Longevity

Salty,
You and others like you with mechanical experience will always fair better than those with limited mechanical skills. You know what to look for, what to maintain and can anticipate potential trouble before it becomes a problem. Consider yourself fortunate and enjoy the ride. I have compassion for those with little or no mechanical aptitude who want so bad to have a dependable bike but because of their limited skills struggle with even the most minor situations. That's why we like people like yourself; to speak up and offer to share the knowledge that comes so easily to you, to those who need it the most. Congratulations on your 1000. Keep racking them up.
Tom

To some degree you'll probably see exactly what Bairdco is talking about in almost any hobby and especially those requiring some mechanical aptitude to be successful in. Bike Guy Joe, me and several others here fly or have flown radio control planes. I can't tell you how many times we have seen a newcomer to the hobby arrive at the flying field with an ARF (almost ready to fly) plane and it would become apparent almost immediately that he was in no way prepared to launch that plane into the air. With no prior flight skills or experience many of these guys expected to hook up the battery, start the engine and fly away performing aerobatics and otherwise thrilling the crowd with his aeronautical prowess. It just ain't that easy and neither is throwing a bicycle engine kit on that old 10 speed you had hanging in the garage and successfully riding it to work every day with the dependability that one comes to expect from their properly maintained automobile. As I said in an earlier post, I can appreciate that there are some without skills that see a motorized bicycle and immediately imagine themselves cruising down the road without a care in the world, thrilling the crowds and thumbing their noses at the gas stations. It just ain't that easy... Our bikes look simple and the layman will look at them and ask himself, "It's just a bicycle; How hard could it be to build one?"
The answer: It's not hard, nor does it take a rocket scientist to keep one running; but it does require some mechanical skill to install the kit correctly, to be able to visualize what happens when cable 'A' pulls on lever 'B' and to know how and to make adjustments based on how far lever 'b' moves or doesn't move. McGuiver skills help, in fact they are often valuable tools especially when spare parts are days or weeks away. I would bet that all of our successful members have fabricated their fair share of brackets, holders and various doo-dads to keep a machine running. But fabrication skills go hand in hand with mechanical ability. You have to know what the part does before you can make a subsitute. In short, our hobby is not for everyone, few hobbies/sports/past times are. That being said, I still find it a source of satisfaction to be able to sit here and 'talk' a guy through a problem. Even experienced mechanics find there is a learning curve with these bikes and who of us at one time or another has not said to himself, "So...that's how you get that thing to work right." I have and freely admit it. The difference between me and the guy who didn't know he had to open the choke to keep the engine running is that I know what a closed off air intake will do to an internal combustion engine. (I always ride with my choke open)...
Tom

Elmo,
My guess is that your engine will last as long as you care to tinker with it. If you have the knowledge and skill to "piece together" an engine from four junkers then you have what it takes to keep it running. A little care, some maintenance and mechanical common sense and you'll be riding a very long time. Have fun, ride careful.
Tom