questions from a new guy in california...

GoldenMotor.com

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
first off, hi. how's it going?

i've got some questions (if they've already been asked, please direct me to the threads.)

i saw a grubee kit last week, and now i'm hooked. i'm ordering one from bikemotorkit(dot)com. i couldn't find any reviews, has anyone dealt with them before?

has anyone out there bought the turnkey, complete bike set-up, and if so, how do they rate? do you think the price is worth it? to me, it seems like a low-end cruiser and i was wondering about the quality vs. the high price.

i don't want to start any arguments, i just want to know the success stories, or the horror stories involved with them.

does anyone know why some companies will ship to california, some say it's against CARB regulations, and even others are based in california?

i don't want to get started on the california laws, i read those 800 pages already. so far, i've learned that they're illegal, and that i need a helmet, and that i don't need a license, except on sundays and fridays (if it's a leap year,) in the rain, and only if i'm wearing an orange safety vest, with a moped license on upside down, towing the law library around with me(with turn signals on the trailer, of course), and it's a full moon...

i'll deal with the law when they stop me.

anyway, i can't wait to get my kit. (so i can find out which parts are missing, or broken from the factory, with a dead rat in the crankcase.)

obviously, i'm pretty excited to open up this can of worms. i love a challenge...
 
Last edited:

city of angels

New Member
May 24, 2009
470
0
0
tucson az
if you have not got your motor yet i strongly sugest usabikemotors.com they are very reliable and i pretty sure they deliver to california i got a 58 cc star fire engine (grubbee)from them and 500 miles later no problems so far knock on wood
 

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
Welcome to the forum.....most buy the least expensive kit they can. They tend to be pretty much all the same and you get a good one or a bad one depending on you fate. All can be made run-able with little problem.

I would look to one who offers good after the sale service, or one that has a storefront in your area.

As for the ready built bike- You can get them for 200 dollars (ebay, used) or pay out the wazoo for someone else to do your work. I prefer the build it yourself route, unless you can find a complete bike on Craigslist or ebay really cheap. Just watch out for the Flakes of Craigslist who can be shady at best.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
yeah, i was looking at a lot of sites, and most of them seem to offer the same basic kits, with the exact same wording, "we have the new improved carb, the bushingless, blah blah blah..." so i'm just gonna go with who's cheapest, for now. i'm pretty sure i can figure out all the quirks, as long as i don't get a defective one.

i plan on building my own. i've always been into the older cruiser look, but the more oddball ones, i never really liked the schwinn cantilever style.

i wish i still had my worksman!

thanks for the input.
 

the willi

New Member
Apr 21, 2009
181
0
0
west covina,ca
first off, hi. how's it going?

i've got some questions (if they've already been asked, please direct me to the threads.)

i saw a grubee kit last week, and now i'm hooked. i'm ordering one from bikemotorkit(dot)com. i couldn't find any reviews, has anyone dealt with them before?

has anyone out there bought the turnkey, complete bike set-up, and if so, how do they rate? do you think the price is worth it? to me, it seems like a low-end cruiser and i was wondering about the quality vs. the high price.

i don't want to start any arguments, i just want to know the success stories, or the horror stories involved with them.

does anyone know why some companies will ship to california, some say it's against CARB regulations, and even others are based in california?

i don't want to get started on the california laws, i read those 800 pages already. so far, i've learned that they're illegal, and that i need a helmet, and that i don't need a license, except on sundays and fridays (if it's a leap year,) in the rain, and only if i'm wearing an orange safety vest, with a moped license on upside down, towing the law library around with me(with turn signals on the trailer, of course), and it's a full moon...

i'll deal with the law when they stop me.

anyway, i can't wait to get my kit. (so i can find out which parts are missing, or broken from the factory, with a dead rat in the crankcase.)

obviously, i'm pretty excited to open up this can of worms. i love a challenge...
walk in into the la shop and pay cash for it they are in south el monte they will help you later the willi