Looking for input

[GearNut]

I am torn between these two kits.
I have searched this forum and the "other one" and could not find answers to my questions.
I am looking for experience from owners of the GEBE EHO35 Robin/ Subaru belt drive kit or the IF Honda GHX50/ Grubee stage III chain drive kit.
Here's where I stand at the moment.
I love the look and lower center of gravity afforded by the IF Honda.
I love the simplicity and seemingly inherent reliability of the GEBE kit.
I need to know if one is better suited than the other at climbing relatively steep hills. I live in a hilly area and live on the top of a hill.
I am not intrested in going 35 to 40+ MPH. 25 to 30 all day long would be great.
I know that both engines require similar maintenance.
I understand that the Grubee gearbox gets really hot on long trips. How prone to self destruction does that make it?
What is the life expectancy of the Grubee gear drive transmission, given frequent grease maintenance.
What is the life expectancy of the belt and pulleys on the GEBE system, given practically no maintenance required?
I like the fact that I can run a 1 gallon tank with the IF Honda and get 100 miles per trip.
I do not like the teeny, tiny tank on the Robin/ Subaru and the 30 to 35 mile range.
With the exception of bungee cording a regular 1 gallon gas tank somewhere on the bike for a reserve supply, is there an aftermarket tank with reasonable capacity for it?
Thank you in advance for your time.

[bandito]

I dont own and have never ridden a belt drive, from what Ive read though from buku posts its a good idea to get a heavy duty wheel with these setups. The honda has alot of torque at low speed and with it in my opinion a heavy duty wheel with thicker spokes is necessary.

[GearNut]

Thank you!
Yes, I agree with using a heavy duty wheel, on either kit.
If I go with the GEBE kit I will find one with 12 or 10 Ga. spokes.
If I go with the Honda/ Grubee kit I will use either the same wheel as mentioned above and a Manic Mechanic sprocket adapter or Spooky Tooth Cycles - Motorized Bicycles: Gas Powered and Electric Bikes - The HD Wheel.

[Buddy]

Have you looked at the Staton kits? They are VERY solid and offer a lifetime warranty on the gearbox. They also sell a very nice hub/wheel with dual sealed bearings. You get the hub with the kit but you have to lace it onto a rim yourself unless you buy the whole wheel setup. They have Subaru and Honda kits both. The Staton is also a true freewheel setup, it's nice for going down hills.

I have the Subaru and there's no way you're going to pull big hills and still be able to do 30 MPH, not even close.

[GearNut]

I am considering the Staton kits. I have not looked into them enough to know that they come with a job specific hub. Thank you for enlightening me.
The bracketry that holds the engine to the frame on a Staton looks a bit hokey to me though.
Kinda like an erector set gone mad.

I am not looking to go 30 up a hill. 15 would be good. I do not want to burn up the clutch or pre-maturely burn up the engine going up hills though. I wonder how well they will handle such a chore every day.

[Buddy]

I live in a hilly area too. The Subaru will climb moderate to medium hills with a 12 tooth counter sprocket but top speed on level ground with that sprocket is about 22 MPH and it will drop to about 11 MPH on decent hills. Steep hills need some pedal assisting, which is pretty easy with the engine power. If you have steep hills you might even need an 11 tooth sprocket which would drop to 20 MPH or so. The Subaru is a great engine, I don't think you need to worry about longivity. It is a very small engine and has limited power though. My chain saw is 48cc, the Subaru is 33.5cc. The Honda would have considerably more power but is kinda pricey.

I got my kit on ebay, they are a little cheaper and with the Bing cashback, Ebates cashback and ebay bucks I saved over $100 from the website price. Bing cashback was 12% at the time, it's 8% now and ebates is 2%.

The mount may look a little weird bit it's VERY solid and chain adjusting is super easy and fast. It helps if you have a bike with the 2 threaded holes for rack/basket mounting on both sides of the bike.

[ocscully]

The one kit that hasn't been mentioned yet that you might want to give some serious consideration is the New in frame Kit from EZ Motorbike. You don't seem to be scared off buy spending a bit extra if it gets you the climbing ability and reliability you are looking for so this kit seems right up your alley. They seem to have solved most of the problems caused by the various reduction gearboxes out of China, and their drivetrain seems to also provide the most adaptability to alternative drives (belts) without a major increase in overall width of the motor and drive around the pedals. EZ also has a automatic drive in the works. Just to make things even more complicated you might want to also look into the Sick Bike Parts Shifter Kit for the 4-stroke motors. This system is a supplementary drive system that you add to a IF kit that moves the output of the reduction gearbox to the right side of the bike and then drives a freewheeling set of front chainrings and cranks (part of the shifter kit) and then you are able to use the gears on your bike for your final drive ratios. This type of setup may give you the best of both hill climbing and reasonable speed on the flats.

ocscully

[Buddy]

Just keep in mind that shifting after the engine is engaged makes the bike a scooter in most states and requires licensing, insurance and possibly a motorcycle license if you want to stay legal.

[GearNut]

Originally Posted by Buddy

Just keep in mind that shifting after the engine is engaged makes the bike a scooter in most states and requires licensing, insurance and possibly a motorcycle license if you want to stay legal.

You are right about the shifting gears Buddy. In the eyes of California, manual shifting turns an MB into a motorcycle. I all ready have that covered, a Harley. The Sheriffs around my neighborhood do NOT need a reason to mess with me. They are quite happy making them up on thier own.

[GearNut]

Originally Posted by ocscully

The one kit that hasn't been mentioned yet that you might want to give some serious consideration is the New in frame Kit from EZ Motorbike. You don't seem to be scared off buy spending a bit extra if it gets you the climbing ability and reliability you are looking for so this kit seems right up your alley. They seem to have solved most of the problems caused by the various reduction gearboxes out of China, and their drivetrain seems to also provide the most adaptability to alternative drives (belts) without a major increase in overall width of the motor and drive around the pedals. EZ also has a automatic drive in the works. Just to make things even more complicated you might want to also look into the Sick Bike Parts Shifter Kit for the 4-stroke motors. This system is a supplementary drive system that you add to a IF kit that moves the output of the reduction gearbox to the right side of the bike and then drives a freewheeling set of front chainrings and cranks (part of the shifter kit) and then you are able to use the gears on your bike for your final drive ratios. This type of setup may give you the best of both hill climbing and reasonable speed on the flats.

ocscully

Thankyou for your answer, ocscully.
You are right. I am not scared to spend extra if it means superior quality. (My Snap-on dealer loves me!) I just want to spend wisely and get what best suits my requirements the first time around.

I have given serious thought to the EZ kit. From what I have learned by research is they do not lend themselves well to climbing hills. The belt box is 1" to 1 1/2" wider than the Grubee gearbox, and
pedal crank clearance is an issue. One would have to run an extra wide 3 piece spindle and widened pedal arms to clear it. I do not wish to pedal bowlegged.....

I would love to run a shifter kit, but that would be seriously tempting fate with the Sheriffs in my neighborhood. Shifter kits are a no go in California. The Sheriffs would like nothing better that to use me as entertainment. I cannot afford to get my MB impounded by some badge happy rookie.
My neighborhood is a training ground for the greenhorns. *sigh* It has gotten really old to me.....