I recently purchased an ezm kit a few weeks ago from mike simpson of simpson motorbikes in sacramento, ca. i was lucky enough to be really close to him and avoid shipping costs. my previous build was with the 4g grubee 4 stroke kit, so coming into this new American made kit, i had high hopes!
now before i get started, i just would like to say im NOT trying to start a war here, or here to say im totally dissatisfied, this is just how im feeling at the moment as i go through the box o parts. you guys feel free to chirp in with your comments.
so it seems that the "kit" is alot cheaper than that of the grubee 4g, things like the petal crank extender & bearings dont exist. the cast motor mounts are that of a different design (from the 4g) which makes it somewhat difficult to install/remove the motor mount bolts. the brackets that attach to the cast motor mount pieces dont reach all the way around the frame bars...instead it leaves a big gap in between the two, compared to the grubee mounts which mounted flush together. the cast mounts also only had one set of threads drilled for installing the steel mount plate, whereas the grubee kit had 3 sets on one and another set on the other to fit many different frames. also just simple stuff like the machining of the rag joint steel pieces, they were so rigid, that i spent a good 20 minutes grinding off ragged edges.
things that i think were improved over grubee were the sprocket, the 9 mount holes were drilled bigger to accommodate larger hardware. also the kits chain was a #41 chain so that of course was better quality over the thinner and less quality grubee chain.
things that were about the same, the tank, chain tensioner, and throttle handle looked and felt about the same.
now it is without saying that the usa drive train is without a doubt better built over its chinese counterpart, and i dont take lightly the quality of the transmission and all the extra support bearings, and top notch machining, as well as the friendly people that sell these. i know Mike simpson is a good guy, i talked to him for like an hour on the phone the first time. very knowledgeable! and his team of dealers are also very knowledgeable. and i do feel that american quality comes at a price! but i feel with paying $200 more for the ezm kit($600 vs $400), the "kit" could have been better quality in some respects. i havent had the honor of driving the new kit yet, and am looking forward to it. the issues i ran into, i addressed. wasnt a huge deal, and im not disgruntled, or looking for revenge. i guess im just curious if other folks ran into similar problems, or have also done a grubee 4g kit and see what i mean. maybe the kit i got was an old one, im not sure. anyways, i know that was a long read...thanks for listening.
now before i get started, i just would like to say im NOT trying to start a war here, or here to say im totally dissatisfied, this is just how im feeling at the moment as i go through the box o parts. you guys feel free to chirp in with your comments.
so it seems that the "kit" is alot cheaper than that of the grubee 4g, things like the petal crank extender & bearings dont exist. the cast motor mounts are that of a different design (from the 4g) which makes it somewhat difficult to install/remove the motor mount bolts. the brackets that attach to the cast motor mount pieces dont reach all the way around the frame bars...instead it leaves a big gap in between the two, compared to the grubee mounts which mounted flush together. the cast mounts also only had one set of threads drilled for installing the steel mount plate, whereas the grubee kit had 3 sets on one and another set on the other to fit many different frames. also just simple stuff like the machining of the rag joint steel pieces, they were so rigid, that i spent a good 20 minutes grinding off ragged edges.
things that i think were improved over grubee were the sprocket, the 9 mount holes were drilled bigger to accommodate larger hardware. also the kits chain was a #41 chain so that of course was better quality over the thinner and less quality grubee chain.
things that were about the same, the tank, chain tensioner, and throttle handle looked and felt about the same.
now it is without saying that the usa drive train is without a doubt better built over its chinese counterpart, and i dont take lightly the quality of the transmission and all the extra support bearings, and top notch machining, as well as the friendly people that sell these. i know Mike simpson is a good guy, i talked to him for like an hour on the phone the first time. very knowledgeable! and his team of dealers are also very knowledgeable. and i do feel that american quality comes at a price! but i feel with paying $200 more for the ezm kit($600 vs $400), the "kit" could have been better quality in some respects. i havent had the honor of driving the new kit yet, and am looking forward to it. the issues i ran into, i addressed. wasnt a huge deal, and im not disgruntled, or looking for revenge. i guess im just curious if other folks ran into similar problems, or have also done a grubee 4g kit and see what i mean. maybe the kit i got was an old one, im not sure. anyways, i know that was a long read...thanks for listening.
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. I did put an adjustable pulley on the engine shaft($18.) & an AX26 belt, ($8.00). The old belt was too short for the adjustable pulley. With the adjustable pulley I can easily change my gear ratio.