The not worth building bike!

Hello, This might be my first post, because I have been watching for months, but I dont think I have said hello, yet, so if I did'nt , Hello!
My first build was last august and I bought a Huffy Nel-Lusso because I liked the vintage look, but I also had problems after two weeks of completion, the frame cracked just under the rear rack, and it seems like I have read other posts that people said thirs broke in the same place. It is like they took the natural flex out of the back-bone of the bike by welding the rack to the frame instead of a bolt on application. After reading, more I found out they use a hard steel like chromemoly steel to make the frames light weight, and strong, the problem is that when you weld chromeoly steel, it needs to cool, very slow, other wise it gets brittle just outside of the weld and that seems like where they all break, not on the weld, but just outside the weld. Anyway's I cut my back rack off, and made new back bones, with mild steel from tractor sales (TSC) and it now loogs great, and rides smooth. I then modified the same rack and remounted it with a bolt on application and it works great.
I live in St. Helen Michigan, only two blocks from Michigans largest motor sports area, so we have lots of dirt, as well as blacktop and on Oct. 31 this year I had my bike passing my friend at 45mph, and I have had it thru whoops a foot off the ground, and the frame is fine now. I dont know how as my "Nelly" weigh's in a a clean 75 pounds and I weigh 230! I guess she likes the ad-ons! LOL and my love for speed.
If I can figure out how to add a pic, I post a pic, you guy's will like her.

Between my neighbor and I we have built 7 bikes since last august, and we hav a ball with them.

If your not affraid to weld , dont give up on the Huffy's so quick, they have been around since the late 1800's and although they are a chins bike now, they are still worth building.

Timemachines said:

If your not affraid to weld , dont give up on the Huffy's so quick, they have been around since the late 1800's and although they are a chins bike now, they are still worth building.

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I was just talking about the Cranny with my friend last night. My second build was an HT 66cc on a Cranbrook frame. My first spooky had just been stolen from my work. Broad daylight, 2 u locks, and next to a high traffic entrance. Grrrr that bold sob left me without my daily rider! That night after work I stopped by my motor supplier's house and he had a Cranbrook he was getting ready to build. Long story short I wanted to get back on the road ASAP and at 9 pm I didn't have a lot of options so he was able to talk me into a taking the Huffy. I was sceptical, and to be honest I was a bit of a brand snob, but we ended up nicknaming that bike The Tank. It was good looking, tough, and took whatever I threw its way. The snob in me sold it after only about 500 miles and I scored a sweet Phat Stealth set up at the swap meet for 40 bucks. But after last nights convo I started googling the Crannys and found that people really dig these things for their looks, build, and rock bottom prices. I have to say I can't argue with them! I ran across this thread, too. Take a look it's loads of fun!

http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/vi...k=t&sd=a&sid=9602ec7c0e662c61f73701382fc26a5f

I have a cranboob with a few thousand miles on it.

I've got seven of them running as we speak. Never saw a failure on the bike's part, just the usual tantrums from the China Trollop engine... which seem to be getting easier to identify and fix.

I too started off with the same POS huffy bike... had all the same problems you could imagine... now lets just say i'm a fan of 29" aluminum bikes!!! the wal mart Genesis 29er is the best bike i have found for these kits. it eliminates the need for the HD rear hub, the sprocket fits like a glove on these rear wheels and the motor mounts fit the tubes perfect!!! no trouble at all except with the chain... typical for all builds tho, I ordered a spring assisted tensioner, after realizing where they went wrong making it, I turned out my own. works great after a long search for the right tension on the spring.

Not to get off topic, but waistofhumanspace - where did you get that front engine mount?

I have a Huffy Cranbrook I picked up at Walmart for $75............two years ago. The frame has not cracked on me yet. I have replaced every other part on this bike, not due to failure, but simply because I wanted to. It started with a heavy duty rear wheel with a Shimano clone hub. The next thing that got replaced was the seat because it was too uncomfortable. I have also replaced the bb, crank, pedals, forks, headset, stem, handlebars, and front wheel. the forks are suspension and the front wheel is a worksman with drum brake. The only original part of this bike is the frame.

wheelbender6 said:

The goal is to build a Felt quality motorized bike on a Huffy budget. It isn't easy.

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That is an epic quote wheelbender, it really is.

It is not really any one thing though, it is the total package, some savings in one place makes more money available in another, the trick is in the balance.

Granted I get to play a lot more than you one or two time builders because I make my living building MB's now but if you first and second time builders start right you build and sale them one at a time until you profit enough to build your dream machine, just put every dime back into the next build and right the cost.

Just tips guys, take 'em or leave 'em, all I am saying is the people that are willing to buy a motorized bike are not hobbyists, they want reliable transportation, build something safe and reliable and you can sell it for a profit a with clear conscience and no call backs.

Im not a Huffy fan personally but my first build is going to be a huffy arlington. the reason Im building it is 2 fold #1 I really like the cruiser look and to me with a MB for looks its the only way to go and 2nd I got the bike for free. Ive put 20$ in the bike to fix some small things and put the 10+ yo tires and front shocks through **** with my 270 lbs ass. I am most likely bad wrong but if its handled what Ive put it through so far I dont see how makeing it MB is going to hurt the frame and I do hope Im right because my wife wont let me buy the firmstrong I want lol

For a cheap bicycle with a dependable frame, I recommend any bicycle made by Kent Bicycles. You'll probably have to replace every other part on the bike in time, but the franes are strong, and that's probably the most important consideration for a mb.

Give me a date! Year/Month/Date the last "good" Huffy was made. A lot of this information is stamped on the bottom of the frame under the peddle assembly.
Thanks,
fodhunter

I just bought a Nel Lusso with plans to put an engine on it, your posts are making me rethink it. However mine has a different seat and I've riden around a bit and it seems solid. Of course I had to tighten all the bolts since it was assembled already by a walmart employee, but it seems fine.