New To The Hobby & Seeking Recommendations

GoldenMotor.com

firepipe62

New Member
Mar 10, 2013
4
0
0
Cape May, NJ
Hey All,
Was looking to install a gas kit on my Jamis Mens mountain bike. I have seen a lot of different sites selling kits. I was looking for guidance on motor and kit selections. I have seen several different options and I think I want to do a chain drive rather than traction. Also think that I would like to do a 4 stroke engine (prefer a Honda) but would settle for a reasonable quality similar engine that I could FIND PARTS FOR IF EVER NEEDED. I am guessing about 49cc in size. I saw a 'Flying horse kit and have been having trouble finding the Titan kit but that looked decent as well?? So, what would you recommend and WHO to get it from with best price, quality, and replacement parts......... Thanks for any and all info provided!!! BTW Iam in NJ so I think 49cc is the max for a bicycle kit?
.flg.
 

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,631
409
83
Dallas
Welcome to the forum from Dallas

BikeBerry is a good store for bike kits. They sell Flying Horse too. Their link is at the top of this page. I've bought 2 Flying Horse 2 stroke kits from them, and a lot of other parts, and have been happy with their service.
 

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,631
409
83
Dallas
Thanks bike nut, Is Flying Horse a decent brand/kit?
I don't have any experience the their 4 stroke motors, but their 2 strokes are my favorites. I've bought 3 of them. They've been better than any other kind I tried, and all 3 are still running great.
 

MotorBicycleRacing

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2010
5,844
109
63
SoCal Baby!!!
www.facebook.com
I don't have any experience the their 4 stroke motors, but their 2 strokes are my favorites. I've bought 3 of them. They've been better than any other kind I tried, and all 3 are still running great.
Bikeberry's 4 stroke kit uses a 49 cc Hausheng like similar kits
but the cheap pocket bike gearbox is it's Achilles heel.

Pay a few dollars more to get a much better gearbox from
Bicycle-Engines.com in this kit.

http://www.bicycle-engines.com/49cc-4G-T-Belt-Drive-Complete-Gas-Powered-Engine-Kit.html
 

firepipe62

New Member
Mar 10, 2013
4
0
0
Cape May, NJ
Ok so it seems the I will have to go with the two stroke kit after all. I didnt now that wider crank would be needed and my current crank has three front sprockets and I dont want to loose them to a single to accomodate the wider motor. So same question fellas, what would be a quality 2 stroke engine kit with a quality clutch or drive mechanism. Also, what do the 2 strokes typicall mix at 50:1? Again any and all recommendations appreciated...
 

Scott.D.Lang

Member
Jan 1, 2013
406
2
16
Chicago
if you like the Titan check out ThatDax they sell the Titan and I belive everything to mount it to your bike in a couple diffrent ways
 

Don P

Member
Sep 1, 2010
234
0
16
indiana
firepipe62 Don't do it get out now befor you get bit by the motorized bicycle bug there is no cure it's like cancer it will eat at you. RUN RUN RUN!!!!

No i was just kidding around, this is a fun sport and there are a lot of good guys here who will help you out.

Like MotorBicycleRacing said for 4 stroke go to bicycle-engines.com they are good peeps i have bought from them and have not had any bad dealings with them.

Good luck and happy Motor bicycling

Don P
 

OblivionsKey

New Member
Oct 21, 2012
36
0
0
North Carolina
My Flying Horse 2 stroke has been a very good motor, would recommend it. I have no experience with 4 strokes so I can't help ya there.
Another piece of advice that I learned the hard way, get good brakes, and get a inline fuel filter.
There are alot of really good folks here who will help you out with questions and what have you, they have been a blessing to me for sure.
 

WightBoy

Member
Aug 30, 2012
271
0
16
Michigan, USA
Ok so it seems the I will have to go with the two stroke kit after all. I didnt now that wider crank would be needed and my current crank has three front sprockets and I dont want to loose them to a single to accomodate the wider motor.
I think you will find that with a motor you won't have a need for the 3 gears up front. You can also go with the wide 3 piece as mentioned above. I am running a single speed coaster brake on my cruiser and just bought a shorter crank for it to fit under the engine. On another note, how is cape may this time of year? I was in boot camp there in '08. Are they still pushing coasties through?
 

sylarbrodie

New Member
Mar 5, 2013
26
0
0
indiana
i have that 4 stroke flying horse kit from bikeberry.. please take my advice if you decide to purchase that one. the motor is really good. huasheng always = great engine. now my friend .. i had to change a bit of things from the kit because they were cheap chinese parts but dont get discouraged by that. most kits online need to have most of the parts replaced. the parts im talking about is

1. replace all hardware ie..bolts.. screws. nuts.. they will strip or break on you. im assuming 90% of kits online give you cheap hardware. so i had to replace all with stainless steel. which is fine. atleast you know they are great quality. if you stick with the stock hardware.. just keep in mind you will have to replace them very soon. quick fix. so its ok.

2. the 1st thing to give me trouble which you will find on most kits is that they give you a rag joint nasty sprocket set up. junk that and just save and buy a manech mechanic sprocket assembly. reason is.. its very hard to have a properly aligned chain with a nasty sprocket set up. some people can pull it off with the rag joint but you dont have to worry with chain slipping or misaligned sprocket with the sprocket assembly i mentioned. it stays put properly aligned all the time. my chain is smooth riding after that quick mod.

3. my transmission farted out quick. be in the market for a new one. out of all my personal research the best one i even purchase was a qmatic belt drive. you can buy one on ezmotorbike.com its pricey but will last a life time. my second choice is the grubee 4g t belt drive. the price is significantly lower. but a new transmission is going to be a must.

4. motor mount. this might not be a really big issue but mine just cracked after about 6 months. so just buy a heavy duty one ... about $50. not bad not necessary but worth looking into.


this is my best advice and also what i experienced through trial and error. my goal is to have an extremely reliable ride that be trusted to go cross country if i wished. and this is the current set up that i have. so pretty much just a basic mod guideline/setup thing.....


but yeah if you plan on getting that kit.. keep these things in mind.. im sure everyone of us has experienced these issues.

other small things is make sure you have 12 gauge spokes.. high quality #415 chain.. i use #41 now. great breaks obviously. and a really great quality rubber for your tires. rear tire gets worn very fast with cheapo rubber.... get a speedometer. strong lock, i have a kryptonite and a battery operated alarm. a side mirror and a positive attitude.

i wish i could just make you a shopping list and have you just buy the engine and i'll hook u up with everything else you need to buy so you dont have to worry about all the cheap unnecessary parts. but 4 stroke is the way to go. i love mine. no mixing oil and gas and you dont stink too bad from exhaust.

sorry this was so long.. i just wish i had someone to tell me all this stuff when i 1st started building. pm me if you need anything cleared up from this rant. peace brother!!!!!
 

Maxvision

New Member
Jun 13, 2009
551
1
0
San Diego, CA
motorized bicycle riding is like smoking crack...once you get started...

I don't know how close you live to a large city but check Craigslist for kit dealers in your area. There are only a couple factories now making the china motors from what I hear and all the motors are pretty much the same.

4 stroke seems to be the motor of choice now, twice the price but worth it. But I still love the look of the 2 stokes and if you treat them right they'll "love you long time".

Personally, I look for old motorcycles with Morini engines on them. Getting harder and harder to find but you can still buy new ones from Herdan. If you have the cash you can get 50cc Morini engines that put out 11.5 hp!!!

Or if your REALLY into speed and excitement go for the Harbor Freight Predator engines. But if you go with the this option I hope you have lots of metal working tools and welding experience.
 
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LAguyyy

Super Skilled Master Newb
Feb 25, 2013
37
0
0
Honolulu, hi
Got my black jet 66cc from pistonbikes.com. Looks great and pretty easy to install. Not even 30 miles on it and flying at 30+ mph. This is a blacked out kit with no labels saying its a 60 or 49cc so wouldn't worry about a ticket. The staff at pistonbikes.com are very helpfull and can talk you through any bumps during your build.