Hello all, just wondering what is a good bike to start with, looking for one that is easy to install a motor on, and is easy to find, in walmart and such, also can anyone point me to a site that sells motor kits, one that is a reputable dealer? Thanks
Which bike to start with
- Thread starter destep64
- Start date
Welcome to the forum, you will get a lot of different opinions on which bike is best. It all depends on what you like and what you want. I like to ride in an upright position so my bikes are beach cruisers, others like mountain bikes. As for engines kits you can check with the vendors along the sides of the forum. No matter which style you choose you will find a lot of info on the forum, you can also search for things of interest by using the Google custom search box near the top of the page. You can find threads that have been posted that might answer your questions.
As Greg has said, you'll get lots of opinions based on expereience. Cruiser style bikes give a good soft ride compared with road or some mountain bikes but many require a custom front engine mount due to the long, curved down tube typical on cruisers. Try to stay away from the cheapest bike you can find. Poor frame quality isn't what you need when adding an engine.
Engine kits will be the same. You'll get recommendations based on the user's experience with a particular vendor. One thing to keep in mind is that price isn't everything. You'll want to buy from a seller with a good reputation for after sale, customer support. You'll find cheaper kits on ebay than advertised elswhere but some of the less expensive vendors are just drop shippers and only interested in selling, not honering guarnatees.
Good luck with your first motorized bicycle project and we're always here if you need help or assistance. Try using the search feature too. Answers can usually be found along with lots of discussion on every subject associated with building a motorized bike. Simply type in keyword/s and you'll have plenty to read.
Tom
Engine kits will be the same. You'll get recommendations based on the user's experience with a particular vendor. One thing to keep in mind is that price isn't everything. You'll want to buy from a seller with a good reputation for after sale, customer support. You'll find cheaper kits on ebay than advertised elswhere but some of the less expensive vendors are just drop shippers and only interested in selling, not honering guarnatees.
Good luck with your first motorized bicycle project and we're always here if you need help or assistance. Try using the search feature too. Answers can usually be found along with lots of discussion on every subject associated with building a motorized bike. Simply type in keyword/s and you'll have plenty to read.
Tom
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This question is kinda like trying to answer "What kinda girl should I take to the hoot-a-nanny?"
Do you prefer high or low maintenance?
Do you prefer soft or firm?
Do you prefer stylish or understated elegance?
Do you prefer fast or slow?
Do you prefer loud or quiet?
These are questions I can answer for myself ---- sometimes. Just think of your first bike as an adventure. It'll answer many of your questions leading to your second bike. Maybe you'll get lucky and find 'the one' the first time!
Good luck in your project!!
Do you prefer high or low maintenance?
Do you prefer soft or firm?
Do you prefer stylish or understated elegance?
Do you prefer fast or slow?
Do you prefer loud or quiet?
These are questions I can answer for myself ---- sometimes. Just think of your first bike as an adventure. It'll answer many of your questions leading to your second bike. Maybe you'll get lucky and find 'the one' the first time!
Good luck in your project!!
I would rather have a cruiser style bike, but I want one that I can pretty much bolt a engine right up, I have some basic tools and have a little bit of mechanical ability, just dont want to have to get into cutting on a bike
You haven't told us if you're planning on a 2 or a 4 stroke engine. Nevertheless some creativity will be required even though there are some aftermarket mounts available to make it easier. We're also assuming you're planning on an in-frame installation and not rack mount or friction drive.
Really no need to "cut" on a new bike. There are lots of alternatives.
Here is an old but comprehensive thread dealing with mounting 2 stroke engines to oversized/curved/non-standard frames.
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=6427
I'm sure you'll be able to get some ideas from the many shown. Whatever you decide stay away from any rubber between the engine and frame. That is a no-no that has been discussed here a lot.
Good luck and let us know if we can help when you start your project.
Tom
Really no need to "cut" on a new bike. There are lots of alternatives.
Here is an old but comprehensive thread dealing with mounting 2 stroke engines to oversized/curved/non-standard frames.
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=6427
I'm sure you'll be able to get some ideas from the many shown. Whatever you decide stay away from any rubber between the engine and frame. That is a no-no that has been discussed here a lot.
Good luck and let us know if we can help when you start your project.
Tom
Seems like your having a tough time too get a straight answer on a bike ... you say you like a cruiser style and want ease of getting it ... try Wal Mart gfor a Huffy Cranbrook. Alot of guys have built off them as well as myself having built about 30 of them on Huffy frames, and find that it is a good solid bike to start with . As far as motors and kits go ..like they have said any of the dealers on the side of this forum can hook u up with a good one .... good luck with your adventure !
** ride with pride **
** ride with pride **
The wheels (rims) on the Walmart bikes, especially the Crainebrook, are particularly weak, I'd upgrade to a better wheel set you're going to be powering this bike to speeds it wasn't designed for.
Also avoid coaster-brake only single speeds, try to at least have two rim brakes in either cantilever or 'V'-brake type. Disc brakes are better still.
Better the quality of the bike the longer it will last with that vibrating 66c.c. engine in the frame, Lock-Tite blue everything you might think will loosen, because they will.
Also avoid coaster-brake only single speeds, try to at least have two rim brakes in either cantilever or 'V'-brake type. Disc brakes are better still.
Better the quality of the bike the longer it will last with that vibrating 66c.c. engine in the frame, Lock-Tite blue everything you might think will loosen, because they will.
I would think a hybrid bike would be your best bet, because they have v-brakes, which are better for thicker tires since they don't have to wrap around the top of the tire. Hybrid bikes also usually have a front suspension fork, so the vibration will be cut.
Maybe check out the Nashbar AT-1? It's a decently priced Hybrid that is recommended by Golden Eagle Bike Engines for their kits.
Maybe check out the Nashbar AT-1? It's a decently priced Hybrid that is recommended by Golden Eagle Bike Engines for their kits.
Hi destep64!
Welcome to the forum. Your first build nice. Choosing a cruiser is a good choice for the first build. I'm still breaking in my first build. Bought a La Jolla Cruiser from Wally World and the engine from BikeBerry. Before you do anything. Caution! Take your new bike apart and grease all the bearings. I checked my bearings because I had a bad feeling something wasn't right with the bike. Glad I did, my bike bearings were dry. China factories must be cutting back because both of my wheels would have locked up for sure. Note, careful when removing bearings some are loose and will get away from you. The engine I received from BikeBerry is very nice, however. The warranty is provisional in that you must remove the defective part or pay a mechanic to do same. Then you must send it to BikeBerry for them to evaluate that it is a warranty replacement. Now for me waiting about a month for a part to get back to me just wouldn't work. So I ordered a second motor and a bunch of spare items so that my MB would never be down more than a couple of days at most. I love my MB and would miss it terribly if it wasn't running. I've had several failures already but chose to eat the expense and pay for the broken part rather than wait for warranty replacement.
http://i.imgur.com/Kxq5O0H.png
I also love this forum. I'm an old geezer who has worked professionally in most trades so when I say this forum is a wealth of knowledge I'm not exaggerating. Most importantly, have fun be safe! Oh and provide pictures,pictures and more pictures. I chose to use Imgur, you can Google it, it's an image cloud.
Dave
AssembleThis
Welcome to the forum. Your first build nice. Choosing a cruiser is a good choice for the first build. I'm still breaking in my first build. Bought a La Jolla Cruiser from Wally World and the engine from BikeBerry. Before you do anything. Caution! Take your new bike apart and grease all the bearings. I checked my bearings because I had a bad feeling something wasn't right with the bike. Glad I did, my bike bearings were dry. China factories must be cutting back because both of my wheels would have locked up for sure. Note, careful when removing bearings some are loose and will get away from you. The engine I received from BikeBerry is very nice, however. The warranty is provisional in that you must remove the defective part or pay a mechanic to do same. Then you must send it to BikeBerry for them to evaluate that it is a warranty replacement. Now for me waiting about a month for a part to get back to me just wouldn't work. So I ordered a second motor and a bunch of spare items so that my MB would never be down more than a couple of days at most. I love my MB and would miss it terribly if it wasn't running. I've had several failures already but chose to eat the expense and pay for the broken part rather than wait for warranty replacement.
http://i.imgur.com/Kxq5O0H.png
I also love this forum. I'm an old geezer who has worked professionally in most trades so when I say this forum is a wealth of knowledge I'm not exaggerating. Most importantly, have fun be safe! Oh and provide pictures,pictures and more pictures. I chose to use Imgur, you can Google it, it's an image cloud.
Dave
AssembleThis
Hay there destep I chose a cruiser but ATM I only have a coaster brake set up which isn't safe. I like cruisers for there smoothness and there ease of riding. What I dislike is that the stock coasters blow up easily....I've gone and bought a cab 110 coaster brake wheel from amazon. A good one is a cruiser but you need to remember one thing....you need to replace all the bolts and use locktite on everything but the internal engine bolts and ( for me) the coaster brake cones.
The easiest cruiser to just "bolt one on" is probably an old murray or western flyer like this. I see them on ebay for cheap all the time. http://www.ebay.com/itm/WESTERN-FLYER-BICYCLE-/221587851697?ssPageName=ADME:SS:SS:US:3160 I never had one though. Another easy bolt right on would be the thruster 700c. That's about as cheap and easy as it gets. or this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Klunker-Vin...131003132420&rk=5&rkt=6&sd=141448484360&rt=nc
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I went with a cruiser bike for my first build.
No regrets at all. Take your time, and do it all up the right way!
Build thread in my signature line..., good luck!
No regrets at all. Take your time, and do it all up the right way!
Build thread in my signature line..., good luck!
