bearing and holds the front fork with the
wheel.After the stem has been removed
these parts are no longer supported and
may fall down off the frame. Hold the fork
with one hand or secure the fork e.g. with a
cable tie at the frame.
While riding you should allow your arms to
rest in a relaxed position on the handlebars.
Do not pull on the handlebars. If the handlebars turn in the stem clamping during the ride
stop immediately and tighten the clamping
screw of the handlebars again. If the handlebars turn in a stem that is not sufficiently
clamped the handlebars or the stem might be
damaged or deformed. In that case a secure
clamping can no longer be guaranteed, even
with the correct tightening torque, and handlebars and stem have to be exchanged.
You can make smaller adjustments by moving
the cables in their guides at the frame and the
handlebar, so that there is enough room at all
mobile parts. For this purpose you can move
the cable for the front changer a little bit into
or out of the frame. If this proves not to be
sufficient you will have to have your specialist
dealer shorten the cables or replace them by
longer cables.
Handlebar grips
The grips on the handlebar are susceptible to
wear and tear. Have your grips replaced by
your bike shop once they don't feel comfortable anymore.The grips always need to be attached firmly to the handlebar.
Adjusting your new bike
15
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Adjusting the angle of the handlebars
By changing the angle of the handlebars you
can adjust the position of the grip to the
length of your upper body and your arms.
Most riders are comfortable with a 45° angle
so that the grip points diagonally to the front
and up.The more upright the grip position the
lesser is the maximum possible cramp of the
handlebars, since it touches your legs earlier.
In order to change the angle, undo the screws
of the handlebar clamping by some turns.Turn
the handlebars until they are in your favorite
position. Check that the stem clamps the
handlebars exactly in the middle.Tighten the
clamping screws with 8–10 Nm. Check the
correct clamping of the handlebars by mounting your bike and pulling the handlebars. In
doing so they must not turn.
Please take care that the clamping area of the
stem is thoroughly trimmed and does not have
any sharp edges which may lead to a rupture
of the handlebars.
Caution! After you have adjusted the handlebar position you also have to adjust the
length of the brake cables and shifter cables.
The cables have to run smoothly without
any sharp turns and they may not be bent or
stretched beyond their elastic limit when the
handlebar is at maximum cramping.Also avoid large arches that could be caught up in
other parts.
Danger! Every time you undo the clamping
connection you'll have to check the screw. It
must not be bent, corroded or damaged. In
addition to this you'll have to check the welded-on thread nut of the clamping.The thread must not be damaged and the screw
must turn easily. In case of damage or deformation you have to exchange the clamping
screw immediately.
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Purpose of the adjustment of the suspension
Your Street Machine Gt is fitted with a suspension fork for the front wheel and a rear swing
arm for the suspension of the rear wheel.This
system compensates slight bumps on the road
so that riding is comfortable and the strain on
your bicycle is reduced.
A well-adjusted suspension improves the traction of your bicycle on uneven roads.
Especially when riding in a bend this allows a
higher speed and also improves the safety.
In order to achieve maximum riding comfort,
the suspension settings have to match your
weight as well as the road condition.
The goals of the adjustment are:
● maximum use of the available suspension
travel without the suspension frequently
bottoming out
● quick reaction of the suspension without
obvious oscillation after having passed
a bump
● avoiding self inforcing oscillations, that means
increasing oscillations of the suspension
system due to pedaling influence, rhythmic
body movements or permanent wavy
underground
Suspension and damping
The suspension systems of the suspension fork
and the rear swing arm are fitted with the actual springs and dampers, which are mounted
separately.
Often, the terms suspension and damping are
used inappropriately in everyday language.
The spring is the elastic element that compresses and decompresses through the load,
which occurs on bumpy roads.While decompressing the spring releases the same energy it
has saved during compression.
The front fork of your SMGT is fitted with
steel coil springs and springs made of microcellular foam elastomers. (MCU).The rear
swing arm is suspended with steel coil springs
in the standard version.The optional rear
shock DT-S
WISS XM180 uses air as spring me-
dium.
The damper slows down the process of compression and decompression.That means that
the bicycle after having passed a bump does
not immediately "spring" back to the initial position or even further than that.The damper
converts spring energy into friction and finally
into heat, and thus takes away energy from the
suspension system.That way the damper prevents that the spring swings uncontrolled after
an initial stimulation. In addition the damper
helps to avoid self inforcing oscillations of the
suspension that may be caused by reoccurring
stimulation like pedaling forces within a crank
revolution or the rhythmic up and down movement of the legs.
The hydraulic damping of the rear suspension
is adjustable, in case you have mounted the optional suspension element DT-S
WISS XM180.
Adjusting the suspension
Adjusting to load
The luggage carriers of the Street Machine Gt
are mounted to the suspended part of the frame.That way your luggage is also fully suspended and it spares the material. Most notably,
even under heavy load the suspension will
compensate an uneven road much better and
quicker compared to a design where the luggage carrier would be mounted to the unsuspended parts, e.g. the rear swing arm.
Additional luggage changes the load of the
wheels and their suspension.The suspensions
are more compressed through the load.That
way, there is less suspension travel for bumps
while riding.Your suspension could seize up
more often.
The suspension of the front wheel is less affected since luggage at the rear rack almost only
puts weight on the rear wheel. Only in case of
heavy luggage on the lowrider under the seat
is there an influence on the front wheel.
In order to compensate the variations in the
load you can change the pre-load. For details
see the following chapter.
Theoretically this can compensate for a load
change of approx. 10 kg (23 lbs) at the rear
wheel. In case of higher variations in the load
you would have to exchange the spring for another spring with another spring stiffness. In
practice you can often do without it: the
Street Machine GT offers with 90 mm (3
1
/2") a
lot of suspension travel for a touring bike.
When you choose the spring stiffness so that
the full 90 mm are at your disposal when your
recumbent is under maximum load, you will
have a somewhat smaller but still very comfortable suspension travel when you ride without
luggage.
The optional air shock DT-S
WISS XM180 can
be easily pumped up to compensate load increases.
Adjusting your new bike
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You should always set the damping as low as
possible to give the bicycle the possibility to
quickly react even to several bumps in a row.
You can ride the Street Machine Gt with a
considerably lower damping than for example
a MTB: due to the relaxed and steady position
of the body the recumbent does not experience extreme variations in the load as it is
known from dancing on the pedals while riding
uphill on a mountain bike.
In addition to this, varying pedaling forces have
very little influence on the suspension of the
bicycle due to the No Squat design of the suspension system of the Street Machine GT. So
when you adjust the damping, always start with
a low damping.
It is necessary to choose the correct spring
stiffness to have a well operating suspension
system.The spring stiffness is a measure for
the compression of a spring at a certain load.
It is either given in "N/mm" (Newton per
Millimeters) or "lbs./inch" (Pounds per Inch).
Sometimes you only find "lbs." printed on the
springs.
The spring stiffness of the optional air shock
DT-S
WISS XM180 is set by adjusting the air
pressure.
The suspension is designed in a way that the
spring compresses considerably when you
mount your bicycle.This is called negative suspension travel (or "sag") and it enables the bicycle to decompress on bumpy roads. (Which
is in fact a definitely positive feature.) You
should choose a spring stiffness with which
this negative suspension travel takes up around
30% of the overall suspension travel.This value
usually provides a very comfortable ride on
your fully suspended recumbent bike designed
by HP V
ELOTECHNIK.
The knob must turn easily. If a knob does not
turn any further you have reached the final position. In that case turn the knob again in the
other direction about half a turn.
Do not turn the knob by force beyond the final position since this will damage the plastic
thread inside.
The suspension fork M
EKS Carbon AC is fitted
with a hydraulic damping unit. On the right
fork leg is a turning knob to adjust the damping.
You increase the damping by turning the knob
clockwise.
We recommend you to start with the lowest
possible damping. Only when the fork oscillates more than once after you have gone over a
bump should you increase the damping.
When the fork works fine when passing a single bump but stiffens distinctly when passing
several bumps that come quickly in a row, the
damping is too high. However, when the fork
"jumps" during the rebound movement the
damping has to be increased.
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Adjusting the suspension
Adjusting the suspension fork
The front fork of the Street Machine Gt comes with telescopic suspension forks from
SPINNER or MEKS.
At your request different types of suspension
forks can be mounted to your Street Machine
Gt, please notice the manuals of the suspension fork manufacturer that are possibly enclosed.
The suspension travel of the S
PINNER fork is 45
mm, of the M
EKS fork approx. 50 mm (2").
The suspension fork should compress by 30%
while mounting the bike, which corresponds to
12-15 mm (1/2")
You set this value by adjusting the pre-load of
the spring, provided you chose the correct
spring stiffness (page. 19).
Every model has a turning knob on the fork
legs that allows a simple adjustment of the
pre-load.
The suspension fork M
EKS Carbon All has
springs in both fork legs, the suspension fork
M
EKS Carbon AC has springs only in the left
fork leg since the other fork leg contains a hydraulic damping cartridge.
By turning the knobs clockwise you increase
the pre-load, by turning them anti clockwise
you decrease the pre-load.
It is sufficient to set the pre-load in the two
fork legs to approximately the same level. It is
not necessary to match them exactly.
Adjusting your new bike
19
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Choosing the spring stiffness of the
suspension fork
Your suspension fork comes by default with a
standard spring that covers a wide range of load and riding styles.
If the spring stiffness should not meet your requirements after adjusting the pre-load or if
the suspension bottoms out too much, you
can order a spring with another spring stiffness through your dealer and have it mounted
there. For more information see page 41.
It is not important to exactly follow the recommended values for the negative travel, rather follow your feeling how the bicycle behaves during a ride, depending on the road situation.
While riding you should only seldom feel the
suspension bottoming out. However, in case
this never occurs the spring might be to hard
which means you don't use the total suspension travel.
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Adjusting the rear suspension element
For the rear suspension of the Street Machine
GT a spring element is combined with a hydraulic damping unit in a suspension element.
The damping results from fluid friction of an
oil flow through thin holes of a throttle valve
in between two chambers inside the damper. A
slightly noticeable sound that may occur from
this oil flow is normal. Due to the fluid friction
the spring element may heat up, therefore
touch the spring element after a ride very carefully.
The Street Machine Gt comes standard with a
steel spring rear shock D
NM DV-22. As an op-
tion you can get the air shock DT-SWISS
XM180 that uses air as spring medium.
Steel spring rear shock DNM DV-22
The pre-load determines how far the suspension compresses when you are sitting on the
bicycle while standing still.
For the rear wheel the same guidelines as for
the suspension fork are valid: for maximum riding comfort the suspension should compress
by about 30% of the total suspension travel
while you mount the bicycle in driving position.
For that purpose measure (similar to the method described for the suspension fork) the distance between the two suspension element
bolts or between rear rack and rear wheel
while the bike is unloaded as well as while sitting on the bicycle in riding position.Also take
into account possible luggage. Find out the total suspension travel possible for your bicycle
with the method described above, depending
on the mounted add-on-parts and clips on the
piston rod.The static compression should
amount to about one third of the overall suspension travel.
You can affect this negative suspension travel
depending on how much you weigh and how
much you load your bike either by adjusting
the suspension pre-load for fine tuning or by
replacing the spring with a spring with a different stiffness in the rough tuning.
In order to adjust the suspension pre-load
turn the knobby adjustment ring on the threaded part of the suspension element by hand.
Turning the adjustment ring clockwise (looking
at it from behind) reduces the preload, turning
it anti-clockwise you screw the adjustment
ring towards the spring and increase the suspension pre-load. It is helpful to turn the
spring together with the adjustment ring.
Adjusting the suspension
Danger! While adjusting the rear suspen-
sion element never load the bicycle e.g.
through resting on the seat or loading the
rear rack when your hands or tools are close to the suspension element. Otherwise
your hands may get caught and squeezed
when the suspension compresses.
Danger! The suspension elements are filled
with gas under high pressure. Never try to
open the damper or to remove the screw at
the gas tank. Inside the damper there are no
user serviceable parts. In case of damage
you will have to take the complete suspension element to your dealer.
The adjustment ring should be turned no more than five turns (measured from the relaxed
position) towards the spring. If the suspension
compresses still too far even after six turns,
the spring is too soft and has to be replaced
by a harder spring.A too big pre-load of a too
soft spring does not take advantage of the full
comfort potential.
You will find more information on changing
springs in this manual under "Maintenance and
Care", page 45.
Adjusting your new bike
21
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Velotechnik
Suspension element DV-22 with fixed damping rate.
The suspension travel is adjusted by adding clips to the piston
rod of the spring element.
Danger! Take care that the rear wheel or
mudguard or suspension element never hit
the frame, seat, rear rack or luggage box
while the suspension is fully compressed.
Therefore relax the spring completely by
turning the spring retention disc on the
thread of the spring element as far as it will
go (before this, push the possibly existing safety spring ring from its slot in the threaded
section as far as it will go). Have a second
person mount the bicycle and make the suspension bottom out by leaning on the seat
or the rear rack.
If the distance between the wheel or mudguard and the frame, seat, rear rack or
Speedbag is smaller than 1 cm you will have
to mount an additional spacer. In case you
don't, the mudguard may break suddenly or
the rear wheel might be blocked which can
lead to serious crashes.
Danger! The adjustment ring has always to
be screwed so far towards the spring that
the spring has no play when unloaded.
Otherwise the adjustment ring could come
loose through shocks while riding so that
the slotted rear spring retention disc comes
off. In that case the suspension element may
be damaged or the rear wheel could hit the
frame or rear rack, which may lead to serious falls.
Always have an initial pre-load of at least half
a turn on the spring.
Air shock DT.SWISS XM180
Please follow the instructions in the seperate
manual from the rear shock manufacturer.
This rear shock contains pressurized air in a
main („positive“) air chamber as suspension
medium.Air shocks are lighter than steel
spring rear shocks.Another advantage is that
the spring stiffness can be simply adjusted with
an air pump: By increasing the pressure the
spring becomes harder.
Air shocks have a progressive spring behaviour,
whereas steel springs have a linear spring behaviour. This means that the air shock gets
progressivly harder, e.g. it is much stiffer when
fully compressed than when only slightly compressed.
The advantage of this progressive spring behaviour is the good bootom-out protection
when heavily loaded.
The valve for the positive air chamber is located at the back end of the air shock. The valve
is protected by a metal valv cap.
To pump up the air shock you need a special
air pump designed for bicycle air shocks. It
should have a fitting schrader valve adaptor
and a pressure indicator.
When attaching or removing the pump
to/from the valve, you will loose some air
(about 0,5-1 bar at the positive chamber).
Try to take off the pump quickly.
Recommended pressure settings
load positiv chamber
–80 kg 6,5 bar
(183 lbs)
–100 kg 7,5 bar r
(230 lbs)
–130 kg 9,0 bar
(286 lbs)
Maximum allowed pressure is 18 bar.
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Adjusting the suspension
Adjusting your new bike
23
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Adjusting the damping
By adjusting the damping you can adjust the
performance of the suspension precisely to
your individual riding situation.A rough street
with many harsh bumps that occur in a row or
even cobblestones needs a low damping rate
while a road with long stretched bumps that
occur more regularly needs a stronger damping to achieve a smooth road holding.
When you add a lot of luggage you will need
to adjust the spring stiffness; in that case an
adjustment of the damping may even give you
more riding comfort.
Finally, the oil used in the damper becomes
thicker and more viscous at lower temperatures, which can be compensated through a
change in the damper setting.
Please note that you can seriously spoil the riding comfort through a bad damper setting,
especially through unsystematic playing with
the knobs that may result in much to high
damper values. In the worst case the suspension element will neither compress nor decompress. If you are in doubt please consult
your local dealer.
The rebound damping prevents an eventual
"jumping" of the rear wheel and provides a
good traction. By improving the road surface
contact the suspension of the Street Machine
Gt also increases your riding safety.
A higher damping value prolongs the time until
the decompression movement is finished. Only
then can the suspension compensate the next
shock with the full suspension travel.
Therefore, when you ride on very bumpy
streets with shocks that occur fast in a row
you might want to use a lower damping value.
A good setting for maximum comfort is achieved when the rear wheel decompresses completely after a shock and then oscillates only
once. In order to check the adjustment you
will need a second person that compresses
the suspension by pushing the bicycle down
while you are sitting on the bicycle in the riding position.The other person can then observe the suspension movements.
In order to adjust the damping during decompression, turn the adjustment knob on top of
the rear end of the suspension element.
If you turn the knob in direction of the „-“ you
will get less damping and thus faster decompression.Turning the knob in direction of the
„+“ will give you more damping and thus slower decompression.
Danger! Take care that the rear wheel or
mudguard or suspension element never hit
the frame, seat, rear rack or luggage box
while the suspension is fully compressed.
Therefore fully deflate the air shock. Have a
second person mount the bicycle and make
the suspension bottom out by leaning on
the seat or the rear rack.
If the distance between the wheel or mudguard and the frame, seat, rear rack or
Speedbag is smaller than 1 cm you will have
to have your bike dealer mount an additional
spacer inside the air shock. In case you don't, the mudguard may break suddenly or the
rear wheel might be blocked which can lead
to serious crashes.
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Velotechnik
Learning the new riding technique
Your new bicycle has been assembled by your
dealer and adjusted together with you as described on the previous pages under "Adjusting
your new bicycle". Before you mount your bike
and enjoy your first ride please make yourself
familiar with the instructions on the riding
technique and the handling.
To ride this recumbent you will have to make
yourself acquainted with the different riding
position. Make sure that you and all other future users of this bicycle will have read this
manual carefully prior to the first ride. If you
are in doubt please consult your local dealer.
Before the first ride the users of this recumbent have to practice and make themselves familiar with the different handling.We recommend to practice on a quiet road away from
traffic. Before you ride the bicycle in traffic you
must master the handling completely.
Go to a road where you can ride straight ahead without being hindered. Hold your bike at
the handlebars and pull a break.Then mount
your bicycle and lean back. Leave one foot on
the ground and put one on the pedal.
Therefore rotate the crank in the top position
so that you can pedal immediately with power.
Try to keep your balance in that position.
Assure yourself that you can stop whenever
you want to and hold the bicycle with one
foot on the ground.When you feel safe put
pressure on the pedal, loosen the brake, pedal
with a lot of force and immediately put your
second foot on the other pedal.
Do not care on which side of pedal you are
currently pedaling in the beginning. Hold the
handlebar loose but steady and accelerate with
a few pedal strokes.Your bicycle needs speed
to stabilize.
Look ahead in the direction where you want
to ride, not on the handlebar, at your feet or
the front wheel.
In order to stop brake carefully with both brakes until the bicycle has come to a complete
stop. Only then do put a foot on the ground
and keep the balance.
Learning the new riding technique
Danger! Never touch the ground with your
feet while the bicycle is still moving.The feet
could be caught on the ground and be pulled
backwards which could lead to a serious injury.
Danger! With a compact recumbent like
the Street Machine Gt it is possible that a
foot of the rider contacts the front wheel
when riding sharp corners with a pedal in a
low position.You will have to avoid this situation at all times since in extreme situations
it may lead to a fall and injuries.
To control the bicycle you will therefore have to apply the following cornering technique: when you ride a curve stretch the leg
on the inside of the curve, stop pedaling, only then start steering into the curve. Only
when you ride straight ahead again should
you resume pedaling.
Danger! Please note that due to your low
seat height other road users may notice you
very late. Ride anticipatory with this in mind.
This is especially important while riding in
darkness.You yourself have a much better
view than others perceive you. Ride defensively.We recommend you to mount a well visible and reflecting flag to the bicycle while
using it in traffic. Please ask your dealer for
more information.
Handling instructions
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Wear protective clothing
Riding a bicycle is a potentially dangerous
sport where accidents can happen even when
you take care of every safety instruction prescribed.
We recommend you to wear an approoved bicycle helmet that fits well. Protect yourself by
wearing special sports clothing that fits tight
and is reflective. If you're wearing wide pants
use clips to protect them from getting caught
in the chain - or use an old fashioned method
and put the pants in your sockets.
When you fall with a recumbent you usually
land on the side of your hips and your hands.
Wearing reinforced cycling shorts and gloves
reduces the danger of skin injuries considerably.
Use clipless pedals
The pedals of your Street Machine Gt can be
upgraded on demand with a binding system.As
soon as you are comfortable with riding your
Street Machine Gt you should use those clipless pedals. Due to the rigid connection between shoe and pedal you don't have to keep
your foot on the pedals with pressure anymore.This enables a more relaxed and round pedaling movement where you may even pull a
little on the pedals.Without this connection to
the pedals your feet may come off suddenly
which may result in a fall. Modern system pedals with binding therefore contribute to safe
riding.
At first you will have to practice with these
pedals to make sure that you can get off quikkly in a dangerous situation. Please read the
manual of the pedal manufacturer that comes
with this manual and have your dealer explain
the use of the pedals to you. In the beginning
set the release force of the binding to a low
value to make sure you can get off safely.
Please use exclusively the original shoe plates
from the manufacturer of the pedals, do not
use any other brand. If you're using shoe plates
that are not authorized the binding system
won't work properly.
Protective clothing, clipless pedals
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Slowly increase the strain
We recommend you to perform only short rides without much power during the first
weeks.
Always use a low gear and ride with a high pedaling frequency. Only after having acquired some training do increase the strain slowly.
When you ride on a recumbent you use other
muscles than on a conventional bicycle, and
they have to be trained first. The very high position of the bottom bracket requires your
muscles and blood transport system to slowly
familiarize with the new position.
In case of an overload the blood circulation in
your legs may be affected which shows in loss
of power, a prickling in the toes, falling asleep
of the legs or cramps.When you have a sporty
way of riding it can take up to 6 months until
you have become accustomed to your new recumbent.
Should you have pain in your knees while riding this is usually the result of too much power put into pedaling.The good support of the
back sometimes misleads to putting the full
power of the legs in the pedal, similar to the
leg training machines in a fitness center.When
you repeat it regularly it is harmful for the
knees. Pain in the knees often results from an
overuse of the muscles in the knee that can also be strengthened through exercise.
Also, a wrong adjustment of the front boom to
the leg length (in most cases too short) can lead to pain in the knees.
Your pedaling cadence should stay between
80-100 revolutions per minute and not fall below 60 revolutions when going uphill. If necessary have your specialist dealer adjust the gear
range to your riding style and the terrain you
usually ride.
You will find many tips on proper training for
cyclists in miscellaneous books and magazines
for cyclists.
In case of persistent problems please consult
your doctor.
Do not ride freehand
How to ride correctly and safely
Always adjust your speed to the traffic, the road and the weather conditions. Ride slowly in
curves and on unknown roads.Always ride at a
safe distance from other road users, and when
you ride in a group never ride side by side.
When you approach a traffic light never ride
past the line of waiting cars since even the
most attentive car driver may not see you due
to your low seating position.
Strain, riding freehand, way of riding
Danger! In order to ride safely you have to
keep both hands at the handlebar. Even
when signaling keep at least one hand at the
handlebar. Otherwise, unforeseen bumps in
the road or oscillations of the steering may
lead to a serious fall.
Handling instructions
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Quick release levers
Quick release levers hold wheels and seat in
position.
A quick release lever consists of two basic
parts: the lever on one side provides the clamping force.With the adjusting nut on the other
side you adjust the clamping tension on the
screw thread.
To open the quick release, move the lever
away from the frame. In doing so the inscription "open" should be visible on the lever.
To close the quick release, move the lever with
power in the other direction so that the word
"close" is visible on the outward side of the lever.At the start of the lever's motion, for, say,
half of its movement, the lever should move
very easily, without any clamping action.
In the second half of the lever's movement the
force on the leer should increase considerably,
corresponding in the end to 15-20 kg (46 lbs).
In its final position the lever should lie parallel
with the bicycle and should not stick out to
one side.
Check the security of the lever by attempting
to twist the lever. If the lever can be made to
pivot around in a circle the clamping is too
loose.You must re-open the quick release,
hold the lever and increase the clamping tension. Do this by screwing the adjustment nut
on the other side by half a turn. Close the lever and check the clamping anew.
Finally, check that the part being secured is
firmly fixed: Lift each wheel several inches off
the ground and give it a slap onto the tire
from above.A properly fixed wheel will remain
secure in the frame's dropouts.
The dropouts of the fork of your Street
Machine Gt are designed as safety dropouts.
Therefore you always have to loosen the clamping nut of the quick release when you take off
the front wheel.When you reassemble it do
not forget to tighten the nut again!
Parts that are fastened with a quick release
open easily.Thus, they are more susceptible to
theft.Therefore, always secure the wheels with
a lock when you park your bicycle. It is also
possible to exchange the quick releases with
special security screws (e.g. from P
ITLOCK or
KRYPTONITE) that can only be opened with a
special tool. For this please consult your local
specialist dealer.
way of riding, Quick release levers
Caution! Always carry your bicycle over
stairs and curbstones. Do not ride through
big road holes. Especially when road holes
are filled with water it is very difficult to
guess how deep they really are. In case you
hit such an obstacle frame and fork may be
damaged which can result in a serious fall.At
first, the damage may be unnoticed. Please
check your bicycle immediately for deformations and cracks. If you are in doubt please
consult your local dealer.
Danger! An incompletely or improperly
closed quick release can result in parts coming loose, and hence in a crash, possibly resulting in serious injury.
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Brakes
The Street Machine Gt is equipped with a powerful high-quality brake system.You may
choose between rim brakes and disc brakes.
Please do read the separate manual from the
brake manufacturer that comes with your bike
for details.
Make yourself familiar with the braking system.
Remember which lever pulls the front brake
and which the rear brake.
If the arrangement of the levers does not correspond to what you are used to, please have a
bicycle mechanic change it. Please contact your
local bike dealer to find out if there exists any
legal requirement for the arrangement of the
brake levers in your country.
For optimum handling you can adjust the distance between the brake grip and the handlebar with a small hex-headed screw at the grip,
please see the respective manual for details.
Note that the front brake is the most effective
brake on the Street Machine Gt.With the
front brake, you achieve a much higher braking
effect than with the rear brake.The rear wheel
has a tendency to lock up and slip on the pavement even under low braking forces.The
braking effect of modern brake systems can be
more powerful than what you have been used
to until now. Do brake carefully. When you
brake too much with the front brake the rear
wheel may lift off the street and the bike may
tumble over.
Do not brake in a bend, always brake before a
bend. Braking increases the risk of slipping.
Especially when it is wet the rear wheel immediately slides out of the bend while braking
and this can result in a serious fall!
If you should hear any unusual sounds while
braking the braking pads might be worn. Do
not use your bike any further until you have
checked the braking pads according to the manual of the brake manufacturer or ask your local dealer.
Brakes
Danger! Please note that the braking di-
stance is much longer when it is wet or
when the bike is heavily loaded. When riding
on wet, sandy, icy or slippery roads you have
to use the front brake very carefully to avoid
that your front wheel slips. If it does so you
will no longer be able to handle your bike,
which might lead to a serious fall.
Danger! In case you get into a situation like
that during an emergency stop you have to
let go of the brakes immediately, balance
your bicycle and brake again. If you are not
familiar with the brakes we recommend you
to train at first at low speed and with little
braking effect until you find the correct dose
for an emergency stop.
New brake systems, new brake pads and new
brake discs need a break-in period to achieve
maximum brake power.This period lasts for
about 30-40 stops from about 30 km/h
(20mph), which should be done in a safe area
without traffic.
Handling instructions
29
HP
Velotechnik
Check before every ride:
● that the brake system does not have any da
mages or leaks by activating the lever, holding
it and checking the hose connections for
possible leaks.
● that the brake lever pressure is ok by pulling
the lever and ensuring that full braking per
formance is achieved before the lever tou
ches the handlebar. If this is not the case, ad
just the cable or change the brake pads, for
hydraulic disc brakes pull the lever several ti
mes (pump) until it feels firm.
● check the hydraulic brake system for the
correct pressure by pulling the lever, holding
the pressure and checking the hose connec
tions, bleeding screw and compensating tank
for possible leaks.
Danger! Disc brakes can overheat on long
down hill rides, fade and fail! On down hill
rides, do not brake constantly, but in several
intervall with higher pressure. If you notice
that the brake power starts to fade, do stop
immediately and let your brakes cool down.
Danger! Never touch neither the brake
disc nor the brake caliper after long braking
as this may cause serious injury (risk of
burns).
Danger! Always make sure that the disc and
brake pads are free of oil and grease. If these
parts are dirty please do not use your bicycle any more.You can clean oily rims or
discs with alcohol or a special spray. Oily
brake pads have to be replaced. If you are in
doubt, please have your specialist dealer
maintain your brake system.
30
HP
Velotechnik
Gear system
With the gear system you can adjust the pedaling frequency, i.e. means the number of revolutions of the crank per minute, to the terrain
and the desired speed.
Your pedaling frequency should stay between
80-100 revolutions per minute and not fall below 60 while going uphill. If necessary consult
your local dealer and have him retrofit the gear range to your style of riding.
Your Street Machine Gt comes standard with a
27-gear derailleur gear or with an internal hub
gear system.The following section refers to
the derailleur gear system only. Please refer to
the manual of the gear manufacturer.
You operate the gear changer with the bar
end shifters on the handlebars.
The right lever for the rear derailleur has an
index derailleur system that positions the
chain always on the chosen sprocket, so that
you don't have to "search" for the gears.
It is not possible to index the left lever so that
you have to adjust the front derailleur while
shifting by slightly moving the shifter to stop
the front derailleur from dragging against the
chain while pedaling.
Riding a recumbent requires foresighted gear
shifting. Before stopping you should timely
change in a low gear to make it easy to start
off again, without having to pedal heavily and
struggling with your balance.
You may only change the gears while you keep
pedaling, smoothly and without applying great
force, all the time that the chain is moving between the sprockets. Due to the long cables
that expand under pressure and the housing
that compresses under pressure it may be helpful for changing gears quickly to turn the bar
end shifter a little bit farther than necessary to
select a gear and turn it back to the indexed
position once the chain has properly shifted
("overshift").
When the chain length has been properly adjusted you can choose every combination of
front chain rings and rear sprockets to shift
gears. However, it is useful to ride the lowest
gears with the smallest chain ring (the biggest
rear sprocket), the middle gears with the
middle chain ring and the highest (fastest) gears with the biggest chain ring.
The setup of the chain rings and sprocket leads to an overlap of some gears.This means
that different combinations of chain rings and
sprockets can result in the same gear. It would
be possible to arrange a gear system so that
double gears do not occur but this requires a
lot of concentration when you shift gears while riding, since you will always have to change
the rear sprockets as well as the front chain
rings. If you would like to change the setup of
your gears please consult your local dealer.
Gear system
Danger! Do practice shifting gears on a
traffic-free street. In the course of this make
yourself familiar with the functioning of the
bar end shifters. Doing this in traffic could
distract your attention from possible dangers.
Handling instructions
31
HP
Velotechnik
Light system
If you want to ride your bike on public streets,
it must be equipped with a legal light system.
Do not only use your lights in the dark but also in the twilight of dusk and dawn. Due to
laws and regulations the brightness of bicycle
lights may be considerably lower than that of
other vehicles.Therefore always keep in mind
that other road-users may only see you very
late or not at all.
For the Street Machine Gt, HP V
ELOTECHNIK of-
fers two different dynamo light systems: one
with a tire dynamo and the other with a hub
generator.
Both light systems come with strong LEDs for
headlamp and rear light.The LEDs last considerably longer (approx. 100.000 working
hours) than a light bulb. For your safety the
light system has a standlight system at the
front and at the rear light, which makes the
LEDs shine on approximately 10 minutes after
you have stopped riding. The electronic system
is maintenance free. Because of the capacitors
used you don't have to worry about batteries.
The cables and the contacts can be affected by
corrosion or mechanical damage.Therefore,
check the light system before every ride.
Tir
e dynamo
You turn on the light system with the tire dynamo at the rear wheel by unlocking the swiveling dynamo. For this purpose you press the
red button at the dynamo until it moves towards the rear wheel.To turn the light off, you
turn the dynamo by hand back to its initial position.
You can adjust the pressure of the dynamo
against the wheel with the turning knob at the
side.The pressure is right when the dynamo
wheel just does not slip at the wheel, if the
light flickers, the pressure is too low and you
have to increase it. The position of the dynamo
should be so that the extension of the dynamo
axle points through the center of the wheel.
Take care that the dynamo is mounted safely
and does not turn.Worn dynamo wheels can
be exchanged. Please ask your specialist dealer.
Light system
You switch on the tire dynamo by pressing the red button.To
switch off the dynamo move it away from the wheel.
Danger! Do not try to operate the dynamo
lever while riding, your hands could be
caught in the wheel and be injured! To turn
the light system on or off stop riding, dismount your bicycle and only then do turn
the dynamo lever. Turn the lever carefully without applying force else you might bend the
lever and damage the plastic parts of the dynamo.
red button
pressure
adjuster
Danger! The dynamo must always be safely
fastened to the bracket at the frame, so that
it can not turn. If the screws comes loose
the dynamo can get caught in the spokes
and block the rear wheel - danger of a serious fall! Always check the position and secure attachment of the dynamo before a ride.
32
HP
Velotechnik
Hub generator
The light system with a hub generator is switched on electrically. For this purpose you will
find a switch on the back of the rear light with
three labeled switch positions.With the switch
you can turn the lighting system ON, OFF or
set it to SENSOR. In the SENSOR position a
twilight sensor in the lamp turns the lighting
system on and off automatically depending on
the brightness of the environment.
The SON hub generator is highly efficient and
works silently.When the dynamo is turned off
it has a very low turning resistance.Although
you can feel the single poles of the used permanent magnets very distinctly when turning it
by hand the real rolling resistance is minute.
(The loss is at 15 km/h under 1 Watt).
For details on the hub generator please visit
www.nabendynamo.de.
Prop stand
For the Street Machine Gt you can use a rear
prop stand at the frame or a prop stand that
comes with the optional lowrider.
You get maximum effect with the prop stand
at the lowrider. It supports the bicycle in the
middle of the bike between the wheels.
In case no lowrider is mounted to your bicycle
you can support it with a special rear prop
stand.
The rear swing arm comes with a welded plate
for the PLETSCHER prop stand.The screws
have to be free of grease, mounted with
Loctite and tightened with 8-10 Nm. If you do
not aply the correct tightening torque, the
screws might become loose or break.
Before riding check that the propstand in any
position does not affect the function of other
parts.
The propstand is only suitable for parking the
bike on even, solid ground. In case of unsuitable ground, luggage load or mounted fairings
we recommed to lean the bike securely against
a solid wall or pole.
Light system, Prop stand
You switch on the hub generator light system with the integrated
switch at the front light.
Danger! Before every ride check whether
the prop stand is lifted up to its riding position.With a recumbent prop stands are often forgotten. In the first left turn the prop
stand can touch the ground and cause a fall!
After a fall you will have to check the prop
stand and the area where it is mounted for
damage and deformation.
Maintenance and care
33
HP
Velotechnik
Maintenance and care
Your Street Machine Gt is fitted with the latest
bicycle technology that does not require much
maintenance.
However, you will have to maintain your bicycle regularly, as it is with other vehicles too.At
least once a year the bicycle has to be taken
to a bicycle mechanic for an overall service.
Only this way a long lasting and safe function
of all parts of your bicycle can be guaranteed.
It maintains the value of your bicycle as well as
the fun and the safety while riding for many
years.
Read in this chapter how you can carry out
smaller maintenance and care works between
the services.
For a quick overview of the works to be done
take a look at the warranty pass on page 58.
Wear and Tear
As on many other vehicles, some parts on a
bicycle are affected by wear and tear.The lifetime expectation of these parts depends on the
intensity and type of use as well as on the
maintenance and care. Please keep in mind that
the process of wear and tear is normal and no
reason for a warranty claim against your dealer or HP Velotechnik.
You will find more specific information on wear and tear in the chapters on the relevant
parts.
Brakes
The brake pads suffer from wear due to friction and have to be exchanged then. Depending
on riding conditions, they can last bewteen a
few hundred up to several thousand kilometers. Please read the manual of the brake manufacturer carefully.
With rim brakes the rim walls suffer from wear.When the rims are too worn the tire pressure can tear up the rim and damage the
wheel. Please have your bicycle mechanic check
your rims at the latest after the second brake
pad change and exchange them if necessary.
cable oper
ated (mechanical) brakes
The brake pads of your brakes are worn when
you can pull the lever further and further to
the handlebar before the pads touch the rim.
Rim brakes:When the pads are so worn that
you can't see the cross grooves of the pad anymore you will have your bicycle mechanic exchange the brake pads.
To balance the wear of the brake pads you can
tighten the cable with the adjuster barrel where the cable goes into the brake lever. First
loosen the locknut, then undo the screw so far
that the wheel turns, barely not touching the
pads, hold the screw and tighten the locknut
again towards the brake lever.Take care that
the slot of the adjuster points down so that
no moisture enters from above or the front.
Maintenance and care, Brakes
Caution! The maintenance works of this re-
cumbent partly require special tools and
skills. Do only work within your limits and,
in the interests of your own safety, do not
go beyond. Should you be uncertain at any
point, get in contact with your local dealer.
Caution! Damaged cables where single wires stick out have to be exchanged immediately. Otherwise your brake system may fail danger! Please take care that the cable ends
are always protected with a cap.
Always keep the cables shortly trimmed.
Leaving too much cable extending past the
cable anchor can result in the cable catching
in the rotor or wheel, which could then be
pulled in the caliper, causing the wheel to
lock up.
hydraulic rim br
akes
To balance the wear of the brake pads there is
a turning knob at the brake lever.Turn this
knob anti clockwise to move the pads closer
to the rim.As soon as the knob doesn't turn
anymore the brake pads have to be exchanged.
Before you change the pads turn the knob
clockwise as far as it will go, back to the initial
position.
h
ydraulic disc brakes
MAGURA disc brakes feature a fully automatic
pad wear adjustment. Brake pads are subject
to wear, therefore regularly check the thikkness of your brake pads and replace them, if
necessary. The minimum thickness of the brake pad incl. metal backing is 2.5 mm.
34
HP
Velotechnik
Brakes
Caution! Never activate the lever blade wi-
thout the brake pads in place and with the
wheel dismounted.When you transport the
bicycle without wheels always use the transport clips delivered with your bike or put a
piece of cardboard in the brake caliper to
replace the disc. Carefully separate brake
pads that have moved together with a
screwdriver.
Danger! All maintenance work on the hydraulic system of your brakes may only be
carried out by a qualified technician. In case
these works are carried out without the required knowledge and skills the brake system might fail which can lead to a serious
crash.
mechanical disc brakes
If the brake pads are worn so far that tightening the cable tension is not sufficient, you can
re-align the brake calliper in the slotted holes
and adjust the inner brake pad with the hex
bolt at the hub side of the brake calliper. Have
this adjustment work done by a qualified bike
mechanic.
Check your brake pads frequently as explained
in the manual supplied by the brake manufacturer.Worn brake pads, oily od damaged pads
must be exchanged immediately by a qualified
bike mechanic.
Hydr
aulic brakes
MAGURA hydraulic brakes use low viscosity
mineral oil that, contrary to DOT brake liquid
used in cars, does not absorb water.Thus, you
don't have to change the oil. Please read the
M
AGURA manual that comes with the bike.You
will find more detailed maintenance instructions in the manual "Workshop" that is available for download from M
AGURA at
www.magura.com. In case of a damaged hose
or any leakage of oil always consult a qualified
technician in a bike shop.
Caution! Keep the brake cable clean where
it is not protected by the cable housing. Due
to the mounting position of the brake lever
with under seat steering, moisture and dirt
may enter the cabel and cause drag and excessive wear. Lube the ends of the cable to
protect against moisture.
Caution! Keep the brake lever clean. Due
to the mounting position, water and dirt
could collect inside the lever around the hydraulic cylinder.This could lead to excessive
wear or leakage of the hydraulic system.
All moving parts of the gear system are affected by wear. Cleaning and lubricating these
parts frequently can prolong the life of these
parts, however they will have to be replaced
once worn out.
The cables have to be checked, cleaned and
serviced regularly. Expect more wear and corrosion when the bike is often parked outside
in bad weather conditions.
Maintenance and care
35
HP
Velotechnik
Gear System
Please read the manual of the gear system manufacturer carefully when you want to work
on it.
Your dealer will have carefully adjusted your
derailleur gearing system before handing over
the bike. But during the first 300 kilometers
(186 miles) of riding the gear cables can
stretch, making the gear indexing imprecise.
The chain then climbs only hesitantly onto the
next sprocket.
Adjusting the gear inde
xing for the rear
derailleur
Adjust the barrel adjuster where the gear cable goes into the rear derailleur. Do it in small
steps of half a turn.
Check after each adjustment whether the
chain moves smoothly up to the next larger
sprocket.To do this, either turn the cranks by
hand or ride the bike.
When the chain climbs up easily, you need to
check that it still goes down easily onto the
smallest sprocket. If necessary turn the barrel
adjuster a little more and then try shifting gears again.
Gear system
Danger! If the chain shifts over the smallest
or the biggest sprocket you have to readjust
the end-limit adjusters of the rear or the
front derailleur. Incorrect adjustment can lead to the chain coming off, getting stuck or
damaging the spokes, which may result in serious falls.The adjustment of the end-limit
adjusters is a job for the professional cycle
mechanic.
Danger! If the bike falls over, the derailleur
or its mounting can be bent so that the movement of the derailleur changes. Check the
movement and have it readjusted by your bicycle mechanic, if necessary.
Caution! Damaged cables that show for
example single wires have to be changed
immediately. Otherwise they may damage
your gear system.Take care that the ends
of the cables are protected with fitting
caps.
36
HP
Velotechnik
Chain
The chain is a wearing part that has to be lubricated regularly and to be changed at signs
of excessive wear and tear.
Lubricating the chain
Diligent lubrication is important.The chain of
your Street Machine GT is approximately 2.5
times longer than a standard bicycle chain (approx. 3.8 m). But it also lasts longer since a
chain only wears while bending at the sprokkets and the chain rings.
Use a good chain oil that won't leave a sticky
film on the chain.The chain oil must not contain any aggressive chemical substances that
might affect the surface of the chain tubes or
chain idler.
Specialist stores sell biodegradable lubricants.
HP V
ELOTECHNIK solely recommends
PROFIDRYLUBE.This lubricant is purely based on
PTFE (Teflon) that keeps the chain clean and
dry.This way dirt simply falls off and the tubes
always stay clean.Your dealer can obtain it
from HP V
ELOTECHNIK.
It is important that you clean the chain with a
cloth before lubricating. Otherwise the fresh
oil washes the dirt that clings to the chain into
the gaps and the bushings where the dirt causes heavy wear.
Do not use any solvents to clean the chain!
The solvent washes the oil off the bearing
parts, stays there and dilutes the fresh oil so
that a sufficient lubrication is not guaranteed. If
you have treated the chain with a solvent you
will have to heat it up with a hot air torch or
boil it in chain grease.
An effective protection against corrosion is
critical for a long chain life. Some minutes after
you have oiled the chain rub it with a cloth to
remove superfluous oil from the outer surface.
Wax the chain thoroughly with a wax spray.
The wax keeps off water, protects from corrosion and makes dirt fall off easily.
If the chain has become wet after riding in the
rain you should put your bicycle in a dry and
heated room, and every day you should turn
the crank and so move the chain until it is dry
again. Otherwise it is difficult for the moisture
in the tubes to evaporate which may lead to
corrosion at the chain.
Chain
Danger! Take care not to pour any oil on
the rims, brake discs or the tires.The brake
system could fail or the tires could slip away
suddenly.The oil affects the rubber of your
tires and could damage them.While lubricating cover the surrounding area with an old
newspaper.
Maintenance and care
37
HP
Velotechnik
Changing the chain
The chain is one of the parts of the bike that
will wear out.This shows in a stretching of the
chain.Worn out chains do not fit the sprockets
and chain rings anymore and wear them away
very quickly.
Check the chain regularly for lengthening. For
this purpose try to remove the chain from the
chain ring.The chain may come off to a maximum of 5 mm. For a more precise reading you
can buy a chain measurement gauge in your bike shop that you simply put into the chain.
Only use chains that are suitable for the gear
system of your bike. Otherwise a precise gear
shifting is not guaranteed any more. Please
consult your dealer on this topic. He will also
assist you in checking your sprockets and chain
rings.A new chain does not fit a worn sprokket or chain ring.We recommend chains from
S
RAM
with smoothly rounded edges.They also
shift gears very well.
HP V
ELOTECHNIK delivers spare chains by the
meter via your dealer. For this purpose please
indicate the exact length of your chain or order it a little bit longer if you want to be sure
it fits.You will need approx. 3,8 m of chain.
The chain length has to be fitted so that the
arm of the derailleur is not fully stretched
when you shift onto the big chain ring in the
front and the big rear sprocket.The derailleur
must be able to compensate a tightening of
the chain by 4 cm. Please see also the manual
of the derailleur manufacturer on the choice
of the correct chain length.
See that the joining link is not bigger in size
than the other chain links to avoid irregular
chain sounds.We recommend the joining links
by S
RAM (power links). Every time you change
the chain you also have to mount a new power link.
Make sure that any chain links in the chain are
not stiff, as this can cause some annoying and
not obvious problems with the gear system.
Make sure that you have not wtisted the chain
through 180 degrees before joining it back together.
Caution! When you change the chain take
care that the new chain does not show any
sharp edges or burrs.Very thin racing chains
are also not suitable since they wear the
chain tubes and the chain roller much faster.
Caution! The chain has to be closed with a
special joining link or a chain riveting tool
that expands the ends of the rivet while riveting (ROHLOFF revolver).A poorly joined
chain may break, you can come off the pedals and fall. If you are in doubt please have
adjustments of the chain length or the changing of the chain be done by your bicycle
mechanic.
38
HP
Velotechnik
Chain tubes
The chain protection tubes are made of a long
lasting plastic that features very low friction,
slow wear and good noise damping.The tubes
protect your clothes against the chain oil as
well as the chain against dirt from the road.
The upper tubes are fastened with an interchangeable retention spring, the lower tube
runs through an adjustable clip.
The tubes are worn by the chain and have to
be cut at the ends and expanded again (or exchanged) after 3.000-5.000 km approximately,
depending on how many kilometers have been
ridden, on the chain type and the overall riding
condition.You can extend this maintenance
interval by turning the tubes by a quarter turn
from time to time so that they do not keep
wearing out in the same place.
The intensity of the wear depends mainly on
the chain type. Please see also the instructions
on "Chain" on page 36.
In order to perform any work at the chain tubes you'll have to open the chain and finally
close it again. Please see the instructions on
"Chain" on page 36.
The distance of the upper chain tube to the
chainwheel can be adjusted by sliding the tube
in the retention spring. It must be secured
with the rubber tube over the spring.
Expanding the tube ends
The ends of the tubes are expanded like a
trumpet so that the chain can enter smoothly
without friction and without making noises.
When the ends are worn out you can renew
them through expansion. Remove the chain by
opening the power link or open it with a special chain riveting tool. Cut the worn part of
the tube exactly perpendicular with a sharp
knife.
Heat the last 5-10 mm at the end of the tube
with a gas burner or a candle and turn it permanently until the color of the utmost edge
turns from a dull black to a shiny black. Now
you expand the end with a proper tool, e.g.
the rounded grip of a screwdriver. Quench the
expanded end immediately with cold water.
Take care that the tubes don't catch fire. At
any rate work in a place with sufficient ventilation.
Chain Tubes
Caution! The rear ends of the upper chain
tube have to be secured against moving with
a tight rubber tube over the retention
spring.Without the rubber tube the chain
tube may be dragged forward into the turning chain guide and thus be damaged by the
chain.
Caution! Take care that the chain tubes
keep at least a 5 cm distance to the rear and
front derailleur when the chain is stretched
to the maximum, and that the tubes are well
fastened. If necessary you will have to shorten the tubes. If the end of a chain tube gets
into the rotating drive train it can be blokked and the chain tubes may be destroyed.
Caution! Check the chain tubes frequently
if they are damaged or defective. Replace defective chain tubes immediately. If the chain
tubes are worn in the aerea of the retention
spring or tube mounts, the chain will touch
the retention spring, leading to breakage of
the spring and mounts.As a result, the chain
tube can get into the drive train and block
it!
Maintenance and care
39
HP
Velotechnik
If the tube is too short after you have cut it so
that there is not enough protection anymore it
has to be replaced.You can buy spare tubes
either as uncut tubes or already cut into the
correct length, complete with retention spring
from your specialist dealer.
Changing the tubes
In order to exchange single parts in the upper
chain tubes cut the old tube at the retention
spring at the chain roller and pull the remaining part off the spring. Now move the
smooth part of the new tube through the
spring and expand the tube end as described
above.
Changing the complete upper chain pr
o-
tection or the retention spring
Disassemble the chain roller. For this purpose
hold the nut on the left side of the frame with
a ring spanner SW 13 and undo the screw in
the chain roller with an Allen key SW 8.
Remember the exact position of the spacers.
Take the bolt off the frame together with the
chain roller. Between frame and chain roller is
a spacer that is encased in a transparent plastic tube.
Take the retention spring off this spacer and
put on the new retention spring.Turn the
spring so that the retention springs run under
the spacer to the tubes and the wires lie between frame and chain tube; that way the spirals look outwards.
Lubricate the shaft of the retaining bolt. Push
the bolt through the chain roller, the washer,
the chain retention hook and the spacer with
the retention spring into the frame. Put on the
washer on the left side, secure the thread with
Loctite and tighten the nut with 14-16 Nm.
Changing the lower chain tube
Open the retention clips. On the bottom side
of the clip there is a lid that is put over a
hook.You can lift up the lid with a screwdriver
and expand the clip. Change the lower chain
tube and close the clips by fastening the lids
over the hooks.
40
HP
Velotechnik
Chain roller
The chain roller guides the chain below the seat to the rear wheel and is an essential part of
the HP VELOTECHNIK No Squat design. It ensures that no pedaling influences get into the suspension.
The surface of the chain roller features a „silent ring“ that is made of a long lasting elastomer. Depending on maintenance and care it
has a life span of approx. 3000-5000 km. When
this section is worn completely the links of the
chain will run on the roller. In that case you
will notice that the chain makes more noise
while running and you should change the roller.
The chain roller consists of two parts.After
you have dismounted the chain roller you can
tear the two halves apart and change the silent
ring.
Dismounting the chain roller
Hold the nut on the left side of the frame with
a ring spanner SW 13 and undo the screw in
the chain roller with an Allen key SW 8.
Memorize the exact position of the washers.
Remove the screw together with the chain
roller from the frame. Change the chain roller.
Lubricate the shaft of the screw..
Push the screw through the chain roller, the
washer and the spacer with the retention
spring into the frame. Put on the washer on
the left side, secure the thread with L
OCTITE
and tighten the nut with 14-16 Nm.
The bearings must not be treated with a jet of
water from a high-pressure cleaner or with
solvents since it destroys the seals and removes grease in the bearings. If the bearings don't
move smoothly anymore you'll have to replace
them.
Chain roller
Caution! The roller comes with two main-
tenance free sealed bearings.The bearings
are exchangeable. Between the bearings there is a spacer that keeps the correct distance. If you forget to put in the spacer after
you have dismounted the bearings they will
be destroyed when you tighten the screw
while remounting them.
Maintenance and care
41
HP
Velotechnik
Suspension fork
Clean and grease your suspension fork regularly.
Always use a high quality silicone or Teflon lubricant.You can purchase special lubricants for
suspension forks at your local specialist dealer.
Clean and lubricate the fork legs every four
weeks with a thin film of grease.
If your suspension fork has lubricating nipples
at the back you should insert a small amount
of grease every four weeks.
After six months at the latest the fork has to
be lubricated again. For that purpose open the
fork and dismount the parts as described in
the following paragraph. If you are in doubt
please have your bicycle mechanic do the
work.
If your suspension fork comes with a dust
boot please clean the lower and upper leg and
the seal under the dust boots every four
weeks. Otherwise, dirt and water can lead to
corrosion.
The following instructions refer to M
EKS
Carbon suspension forks. For SPINNER Grind2
forks or other brands please see the instruction manual that comes with the forks.
Suspension Fork
Always check the correct position of brakes
and wheels after you have worked on the suspension fork as described in the respective
chapters. Check that the quick releases are
tightly closed.
The inner fork steerer tube is tightly fitted and
glued in the fork crown, never try to tear this
connection apart or to change the tube.
Never add threads to the steerer tube - danger
of breaking!
The hydraulic damping cartridge is pressurerized and must not be opened. In case of damage
the whole cartridge has to be replaced.
Caution:After you have removed the adjustment screw (5) you'll see a small hex-headed
screw in the piston rod of the damper: never
undo this screw. It is under pressure. If this
screw is undone too far it can damage the
damper.
Before every ride check the suspension fork
for signs of damage, deformation or corrosion.
If this is the case don't use your bicycle anymore.Ask your local dealer for service.
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Velotechnik
Suspension Fork
Assembly drawing MEKS suspension forks
Suspension fork MEKS Carbon AC with hydraulic damper cartridge.The version MEKS Carbon All
does not have a hydraulic damper cartridge but springs on both sides.
No. Part
1 Crown, Stanchion tube and
Steerer tube (fixed unit
can’t be dissasembled)
2 One piece lower leg
3 Oil damper cartridge
4 Adjuster cap
5 Damper Adjuster
6 Screw M8
7 Washer
8 Damper cap
9 Preload adjuster
10 MCU-Elastomer
11 upper plastic bush
12 Spring
13 lower plastic bush
14 aluminum push rod
15 Negative spring
16 Rebound-Elastomer PU
17 Dust seal
18 Screw M6
19 Screw M6
Exchanging springs
Gently turn the adjustment knob for the preload on the adjustment unit (9) clockwise as
far as it will go.This causes the spring to relax.
Place a matching spanner or an adjustable
wrench on the two parallel surfaces of the
pre-load adjustment unit.Then remove the
entire unit by turning it anti-clockwise.
Carefully remove the springs with one finger
or the head of a spoke from the fork.
Alternately put your bicycle upside down and
catch the springs when they fall down.
Exchange the springs, lightly grease all parts
and assemble the fork again in reverse order.
After having finished the assembly please check
if the fork works properly by compressing it
several times manually.
Maintenance and care
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Velotechnik
Lubricating the fork / Dismounting
In order to lubricate the fork have your bicycle mechanic dismount it completely.
First remove the pre-load adjustment unit and
springs as described under "Exchanging
springs".
If your spring has an adjustable damping (M
EKS
Carbon AC) turn the knob clockwise as far as
it will go so that the fork does not decompresses again.
Undo and remove the screw M6 on the lower
part of the leg (18).To prevent the push rod
(14) from turning too press the fork together
entirely and hold the push-rod with a long
Allen key SW5.
At the suspension fork M
EKS Carbon All per-
form the same work on the second spring
strut. Now you can pull the upper part of the
fork out of the lower part.
At the suspension fork M
EKS Carbon AC re-
move the screw on the lower part of the leg
(19). Usually the damping cartridge (3) does
not turn. However, when you have difficulties
in removing the screw you can fix the cartridge in the upper leg with a screw driver and
thus prevent it from turning too. For this purpose, undo the entire damper adjustment unit
by placing a wrench on the cap (8). Caution:
Never disassemble the adjustment unit (4, 5, 6,
7, 8)!
Clean all parts with a cloth. Grease the bushings, legs, springs and threads thoroughly and
assemble the fork again.
After you have relaxed the pre-load unit of the spring you can
turn off the entire unit.
44
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Velotechnik
The bushings, seals and gliding surfaces of the
suspension fork suffer from wear and tear
through normal use. It depends on the use of
the fork, the amount of dirt on it and the
maintenance and lubrication how long it lasts.
If the bushings are worn the fork has too
much play. Please have your specialist dealer
replace the bushings in that case.
Hydraulic dampers are effected by wear and
tear through normal use. It depends on the
usage of the bike, the amount of dirt on it and
the maintenance and lubrication how long it
lasts.After 3000 km the damper must receive
an inspection by a trained mechanic, worn out
parts or the hydraulic cartridge can be replaced then. Due to wear of the seals oil can leak
drom the damper or the internal oil can become foamy.This may lead to some noise when
the damper is working.This noise does not effect the function of the damper. Only if there
is no obvious damping after the first 5 mm of
travel, the damper should be replaced.
Suspension Fork
Maintenance and care
45
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Velotechnik
Rear suspension element
Changing the steel spring /DV-22)
You can buy the spring for the rear suspension
element in different spring stiffnesses from
your dealer.
We recommend the following spring stiffnesses, depending on the overall weight:
up to 80 kg (183 lbs): 350 lbs./inch
up to 100 kg (230 lbs): 450 lbs./inch
up to 130 kg (286 lbs): 550 lbs./inch
In addition to this, your dealer can also use
springs with other spring stiffnesses or special
lightweight springs made of titanium.
In most cases the stiffness is printed onto the
spring.Take care to read the imprint carefully,
since the term "B650" that sometimes occurs
does not mean 650 lbs./inch!
Spring length:
DV22: 83 mm (70-90 mm)
In order to change the spring you will have to
remove the rear screw and swing away the rear frame.
Hold the main frame of your bicycle in a work
stand.
If there is a safety ring at the thread of the suspension element push it to the front so that
you can undo the adjustment ring completely
and then turn it to the utmost position at the
front. Remove the slotted spring retention disc
at the rear end.
Undo the screws of the rear suspension element with two Allen keys and push the screw
out of the suspension element eye.
Move the rear swing arm down carefully. In
doing this, take care that you don't bend or
stretch any cables.
Remove the spring from the suspension element and put in the exchange spring. Make sure that the new spring has the same diameter
and length as the old spring and that it lies safely on the adjustment ring.
Put back the slotted rear spring retention disc
on the piston rod. If necessary, compress the
spring a little bit with a screw driver. The
spring retention disc has to match its seating
at the rear end of the suspension element.
Rear suspension element
Danger! If the bicycle does not stand on
the ground while undoing the screws of the
suspension element the rear swing arm may
come down uncontrolled afterwards and
hurt you seriously. In addition to this the cables of the gear system and the brakes may
overstretch and you would have to replace
them. Ensure that the rear swing arm comes
down in a controlled and gentle fashion by
putting up a solid string or cable tie between the main frame and the rear swing
arm.
Danger! When the bicycle is standing on
the ground the frame and the swing arm come up against each other. Please make sure
that this happens in a controlled and gentle
fashion. Put a cloth between the contact points. Otherwise, if they come up against each
other uncontrolled your hands may get
caught between main frame, rear arm swing
and suspension element and your bicycle
may be damaged.
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Velotechnik
Hydraulic dampers are effected by wear and
tear through normal use. It depends on the
usage of the bike, the amount of dirt on it and
the maintenance and lubrication how long it
lasts.After 3000 km the damper must receive
an inspection by a trained mechanic, worn out
parts or the hydraulic cartridge can be replaced then. Due to wear of the seals oil can leak
drom the damper or the internal oil can become foamy.This may lead to some noise when
the damper is working.This noise does not effect the function of the damper. Only if there
is no obvious damping after the first 5 mm of
travel, the damper should be replaced.
Please also note the maintenance instructions
of the damper manufacturer provided with
your bike.
Secure the spring by tightening the adjustment
ring until the spring doesn't have any play anymore. If there is a safety ring, push it back into
the slot on the thread.
Move the rear swing arm back up and connect
the rear end of the suspension element with
the rear swing arm with the bolt. Lubricate the
bolt thoroughly.
Secure the screws of the suspension element
with L
OCTITE and tighten the screw with 6-8
Nm.
After having exchanged the spring you have to
readjust the spring pre-load as described in
the chapter on "Adjusting your new bicycle"
on page 18.
Cleaning and lubricating
Do clean the suspension element, especially
the polished piston rod, if it is dirty. Remaining
dirt and sand can damage the seals of the hydraulic system and so shorten its life considerably.When you often use dirty roads you can
protect the suspension element from dirt with
an elastic cover that you can buy at your local
dealer.
From time to time grease the thread for the
spring pre-load with a drop of acid-free oil.
Thus, you can always turn the adjustment ring
easily by hand. Once a year you have to grease
the pivots of the suspension element. For that
purpose dismount the suspension element as
described under "Changing the Spring" on page 45.
Remove the plastic spacers and pull the metal
tube out off the bushing. Lubricate the bushing
and the tubes with grease. Finally remount the
suspension element.
Rear Suspension Element
The bushings of the rear spring element need to be lubricated
once a year.
Maintenance and care
47
HP
Velotechnik
The bushings are exchangeable. For that purpose you will have to dismount the rear swing
arm and send it together with the axle via
your specialist dealer to HP V
ELOTECHNIK.After
having been mounted the bushings are machined to adjust them.
Undoing the axle screws
In order to mount the rear rack or the lowrider the axle screws have to be undone. We recommend you to leave one screw in place to
prevent the axle from turning.
In case the rear swing arm is to be dismounted completely you can prevent the axle from
turning by inserting a thin metal rod in the hole of the axle through the drilling of the rear
swing arm under the axle.
Swing arm pivot
Swing arm pivot
The rear swing arm pivot comes with maintenance free bushings.They have a self lubricating
system with Teflon particles. The bushings sustain a very high load and they show almost no
wear.
In case you notice play or a creaking noise at
the rear swing arm please check the two
screws that keep the axle in the frame.They
will have to be secured with L
OCTITE.
Tightening torques:
Mushroom head screw M8x25 (without rear
rack): 14-16 Nm
Screw M8x45: 17-19 Nm
Danger! If the screws at the axle are not
tight enough this leads to play and noises
when the spring compresses. In extreme cases the swing arm may come loose which leads to a serious fall. If the screws are too
tight the thread of the axle may tear out or
the screw may be damaged.
Caution! There has to be a big washer between the main frame and the end of the
bushing else the busing is not able to function without play and the frame will be damaged.
You can prevent the axle from turning by inserting a thin metal
rod in the hole of the axle.
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Velotechnik
Seat
For transport purposes you can dismount the
seat. For that purpose open the quick releases
and unscrew the knurled nuts from the axle.
Then remove the quick releases and catch the
washers that come out too.To remount the
seat, do all the steps in reverse order.
Interchanging the seats
In principle you can interchange the different
seat sizes and the seats of the Street Machine
Gt.
If the adjusting range of 10° cannot fully be
used after you have exchanged the seat you
will have to slightly reposition the slotted aluminum fittings at the seat.
For that purpose, take off the seat cushion.
Undo the self-locking nuts of each of the 4
screws of the upper and lower seat fastening
by several turns.The holes in the aluminum fittings are slightly bigger than the diameter of
the screws so that you can move the aluminum fittings up or down to find the biggest adjusting range possible.
Finally tighten all screws of the seat fastening
by 8-10 Nm.
Screws that are not tight enough may lead to
cracking noises while riding and may damage
the seat.
Mounting the optional headr
est
Remove the seat cover from the seat. Position
the headrest (or better: neckrest) at the upper
seat end and mark the position of the holes.
Drill two 5 mm holes and attach the headrest
with the 2 flat headed bolts.The headrest can
be assembled with the recessed section to the
front or to the back, depending on your personal preference.
The cushion of the headrest is attached with
hooks and loops tape and thus slightly height
adjustable. In some cases the headrest sticks
out to high to be used with a bicycle helmet.
You can cut of the upper end of the headrest
and move the cushion further down.
The optional Airflow seat cushion has a slot in
the upper section so that the headrest can
stick through. Caution! Do not push or hold
the bike at the headrest, this can damage the
seat.
Seat
Caution! The edges of the seat can be bro-
ken in case the bike tumbles over or crashes. Especially with the lightweight carbon fiber seat take care not to damage the seat
edges.
To protect yourself against cuttings from the
seat edge, the seat edge neds to be fully protected with edge protection tape.
Maintenance and care
49
HP
Velotechnik
Seat cushion
The standard seat cushion consists of a 1,4 cm
thick layer of flexible EVA foam. This is a black
material with closed cells that is also used in
the production of high quality camping mats. It
feels very comfortable without appearing too
soft or spongy. It is waterproof so that you can
dry your seat with a sweep of your hand in case your bicycle has become wet.
For better ventilation, an airflow cushion is
available as accessory.This cushion consists of
several layers: A soft foam and a rigid mesh,
which provides for an approximately 1 cm
thick air cushion with excellent circulation.
These two layers are wrapped up in a cover
that consists of fine mesh like it is known from
high quality Rucksacks.
You can wash the material at 30° centigrade
and it dries very quickly. In case you want to
wash the seat cushion take it off the seat.Then
open the Velcro at the back and take out the
foam cushion and the airflow insert.
The seat cushion suffers from wear through
constant use. At the parts that are under punctual strain the mesh can be pressed together
permanently. In order to provide a good riding
comfort in that situation the sirflow cushion
has additional foam padding.
Seat Cushion
Caution! The seat cushion is fastened with
Velcro and you can take it off. For this purpose it is important not to simply grab the
foam and take it off since the Velcro could
come off. In order to take off the seat cushion lift up the upper part a little bit from
the seat.Then you grab the cushion on both
sides together with the end of the Velcro
that sticks out slightly and remove the cushion slowly. In case the Velcro comes off fasten it again with a good glue.
Caution! Never expose the seat cushion to
extreme heat or focused sunlight.The material warms up considerably.The heat may
melt the glue of the Velcro.The seat cushion
can be damaged when the rays of the sun
are bundled through a lens.Take care to never leave any bubble wrap on the seat in the
sun.The air bubbles in the film act like a burning glass and shrink the seat cushion.
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Velotechnik
Water bottle cage
You can mount a water bottle cage at the side
of the seat, under the frame between the
wheels or at the front derailleur tube.The
main frame tube and the derailleur tube at the
front of the frame come already with threading inserts M5 for that purpose.
You can mount a water bottle cage at the left
or right side of the seat so that you can comfortably reach it while riding. For that purpose
you can drill two holes into the outmost edge
of the seat:
1. Drill the hole at least 1 cm from the edge of
the seat.
2. Maximum diameter of the holes must be
5 mm.
3.The holes must be covered with big (outer
dia min 18 mm) washers on both sides.
4. Bend the bottle cage outwards before in
stalling.
5. Only use soft plastic water bottles, no metal
bottles allowed. Hard bottles may destroy
the seat when rubbing against it.
Another useful alternative to water bottles are
systems with a "water bag" and a drinking hose, e.g. from S
OURCE or CAMELBAG.You can sim-
ply strap them behind the seat, onto the rear
rack or into the Speedbag.
Mudguards
At bicycles with suspension mudguards are exposed to very strong vibrations through which
they may break. Please check the stays of the
mudguard regularly for their position and
check the mudguards for cracks or deformations. Immediately replace damaged mudguards.
In order to prevent falls you have to fasten the
stays of the front mudguard with a security
clip that opens under pressure.When the clip
has opened once please replace it with a new
one.
Water bottle Cage, Mudguards
Caution! Do not drill any holes into other
seat areas than those indicated above. It is
especially important not to damage the reinforcing ribs.
An ideal position for water bottle cages is at the side of the seat.
Caution! You must not mount additional
parts like rear lights or reflectors to the
mudguards since those may break then.
Danger! If branches or other obstacles get
caught in the wheels while riding and are
moved around they may drag the mudguards
along.The mudguard can possibly fold up
between frame and tire and hence block the
wheel, which may lead to a serious fall. If you
hear any unknown noises while riding stop
immediately and remove anything that might
cling to the mudguards or the wheels.
Maintenance and care
51
HP
Velotechnik
Alternatively you can mount the stays at the
two outer screws of the U-brace or fasten it
with a clip in the middle of the lower leg of
the suspension fork.
After you have performed service work or replaced mudguards check if the wheels turn
freely. Between mudguard and wheel has to be
a distance of at least 7 mm.
Check whether the suspension can still fully
compress with the mounted mudguards.The
mudguards, stays and screws (especially at the
U-brace of the suspension fork) must not
touch other parts under maximum compression.
Wheels
The correct air pressure is decisive for
smooth running and a good protection against
punctures.The maximum pressure is printed
on the side of your tire. Since your Street
Machine Gt is fully suspended you can always
go for the maximum pressure.You might find
an indication of the minimum required pressure on the side of the tire as well.
Since the tubes in the tires gradually loose air
you should check the air pressure before every ride.
The tubes come with Presta valves (also called
french valves).They are very airtight and easy
to pump up. For that purpose first undo the
valve cap.
Now you see a small threaded rod with a
knurled nut that comes out of the valve. Undo
the knurled nut by loosening it as far as it
goes.
To pump up the tire and check the pressure
you need a pump with a gauge, preferably a solid standing air pump. Put the knob of the
pump on the valve, push it completely on the
valve and then retract it a little bit. Now you
can pump up your tire easily.
After you have pumped up the tire to the maximum pressure pull off the pump knob.
Secure the valve through turning the knurled
nut on the threaded rod as far as it will go towards the valve. Finally put on the valve cap
again.
Mudguards,Wheels
Before pumping up the tire, you have to undo the little knurled
nut on the valve.
Danger! Never pump up your tires beyond
the maximum pressure.The tire may burst
while riding or come off the rim, which may
result in a serious fall.
52
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Velotechnik
When you exchange tires please note the maximum width limit of 50 mm (approx. 2 "). We
recommend tires that are 32-40 mm wide.At
the front wheel you have to use tires of ISO
size 406 (20"), at the rear wheel ISO size 559
(26").The tire width possible at your bicycle
depends on the size of your rims. Please ask
your local dealer.
After you have exchanged the tires please
check if the wheels turn freely and check the
minimum distance between mudguards and
frame.
The spokes of the wheels connect the rim
with the hub.They transmit the braking power
of the disc brakes, and in addition they transmit the pedal forces at the rear wheel.
The wheels are fastened with a quick release
lever and therefore they are susceptible to
theft. For this reason always lock the wheels
along with the frame to a solid object when
you park your bicycle somewhere. It is also
possible to exchange the quick release axles
with axles that have special security locks (e.g.
P
ITLOCK or KRYPTONITE) that can only be ope-
ned with a special tool.
Cleaning and conservation
The frame of the Street Machine GT has a
high quality and environmentally friendly powder coating.The surfaces of the aluminum
parts are either polished or anodized.
To keep the surfaces brilliant over many years
and to protect them effectively against corrosion the bicycle has to be cleaned from dirt
and then conserved.
Dried sweat but also environmental influences
such as air pollution, dirt on the roads and
especially grit affect the parts, and not only
may this cause flaws but also serious structural
damage of the parts through corrosion.
In contrast to a widespread belief particularly
the "non-rusting" aluminum is dramatically affected by grit! This kind of damage may not be
visible in the beginning but it leads to a serious
danger when the part breaks.
Wheels, Cleaning and conservation
Danger! Check your tires for damage on a
regular basis.You should exchange tires with
worn threads or damaged sidewalls.
Damaged rim tapes have to be exchanged
immediately. Damages at the tires may lead
to a sudden burst of the tire and thus result
in a serious fall.
Danger! Take care that your spokes are always in perfect condition and the spoke tension is balanced. Do not ride with wheels
that run untrue or wheels with loose or
missing spokes.These faults may lead to a
total failure of the wheel while braking and
result in a serious fall!
Caution! To true up the wheels you need
special skills, please have this work done by
an experienced bicycle mechanic.
Maintenance and care
53
HP
Velotechnik
Do clean and conserve your bicycle diligently!
The best things to clean your bicycle with are
warm water and a soft cloth. If your bicycle is
very dirty first take a wet sponge to soften the
dirt and then remove it. In case of bad grease
or oil stains you should use a special cleansing
agent for bicycles in addition.
While cleaning your bicycle check it for any
cracks, scratches, deformations, damaged parts,
loose spokes etc. If you are in doubt please
consult your local bike shop.
In case of small scratches at the surface of the
powder coating of the frame or the surface of
the seat or the Speedbag you can simply polish
them away.You can buy a special polishing
agent for epoxy resins at a specialist dealer for
boat building. Do not use a polish for metal!
After you have cleaned the bicycle, dry it and
treat the paintwork and the metal surfaces
with wax.You can purchase this wax from your
local bike dealer as a convenient spray.
The wax passes moisture and flows into tiny
gaps and pores.After some minutes the solvent evaporates and leaves a dull and glutinous
film. Now polish the waxed parts of your bicycle with a soft cloth to make it real shiny.
Do not only wax the frame but also the spokes, hubs, screws and nuts etc.You can also
conserve the chain with wax spray after lubricating it, see also the chapter on "Chain", page
36.
The frame has small holes for ventilation that
prevent condensation in the frame.These drilling holes must not be sealed. However, moisture may enter the frame through the drilling
holes.Therefore protect the inside of your frame by applying wax spray through the holes.
Protect the parts where cables or chain tubes
may scratch the frame with a layer of tape.You
can buy extra strong transparent tape at your
do-it-yourself-store.That way you avoid scratches in the powder coating and coating coming off.
Caution! Do not use any cleansing agents
that scrub or are chemically aggressive since
they affect the paintwork. Before using any
cleansing agent please test it at a part of
your bicycle that is not immediately visible.
Caution! Do not use any high-pressure cleaner.The strong jet of water goes through
the seals of the bearings, blows away the lube and causes corrosion of the bearing parts
and the chain. In addition to this it may damage stickers.
Caution! Any damage of the paintwork has
to be cleaned from rust and repaired immediately, else the damaged part in the frame
gives way to corrosion that nests in the surrounding paintwork.This can result in damage of the frame.
54
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Velotechnik
Storing the bicycle
Before storing your bicycle over a longer period of time, e.g. over winter, please take care of
the following steps:
● Clean your bicycle and protect it from
corrosion as described in the chapter on
"Cleaning".
● Store your bicycle in a dry and warm place.
● Avoid direct sun and storage close to the
heating since it affects the rubber of your
tires.
● Choose the smallest sprocket and the
smallest chain ring.That way the cables are
in the most relaxed position.
● The tubes of your tires loose air when
standing over a longer period of time. If the
bicycle then rests on flat tires the tires may
be damaged.Therefore hang up your bicycle
or check the air pressure regularly.
The winter months are a convenient period of
time for the annual service since then you won't have to wait long for an appointment. Many
dealers offer special prices for the winter
check.
Screws and Bolts
Screws gradually settle in and through this
they can come loose.Therefore check the
screws and bolts regularly if they are tightened
appropriately with a torque wrench.
In the following table you will find the prescribed tightening torques, they refer to greased
screws!
The grease also prevents your screws from
seizing in their threads so that they won't unscrew anymore. In particular, screws made of
stainless steel are susceptible to this and therefore have always to be put in with grease.
Do use high quality acid free grease, if possible
a lubricant with added solid particles like
Teflon or MoS
2.Their ingredients still work
properly after the thinner grease has been removed from the contact points.
Alternatively you can use L
OCTITE screw secu-
ring fluid that you apply to the screw before
you put it into the thread.
Always check the screws very diligently for
signs of corrosion. Rust at the screw heads
may also lead to the screw seizing in the thread.When the metallic and shiny coating of galvanized screws comes off and discloses dull,
gray-brown steel you have to exchange the
screw.
When you exchange screws please do only
use screws of the same type. Screws come in
different strength classes. Please do only use
galvanized screws of the same type and
strength, corresponding to the German
strength classes 8.8 or stainless steel screws
grade A2-70, when not given any other recommendation. If you are in doubt please ask your
specialist dealer.
Storing the bicycle, Screws and bolts
Maintenance and care
55
HP
Velotechnik
Tightening torques for screws
The values indicated are meant for a friction value µ=0,125 (greased threads and screw
heads).They only refer to the indicated parts. Please do always follow the values given in the
manuals of the parts manufacturers since the following values may not be the latest due to
changes in the product line!
part connection screw tightening torque
V-brake:
-brake lever handlebar/grip M6 SW5 4 Nm
-brake caliper caliper/frame M6 8–10 Nm
cable clamping 7–9 Nm
disc brake:
-brake lever handlebar/grip clamping M6 SW5 4 Nm
-brake lever compensation tank Torx T7 0,6 Nm
-brake caliper caliper/frame M6 SW5 6 Nm
-brake disc disk/hub M4 Torx T25 4 Nm
-brake housing brake lever SW8 4 Nm
dynamo dynamo/frame M6 SW5 6–8 Nm
suspension element element/frame M6 6–8 Nm
rear rack at the seat tube M6 SW5 8–10 Nm
rear swing arm axle
- without rear rack M8x25 14–16 Nm
- with rear rack M8x45 17–19 Nm
b.b. set cartridge/frame 50–60 Nm
chain roller roller/frame M8 SW 6 14–16 Nm
crank crank/axle 35 Nm
chain ring screws 8–11 Nm
hub cassette ring 38–42 Nm
quick release wheel/frame 9–12 Nm
pedal pedal/crank SW15 35–40 Nm
shifter lever lever/adapter 2,5–3 Nm
adapter/handlebar SW6 5–6 Nm
derailleur derailleur/frame SW6 8–10 Nm
cable clamping 4–6 Nm
mudguard stay/frame M5 SW4 4–6 Nm
seat seat/seat mounts M6 SW4 8–10 Nm
quick release 9–12 Nm
frame front boom clamping M8 SW6 14–16 Nm
front derailleur front derailleur/frame M5 SW5 5–6 Nm
cable clamping M5 SW5 4–6 Nm
stem A-head fork/stem M6 SW5 8–10 Nm
handlebar/stem M6 SW5 8–10 Nm
56
HP
Velotechnik
Warranty
Your authorized dealer has to fully set up and
adjust your bicycle, so that safe function is
guaranteed.The dealer has to make a final safety check and carry out a test ride.
Your cycle dealer is obliged by law to ensure,
among other things, that your bicycle is not affected by defects which materially diminish its
value of suitability for the described purpose.
The exact details will vary according to the
country. In Germany, this liability ends two
years after purchase.
In addition to this HP V
ELOTECHNIK offers a 10
year warranty (max. 30 000 km) on the frame
of the Street Machine GT against damage
through material or manufacturing defects.This
warranty applies only to the original purchaser.
Damage trough wear and tear, corrosion or
damage at the surface coating is excluded.
Damage through inappropriate use, inadequate
care and maintenance, falls, crashes, overloading through excess weight, incorrect assembly
or modifications to the bike is also not covered.The onus rests with the purchaser.The
warranty is void if any of the instructions in
this manual are neglected.
The warranty starts with the date of purchase
(receipt of the bike dealer) of a new bicycle.
The warranty is processed via the bike dealer
who ordered the bicycle from us.
In case of damage the dealer has to send the
damaged frame to us so that we can check it,
if asked to do so by us.
In case of warranty we will replace or repair
the damaged part with a part of our choice or
a new part equal to the old one (warranty obligation).We do not cover any transport,
labour or any secondary costs.
In the event of any action that falls under warranty the original warranty period will not be
prolonged and no new warranty will be given.
If HP V
ELOTECHNIK refuses to count a repair as
warranty case we will only carry out a repair
with costs after having talked to the customer
or his representative, the respective dealer.
It is necessary for the purchaser to fill in the
enclosed warranty registration form to benefit
from the extended warranty.This filled in form
has to be sent to HP V
ELOTECHNIK within 4
weeks after the purchase.
The warranty is only valid when the warranty
pass at the end of this manual has been filled
in when you received your bike and when
every inspection listed has been done and
recorded by your bicycle mechanic within the
described time schedule.
In the event of any warranty the warranty pass
together with a copy of the proof of purchase
has to be sent to HP V
ELOTECHNIK through
your dealer.
This warranty does not have any influence on
the rights of the purchaser according to his
statutory rights.
Warranty
Warranty Pass
57
HP
Velotechnik
Warranty Pass
With the HP VELOTECHNIK Warranty Pass you
can assure the safety and proper function of
your bicycle for many years.
Like any other vehicle your bicycle has to be
checked for safe operation before riding.Your
bicycle has to be maintained at regular intervals, at least once a year you will have to take
your bicycle to a qualified bicycle mechanic for
a thorough check.
The service plan on the next page shows you
our mandatory maintenance and service
works.
If you wish you can set an upper price limit for
the service with your bicycle mechanic. If the
necessary works exceed this limit you will be
informed in advance.
You can avoid seasonal waiting periods in
spring and summer when you have your annual
inspection done in the quiet months from
October to January. Many bike shops then have special winter check offers.At any rate do
make an appointment. Clean your bicycle prior
to the inspection since then many of the
checks by sight can be done quickly and at low
cost.
Please have your specialist dealer record every
inspection and service work in the Warranty
Pass.This is a requirement for the validity of
our extended warranty that exceeds the legal
warranty.
Warranty Pass
58
HP
Velotechnik
Service Plan
part work
light system check function
adjust headlamp and rear light, check cable contacts
clean reflectors, replace missing reflectors
tires check air pressure
check tread and sidewalls
brakes check for damages
check for leaking oil
check rigid feel brake lever blades when pads reach rotor
check brake pads for wear
suspension element clean and oil thread, push rod, air chamber
lubricate bushes
replace worn out parts / hydraulic cartridge
suspension fork check dust boot and correct position
lubricate
check fork play, adjust if necessary
replace worn out parts / hydraulic cartridge
rear swing arm check function and bearing play, tighten axle screws
bottom bracket bearings check bearing play
rims check wall thickness, wear, condition
chain grease and check for wear
chain tubes check for wear
expand ends or exchange tubes
chain roller check for wear, check bearing
crank check, tighten
paintwork conserve and repair
wheels check alignement and spoke tension
handlebar check for damage / bends
headset check bearings, grease
Service Plan
Warranty Pass
59
HP
Velotechnik
see page before every ride monthly annually note
31
●
●
●
51 ●
●
29 / 33 ●
●
●
●
45 ●
●
▲
41
●
▲ every 6 months
●
▲
47 ▲
▲
51 ▲
36
●
38 ●
▲
40
●
▲
52
●
51 ●
13 ▲ replace aluminium
bars every 2 years
14 ▲
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HP
Velotechnik
Warranty Pass
Service plan (continued)
parts work
hubs check bearing play and brake discs mount
pedal check bearing play, check binding mechanism
frame check clamping of the front boom
clean and conserve
check for damage, damage to paintwork
quick release check correct closing
derailleur check for movement and function
clean and lubricate
screws and nuts check and tighten
mudguards check for damage and correct position
valves check for correct position and air tightness
stem check clamping
check clamping screws
cables dismount, lubricate, replace if necessary
This service plan is intended to give you a
rough overview over the required maintenance and service works. In no case it can replace
the detailed instructions in this manual!
You can perform service works marked with a
"
●" if you have the required skills and tools as
for example a torque wrench.
If you discover any defects while checking your
bicycle they have to be repaired immediately. If
you are in doubt please consult your local bike
shop.
Works marked with a "▲" should only be carried out by a trained bicycle mechanic.
At the annual service the bicycle mechanic has
to carry out all works listed as well as all services and maintenance works necessary according to the momentary technical standard and
professional knowledge.
Please follow at any rate the manuals of the
parts manufacturers.
Warranty Pass
61
HP
Velotechnik
see page before every ride monthly annualy note
▲
▲
7
●
52 ●
●
27 ●
35 ●
●
54 ●
51 ●
51 ●
13 ●
▲
35 ▲
The service intervals given in this Warranty
Pass refer to an average use and a riding performance of 3.000 km per year.
When you ride more kilometers per year or
often ride under bad conditions like rain, grit
or other dirty factors it is necessary to have
shorter maintenance intervals.
In order to measure your riding performance
we recommend you to use a bicycle computer.
The regular service maintains the safe operation and the value of your bicycle. Not only
does the completed Warranty Pass record the
maintenance works for the validation of your
warranty but also does it proove the care and
the value of your bicycle - a good thing to
have when you are going to sell your Street
Machine Gt one day.
62
HP
Velotechnik
service at delivery
At the delivery of a new Street Machine GT.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
(When you assemble a frame kit please list
the components on an extra sheet and attach it to this Warranty Pass.)
Warranty Pass
Your personal Warranty Pass
name:
adress:
telephone:
frame no:
(stamped into gusset of the main frame)
I have received the bicycle in good condition. adjusted to my size and performed a test ride.
I have been informed about the correct use of
the recumbent, the components like derailleur
and especially steering and brakes as well as the
necessity of regular service and maintenance. I
will read the manuals prior to the first ride and
have all future users read them too.
Date:
Customer’s Signature:
Dealer’s Signature an Stamp::
Warranty Pass
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HP
Velotechnik
2nd service
No later than 3000 kilometers or one year after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
1st service
No later than 300 kilometers or 2 months after
the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
64
HP
Velotechnik
Warranty Pass
4th service
No later than 9000 kilometers or three years
after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
3rd service
No later than 6000 kilometers or two years after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
Warranty Pass
65
HP
Velotechnik
6th service
No later than 15000 kilometers or five years
after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
5th service
No later than 12000 kilometers or four years
after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
Warranty Pass
66
HP
Velotechnik
7th service
No later than 18000 kilometers or six years after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
8th service
No later than 21000 kilometers or seven years
after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
67
HP
Velotechnik
Warranty Pass
9th service
No later than 24000 kilometers or eight years
after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
10th service
No later than 27000 kilometers or nine years
after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
Warranty Pass
68
HP
Velotechnik
11th service
No later than 30000 kilometers or ten years
after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
12th service
No later than 33000 kilometers or eleven years
after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
69
HP
Velotechnik
Warranty Pass
13th service
No later than 36000 kilometers or twelve years
after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
14th service
No later than 39000 kilometers or thirteen
years after the purchase.
Order No.:
milage approx. km:
Date:
Dealer's Stamp and Signature:
Exchanged or additionally mounted parts:
HP Velotechnik ● Paul J. W. Hollants und Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Pulvermüller GbR
Elisabethenstr. 1
● D-65830 Kriftel ● Tel. ++49 - 61 92 - 97 99 2-0 ● Fax 91 02 18 ● www.hpvelotechnik.com
NEW
recumbent-
technology
2008
HPVelotechnik
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