Hello from Utah!

[cachehiker]

Anybody else out there enjoy being the non-conformist in an oppressive, authoritarian society like we have here behind the "Zion Curtain"?

I've been building my own bikes from the ground up, including wheels, for around 5 years now and I've lately been in a funk unable to decide what to take on for the next project. After finally googling disc brake mount sprockets and finding one at King's Sales and Service, the funk is over. I'm going to motorize my oldest mountain bike affectionately known as old Gertrude.

I hope a few of you will let me pick your brains a bit for the next six months.

Anyhow the basics are:
1999 GT Backwoods frame (small triple triangle)
WTB dual duty rims laced to 6-bolt disc brake hubs
Mechanical disc front, V-brake rear, sprocket bolted to rear disc mount.
Old Mountain Man rear rack with a trunk bag and grocery panniers.
Trying to keep 1x8 gearing on the right side of the hub, probably a 34t chainring driving an 11-30 cassette.

It looks a lot like this Zaskar (her name is Sophie) with shifter cables under the downtube and brake cable under the top tube.


Number one is finding a high quality, professional looking kit that will fit in the front triangle of this frame. I've already given up on keeping the front derailleur. I'd prefer 4-stroke with a fuel tank mounted on the top tube. 50cc would be nice but smaller would do. The bike is anything but a tank and although it's been ridden hard and put away wet, it still compares nicely to a lot of $700 hardtails at less than 27 lbs. I'll post more specs and get some pics of it together at a later date.

Any advice for where the noob should start his search?

[NunyaBidness]

hey there cachehiker
welcome aboard
you've come to the right place to start your search
there is a wealth of info here and a lot of helpful folks too
I'm sure looking forward to seeing your build

[protow]

Yes!!!! Welcome to your 1 stop help center....

[Ilikeabikea]

Welcome to the forum. Lots of motorized bicycle enthusiasts here. Glad you joined us.......................

[Dave31]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined us

I'm not sure you'll be able to mount a center frame kit in thier....look's a bit tight. The two-stroke is smaller then a four strike, I don't think the 2-stroke will fit. Your best bet would be a rear or rack mount kit.

Here is a link to help measure your frame to see if a kit would fit...

http://motorbicycling.com/f3/what-ki...mmend-510.html

[cachehiker]

I found this on Spooky Tooth and I'll measure the bike up over the weekend. I noticed in the thread you linked to as well.



I know it's going to be close on their 11" measurement. Between the bottom bracket and top tube it's about 13" but the bottom of the triple triangle is lower. I don't know how much. However, most of the motors I see mounted have the cylinders tilted a little forward which might get me a little more room. Am I wrong?

I figure I'll probably have to come up with a drawing complete with all the dimensions and run it by the vendor before ordering.

[Dave31]

No you are not wrong...some tilt the motor alot to get them to fit...you want to keep the carb as level as possible but thier are way's to get around that. Some tilt in the carb is not bad but there is a point where it is too much but I don't know what that limit is.

Good Luck I hope it will fit That will be one sweet looking ride, that is a nice bike

[cachehiker]

Yeah. The bike I'll actually be putting the motor on is purple instead of red with a coil sprung 85mm fork. It's quite a bit stouter and the geometry is a full degree and a half slacker for excellent stability at speed. It's almost strong enough for Dirt Jumping in spite of coming in at around 27 lbs.



I'm sure that with some Schwalbe Big Apples on there carrying my whopping 145 lb. frame it will get up and go pretty well with 50cc. It used to be an absolute downhill demon on the fire roads until the cost of quality full suspension came down.