bicycle engine

**CRUISER** · #1 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 07:21 AM

what makes these bicycle motors so appealing to us. is it the cost? being different? building the motorized bicycle ourselves with our personalities built right in them? just wondering some of you alls thoughts. for me it is me. hours going into making everything fit just right for my comfort. customizing it and thinking "umm what can i do next" and standing back looking at it and saying "wow i did it"

**Ilikeabikea** · #2 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 07:44 AM

Cruiser, that kind of does it for me too. In fact it snowed here last night so it's to cold to go work out at the airport. So I need to go over to Norms and get him to do a little voodoo on my engine.

deacon · #3 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 08:05 AM

I think everyone has a different reason for having bought the engine. After you get it all those things come into play. to me the interesting thing is why did you buy one in the first place.

As everyone knows I bought mine for freedom. It's an inexpensive way for me to keep my independence but after I got it all that other stuff came into play. It's the hobby that keeps on rewarding me for my efforts. Not to mention a pure challenge so far.

**CRUISER** · #4 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 08:12 AM

i bought my first bicycle engine because it looked cool. i like to be different and i love to ride bicycles i just don't like to pedal. and you are right deacon all the other things did fall in place after i got the bicycle motor

deacon · #5 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 08:17 AM

probably none of us really knew the depth of enjoyment involved in building a motor bike. I wonder what the reasons were that people like norm started doing this.

One of the perks for me, is I used to work on cars a bit around the house. Now I go buy parts for me bike and it is a fraction of the cost of a car. Brake pads four bucks instead of twenty five.

Autocycler · #6 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 08:34 AM

I think this hobby appealed to me because it posed a challenge, and because it allows me to ride around on a machine that is a representation of my personality. Having built a few of these bikes, I continue to do it for the "creative high" I get riding and tinkering with them. I had no idea they would be so addictive

**Norman** · #7 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 09:13 AM

Deacon
You asked why, for me I'll tell ya, the voices in my head told me to.

I was recovering from my third operation in 2 years laying around outside and decided to either throw my sons old mountain bike in the dumpster that was rusting quietly in the backyard against the fence or take it and rebuild it so I could ride it for exercise. Well I rebuilt it from the ground up all parts were reused mainly the tires were shot. I cleaned and repacked all the bearing on the bike with grease mixed with royal purple 80 wt gear oil. I replaced the tires only. This bike was bought in 1989 my son had rode it out to Keyhole lake in Wyoming 3 times I think its about 40 miles to there from Gillette. I used to fly out that way to see how he and the others were doing. After we moved to Virginia the bike layed under the deck I aired up the tires one day and made a beer run where i lived in Va. it has so hilly bikes were not used by many. needless to say my beer run turned into to a beer walk what didn't get drank on the 1 mile walk got broke cause I took a gravel road short cut. The road was so steep going was easy stopping wasn't and the return was all up hill and the 6 pack was gone by the time I was back home one beer can broke open and sprayed me the rest were drank that's the last time the bike was rode. it layed rusting under the deck there until we moved to Texas and it was resting against the fence and rusting nicely when I decided to mess with it.
After replacing the tires and riding it one day i thought it needs an engine so I got on ebay and bought one the rest is history. This bike still has the same tubes that came with it 19 years old. I've changed the braking system to the side pull brakes, changed the seat and handle bars and painted it only where I've welded on it. I want to keep it ratty runs good and looks the way I want it to NASTY.
So there is my story. Of how I got started on these bikes.
Norman

deacon · #8 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 09:20 AM

I like norm's story it stretches over years.... My kind of story.

angus · #9 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 12:25 PM

It's a pleasure to hear the different points of view on drivers for getting involved in building motorized bicycles.

For me, I like the economics and the environmental benefits. I do endurance bicycling (no engine) as a sport and thought that I'd like to use a bike for more that working out, but did not want to get sweaty in the process (like going to the store or other errands). I looked at scooters (small ones) but the cost put me off (registration, insurance, etc.). Here in california, I believe that a motor assisted bicycle requires one to be 16 yo and to wear a helmet...that's it. Simplicity is sweet. The added benefit is >100 mpg. The equation works. (Plus I like to tinker...)

**Bikeguy Joe** · #10 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 02:45 PM

I was looking around for info on the Cheap Chinese Scooter, which is a horrible thing that should bnot be sold on the web...but that's a story for another time.

I came across the Dax kit on ebay.

Being a two wheeled motorist since the age of 8, and a bicyclist since 6, I was naturally intrigued.

The price was attractive, though they have gone down a bit more.

Good gas mileage....just one of my personal hobbies, call me strange.

I like the fact that you actually have to do more than sit on the bike and hit a button if you want to really put some miles on one. (it's the the tinker-er in me)