Butterscootch Blunder - Don't buy Huffy

GoldenMotor.com

KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
3,966
57
48
Phoenix,AZ
I hurts me every time I see something like this.

I got this repair in last night, the customer, a big guy over 200 lbs, bought it off Criag's List earlier in the week.

It looks cool doesn't it?



It has a 2011 66cc Skyhawk motor, the builder got the left side chain on without needing a tensioner and just used it to take the slack out of the pedal side as I recommend and everything so it should be a solid build right?

The repair is is to fix it constantly throwing the drive chain.
Anyone care to guess why?

Here's a clue, it's a Huffy bike and the builder went by the manual and used the kits mounting parts.

The Huffy back hub is already toast, I can hold the frame and move the back wheel back and forth a good 1".
A frigg'n cheap bike even with 12g spokes won't carry a 200+ pound guy far just pedaling with their crap hubs let alone throwing motor power at it.

To make matters worse the builder installed that fine Skyhawk motor with that garbage cast back mount bracket and not the steel one, and then drilled the front downtube and secured the front mount with the kits long bolt through the already weak crappy frame.
I can move the motor back and forth an 1" with no effort!

Throwing chain? No ****! Your lucky you aren't laying on the roadway somewhere especially considering all it has is the crappy coaster brake to stop.

My point with this topic is simple.

No matter how cool a bike looks and good the kit you buy is or how great it looks for a picture, it is a motorized BICYCLE, if the bicycle is a $100 piece of **** to start with it is doomed, and even the best motor kits can be installed poorly.

Just my advice for you new builders and I can probably make this bike rideable and safe for someone of smaller stature but the frame is compromised and it will end up costing more than just starting with a good bike to start with, and you won't find a good solid bicycle in a department store for less than a better bike at a bike store for the same money.
 

mew905

New Member
Sep 24, 2012
647
9
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Moose Jaw
the Next Challenger at walmart carried my 230lb butt around easily, made a great motorized bike, and I drilled the frame, havent had an issue with it at all other than being stolen. That cost me a whopping $77
 

JonnyR

New Member
May 13, 2012
1,203
1
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37
ronkonkoma, new york
yea i dont know alot of china bikes come with crappy bearings me i dont like most of the parts he used i wouldnt buy another sky hawk kit until they get there act together the muffler clogs and the CNS V3 is a junk carb i also i would never drill the frame for the stud mount it leads to disaster and not having 2 brakes is a horrible idea
 

Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
55
48
Jacksonville, Florida
I've got too Huffy frames- one built up and one just a spare so far, but I may build it up with super baskets as a hauler-

I can't speak for the rest of the components- it's never really been a "cyclists" line of bikes- but I like the oversized tube frames- haven't had a problem with it- good clearances-

I put 700 c wheels on and all other components- WOULD NOT drill through the tubes tho- the extra motor I have ready has big mounts anyway- so it wopuld be an easy build, but the 50 cc I've really got a lot of use on I just ground the mounts wide and wrapped the extra long studes around the tube- stays put fine.

i have two builds in use, so I just havent put another together, but have just about everything I need

The orange bike with the blue 50cc motor and the freshly painted red frame are identical huffys, I'm not sure of the vintage- probably 90's. The silver build is a Micargi Panther.
 

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dragray

New Member
Mar 10, 2012
278
2
0
Indiana
man, people need to use some common sense.
any time i build a bike (wheather it's pedal power or motor power) the first thing i do is tear the bike completely apart, even if it's brand new.
clean EVERY set of bearings and inspect them, and check the bearing races.
then, PACK the bearings with high melting point automotive wheel bearing grease.
there's a right way and a wrong way to pack bearings.
reassemble the bike and adjust EVERYTHING before you even think about putting a motor on it.
make the bike itself safe, functional and get it set up right first, before even attempting to put a motor on it.

drilling the frame is a bad idea in any case, i would never do it.
coaster brakes can work ok, if they are set up right AND if you never ride your bike in traffic or around pedestrians.
I personally never ride my bikes in traffic or where there are a lot of people, i just putt around my neighborhood where an occasional car might drive past.

an no, that bike doesn;t look good in my opinion...it looks goofy, and is a typical "thrown together right out of the box" motorized bike just like the majority of them that i see.
I wish people would use more ingenuity and make their bikes their own (not just with a paint job).
 

dragray

New Member
Mar 10, 2012
278
2
0
Indiana
yea i dont know alot of china bikes come with crappy bearings me i dont like most of the parts he used i wouldnt buy another sky hawk kit until they get there act together the muffler clogs and the CNS V3 is a junk carb i also i would never drill the frame for the stud mount it leads to disaster and not having 2 brakes is a horrible idea
no matter if its a skyhawk or a boygofast china engine...ALL mufflers that come with these engines will clog eventually. the only cure is to get rid of the stock muffler and go with an expansion chamber OR gut the stock muffler, remove the thing that's supposed to be a catyletic converter & rebuild it with a modified baffle for better flow. (yes, it can still be quiet when you do this).
the cat. piece is what causes these mufflers to clog up so fast.
if you've never seen one, you need to. all they are is an oil trap.
 

bigbutterbean

Active Member
Jan 31, 2011
2,417
3
38
Lebanon, PA
I have a Huffy Cranbrook, which I have had for 2 years, for me, is a good solid steel frame at a great price of $75 (what I paid for mine at Walmart, maybe was on sale that day). I am a large guy myself, at 6 ft 2, weighing around 275. As I said, have had this frame for two years, not even the slightest hint of a crack. I have upgraded the wheels to a heavy duty rear rim of unknown brand with a Shimano clone coaster hub and 12g spokes (cant remember the brand because I bought it almost 3 years ago, when I had my first bike, and the seller I purchased it from went out of business), and a Worksman front wheel with drum brake. I also upgraded the stock gooseneck to a Suntour stem off a vintage Schwinn road bike, and handlebars from an old mountain bike. The frame itself was worth what I paid for it. If I could afford to have the frame gusseted, I would do that, and I think it would last for an incredibly long time.
 

KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
3,966
57
48
Phoenix,AZ
I figured I would ruffle a few Huffy fans feathers with my observations much like there are people that still say the Corvair was the best engineered car ever and the 1973 Ford Pinto was safe in rear impact accident.

Huffy was nothing like the above examples when they were made in the US, and even the brief time they were made in Canada and Mexico they were still quality components, just cheaper labor, like 200% less than the Ohio union workers wanted.

When they went to China for even cheaper labor they fell into the cheaper materials black hole and without Wallyworld type companies ordering thousands of bikes a month the once proud American Made Huffy bicycle became and still are a cheap disposable Chinese kids toy.

If you have some time read up on the Huffy history, it marked not just the change in a bicycle company but the whole change and end of an era in US Manufacturing with impacts felt far from the thousands directly effected by Huffy closing down their plant and outsourcing.

I have a Huffy Cranbrook...
I have upgraded the wheels to a heavy duty rear rim of unknown brand with a Shimano clone coaster hub and 12g spokes...
If I could afford to have the frame gusseted, I would do that, and I think it would last for an incredibly long time.
Well sure, like another comment above about completely tearing every new bike or even motor apart and rebuilding it, it is time and maybe some new parts, and not what came out of the box.

I figure there are 3 types of us builders in how we go about a build.

Those that go as cheap and as fast as they can to be done and riding and worry about failures down the road.

Those with skills that enjoy the building as much as the riding and tend to make better bikes be it on a tight budget or not, and tend to always be tinkering because they like to.

And those with a nice budget and the skills to build a good solid safe bike in short order trusting the parts you buy and the way you install them and not make it a long term project.

Whichever type of builder you are know what you want from the the most important part, the bicycle itself, and don't expect something good at Wallyworld for $88 regardless of the name on it.

Hey, just my experienced warnings, heed 'em or leave 'em, I share things like this because when I first started it was posts like this right here on this forum that got me on the right track to start with so I am just passing it forward with a little more added.
 

moonerdizzle

New Member
Jun 28, 2009
874
0
0
Cheese head capitol
if you replace the cheap bearings and cone nuts on the stock hub they work fine, i got alot of miles on my huffy, but with a coaster, atleast repack the hub every month, that way you can inspect your bearings and bearing races. its not fun popping a bearing at 25. but the stock bearings and cone nuts they come with are soft metal junk
 

bigbutterbean

Active Member
Jan 31, 2011
2,417
3
38
Lebanon, PA
I'm simply pointing out that not everyone has, or will have, the same experiences. I did get a good frame for $75, and its lasted me 2 years, so I feel that I got my money's worth, and having this frame has been nothing but a positive experience for me, and therefore I have nothing negative to say about Huffy. My bike may be cheap and chinese, but I would never call it disposable or a toy. There are a lot of people who wont buy a decent frame at a good price because some of the components are substandard quality. I believe it is cheaper to buy a bike at a lower price and upgrade the components than to buy a high end bike that is already equipped with quality components. Plus the fact that I can say I literally built my entire bike from the frame up. Now, if the frame breaks or cracks, thats a different issue altogether. But a bike isnt disposable or cheap just because it has poor quality components. Parts can always be replaced or upgraded. A former member here spoke of a Roadmaster mountain bike on which he busted 3 rear hubs. He then threw the bike away and got a Diamondback. I say, you cant blame busted hubs on the frame, so why trash the frame when you are having a mechanical problem? Mechanical issues can always be fixed, and other than structural issues, a bike is only as good as its mechanic. Doesnt matter where it came from, where it was bought, how much it cost.
 

1kbike

New Member
Aug 24, 2013
98
0
0
Missouri
Great LOL. I am new to motor biking and I have been considering buying a Cranbrook but after reading this thread I am not so sure. I want as little to go wrong as possible first go around. I've always been a cautious buyer and I don't mind paying a little more if I know what I am getting is of good quality because I'll just end up paying more in the long run. I mean it took me a month to decide who'd I'd buy a motor from. So anyway, I guess I am stuck back to square one. Personally I find it hard at times to stay away from China products they are everywhere you look.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
if you ever have time, read the reviews for the huffy cranbrook on amazon or walmart.

people who just bought one say its "great!" and then there's the people who, after a little while complain about creaks, hubs failing, parts breaking, etc.

and thats without a motor.:)

around here i call them disposable bikes. people from out of state rent houses at the beach for the summer, buy the huffy on sale, then abandon them when they go home. and they're beat to heck by then.
 

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
Depends ENTIRELY on the builder/rider.
They can be great bikes if you know what you're doing.
They can fall apart in minutes and break your heart and wallet if you don't.
Just like the china girl.
 

Huffydavidson

STREETRACER/MANUFACTURER
Jan 29, 2012
1,076
4
38
st.louis,mo.
I'm not changing my name and I'm not changing bikes. Thanks manic I do know what I'm doing. AND I'M STILL THE FASTEST OF ALL NORTH COUNTY.
Just a side note: frame, handle bars&gooseneck,fenders,seat&post are still original equipment . LMAOlaff
 

1kbike

New Member
Aug 24, 2013
98
0
0
Missouri
After some thought, I am gonna go ahead and stick with a Huffy. One, it is my first build and I don't expect it to last forever. I am hoping this will be a great way for me to learn. After all, I'd hate to plop out a lot of money on a bike and mess it up. So if they are POS's. I am not going to stress over it. I just want to have fun so, here I go. Who knows, maybe I will get lucky and get one that was built by a worker in China that was having a good day that day. ;)

EDIT:
Oh yeah *snaps fingers* Wal-Mart has that extended warranty thing so I'll get that just in case so I wont be out if something should fail.
 

Huffydavidson

STREETRACER/MANUFACTURER
Jan 29, 2012
1,076
4
38
st.louis,mo.
1kbike, there a 1-800-number in the Huffy paper work and they'll be glad to send replacement warranty parts. I've cried seat 3 times .LOL
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
I'm with you, KC. I've worked on a couple of them and they're junk. I'd rather clean up an older American made Schwinn or comparable. Might not have the same shine as a new bike from Walmart, but under the shine is quality metal and American workmanship. Adding a motor to a bicycle not designed for one puts a lot of stress on frame and components. Why take chances when you don't have to? To each their own, I guess. Take one of those cheapy coaster brake hubs apart and compare the guts to an old Bendix. I know which one I want stopping me or someone I care about. You can't sell a bike brand new for $77.00 that was made and transported from the other side of the planet without skimping somewhere.... materials and labor. In other words, quality.
SB
 

mew905

New Member
Sep 24, 2012
647
9
0
Moose Jaw
After some thought, I am gonna go ahead and stick with a Huffy. One, it is my first build and I don't expect it to last forever. I am hoping this will be a great way for me to learn. After all, I'd hate to plop out a lot of money on a bike and mess it up. So if they are POS's. I am not going to stress over it. I just want to have fun so, here I go. Who knows, maybe I will get lucky and get one that was built by a worker in China that was having a good day that day. ;)

EDIT:
Oh yeah *snaps fingers* Wal-Mart has that extended warranty thing so I'll get that just in case so I wont be out if something should fail.
I'm pretty sure mounting an engine voids the warranty, but of course they'd have to prove it wasnt a bike issue to begin with.

I suppose in a way buying a cheap bike can be great for learning which parts will fail first, and thus what to watch for. Ideally, though, you'll take care of the whole bike to begin with, and take heed/warnings from other members here. For example, I'm using a norco front fork for the disk brakes on my Mongoose Creekside bike. when I put everything back together, my handlebars came loose not once, not twice, but three times in a week. I finally got around to using a 1/4" bit adapter on a 1/4" ratchet to tighten them up, havent had a problem since. When using the rag joint, the motor, even stock, can have enough yank to loosen up your spokes quite a bit over a couple weeks, and of course, watch your wheel bearings.

Bicycles aren't designed for the kinds of speeds, forces and vibrations these motors can put out consistently, if you buy a cheap enough bike, the motor could very well outlast it if you dont take care of it.
 

KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
3,966
57
48
Phoenix,AZ
I'm with you, KC. I've worked on a couple of them and they're junk.
SB
This isn't a Carnbrook but it is a Huffy that had the typical self-destructed coaster brake I let the customer talk me into taking in for trade, $100 off a new build.



I don't know if the motor is any good but by the look of the tires it didn't get many miles on it before it broke.

I put a $50 gasbike HD hub with screw on sprocket and band brake on it.



If the bike itself holds up it may end up being a decent ride.
 

stinky

New Member
May 21, 2011
84
0
0
The South
I'm willing to bet that the cone locknuts were not tight enough and they came undone and just got destroyed! I had just built mine and was running it around. Bout third time firing it up I got it going and went up my hill, around 100 yards. AT top I pulled in clutch and started to pedal , and it felt weird, hard to pedal. turned off engine and tried to walk it, seized!!! Bout half inch side to side loose. Good thing that happened!!

Went back and re adjusted cones and got them TIGHT!!!!, the locknuts.
Alls good now!! But I shudder to think what would have happened if I kept running on that hub!!

When I post my video in Youtube I'll have it in there.

Ooh yeah, and I teardown and repack and readjust the hubs before I ever even ride the bike, without a motor!!! I use Duralube!
 
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