How Did You Get Started With Motorized Bicycles?
- Thread starter rohmell
- Start date
always loved riding a bicycle, but hated the effort of pedaling to get to a decent speed. already had alot of engine knowledge from working on my car and i sorta knew about motorzied bike engines.
so i did some searching and found this site, read up on some of the bad stories of when someone bought the motor and a few days later it cratered. most people it'd scare them off, not me, i read it as 'what not to do to it.'
also as a means of not spending $30+ a week or so on gas for the car.
6 months later of riding i know have a bada** bike that rips down the road wherever i go. it brings me joy when someone starts asking me about it.
so i did some searching and found this site, read up on some of the bad stories of when someone bought the motor and a few days later it cratered. most people it'd scare them off, not me, i read it as 'what not to do to it.'
also as a means of not spending $30+ a week or so on gas for the car.
6 months later of riding i know have a bada** bike that rips down the road wherever i go. it brings me joy when someone starts asking me about it.
LMAO! nice one!!!
It all started in 1971 for me, my friend's dad ran a vw repair shop and he and I worked there after school. One day we were talking about bikes and cut the center post out of a frame welded new post roward and aft, and installed a 3hp briggs. That didn't last long the engine sized after about two days! I have allways wanted to complete that project, found motorized bicycle video's on u-tube a few months ago and thats all it took to get me.
On one of my long distance pedal bike tours I met 2 guys riding Bents with motors on them, I asked how they worked they said when we are riding into the wind or up a long hill we just crank up the motors and go, I thought putting a motor on a bike was a good idea, I been hooked ever since.
buzzard
buzzard
I was always trying to motorize something since I was 20 or so. Said it was for the kids. Then a guy walked into the auto parts store were I worked with a cylinder head for a valve job. He said it was off a Whizzer. A few years later, I was a proud owner of one and that started my obsession in the early eighties.
I was having trouble renewing my drivers license because I couldn't get a birth certificate after an ancient name change 25 years ago when you didn't have to register with the Gestapo- I finally had to get another name change in court- time and money and hassle
anyway- I was in the middle of all that when I came across the kits online somehow-
so, being an old bike mechanic, and since the kit was cheap and gas prices rising- I took the plunge.
anyway- I was in the middle of all that when I came across the kits online somehow-
so, being an old bike mechanic, and since the kit was cheap and gas prices rising- I took the plunge.
After I retired, I got a job working in the same office as my wife. Same working hours, so we carpooled together. Major problem was that the wife stayed an hour and a half later than quitting time(secretary).
Instead of sitting and waiting in the car, I walked home five miles away and took one hour 45 minutes. Nope, not an answer. I bought a cruiser bike and pedalled it to work(10 mph), which took 45 minutes. Nope, too sweaty to bike and work in an office. I electrified the bike(20-24 mph) and the commute took 27 minutes! Yes! However, the batteries weighed 80 pounds. It was bothersome to recharge. Then I got a 20" Dahon and used friction drive w/Subaru engine. Commute time was the same at 27mph tops, which was good. Now I've evolved from that to single 2.2hp(32 mph), twin 2.2hp engines(39 mph), 4.25hp(44 mph) and finally 2.8hp Tanaka 47R engine(43 mph) with shift kit. Commute time is about 25 minutes. However, now I'm riding in traffic instead of crawling on bike paths and sidewalks.
It's a **** of a ride at speeds up to 40 mph now, like a 25-minute amusement ride to and from work!
Instead of sitting and waiting in the car, I walked home five miles away and took one hour 45 minutes. Nope, not an answer. I bought a cruiser bike and pedalled it to work(10 mph), which took 45 minutes. Nope, too sweaty to bike and work in an office. I electrified the bike(20-24 mph) and the commute took 27 minutes! Yes! However, the batteries weighed 80 pounds. It was bothersome to recharge. Then I got a 20" Dahon and used friction drive w/Subaru engine. Commute time was the same at 27mph tops, which was good. Now I've evolved from that to single 2.2hp(32 mph), twin 2.2hp engines(39 mph), 4.25hp(44 mph) and finally 2.8hp Tanaka 47R engine(43 mph) with shift kit. Commute time is about 25 minutes. However, now I'm riding in traffic instead of crawling on bike paths and sidewalks.
It's a **** of a ride at speeds up to 40 mph now, like a 25-minute amusement ride to and from work!
I have raced mtb's and worked in bike shops for over 10 years, I have owned many motorcycles, then i said im going to start a company. the rest is history
For me, it all started when I was about thirteen or fourteen. I saved up some money and bought my first minibike kit and put it all together with a 5hp Briggs and then I was hooked with motorized stuff. A little bit after that, my fathers friend introduced me to msrfan. He showed me all of his motorized bikes he built and restored and ever since then I alway wanted to build my own. About a year ago I stopped at msrfan's house and got some tips and stuff to get started and was off to the swapmeet and eBay to build my bike. I recently got the bike rideable, it's now an obsession!
About 3 years ago, my brother which is 4 years older than me started talking about motorized bicycles. And I'd watch vids on youtube as much as possible. I've been riding the trolley to work. Well my trolley tends to be the late one everyday. Sometimes he doesn't show up till half an hour late and then he has to sit there till the next hr. So I got tired of that decided to order a engine kit. I have 2 26" Shimano Mtn. bikes. So far 1 has an engine kit mounted and running great on one. The better of the two bikes. Even though my kit decided to fight me some of the way. The engine works great. I've been addicted ever since. My grandma keeps saying: it aint gonna work, your wasting your money, Why do u even continue to fool with it, blah blah blah.
I just got started with them a few months ago.
I kept having problems with my Gold Wing. (I've never had all that great of success with Honda bikes. They have caused me more problems and expense than any other bike that I've ever owned. So much for legendary Honda reliability! My old BSA gave me less problems than the other 4 Honda's that I've owned! The only good one that I ever had was a '72 Trail 70 that my grandparents bought when I was 12, and I ended up giving it to my nephew when I was in my 30's. As far as I know, it's still running.)
Even when it was running, it was so big that it was a hassle taking on little trips to the store, etc. So I wanted to find a little Enduro or some little cheap street bike for running around with. Unfortunately, I think everyone in this area got new crack pipes this year, and were pricing their motorcycles at 3 or 4 times what they're worth.
So, when I was helping my son look for a bicycle, I came across an ad on CL for a bicycle engine kit. (I didn't know there was a kit.) He wanted $250 for his CG kit, so I looked on ebay and found one for $129 and bought it.
The rest is history... (or lunacy!)
I kept having problems with my Gold Wing. (I've never had all that great of success with Honda bikes. They have caused me more problems and expense than any other bike that I've ever owned. So much for legendary Honda reliability! My old BSA gave me less problems than the other 4 Honda's that I've owned! The only good one that I ever had was a '72 Trail 70 that my grandparents bought when I was 12, and I ended up giving it to my nephew when I was in my 30's. As far as I know, it's still running.)
Even when it was running, it was so big that it was a hassle taking on little trips to the store, etc. So I wanted to find a little Enduro or some little cheap street bike for running around with. Unfortunately, I think everyone in this area got new crack pipes this year, and were pricing their motorcycles at 3 or 4 times what they're worth.
So, when I was helping my son look for a bicycle, I came across an ad on CL for a bicycle engine kit. (I didn't know there was a kit.) He wanted $250 for his CG kit, so I looked on ebay and found one for $129 and bought it.
The rest is history... (or lunacy!)
Every once in a while when I lived in London (Ontario) I used to see a motorized bike, and there was at least one motorized skateboard as well (I saw that one several times over the years with different riders/owners) but was never able to talk to the riders about them. Usually we were going opposite directions etc. When I was younger I rode my bike everywhere, any time of year. Killed a few, built a few FrankenBikes out of the parts, rode them until the road salt and seasons caused them to come apart too.
My wife and I moved out to Vancouver a little over four years ago, and have seen a few MABs around. There are a lot of shops around the lower mainland that sell e-bikes and convertion kits, but they never appealed to me. The electric front wheel kits looked okay, but on closer inspection seemed a little flimsy for my bike. I like to (ab)use the beast a little on off-road trails as it was built for sometimes and the replacement rim just didn't inspire confidence, so I never went that route.
I'm lucky in one way; since I moved here my place of work has actually moved closer to my house, I can almost see it across the river from my porch. When that happened I started biking to work again. I used the bus a lot too (still do when I have to) but it only loops around the area I work in for a couple of hours at each end of the workday. Stay for O/T, walk home. A guy I was working with told me about 6 months ago about a friend who'd motorized, so I bugged him until he texted his friend to find out where he got the motor. That's when I found out about ZoomBicycles, and that they were close enough for me to pick up instead of paying shipping. I have a car now, but I survived pretty well without one for our first two and a half years here. The car only goes out when we need the carrying space for groceries etc, or when the MAB is being a b*tch in the morning and it's too late for me to get to a bus that would get me there on time. Of course, the car burns more gas in one day than the bike does in a week, and I get to be stuck for 40 minutes in traffic at the end of the day, instead of home in 15 minutes (or usually less) on the bike.
So, I bought the kit, spent a little time last summer putting it on my bike. That lead to meeting some of the neighbours, both are vintage Mustang owners, one a (semi) retired master mechanic who happens to have his own mini-shop in his garage. Acety torch, MIG welder, and many more interesting items, plus a lot of experience. After watching me work on it and test ride it he went out and got a kit for his wife's bike. She was a bit too nervous about it I think, so I paid him for the kit and set it up on a used bike my wife bought.
Since then I've picked up a stack of five kits, though one has been sacrificed as a parts motor, and have a couple of other bikes in the garage waiting for me to have time to work on them. I've been collecting parts and things they'll need as I go, now it's just a matter of having enough hours together at once to do something useful.
My wife and I moved out to Vancouver a little over four years ago, and have seen a few MABs around. There are a lot of shops around the lower mainland that sell e-bikes and convertion kits, but they never appealed to me. The electric front wheel kits looked okay, but on closer inspection seemed a little flimsy for my bike. I like to (ab)use the beast a little on off-road trails as it was built for sometimes and the replacement rim just didn't inspire confidence, so I never went that route.
I'm lucky in one way; since I moved here my place of work has actually moved closer to my house, I can almost see it across the river from my porch. When that happened I started biking to work again. I used the bus a lot too (still do when I have to) but it only loops around the area I work in for a couple of hours at each end of the workday. Stay for O/T, walk home. A guy I was working with told me about 6 months ago about a friend who'd motorized, so I bugged him until he texted his friend to find out where he got the motor. That's when I found out about ZoomBicycles, and that they were close enough for me to pick up instead of paying shipping. I have a car now, but I survived pretty well without one for our first two and a half years here. The car only goes out when we need the carrying space for groceries etc, or when the MAB is being a b*tch in the morning and it's too late for me to get to a bus that would get me there on time. Of course, the car burns more gas in one day than the bike does in a week, and I get to be stuck for 40 minutes in traffic at the end of the day, instead of home in 15 minutes (or usually less) on the bike.
So, I bought the kit, spent a little time last summer putting it on my bike. That lead to meeting some of the neighbours, both are vintage Mustang owners, one a (semi) retired master mechanic who happens to have his own mini-shop in his garage. Acety torch, MIG welder, and many more interesting items, plus a lot of experience. After watching me work on it and test ride it he went out and got a kit for his wife's bike. She was a bit too nervous about it I think, so I paid him for the kit and set it up on a used bike my wife bought.
Since then I've picked up a stack of five kits, though one has been sacrificed as a parts motor, and have a couple of other bikes in the garage waiting for me to have time to work on them. I've been collecting parts and things they'll need as I go, now it's just a matter of having enough hours together at once to do something useful.
"Look Grandma, I got it working!!! Are you proud of me now?"
Good job, man. I'M GLAD you got it going. If not, you'd never hear the end of it from the naysayers.
In my entire 65 years of life, outa all my toys, bikes, cars, etc., my motorized bikes have given me the most satisfaction.
Why? Because it gets me to where I wanna go on a regular basis. I built it and made my own improvements. It keeps up with city traffic. If it cost $100/gallon(not $3.89), I'd STILL ride my MB.
And then there's "that look".
Why? Because it gets me to where I wanna go on a regular basis. I built it and made my own improvements. It keeps up with city traffic. If it cost $100/gallon(not $3.89), I'd STILL ride my MB.
And then there's "that look".
well, back when i was 13 years old (a long time ago lol) one of my friends had a little friction drive gas engine on his 20 inch bike and we road the .... out of it and it was fun! back then i was into motorcycles my self and never gave a motorized bike any thought. i have been riding the local trails here where i live on my mountain bikes for some 10 years now even though there are no mountains where i live lol but to me a motorized bike was not in the big picture of things so to speak.
fast forward 32 years later (present time) i kid you not one morning i woke up and i was looking at my mountain bike and i said to my self, i should build a motorized beach cruiser and the rest is as they say...history.
fast forward 32 years later (present time) i kid you not one morning i woke up and i was looking at my mountain bike and i said to my self, i should build a motorized beach cruiser and the rest is as they say...history.
In January 2011, I told a friend of mine I'd show him a different path in life. That night my 87 Chevy Sprint decided the blizzard we were driving through was to much for it. Went into a ditch full of 4ft. of snow and were "rescued" by the sheriff's dept. I had my license revoked for DUI -- six months no license. The only legal thing I could drive was an electric bicycle. I looked online for them, got a Curries Tech. eZip Trailz and put over 2500 miles on it during the following months, but found it was extremely limited as to where and how far I could travel. Even with the electric trailer I built, I still couldn't get to the nearest town and back without recharging which takes around 4 hours. A gas powered bike was the solution I wanted to try. I sold my 72 Honda 500, and 68 Kawasaki 250 so I could afford my first Cranbrook MB. So far I've been having a blast! It makes me feel like a teenager again. My friend (who's into Harleys) now wants one too.
i know i dont get 150 mpg like they say it would but it dose ok but again i dont live on flat grown eather i like in the smokie mountion going up hill its drop to 9 mph and what flat land she will get up to 29 mph i got a old mountion bike that she was build in 88 i change the frount out with shocks but has any one know of any one or tryed to make or buy a wind shild not looking for any thing fance just want to keep the air off
I took a womans bike fram and hose-clamped a macullogh mini mac 30 into it and welded sprockets on the clutch and the hub. No brakes on the home made one so my old man found my current bike on craigslist and I bouht it. I gave the home made one to a frien in town but he kinda broke the forks on the (unbelieveably) rough rail road tracks.
All in the space of the last two years.
All in the space of the last two years.
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