What got you into all this trouble?

GoldenMotor.com

jji7skyline

New Member
Jan 15, 2013
114
0
0
Australia
So what introduced you into the world of motorbicycling?

Here's my story:

I was going shopping with my family, probably almost 2 years ago now, and saw a bicycle with a motor on it and the cutest fuel tank every (just the stock HT fuel tank), and thought it was awesome. The next week we went back for more groceries, and I saw the bike again. I took some pics with my mum's phone.

I thought it was done all DIY non-kit, so when a few weeks later I found out there are kits on the internet for just $130, I quickly started saving up (mowing the lawn almost every week lol)

After almost a year, I had enough money, but the seller had put his price up! I had to save up for a few more weeks to buy from someone else.

Late december 2012, I'm riding my 70cc motorbicycle, and very happy with it.

So it was a motorbicycle parked outside a supermarket that go me into this.

What got you into it?
 

Highwaystar

Member
Jan 22, 2012
263
0
16
Indiana
I saw some pics of a friend's bikes from SoCal. I hit him up, asked a ton of questions. And now, several Dynos,Felts and Schwinns later, I am a bike freak. I am always on the look out for a new project. This is a great hobby/sport. The thrill of the ride is worth so much more than the investment.
 

maurtis

New Member
Dec 14, 2011
707
0
0
Kyle, TX
My son's Power Wheels Escalade got me into motorized bicycling! I was looking into ways to make it faster (ended up just going to 18V and he moved into electric scooters and such before much longer). One thing people do on higher powered rigs is go with scooter controllers and stronger electric motors going to a sprocket on a live axle, vs. the Power Wheels plastic gearboxes...

So searching for info on scooter controllers and sprockets led me to this forum and my jaw dropped! Motorized bicycles??? Wow!!! Talk about an unfulfilled dream coming true!

Shortly thereafter I had completed my first build, a DIY weed eater motored friction drive on a Mongoose XR-75 mountain bike. Sold that to fund my China Girl build on a Cranbrook frame, which cracked and was transplanted to a Schwinn Heavy Duti frame. Then the engine blew and I sold off the pieces and am currently planning my next build.
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
5
0
Left coast
taxes

Well, shoot! the forum wants more than a one word simple answer to a question! lol

tax on fuel
tax on vehicle
insurance tax
license tax

probably a buncha others, i'm sure!

ok, i'll go for two word answer

taxes
fun


:)
rc
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
11
38
San Diego, Kaliforgnia
When I was in Jr. High School I saw a cruiser with a Chicken Power engine kit in it.
I wanted one to ride to and from school with. My dad forbid it.
Many years later a friend brought to me a non running Hawthorn with a Chinagirl engine kit installed on it. He asked me if I could get it running again. 1 hour later I was riding it around, very happy that I finally got to ride a motorized bicycle. He gave it to me!

I decided to research the Chinagirl engines and found this forum. Now I own 3 motorized bicycles.
 

Wickedest1

Member
Oct 31, 2012
688
7
18
41
connecticut
Scrapping metal to pay bills...

Went to a scrap yard with a uhaul full of aluminum and as we were unloading I saw an old cruiser bike with a lawnmower engine on it and decided to try something different...had the bike all set and ready to ride...a buddy that"helped"with the build decided the plastic covering was loose and tweaked the engine with a dead-blow hammer and cracked the engine case...

A neighbor who was watching suggested googling moped conversion kits and I bought one and blew it up in 2weeks...

Google again and I found this site by accident...after I had done my bgf z80s build and am now on engine #3...a flying horse from bikeberry...

I'm addicted...its always what can I do to make it that much better...and probably will be until I can't anymore...
 

VIKTR

New Member
Jan 10, 2012
193
0
0
San Diego
My dad had bought and installed a kit, but couldn't get it to work

He brought it over and jokingly said I could have it if I could get it running

A minute or so later I was riding circles around him (he had the wiring reversed)

The bike was a rust bucket so I told him he could keep it

A week or so later I had the idea to build my own for off road purposes

I now have three motorized bicycles
 

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
5,071
783
113
UK
What made me want to build one? Stupidity.

And I've always liked the idea of a gentle, non aggressive way of travelling.
 

Groove

New Member
Nov 2, 2012
245
2
0
Lexington, KY
And I've always liked the idea of a gentle, non aggressive way of travelling.
LOL!! gentle, non-aggressive.. Your China Doll sounds a bit more refined than mine.. After my rides I usually check to make sure I still have my glasses and watch!

But I still love it. And I saw a china doll mounted to a bike in Ft. Lauderdale. Wife said, "Someone's going mo-biking!". I said, "Huh?" 1 wk. later ebay. 3 wks. later = mo-biking!
 

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
5,071
783
113
UK
I went shopping for some more bits yesterday, tomorrow I will go out and see if I can find a cheap legal headlight.

Edit: not a China Doll, it's a Chinese minimoto that will run at restricted rpm.
 
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SubieGuy

New Member
Sep 3, 2012
39
0
0
Canada
Saw a guy riding one. Looked online and learned about them. Had a few hundred bucks lying around...and here we are!
 

bigbutterbean

Active Member
Jan 31, 2011
2,417
3
38
Lebanon, PA
I started a similar thread last year, but it may have been under a different username (long story). So I will share my story again. Be warned, its kind of long, but here goes. In the summer of 2009, hortly before my ex-wife and I split up, I was working as a temp at a tobacco factory and found that the people I was getting rides from were not very dependable. Work was more than a few miles away, so I didn't want to pedal (even though I did end up riding a pedal bike a few times while waiting for my kit). So I was searching craigslist for a cheap used moped and came across an ad for bicycle engine kits. At first I thought it was a gimmick or a joke (I had never heard or thought of such a thing, I was 26 and knew nothing of whizzers or the like). But I googled it and found several vendors that sold kits. I had no mechanical experience and knew nothing of this forum, but I decided to put it together by myself. After much trial and error, an accident, and many conversations with my dad and grandpa over the phone for mechanical advice, I finally had a roadworthy bike. After my ex and I split up, I moved back to my hometown area and gave the bike to a friend in lieu of rent money so that I could build another. I had some bad luck with that engine and 2 others, and finally retired my ht bike a few months ago. Now I'm gearing up to build a better bike, with an American made Schwinn cruiser frame and a 98cc engine. This bike is costing about a grand to finish, so right now I'm waiting on income taxes to order most of the parts I need. The rest will come out of my paycheck. So long story short, what started as a need for a cheap form of transportation became a passion that I imagine will be lifelong.
 

Racko

New Member
Jul 24, 2012
34
0
0
Wisconsin
Was on vacation and when I get back my friend says he has something to show me.... he made a bike from a local dealer

Needless to say we cruise alot.
 

jimmymc2286

New Member
Nov 26, 2012
124
0
0
Indiana
I was building a mini chopper and found some vidios on youtube of some BTR builds. That was all it took. That was just before Xmass last year. Now I have built 4 china kits one for me and 3 for my brothers and grandson. Just about done with the vintage build #2. It's good to be retired with a shop to work in. This is just like when I was a kid, only I don't have to mow lawns and put up hay for the money. Woo Hoo.