Newbie needs help - Stretched Beach Cruiser

it's 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other. The components (wheels, coaster brakes, springer fork) are definitely sub par. Not to mention the seat stripping so the thing wobbles back and forth..

But the ride once motorized and the subpar parts are swapped out is awesome. The big trick is not to compromise frame integrity, getting the chain clearance right, and not hitting big a$$ potholes because the way they're built you can snap the frame fairly easily. I have built a handful of the mustangs, each of them has been their own ordeal. I'd check out the Puma.. avoid their springer forks because they're flimsy as crap and you can't put a front disc brake on it.. You can google search for frames and build your own out, or buy a whole one then sell the crap parts off. here's where I buy my frames..

bikebuyers.com

ps. if you're gonna ride it w/o a motor, you better not plan on going uphill. the way the leverage is situated makes these beastly to try to pedal uphill..

it really comes down to what you're willing to pay, and what you're looking at using these for. If you're going to denounce it because it's from China, you might want to rethink even getting started, as honestly pretty much ALL of the motors are built in China, and pretty much all mass produced bike frames these days are also produced there as well. The trick is to know the structural limitations and tolerances and remember that unless you went to school as a motorcycle mechanic or have a degree of mechanical ability, you are essentially building a low level motorcycle off of something that was only meant to go around 15-20 miles an hour at top speed. There are a lot of folks on here that love pushing the envelope and seeing just how fast they can get theirs to go..great. But all it takes is that front fender screw or springer bolt vibrating loose and you're over the handlebars with a smashed face,broken arms and clavicle, or dead. If you're looking for fast and relatively no maintenance, with the $$ you'll spend on building one of these out you should just get a used motorcycle instead. On the other hand if you're looking to be part of a group that likes to tinker and fabricate, build and tweak and get people craning their necks to see what you're riding, and have a love for the origins of the motorcycle, jump on in! Use this place like a brotherhood lodge and working man's guide to building and maintaining it, and use it regularly to see what other people's issues and accidents are caused from.. that whole fender snapping and the person busting themselves up? I read that here, and promptly went out to check my own front fender bolt.. it was just about to pop loose itself. Had I not read that post, I would have been next!! (moral of that diatribe: Lock Tite is your friend)

Good luck on your project, and we all hope to see more posts and pics of your impending build should you start it.