Debating btween 2 frames-opinions please

Hi all,
This is my first build. Any advice is appreciated.

I have no mechanical experience whatsoever but am eager to learn.
So I've ordered a little motor from thatsdax and am debating between 2 frames. I've been taking apart and putting together a couple of bikes to familiarize myself, you know, learn to use a wrench and the tools that I used to call "the L's" but now know are Allen keys !!

Now it's time to clean up the basement to prepare for motorizing.

I was going to motorize an old giant acapulco hybrid/mtn bike. The frame is around 20". The reason I wanted to motorize this bike is that it's a little too big for me to use as a pedal bike. It also has plenty of space.

The second bike is a giant iguana from a police auction. I bought it because the frame is smaller- 16 or 17 inches, so it's more my size (5"4 woman). I bought this to motorize or use as a regular bike.

They are both in not too great shape. The front forks of the giant iguana were bent, so I hammered them in place. Not too sure if that's a problem. I can probably switch the forks so that the acapulco fork goes with the iguana frame, haven't checked yet to see if they fit, but it's likely.

As a bike, the giant iguana fits me better. How much does the size of the bike matter when riding as a motorbike? Also, does the amount of space for the engine matter? Would you rather a tighter fit or more space? Do you rather a smaller bike or a bigger bike? How does frame size effect stability or does it?

Thanks!
Amanda

frame 1: giant iguana




frame 2: giant acapulco
[IMG]


which one- iguana or acapulco, and why?

The Iguana looks like it would be a little tight.

I would not use forks that were repaired with a hammer.

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If it ain't broke, and you mess with it long enough, it will be.

It is a little tight but it fits. About not using the forks that were repaired with a hammer, why would that make it bad to use? I biked around town with it after hammering the forks and nothing seemed wrong. Hammers are fun. bang bang bang oopS!

The metal gets fatigues from being bent, then again from hammering back into position. They could break and then you will have a face plant situation happening. When you ad an engine to the bike you are increasing the speed, and vibrations now come into play as well.

I love my hammers, I have 22 of them, all for different uses.

__________________
If it ain't broke, and you mess with it long enough, it will be.

Aside from the fork issue, is a tight fit a bad thing?
Here is another pic. [IMG][/IMG]

Lol, yes. the bikestand is an ironing board.

For a minute, I thought you were mounting up a new sort of a wing or something there.

A tight fit is a good thing, as long as it's not too tight. Too tight makes thing less fun and more like work with the end results being about the same.

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If it ain't broke, and you mess with it long enough, it will be.

i would use the green one, just because of the rear drop-outs (the slots your back wheel sits in.) since they are lateral, the wheel can slide back and forth so you can tension your chain(s) better.

the blue bike's vertical drop-outs cancel out any chain adjustment.

and i would NEVER ride the forks you repaired with a hammer, unless it was the only way to get home.

I love these kinds of questions.
I have found that a bike frame that fits me well for mountain biking (pedalling) is too big for me when motorized. A tall bike is OK when riding in spandex (under my baggy shorts, of course). On the motorized bike you will be in street clothes and don't want to rip your pantalones.

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"Don't believe everything you read on the internet. That's how World War I got started" - PS3 commercial

A tight fit build can be an obnoxious pain, however if it works I think it looks more like the motor is supposed to be there and less like an afterthought...

...and I just like blue


Although I too wouldn't ride rebent forks, that's really not much of a problem as you'll find you may want a suspension anyway. While nice suspension forks can go for a pretty penny, check your local bike shop for take-offs. Many folks upgrade their front shocks when they buy a new bike and leave the stock ones at the shop. Many of these are of acceptable quality - they just wanted crazy downhill ones or w/e.

My local shop sells these for as little as $10, though I'd spring a whopping $20 to get ones with disk brake tabs