What is the best bike to build to sell?

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silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Buzzard,
Good point about the liability disclaimer.
Nolan,
I agree regarding the varying degrees of quality in Chinese products. Much is so poor that you tend to lump it all together as being inferior. My impression of the Schwinn Jaguar I looked at a year ago was that it was a lot of bike for the money and seemed to be much better quality that the Huffys and other cruisers for sale at discount stores. I respect the opinions of builders here like 2door and azbill who both had Jaguars and liked them. I don't think they are on a par with what Schwinn used to be when it was made in Chicago, but I do think that an attempt has been made to keep up some level of quality in recognition of the selling power of the name Schwinn. Whoever bought it no doubt paid dearly for the right to that brand name. At the local transer station (what I still call the dump) I found a Mens Schwinn Cruiser in remarkably good condition... not rusted up and still functional. I put air in the tires and rode it around and it feels like a pretty solid bike even thought there is a sticker saying "Taiwan" on it. The quality of the chrome is still good, spokes are still tight and the wheels true. I'm guessing it comes from the 70's or early 80's. Wide seat is comfortable. I don't know, other than it being pink (faded red?) I kind of like it. Don't know what I'll do with it, but...
it is a whole lot better bike than a newish Huffy I got at a yard sale last summer. So i think you need to get past some bias against everything made in China and take a hard look at things. I remember a time when "Made In Japan" meant junk. Not anymore...
SB
 

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kicking

New Member
Apr 11, 2010
403
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mississippi
I wonder if before you sell the bike you build , you have the buyer sign an typed disclaimer , saying you not responsible for personal injury, economic loss, social distress, other losses, costs and damages. Seller is not responsible for injuries and or damages , would stand up in court ?
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Man wish I could find a bike like that at dump! I wouldnt even care if it was pink....lol
Last summer I found a 24" 55 Huffman at the dump and the absolute best find of all was a 1950 Schwinn Straight bar, the same frame as on the Panther. The Huffman got burned in the back of my truck, but the Panther I have and it has been stripped down, painted black, has Sportscarpat's first Panther tank and in the fall I am hoping to be able to put a four stroke on it. I love shopping at the dump, the real Mall of America.
SB

Chainmaker, When I got back to Minnesota this summer I put a free ad in the local paper asking for a 1950's or earlier balloon tire bike. The results have been interesting. I got a call from one old lady who had a JC Higgins in ridable condition for free. Oh boy... couldn't wait to see the treasure and when I did it was a 24 inch girls bike, middleweight from the sixties. Oh. So, I removed the peddle crank and arms which I think I can use on my current Worksman build and a couple other things that looked remotely usable, gave the front basket to my sister in law and took the carcass to the dump.
Another free one came up a week ago. It was a girls's bike, too, but full size, balloon tires and a Monark... also free. Woohoo, a Monark. I had visions of something like Fasteddys fabulous Monark Silver King... gonna be lots of good part on that one for sure and it turned out to be a plain jane middleweight I don't know what I'm going to do with. Today I spent $20.00 for a 1951 26" Schwinn girls bike in pretty good condition... skiptooth crank and chain, nice feather chainguard, Messinger springer seat that will be nice once reupholstered. New tubes and tires. I figured the tubes and tires were worth $20.00. Didn't spend much time looking at it, rolled it out of the darkish garage interior and loaded it onto the bike rack on the back of the Cherokee feeling pretty good about the purchase. When I got home I kept staring at the fenders and tires... something just didn't look right. The wheels were original painted rims in nice condition, no broken spokes and then it dawned on me that they had put middleweight tires on the balloon tire rims. Shoot. I'll remove the chain and sprocket and sell them on ebay and should recoup my $20.00, put the bike under cover and wait for another panther frame to show up... fork, fenders, seat, chainguard and headset will finish off the Panther frame into a complete bike. Nest week I'm supposed to go see a guy's sheds which he says are full of old bikes, one shed just has rims. Should be interesting, but I won't hold my breath. If I don't really expect to find anything wonderful, then I won't be disappointed and you never know what might turn up. I'm glad I place that ad.
SB
 

taddthewadd

New Member
Mar 1, 2009
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Visalia, California
There is another thread on here with a really good disclaimer form that I have already found. The way I look at it is I will have them sign it and have faith there is still good in the world. Maybe some might think I am a fool but at the same time I don't want to live like I am afraid to leave my front porch everyday.

I am going to the dump today and my neighbor works there and said he would look for bikes and set them aside for me. Hope I come home with something. I guess its like fishing.
 

taddthewadd

New Member
Mar 1, 2009
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Visalia, California
Ok guys, I found a bike. I have been checking craigslist everyday looking for a good used candidate. I found a great bike! I have decided to only buy used bikes for these build to sell projects.

I found an 80's Specialized Hardrock mountain bike. It is a steel Chromoly frame. That is nice because the frame tubes are all small so little to no modifications needed to mount the engine. It has front and rear brakes that work really well. It has thinner road tread tires which will be smoother on the road and no chain rub. It is in really good condition, oh and it has a rear over the tire rack on it which is good for extra fuel or tools or whatever. I only paid 50 bucks for it!

So in my opinion the best bike to build and sell is a good used one. So now I will keep my eyes open at all times.
 

AslansMonkey

Member
Oct 2, 2008
194
1
16
Well, you can't beat a good used bike I suppose.

My personal criterea when building a bike for sale would be one with good wheels and good brakes, which is why I like the Grubee GT1's and GT2's (not sure what the deal is at usbikes, btw). I own a GT2 and while some components seem to be "walmart" standard for quality, like the crank and head tube bearings, the wheels are very sturdy and much better quality than most "cheep" bikes you can purchase today. Currently my GT2 is stripped down receiving a new "Bomber" themed paint job. If I had to do it again I think I'd go for the GT2, though. The built in tank on the GT2 is nice, but I actually prefer the teardrop tanks that come with the kits.

If I couldn't build a bike to resell using a Grubee bike, I'd have to go with a "bike shop" quality bike just to be sure I had a good safe foundation bike. The Specialized Hardrock certainly qualifies and Craig's list is probably where I'd go to find one.

To be honest, I'm a little nervous about building bikes for others because if the liability issues. I have three for myself and one I built for my son. Soon I will probably be building another for a brother and one for a friend but I'm not sure I could do many beyond that.
 

taddthewadd

New Member
Mar 1, 2009
337
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Visalia, California
MotorizedEtc, I consider myself a pretty good bicycle mechanic and plan on going through it for sure.

Alans and Fairracing, I like the idea of the GT2 (especially the built in tank) Is USAbikemotors and Freedom bikes the only place I can get one? Usa's site won't let me see it when I click on it and Freedom bicycles doesn't list it for sale or have a price. I sent an email to Freedom asking about it.
 

meowy84

Member
Jul 18, 2009
239
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Canada
I'm not a lawyer but recently spoke to one who told me disclaimers don't always stand up in court. For example if it can be shown that the seller has knowledge or has reason to believe that the product he/she is selling is in some way defective then the disclaimer may not stand up in court.

For example, if the hot dogs you're peddling out of your hot dog stand make people sick and you know the reason for this is that they came on a ship next to a shipment of radioactive waste a disclaimer won't work.

You might skirt this if you mention in your disclaimer that the bike is not a toy and because of its nature a fair amount of checks are required (i.e. tightness of all major bolts, wheel, tire and brake maintenance and adjustment, etc.) and that the end user must possess a certain amount of mechanical aptitude to operate it safely and agrees to regularly perform these adjustments and to operate the MB in a safe manner in accordance with all rules of traffic.
 
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meowy84

Member
Jul 18, 2009
239
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Canada
One more thing. I'm not sure if a MB accident would fall into this category but for instance there exist what are called in legal speak "attractive nuisances". As an example lets say you have an open pool in your back yard. Pools because of their nature tend to attract kids and such. Even if you have big signs saying KEEP OUT and disclaimer signs like SWIM AT OWN RISK and so on if a kid drowns in your pool those disclaimers won't save you and you are still liable and negligent because you didn't take reasonable steps such as covering the pool or draining the water to prevent a foreseeable accident.

And one last piece of advice. I would only sell your MB's to those over 16 and/or with a driver's license.
 
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River

New Member
Jul 9, 2010
16
0
0
Gainesville, FL
The Scwhinns at walmart in the $100-$200 range are pretty nice. Most of them don't have front breaks though. Huffy also makes a really nice cruiser for $120, they look cool, they've got that rolls royce thing going, white wall tires, all that good stuff. They rode pretty good as well. You can get kits in bulk for around $100 a piece, so $220 plus your time, and it could easily be sold for $400. I plan on doing this eventually. As for safety, I'll add a front brake.
 
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kicking

New Member
Apr 11, 2010
403
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mississippi
I'm not a lawyer but recently spoke to one who told me disclaimers don't always stand up in court. For example if it can be shown that the seller has knowledge or has reason to believe that the product he/she is selling is in some way defective then the disclaimer may not stand up in court.

For example, if the hot dogs you're peddling out of your hot dog stand make people sick and you know the reason for this is that they came on a ship next to a shipment of radioactive waste a disclaimer won't work.

You might skirt this if you mention in your disclaimer that the bike is not a toy and because of its nature a fair amount of checks are required (i.e. tightness of all major bolts, wheel, tire and brake maintenance and adjustment, etc.) and that the end user must possess a certain amount of mechanical aptitude to operate it safely and agrees to regularly perform these adjustments and to operate the MB in a safe manner in accordance with all rules of traffic.
I have been thinking very seriously about making some papers to be signed . The number one reason for papers to be signed , in my mind is if the intentions of buying the motorized bike was for someone under the age of eighteen years of age . And there is no way in the world I would ever sell the motorized bike to any one under the age of eighteen ; without papers signed by their parents ! P.S. lawyers are not cheap , and if they make the papers up , you would have to raise the price for the bike verry high !
 
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