Need help with some direction.

[IVIaxPow3r]

Hello,

I am new here and new to motorized bikes in general. But after looking around - it looks like a motorized bike would work really well to help me get some problems solved

My main problem is that my car keeps having trouble - and I cannot afford to rely on it at the moment (cash is tight).

So I am looking to get/make a motorized bike that will fit my situation. I'll let you know what my situation is - and hopefully this wonderful community can tell me what direction I should head to fix my problem.

I am looking to spend no more that $300 (a little over is okay if necessary). I need something that is reliable/sturdy enough to either rarely need repaires or have the repaires minimal and inexpensive. I don't care too much about how fast it goes - I manly am just looking to have an easy ride that doesn't involve too much of my own leg power. I am a larger fella (around 300 lbs) and I know that likely makes a difference on speed - but I am wondering if it makes a difference on how much power I need either way. I would prefer to not have to get a motorcycle license (read: 49cc) - but I don't know if my weight would require me to get something with more power. The area I live in is slightly "hilly" so I need it to at lest be able to make it up hills without dying or causing the engine any problems. The drive to work is 3.3 miles one way (so it's not vary far) and I drive there at least 5 days a week. I am also looking to possibly get a trailer for the bike so I can do some grocery shopping for my wife when necessary as well.

I would like suggestions on bikes and engines and where to get them from. Thanks in advance for any help. Feel free to ask me any questions if I have left something out.

-Max

[Tad Bit Tipsy]

Try a "pawn shop special" bike, or craigslist. Stick to mostly beach cruiser(maybe road bike) styles. And then get a motor from one of our vendors on either side. A 49cc will do fine, just save up for a bigger sprocket/adapter later on if you feel you need more torque. When looking for a bike just think of things like, is their enough room for an engine and tank, does it have decent brakes, etc. There is a engine template on zoombicycles that you can print out and take with you, to see if the engine fits. Also make sure that the rear is wide enough to fit in a chain on the left, at least 4in+. Good luck. Post picts of any bike you scope out and we'll give you the thumbs up. L8R.

[dag_29307]

Let me start by saying Welcome to the forum. Next you will get plenty of advice from the members of this forum. In my opinion I would suggest you stay with the 80cc. motor as that is what I have I also weigh in at around 300 lbs. and it moves me down the road just fine. Now as far as the bike I used a Huffy Mountain bike from Wal-Mart due to my needs and my budget Both were the same as yours as well. I found the only change I really felt I had to make was the seat, handlebars, and Tires. the knobby tires really give a rough ride. The handlebars keep me from feeling I am leaning/hunched over and the seat is self explanatory. I spent a couple hours looking over the different posts here and found some very useful information. The thing I learned that was the most affective "Locktite" use it! Really it makes a huge difference. You will get plenty more advice from the folks that helped me, listen to them they know what they are talking about. OH by the way these are addicting...It starts out as a need and before you know it your wanting to build another one just better than the last one with better paint,wheels,exhaust,custom tank and so on. Good luck.

Once again welcome to the forum.

[IVIaxPow3r]

With the 80 cc engine - do you have to have a motorcycle's license? Or is there an easy way for a cop to tell? I am kind of curious.

[dag_29307]

the 80cc. is not a true 80cc. it is more of a 66cc. engine. the folks here can explain this better than Me but I putt around at about 35 mph. with my bike and I have only had problems for riding at night with no lights. Have not had any problems about engine size yet. and I even told LEO about the size of my engine and no problems. No, no lic. req. here.

[AaronF]

Originally Posted by IVIaxPow3r

With the 80 cc engine - do you have to have a motorcycle's license? Or is there an easy way for a cop to tell? I am kind of curious.

Welcome to the forum! There is no way of a cop to tell just by looking,as 49cc are very comparable in size to the 66cc motors.The only way they could really find out is if you were to go through court and had a dynamo test ran on the bike.

[taddthewadd]

As far as your reliability question, these motorized bicycles can be transportation but I would consider them first a hobby. They can be pretty reliable but they do need tinkering here and there. If you don't like to work on things it may not be for you. But if you like to tinker then you will love it. It is such a blast riding these things and yes you will probably get addicted to them. There are guys on this forum that have ridden thousands of miles with no problems and others that aren't so lucky. They say that the quality of these engines vary and there is not a great way to tell what you are getting until you get it. Your best bet would be to get something from one of the vendors on this site. By the way if you do have a problem with your engine you won't be left in the dark, you will have everyone on this forum eager to help you. Also there are parts you can buy to increase reliability. Look through all of the vendors on the left and right of this forum and you will see them. You might not be able to afford them now but as you go along you can get them. Some that I would recomend is a better spark plug and plug wire, engine hardware kit, o-ring for carb, etc. Last thing, if you use it to go to work make sure you leave early enough that if you have a problem you can still make it on time, remember the bike will still be able to go by peddling if you are in a bind.

[Bikeguy Joe]

For reliability, these kits can be fine one set up properly, but I would recommend something like a Titan or other rack mount set up for ease of set up and maintenance.

Figure 20-25 mph cruise speed, though some claim a lot more....take that with a grain of salt.

If you go with an in frame type, the cops aren't going to be able to tell what size it is, even with a "dyno". The only way to tell what size an engine is, is to take the head off and measure....a 3 minute job that they can do if they really wanted to. No dyno is involved.

[BarelyAWake]

A few additional things to consider are while a bike can be had at Walmart for under $100 new - the rims are treacherous. While the rest of the bike may be fine (get front brakes if it's only got a coaster) the wheels aren't really up to this sort of thing and will probably need replacing - I'd hunt up a good used bike if money is an issue.

I would also suggest picking out and purchasing an engine kit first, that way you'll be sure to get a bike it fits well on - most problems encountered during installation are a result of the kit... almost fitting and needing some fabrication/modification.

As for which engine, well that's up to you and your budget - the rack mounts the easiest, the in-frame somewhat cheaper and a better ride. Remember - size isn't everything if you've no need for speed - sprockets can be changed for more hauling power.

No matter what you choose - pick a reputable vendor as you may need their patience, customer service & parts. Saving $20 from some random ebay seller may well end up costing more than you think

[rkorson4209]

[QUOTE=BarelyAWake;163229]A few additional things to consider are while a bike can be had at Walmart for under $100 new - the rims are treacherous.


What exactly do you mean that the wheels aren't up to it? And need replacing? What happens to them, and is it after hundreds of miles. What are the best type of wheels to replace with, on a decent budget?