New build- Full suspension mountain bike

GoldenMotor.com

16v4nrbrgr

Active Member
Mar 17, 2012
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North Bay
Those people also work at the bike store, lol!

Every time I go to the bike store they're trying to sell me the newest complicated stuff that I'll eventually break and bring back to them for parts and service. You only really want a rear shock on a mountain bike for when climbing, I stand up going downhill and use the seat as a leg brace for sliding the rear end out in tight turns. Pedaling uphill on a mountain bike, you're gonna want to lock out a rear swingarm because of squat with every pedal pulse causing inefficiency, on a motorized bike this is less of an issue, but a seatpost serves the same purpose, to protect your bottom, at a much lower price. There are expensive ones that use elastomers in a parallelogram, and there are ones that use compressed air or springs in the seat post that are more affordable and probably less prone to breaking anyways.

My local bike stores don't like gas engined bikes, but they are more than enthusiastic about selling me a $3000 electric bike with a 10 mile range! They're all caught up in the green movement propaganda, not noticing that the power density of a typical gas bike is much greater than that of a typical electric bike, and therefore it gets better mileage, and electricity is generated by coal, which is way worse than burning gas and 2stroke oil. But I digress...
 

darkness

New Member
Mar 29, 2012
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Oregon
Good point,
I dont know why anyone thinks electric power is somehow green, or free of carbon emissions. Its a prevalent misconception.

So you dont think a hardtail would be to "hard" on a little two stroke engine?
considering id be using it off road, rocks and bumps and tree roots.
dnut
 

16v4nrbrgr

Active Member
Mar 17, 2012
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Well I dunno, since these HT engines are about as low quality as they get, but the highest stresses are still in the conrod since it has high rpm stress reversals. I think as long as your frame is strong enough so that the clamped-on engine case doesn't become a loaded member then it will probably be okay. Possibly having a machine shop make some Delrin or UHMW bushings for inside the engine mounts might help with shock loading, McMaster Carr might have something you could saw in half that would fit. You really don't want to land hard on your rear tire from high heights anyways, I did that thinking it would be cool to jump down into a dry creek bed and ended up snake-biting my rear tube.

Id say you should treat the bike with respect and only go off jumps if the landing is soft, small bumps will probably be okay. Replacing the hardware on the engine with high grade stuff is always a good idea too.
 
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KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
3,966
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Phoenix,AZ
Nice LTS!
I have the same frame and like you said: The best way is to use a shift kit.
I gave up on my LTS and put it back to a regular bicycle.
Ahh, bummer dude, I really did enjoy the week or so 'break in testing' riding time I had on it.

I have a good front shocks and seat post shock, but I won't speed control humps at 40 MPH like I just 'sidewalked' around today 8 times (4 on the road, and I went up and back on it).

Anyway, ya I could hit the speed humps at that speed and barley feel it, but my hardtail bike does, as does everything mounted to it.

If you want a dirt bike I agree with you Darkness, buy one, I grew up with and had a blast tearing up the desert now covered with houses when I was kid, and NO motorized bicycle is going to hold up.
 

happycheapskate

New Member
Nov 26, 2009
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Rockwall TX
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv7TyakE8qw downhill on a hardtail

Build the hardtail with the motor you have, and just ride it like it was meant to be ridden. Keep your knees bent, and mind your center of gravity, keep your elbows loose and your head up, and you can do it fine. Full suspension is nice, but relying on the seat instead of your legs may cause you to drift or get launched on the rebound.

I have been riding mountain bikes a long time, and have had full suspension and hardtail bikes. The front shock is plenty for some pretty rough cross country riding. The full suspension bikes can help you corner faster, but you can do a lot on a hardtail. Ride the dog out of it! dnut

I have a mountain bike with front suspension, and the motor will fit.
I was just concerned that a hardtail might not handle things too well off road.

And like i said, im not looking to jump it or boulder hop down a mountain,
but some people on here swear that a hardtail wont handle anything more than going down the street, others say the ride isnt that bad if you take one off road.

So Im almost to the point of saying, F it all.
Ill see what works for myself.
 

16v4nrbrgr

Active Member
Mar 17, 2012
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North Bay
I drove my occ with no suspension and road tires on one of the unpaved roads in town and it was awesome! I think you'll have fun as long as you gear it for climbing.
 
Jan 24, 2012
143
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letterkenny, ireland
Thanks,
and thats what i was thinking as well, the only bikes ive seen, the pivot point is down by the pedals and the spring is up and behind the seat kind of.
I wonder, would this type of bike work if you installed a spring loaded tensioner with it?
i have done this as a custom frame made from a few various types of bike, started as a hardtail mountain bike, modified with a cut up full suspension mountian bike, if you look in my albums in my profile you can see it.
 

66mustang289

New Member
Apr 25, 2012
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southington, ct
walmart sells a bike with a full suspension and a full frame "engine compartment" its got shocks in the front and the back has a small shock that mounts behind the seat. looks like a perfect design
 

haste

New Member
Aug 2, 2009
131
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0
af
only thing I hate about decent mtb frames are the vertical dropouts..converting a marin hardtail to Single Speed, then motorizing it...I dont wanna ruin the frame welding up new dropouts...could eye the chain and use halflinks though.
 

young grease monkey

New Member
Sep 20, 2011
362
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Chicago
I haven't built many bikes, but when I get my new engine I am going to drill and tap the rear mount to 8mm, because I have bent and broke many 6mm mount studs doing off road. It's annoying, having to pull off the whole engine to replace a stud. It happens even with high quality hardware. The front has never had that problem because the studs are so short.
 

happycheapskate

New Member
Nov 26, 2009
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Rockwall TX
Can you use a u-clamp engine plate or screw a plate to the seat tube? Then the studs will only be required to go through the plate into the engine.
 

KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
3,966
57
48
Phoenix,AZ
walmart sells a bike with a full suspension and a full frame "engine compartment" its got shocks in the front and the back has a small shock that mounts behind the seat. looks like a perfect design
Design isn't the problem with the bikes Wally World sells, it's the lack of quality craftsmanship and materials that make the majority of Wally bikes garbage as even pedal bikes let alone putting a motor on it and ridding it off-road.

Do yourself a big favor and start with a good quality bike on-line or from a bike shop and NOT from the toy department of Walmart.
 

tooljunkie

Member
Apr 4, 2012
663
5
16
Manitoba,Canada
i am thinking about robbing the rear suspension and building a seat mount that will actually absorb some bumps.my suspension seat post isnt cutting it.
i will be interestin to see what you end up with.
 

happycheapskate

New Member
Nov 26, 2009
1,989
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Rockwall TX
http://youtu.be/1OJW6ayY488?t=1m8s BSOs put in the shredder bc. they were cashed in for scrap.

Wongmarts have gotten a lot better, but most of them leave something to be desired. Either way, they are not "ready to ride" when they leave the store. Check your local dumpster.


Design isn't the problem with the bikes Wally World sells, it's the lack of quality craftsmanship and materials that make the majority of Wally bikes garbage as even pedal bikes let alone putting a motor on it and ridding it off-road.

Do yourself a big favor and start with a good quality bike on-line or from a bike shop and NOT from the toy department of Walmart.
 

Electric_sk8r

New Member
Jul 26, 2011
4
0
0
United States
GT-LST 1998 4-stroke in frame (tight a$$ fit)

Just completed my next build. Mounted a 4 stroke on this Full suspension frame. Getting the fit was quite a labor, but it's snug. Complications are to be expected with most builds, but i had quite a few. The largest issue is dealing with the chain slack you get from compressing the rear suspension. Ended up using a bunch of old chain idlers. Just finished the build. Watch out for those 4GT kits, that bearing fails so easily. I ended up doing the weld solid thing, using the clutch bell as the free wheel. I guess i'll see how long the belt lasts. Need to figure out the crank pedals still. Not sure what parts would work with it. But i'll check in at the bike shop soon. For now i'm ripping in style! If you wanna ride http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=356321111095498&set=vb.100001528363503&type=2&theater Here's some pics:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=356334011094208&set=a.208284169232527.50631.100001528363503&type=3&theater http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=356334171094192&set=a.208284169232527.50631.100001528363503&type=3&theater http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=356334391094170&set=a.208284169232527.50631.100001528363503&type=3&theaterhttp://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=356336251093984&set=a.208284169232527.50631.100001528363503&type=3&theater