Building a motorized bicycle is EXACTLY the kind of project I think I'd love.
I was a bicycle commuter for about 11 years until I got the kind of job that I "had" to drive to. Now I have a spare tire that doesn't fit on my bike (or in my jeans) and I've recently gotten back into bicycle commuting. I love the freedom and the exercise and especially the $avings! I estimate that driving to work costs me about $200 a month... more if you count insurance.
BUT my new commute is 20 miles each direction. Definitely do-able, but maybe not EVERY DAY; if I do it every OTHER day then that's a big achievement.
But now that I'm thinking "outside the box" I really don't want to HAVE to drive the days I'm too exhausted to bike.
I looked into mopeds and vespas, but I really want to get my hands a bit dirty, not just buy a prepackaged unit. Also most commercial motorized scooters seem to get in the neighborhood of only 80 or 90 mpg. If I'm sacrificing the speed and convenience of my car, then I want the trade off benefit to be extraordinary gas mileage. I want 150-250 mpg. And I'd like to have "clean" emissions, too, to whatever extent that's possible.
I'm thrilled to have discovered this forum. I plan to refer to it a LOT.
I'll do my best to research whether questions have already been asked before posting them.
Where should I start?
It seems like there are a lot of options. Is there a good recommendation for type/style/brand for a beginner to build?
Thanks, Members!
I was a bicycle commuter for about 11 years until I got the kind of job that I "had" to drive to. Now I have a spare tire that doesn't fit on my bike (or in my jeans) and I've recently gotten back into bicycle commuting. I love the freedom and the exercise and especially the $avings! I estimate that driving to work costs me about $200 a month... more if you count insurance.
BUT my new commute is 20 miles each direction. Definitely do-able, but maybe not EVERY DAY; if I do it every OTHER day then that's a big achievement.
But now that I'm thinking "outside the box" I really don't want to HAVE to drive the days I'm too exhausted to bike.
I looked into mopeds and vespas, but I really want to get my hands a bit dirty, not just buy a prepackaged unit. Also most commercial motorized scooters seem to get in the neighborhood of only 80 or 90 mpg. If I'm sacrificing the speed and convenience of my car, then I want the trade off benefit to be extraordinary gas mileage. I want 150-250 mpg. And I'd like to have "clean" emissions, too, to whatever extent that's possible.
I'm thrilled to have discovered this forum. I plan to refer to it a LOT.
I'll do my best to research whether questions have already been asked before posting them.
Where should I start?
It seems like there are a lot of options. Is there a good recommendation for type/style/brand for a beginner to build?
Thanks, Members!
