Ok so I am new to Motorized bikes and I just got a cruiser that I wanna throw an engine on any tips on engines like how fast they go and what are the best engines to buy and what will last the longest? just anything I need to know about building these things? Thanks guys!
Engine kits
- Thread starter fago1992
- Start date
Howdy Fago, welcome.
Honestly there are so many thoughts and opinions to your questions it is hard to answer.
The best advise I can offer is to read around the forum and try and narrow down what would work best for you.
Also, there are a bunch of members in AZ. motorized bicycle folks are great to hang out with and love helping new folks. So finding a ride/rally or just a member nearby would be of great help. There is an events section.
Best of luck and I am looking forward to seeing your build!
Honestly there are so many thoughts and opinions to your questions it is hard to answer.
The best advise I can offer is to read around the forum and try and narrow down what would work best for you.
Also, there are a bunch of members in AZ. motorized bicycle folks are great to hang out with and love helping new folks. So finding a ride/rally or just a member nearby would be of great help. There is an events section.
Best of luck and I am looking forward to seeing your build!
I agree and just wanted to second Dan here, read read read here on the forum, you will find many opinions, I believe there are a couple of the ebay sellers who have some pretty good kits and I know there are vendors here on the forum who have good kits and great customer service after the sell.
If you're interested in my personal opinion PM me and Ill share, I always feel bad posting thumbs up posts for vendors because we have several and I dont have experience with all of them, however the vendors I do have experience with have given me some firm opinions that ai have shared in the past and will tell you if you ask.
Look forward to watching your first build come together, best wishes to ya and welcome to the best forum on the web IMHO.
Peace, Map
If you're interested in my personal opinion PM me and Ill share, I always feel bad posting thumbs up posts for vendors because we have several and I dont have experience with all of them, however the vendors I do have experience with have given me some firm opinions that ai have shared in the past and will tell you if you ask.
Look forward to watching your first build come together, best wishes to ya and welcome to the best forum on the web IMHO.
Peace, Map
Speed is dependant on the sprocket size. Lower=higher top speed. Most kits come with 44t so expect a top speed of around 25mph. Lower sprockets can get up to 40mph and well tuned bikes can even hit 50. Most kits are about the same. Some engines claim to have advantages, but you can never be sure what you're gonna get. As long as you take good care of it, it should last hundreds of miles. To build them you'll need a drill, wrenches, hex wrenches, and a dremel for cutting the chain.
I'll repeat the advice above; read, read and then read some more. Just click on any thread headline that looks interesting. Then read til you've finished, or lost interest, and then click on another one. In no time you'll have a notion of what sort of engine/drivetrain you want.
You're bound to have fun. There's sure to be some frustration, too. But that's okay; once you've gotten to know your bike you'll become more and more confident and you'll start clocking more miles between getting out your tool kit.
As far as speed, I'd recommend between 10 and 20 mph. These bikes can go faster. Plus there are folks here who seem to be pretty knowledgeable and seem to get away with faster speeds. But I just don't trust bicycle wheels, bearings, frames, etc. at such speeds. Even higher quality stuff.
My own feeling is that a motorized bicycle should not be viewed as a mini-motorcycle or even as a scooter equivalent. They should be viewed as a highly competent bicycle.
You're bound to have fun. There's sure to be some frustration, too. But that's okay; once you've gotten to know your bike you'll become more and more confident and you'll start clocking more miles between getting out your tool kit.
As far as speed, I'd recommend between 10 and 20 mph. These bikes can go faster. Plus there are folks here who seem to be pretty knowledgeable and seem to get away with faster speeds. But I just don't trust bicycle wheels, bearings, frames, etc. at such speeds. Even higher quality stuff.
My own feeling is that a motorized bicycle should not be viewed as a mini-motorcycle or even as a scooter equivalent. They should be viewed as a highly competent bicycle.
The great thing about the read, read, read thing is it leads to questions I didn't even know to ask when I first got in to our crazy. Back then, you had to wait for 2 weeks to get a China-Girl. (It was a great, great day when it came in the mail!) But I read and read and read some more waiting.
Took about 4 hrs to attach the engine to my bicycle. I was racing with the "Can be installed in under 4 hrs." (It now takes me 12 hours at least to install a China girl kit)
I then promptly drove the tensioner into the spokes in under a minute and not past the front yard expanse of sidewalk.
What brought this to mind was last week some one got very angry at me for not offering my thoughts on some thing when I suggested "read, read, read" LOL
Took about 4 hrs to attach the engine to my bicycle. I was racing with the "Can be installed in under 4 hrs." (It now takes me 12 hours at least to install a China girl kit)
I then promptly drove the tensioner into the spokes in under a minute and not past the front yard expanse of sidewalk.
What brought this to mind was last week some one got very angry at me for not offering my thoughts on some thing when I suggested "read, read, read" LOL
You're right, Dan.
It took a couple of weeks for my first kits to arrive. That was 2008. In that time I was reading threads and I learned a handful of things that were very handy to have known before I started my builds.
The one that I can remember specifically is the chain tensioner. I knew that I feared what they can do to spokes before I got my hands on my first kit. That was because of forum reading. As a result I've yet to have a tensioner bend over and break spokes. I was warned before-hand.
One thing I did not pick up on, but should have, is just how critical it is to mount that engine securely. Obviously, though, I shouldn't have needed to be told. It's not hard to figure out. But I was thinking about other things.
I figured it out on my own eventually. But it left it's print on my psyche. Now I'm constantly telling the newbies, "Make sure that engine stays right where you put it".
It took a couple of weeks for my first kits to arrive. That was 2008. In that time I was reading threads and I learned a handful of things that were very handy to have known before I started my builds.
The one that I can remember specifically is the chain tensioner. I knew that I feared what they can do to spokes before I got my hands on my first kit. That was because of forum reading. As a result I've yet to have a tensioner bend over and break spokes. I was warned before-hand.
One thing I did not pick up on, but should have, is just how critical it is to mount that engine securely. Obviously, though, I shouldn't have needed to be told. It's not hard to figure out. But I was thinking about other things.
I figured it out on my own eventually. But it left it's print on my psyche. Now I'm constantly telling the newbies, "Make sure that engine stays right where you put it".
