End of an Era?

GoldenMotor.com

Dogtown Burner

New Member
Sep 15, 2011
349
3
0
Los Angeles
Thanks map. Very helpful. And yeah I did call the raw people. No answer each time. The eBay sites you mention don't specify a name or manufacturer. The kits look like raw kits with the exception of the obvious grubee kits. I have not found a way to cancel the raw order so I'll just have to return the box within the specified 24 hours. How do they expect you to be able to build a bike and test the engine within 24 hours of receipt anyway? Oh well lesson learned.
 

Dogtown Burner

New Member
Sep 15, 2011
349
3
0
Los Angeles
I would do a search for "raw motors"on this site. A lot have people have had trouble with them recently, when I dealt with them they had 0 customer service. Next time I order a kit I will try ebay for sure. I wish I would have just paid for the engine to start considering I replaced or didn't use the majority of the kit. Always good to have spare parts though! :)
Kinda lost in your language but I think I get what your saying. Raw motors suck and get one from ebay
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
11
38
San Diego, Kaliforgnia
Raw motors themselves, the engine kit that is, do not suck.
However upon reading recent posts concerning the company known as Raw Motors, they seem to have taken a downward spiral recently concerning customer service.
(seems like a recent trend among a bunch of different, unrelated vendors?)

Good luck, DB! I hope everything goes smoothly for you!
 

Mozenrath

New Member
Jan 13, 2011
340
0
0
California
Yeah, I love my Raw engine, and they were friendly when I called them earlier this year. It does seem like they now business for them is ending, so they're going to milk their engines for what they're worth and skimp on the customer service.

It seems like people ordering their kits right now are still getting them, but I'd say steer away from rawmotors.com unless you're willing to take a gamble.
 

wbuttry

New Member
Sep 21, 2011
7
0
0
new madrid
you people need to quit worring people that the in frame 2 stroke arent no longer gonna be avalible cause of epa bs as long as the goverment is making money off import taxes there will be those little motors around and until they ban weed eaters also and suv's they need to worry about that crap first so until i call a vendor and they say they no longer allowed in the us then i'll find something else im keeping my in frame 2 banger and my dax friction drives .,.....
 

andrewflores17

New Member
Jul 12, 2010
479
2
0
colorado springs, CO
dax update

"We have rear mount chain drives which is superior to 4G . We do not like 4G and have no plans to sell it . 4 Stroke in Frame kits will arrive in 6-8 weeks. "


this is what i got emailed back i asked on some 4g in frame mount kits got looks like dax isnt gona sell um oh well he will have some in frames though in awhile just thought id share dnut
 

DaveC

Member
Jul 14, 2010
969
1
18
Boise, ID
Sounds to me like a government agency that has gone rogue and is writing regulations not based on law passed by Congress. They do this until someone challenges them in court.

I fly High Power Rockets. BATFE tried to regulate the composit fuels we use. In spite of all science to the contrary they attempted to force all HP fliers to obtain a Low Explosive User Permit, build and have inspected a magazine or lockable container that meets their approval with Government on-site inspections. Tripoli Rocketry Assn. and National Amature Rocketry took them on and sued them in court. In one of the longest court cases on the Federal docket (over TEN YEARS) after a court order to prove their(ATF's) assertations they produced a 700 page document of Bull S**t "science". Easily torn down and showed to the judge that it was ALL BS. One of the phony tests was to "prove" how fast the Ammonia Perchlorate/HTPB plastic fuel burned. When applied to a sheet of paper the paper burned faster than than AP/HTPB.

Thing is the ATF took on more than they could chew. A dedicated group the rocketeers circled the wagons and started a war chest. We raised over $200,000 as a group to pay for the lawyers to fight the basitches.

Finally we beat them, they no longer hold sway over our activities. ATF was even ordered to pay back most of our lawyers fees.

Problem with the bikes is a lack of an organization to co-ordinate a court case effort. Without one we're doomed to knuckle under to an agency running wild.
 

Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
55
48
Jacksonville, Florida
I think there is a lot of discouragement that has built up the last several years that these have gotten popular-

as discouragement as become of late- it's all very subtle, and those engaged in it are not likely to ever admit it.

I've been saying for some time, after a lifetime around bikes, that there has been a lot of behind the scenes tacit control, and diverting- and probably by oil and automotive concerns- the usual-

When no one can compete with Wal-Mart for cost and distribution, then it's Wal-Mart who decides what type of bicycle will be sold as well- That's why there's such a popular trend to vintage bicycles- after the 70's and 80's they overdid it all and got too exotic, but worse, simply NON-STANDARD.

The botom line I think is always about gasoline sales and keeping transportaion as an expensive, gas guzzling carrot that demands we put in a lot of hours to "deserve"-

It doesn't matter if the landscape has changed and that corpoarte downsizing has got people out of incomes- the thinking remains.

people are tense and feeling pressed- and want to do likewise-

"Then Came Bronson", on a little motorized bike, passing their car expensive sitting in traffic. (If you recall the intro to that '60's show)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnPIOH8bCfk

Drives 'em crazy- sitting in traffic.

a lot of "Because I'm the Working Mommy, that's why" mentality, in these mean times
 
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andrewflores17

New Member
Jul 12, 2010
479
2
0
colorado springs, CO
im thinking its just a combo of stuff right now china being slow
goverment finding something to hinder and fill with paperwork
im sure in do time things will work out but not without the goverment makeing it a headache cvlt1
 

zachary

New Member
Sep 16, 2011
43
0
0
minnesota
pistonbikes still had alot of chinagirls. thats were i just ordered mine from for my seconed bike. but i think they are going down to. same with kingsmotorbikes.com
 

SlickmisterN

New Member
Feb 27, 2009
33
0
0
Napa
you people need to quit worrying people that the in frame 2 strokes are no longer gonna be available because of the E.P.A B.S. So until i call a vendor and they say they will no longer be allowed in the us then I'm keeping my in frame 2 banger and my dax friction drives ......
Uh yeah,.. I think that's kinda the point. Everything in the world is changing right now. We are amidst the largest shift in the stake for global power since WWII, only this time the U.S. simply doesn't have the infrastructure, manufacturing prowess, or technological advantages we once enjoyed over nearly every other country at the time to compete. We have backslid into a financial service industry pushing around the same money, and that has already collapsed!... the U.S. has practically nothing to offer on the world stage anymore and it's sad. Our culture has become a joke.

P.S. I edited your post for legibility.
 
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Mozenrath

New Member
Jan 13, 2011
340
0
0
California
Uh yeah,.. I think that's kinda the point. Everything in the world is changing right now. We are amidst the largest shift in the stake for global power since WWII, only this time the U.S. simply doesn't have the infrastructure, manufacturing prowess, or technological advantages we once enjoyed over nearly every other country at the time to compete. We have backslid into a financial service industry pushing around the same money, and that has already collapsed!... the U.S. has practically nothing to offer on the world stage anymore and it's sad. Our culture has become a joke.

P.S. I edited your post for legibility.
Damn, if that doesn't sum things up, I don't know what does!
 

decoherence

New Member
Aug 23, 2010
476
2
0
sebring,fl
the epa against 2 strokes. have been going on for @ least a decade or more.
i was told years ago that it would be impossible to get >50cc 2 strokes years ago.
i know scooter builders that still build 150cc 2 strokes.
heck. i just went to the stella scooter site & they are still selling 150cc 2 strokes in mass. just not to california.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Uh yeah,.. I think that's kinda the point. Everything in the world is changing right now. We are amidst the largest shift in the stake for global power since WWII, only this time the U.S. simply doesn't have the infrastructure, manufacturing prowess, or technological advantages we once enjoyed over nearly every other country at the time to compete. We have backslid into a financial service industry pushing around the same money, and that has already collapsed!... the U.S. has practically nothing to offer on the world stage anymore and it's sad. Our culture has become a joke.

P.S. I edited your post for legibility.

AMEN...! to everything you just said in this post SlickmisterN, yep we're just barely propped up right now, I believe if we all knew just how bad things really are, it would scare the daylights out of us, all this didn't happen by accident either and it's a crying shame most everyone in the country is in the dark and likely wont see the lite until it's to late and we are owned.

The EPA is one of the worst things that ever happened in this country, way to much power, they can take away all our rights in a heart beat, person and property, they do it all the time in the name of some drummed up whatever.

They probably will get our 2 strokes before it's all said and done, they will find through "intensive research" that Opti2 mixed at 72:1 or 100:1 is causing serious reproductive harm to very important and beneficial creatures like ticks, fleas, fire ants & misquitos........! LOL!

I could say so much more here but it would just make for more boring reading, so I'll spare everyone that.!

Peace, map
 

decoherence

New Member
Aug 23, 2010
476
2
0
sebring,fl
The EPA is one of the worst things that ever happened in this country, way to much power, they can take away all our rights in a heart beat, person and property, they do it all the time in the name of some drummed up whatever.
i guess having clean air & water isn't a right.

i'm kind of clueless on what property the EPA has taken from anybody? could you fill me in.
 

Dogtown Burner

New Member
Sep 15, 2011
349
3
0
Los Angeles
Yeah, I love my Raw engine, and they were friendly when I called them earlier this year. It does seem like they now business for them is ending, so they're going to milk their engines for what they're worth and skimp on the customer service.

It seems like people ordering their kits right now are still getting them, but I'd say steer away from rawmotors.com unless you're willing to take a gamble.
they no longer answer phone calls or write back. but the engine arrived before any of the small parts and accessories I ordered. a day and a half . the only place i could find to get one was the RAW site itself. I paid waaay to much out of haste because of all the threads ive read on here about the engines getting scarce. tempted to buy 10 or so...
 

Mozenrath

New Member
Jan 13, 2011
340
0
0
California
they no longer answer phone calls or write back. but the engine arrived before any of the small parts and accessories I ordered. a day and a half . the only place i could find to get one was the RAW site itself. I paid waaay to much out of haste because of all the threads ive read on here about the engines getting scarce. tempted to buy 10 or so...
From what I know, it used to be possible to buy RAW engines from other distributors because RAW Motors used to do wholesale. They stopped doing that and now because of bull EPA regulations, the cost of these engines in general has gone up. It seems like people are usually happy with their RAW engines; mine has proven very reliable regardless of all the abuse it's taken(like running it on ethanol). So hopefully your purchase wasn't a waste. That's strange they sent to parts separately. My kit came in the same box. My guess is they're really scraping the bottom of their warehouse to make money on whatever engines/parts they still have in the USA.

I hope it becomes possible for someone in the USA to start manufacturing HT engines.
 

wbuttry

New Member
Sep 21, 2011
7
0
0
new madrid
All of my china girls are reliable also i got 5000 miles on the 48cc of mine .And the 66cc i just sold the other day and got what i paid for it it. Had about 2000 on it so i got left is my 48cc and a friction drive. And now im leaning more torward getting the dav motors they look very dependable even more so than the in frame 4 bangers.On my china girl motors i only dealt with boy go fast so i dont know about other vendors or nothing. And i hear duane is a very dependable . And his products are top notch the friction i got is a older unit i bought off ebay used dax. I'm ordering a new one next friday and a few other parts then i'm decideing weather to buy a new bike or remove and save the china girl kit off my cranbrick La Jolla 24" Girls Cruiser by NEXT - Walmart.com this is the bike i wanna do next so me and my wife can ride it and get her interested in it she rides already on the pegs of my cran brick ...
 

showcaller

Member
Mar 9, 2011
69
0
6
Los Angeles
I work for a Honda Engine distributor, and I call on the manufacturers that desire to use Honda power for their products here in the USA. I premise this only to explain that I am extremely familiar with the Clean Air Act, its provisions, and its timeline. To begin with, here is a quote from the Act, which you can find in the federal register should you desire. "Any engine manufacturer that supplies an engine to an equipment manufacturer for a non-compliant application shall share in the responsibility of the violation of this act"
Along with verbage such as this, fines of over 34,000.00 are specifically listed per violation, and as of dec 31, 2011, equipment powered by engines below 225 cc will be included in the regulations. Now..in 2011, only engines above 225 cc's are. Notice I say "Equipment" powered by...because it is not only the engines..but the entire piece of equipment..MUST be certified and Labeled as compliant with the EPA provisions according to the date of manufacture. Without this LABEL...it is illegal to sell in the USA. And there are 2 labels..one for exhaust emmissions, and one for evaporative emmissions, and it is the latter that has changed the landscape drastically. absoultly no vapors can escape from a gas powered piece of equipment..running, or sitting still not running...EVER! Carbs can no longer have vented bowls, gas tanks can no longer have vents, or vented gas caps..fuel lines must be "impermeable"..because some genius decided that fuel vapors can be detected passing thru rubber lines that have been used traditionally and a "new" formula had to be developed. Carbon cannister and complete vapor recovery systems must be in place on every gasiline powered piece of equipment, and it must be certified as built and designed to EPA specs, and all its compenents..before a compliance number will be issued.This number must then be affixed to a label on the equipment.
Furthermore, the CA Act says that "any individual tampering, modifying, or otherwise changing a certified machine shall be in violation of this act"
Do you realize that as of dec, 31st 2011, you will be in violation of the law if you even go to NAPA and buy an aftermarket gas cap for your car?..let alone a carb, a cam, or an aircleaner, or a "chip" for the FADEC...or any of the 30 billion dollars of hot rod parts sold sold for cars relating to the fuel system? Not to mention your lawn mower..or string trimmer. Only the components it was certified with can be used as replacements.
For the last 6 months, I have had at least 3 or 4 customers a month cancel orders for engines, because they are discontinuing products because they are either uable to comply, the dont think the market will bear the increased cost, or simply dont want to invest the money in the compliance process. Yes, my paychecks have been directly affected. But I still have a job, which I am thankful for, unlike the many people who have been laid off at manufacturers I call on because of the decline in production due to these regs. I dont know just how this has affected the Motorized bike folks..but I sure notice, now that I am building one, how many vendors do not have inventory. FEAR of prosecution is a market influence in alot of industries, and with the EPA's budget increase last year to 10 billion..they have hired many , many people, and the new regulations have been flowing like water from a bucket this year and last. Well, after all, thats what a regulatory agency does right?
How do you like the change so far? THE EPA has been running unbridled for years, and now it is a monster that considers only about its appetite for control, and nothing else. Jobs, freedom, personal property rights...nothing.

In re-reading my post, I suppose it may be considered by some here as a rant. Didnt intend that, just pointing out some facts, and they may or may not be the reason there is little inventory for a bike builder out there. Its possible, that most of the vendors have mis-read the demand, and if containers take 90 to 120 days to be filled, shipped and arrive here from China, (as they do Honda engines from japan), it is jsut all sold out, and maybe thats the reason for the shortage. I hope so..but I predict the end of this activity is around the corner due to EPA regs...unless the people of the USA change the way they have been voteing.
Dagwood, thanks for your comments. Everything you have said is totally consistent with what has been going on for years in California starting around twelve, thirteen years ago when "they" outlawed two strokes on Lake Tahoe. The Blue Water group set out to prove that running a two stroke traditionally carburated engine produces more pollution in a day than driving a car 100,000 miles. There are many ironies, alot of ridiculous assumptions, and many people who know that it is politically correct to put down and outlaw two stroke anythings if it means more power. (as in local/state government for them) The initial reason for the law on Lake Tahoe was to get rid of "noisy" personal water craft and jet skis. The outboards were actually the babies thrown out with the bathwater. Yamaha and Kawasaki were not stupid. They set out to produce high performance four strokes thereby allowing personal water craft back on the lake. The Tree huggers have won and continue to gain more and more power through the years with their distaste for two strokes. Evinrude's Two stroke Etec technology actually runs cleaner than any four stroke outboard out there. Try telling that to John Q Public and see how far you get. I will get off my soap box but yes, after December 31st of 2011, it will be illegal to import two strokes, though I have to believe that as long as they are CARB compliant it should be fine like the Etec technology. I know that a couple of shops are loading up on the two strokes so they will be available for quite awhile after Jan 1st, 2012. In the bigger picture I see more attention being paid to higher performance four strokes for our bikes.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Information for anyone interested in what all Americans are dealing with in reguards to the EPA, yes they do have bigger fish to fry, but in time they will destroy this great hobby we love of having access to the little china girl 2 smokers if (We the People) aren't able to some how put a stop to these power grab job destroying regulations we will all be affected by severely.

These people aren't about clean air & clean water nearly as much as they are about Money, Power & control, their regulations and the way they go about them make this very evident.


EPA Regulations Strangling America - HUMAN EVENTS

Beware the Wrath of the EPA - HUMAN EVENTS

Don’t Mess With Texas - HUMAN EVENTS

Energy Tax Prevention Act: The Only End to Cap and Trade - HUMAN EVENTS


Peace, map