Originally Posted by
old's'cool
Fascinating... I wonder what the motivation for a shaft drive was. It couldn't be mechanical efficiency... with two 90 degree bevel gear pairs running in the open, I doubt it was even 90%. Musta sounded pretty interesting at full song
at the risk of drifting off topic... my impression of shaft drive is that it appealed to folks who were accustomed to the simplicity and cleanliness of high wheel bikes. As we all know, chains are messy, tend to chew up your pant legs, etc. Consider the current popularity of shaft drive among some motorcycles!
Other than the issue of mechanical losses, there was also the issue of how the shaft drive complicated removal of the wheel for flat tire repair.
Still, it is a neat concept, and the inherent tidiness does have an appeal!
Steve in Peoria