What is it about dyi bikes

deacon · #1 08-14-2008, 06:26 AM

If I'm going for a ride around the hood, I would rather ride one of my home brew bikes. I am very close to being confident enough with the mtb25 to ride it for my errands. I need a few more days of no problems to be ready for that.

The chainsaw has yet to prove itself but I have hopes for it.

So where does that leave the kit bike. To be honest I am not all that thrilled with it. It has a lot of me in it and it is dead dependable as far as I am concerned.

My only rule with cars was "You can leave me stranded on the road once, but the second time, you will be towed to someone else's yard not mine."

All my bikes have left me pedaling home on occasion. Sometimes it is being out of gas, sometimes with the chain or drive wheel in my hand. My neighbors says I ride them out and push them home. There is some truth to that as well.

The china bike is pretty much setup now and doesn't do that any more, but it is also boring me now. I guess there is a mystery about getting home or not that appeals to me on some level. I mean if it was just about transportation, I would ride the china bike and spend my money of fast women and slow horses instead of motors and trash bikes.

deacon · #2 08-15-2008, 10:08 AM

Okay which is lower on the totem...

electric bikers or diy bikers??? Should we run a poll.

Electric bikes are so simple that the skill level makes them "different"

By their nature DIY guys buy less fancy parts and kinda "Make it Work" so many fewer bells and whistles that can be sold to us.

Wonder how I could word a poll so it wouldn't sound defensive lol....

Going to dye my hair so I can be the redheaded step child of motor biking.

In case you missed it this is all in fun not a complaint. I'm like John McCain I like being on the bottom. Making do with less of everything.

5-7HEAVEN · #3 08-16-2008, 09:52 PM

Like you, deacon, I love the challenge. I've also walked home with chain in hand and flat tires(twice each). Although mines aren't DIY, it might as well be, because no repair shops will touch my engines. When I DO take my bikes in to the bike shop, I have to remove the motors.

If I had the space, I'd love to DIY my bikes.

deacon · #4 08-17-2008, 06:11 AM

I am working on one now just to illustrate how to build a cheap bike. I had no idea how much the hardware to mount it was costing me. I bought most all of it at one time yesterday so that I would know what to estimate. It would be just over fifty dollars to make the mount from easy to use and find hardware store Items. I was shocked to see how much I was spending.

Nonetheless it is an easy, cheap way to go for a motorized bike. If you buy a good working week whacker off craig's list, you might have half the price of a china bike kit, in your diy kit.. It sure isn't any harder to build or to maintain than the china engine, if you use my design.

comfortableshoes · #5 08-17-2008, 07:50 PM

Weed wackers are very low maintenance, made for the everyday joe with little engine understanding to use. The newer models are even more low maint.

All I've read about the chengines is that they aren't low maint, except for a few people who have great luck with them.

So a weedwacker should make a great low maintenance ride.

deacon · #6 08-18-2008, 05:43 AM

that is my thinking.
1. they either work or not...
2. if you don't want to do the small maintenance but want to keep your engine ...lawn mower shop..
3. Craig's list if you really don't want to fool with it.
4. I have blown mine up,,,, hopeless for repair... or they are still running. It's the hardware and controls that need constant attention. After I finish my how to booklet, I am turning my attention to those. Actually I am thinging I really don't need hinges on both sides one side would keep the engine from walking. I need to make a quick adjustment on my mtb to try it out.

The throttle and gravity clutch rigs are next on my agenda. Of course I work on them as I go along. One major improvement was the lock up engine feature I added. I can tie my engine up with a simple cable run through the handle bars and hooked over an S hook held in place by a hose clamp. It allows me to start it, putter with it, and then ride it without the engine at all if I really want.

With my design I can rope start it or drag start it. The rope start option is good if I need to start it on a hill, it is also good for starting it to warm up in the morning, then if I am out riding and choke it off, the drag start works just fine.

deacon · #7 08-18-2008, 08:24 AM

I find it interesting that since I began building these really simple DIY bikes my china bike gets ridden less and less. I haven't really needed to run many errands on it. I have used the weed eater just for my fun rides. I think I am going to ride it somewhere with a destination today. Just to check out the reliability of it.

If my new gas tanks (plastic canteens) arrive today I will work on the chainsaw bike as well.

deacon · #8 09-06-2008, 06:20 AM

Did anybody notice how quickly this little section of the forum has grown.

**Dan** · #9 09-06-2008, 07:16 AM

When some one asks why I spend so much time and $ on what looks like a toy to them, I reply; Remember the first time you put a baseball card in your spokes and rode like the wind? It's that feeling all over.

Yesterday I was POed at my china girl. went out to measure some thing and literally thought how much I loved her. Now home brew!!! That does that and it is yours. truly all yours. From conception, construction and completion!! Not some kit like a child's complex model. You have created a one of a kind work of functional art.

The japanese have a phrase. "Shin-dow-goo" (sp fontanel) that literally means "demented machine" but means a contraption designed to make life easier, but creates it's own host of problems. Just like a child, you love them more then you thought you could yet they make you nutz some times. There is just an ever present warm fuzzy feeling or rip your hair out screaming feeling with the DIY. I love my china girl, but it is though I am more an uncle. The real DIYs, I am dad

comfortableshoes · #10 09-06-2008, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deacon

Did anybody notice how quickly this little section of the forum has grown.

Yeah I had. When you google friction drive a lot of the post on here come up. I htink a lot more people are interested in them as time goes on.

Gas prices etc..

Not to mention how fun it is to build something you have built start to finish- that's an awesome feeling. And it's not too hard.