Bicycle review

[Dan]

I am always trolling around the net looking for bikes. For the most part it is easy to find reviews of store bought as bikes, but not so much as Motorized bicycles. So I am starting this thread in hopes others will share their knowledge and experience with the many options available to us. Or, ask if some one has the bike you are looking at buying.


Point Beach from walmart
Owned for 1+ years. 1,300 miles. (had 3 engines on her) Revolutions 80cc*, BGF80cc* and now a Honda GX50cc/Grubee. One died, one is now going on a Moon Dog and the other is just to Cool!

Pros

I really like the way it looks. Is that classic sweeping cruiser frame that makes me think; "mmmm" The candy apple metallic red and white paint job is superb. It also has a very comfortable, well cushioned and stylish seat. The rack comes in very handy! I bungy an old wooden Coke case that really accents the look I was going for Over all. 1950s classic American beauty. The things that make it a bad bike is what makes it a good MB. Mostly the perversely long handlebars. (More on this in cons) The gearing is amazingly smooth. I have test-drove a Felt (only one) that did not shift as well. I have nothing bad to say about the point Beach. Except the following.

Cons

As is common knowledge, Those really cool and great looking fenders have bubble gum "L" brackets. I had one fail in less then 6 weeks. With out a doubt the brackets have to be shored up, made stronger or the fenders need to be removed. It is not "if" they well fail, it is "how soon".

The frame as is, leaves the rider sitting close to over the peddles but the very long handle bars sit you up st8, leaving the rider in an awkward position. Not terrible but annoying. Gives one the posture of some one doing the chicken dance. Also the handle bars are just a tad bit not wide enough. 2Door (Thanks again Tom!) is kindly making me a bent seat post and I believe this will solve all of that.(I will update when it arrives)

Brakes are kind of cheesy but think most of the problems I had was due to lack of experience and maintenance.

Other then that, for an economy priced bike, nothing major.

Bottom Line

I love this bike. I would and definitely will buy it again. I would gladly recommend it to friends. (do, and am now) with those 2 alterations. Seat post and shoring up (most especially), the front fender,

(Judged as an economy MB foundation. Not against upper end bicycles)
For looks a ten! (just MO). Price, 9 / Quality 8, / Frame 9, / components 7, / welding 10

Final Rating; 8.8

[Dave31]

DiamondBack Della Cruz

Purchased at yard sale, brand new still in box $15.00 Retail I believe was around $250-$300.
5-6 years (don't remember) 5,000 + miles. One motor, Kingsmotor bikes 80cc.

Pros

I really, really like the price. It was very simple to install the motor, I think it look's cool and is very comfortable to ride. My first plan was to remove the fenders but I have grown to really love them. It has been very good to me.
Already has pre-drilled holes if you want to add front & rear brakes.There are many different models of the Della Cruz even one with springer front end.

Neg

I only got 4,000 miles before I had problems with broken spokes. It's a single speed and makes pedaling difficult sometimes but there is the same model with gears. Must re-enforce the fender brackets and if you do not want to drill through the frame you will need to mod a mount. (mines drilled and no problems). Very snug fit between the seat tube and carb air cover. Had to turn mine upside down to fit. Only has rear coaster brake but I rode it that way for years and thousands of miles.

[Dan]

Really like the look of those Fair.

[Dave31]

I guess no one else wants to do a review Dan

[Dan]

was wondering Fair. Was thinking it just got buried on a busy day. Really looking forward to seeing some more. Shopping for bikes online ain't cutting it.

[hiker472]

That Diamond back..............is that a greenline bike? It looks a lot like one I'm currently looking at.
You mentioned problems with the spokes? If that is the greenline, it would have stainless spokes, but an alloy rim. Not too up on that combo.

[grouchyolfart]

I'd love to add a review, but I have the same bike Dan has and the others are girlie bikes for my ebike projects. Nothing really much to add there. I'm just an old fart who's getting tired of stepping over the bike to mount it and don't care if it's a "girls'" bike. I like them step throughs.

It's a good think that PB is a low bike as is. Don't have to get that leg up very high to get on.

The only difference I have with Dan's assessment is the price. I give mine a 10 since I only paid $20 for it.

[lordoflightaz]

Schwinn Skyliner

I bought it at Walmart over 3 years for about $170. I also bought a Schwinn rear rack, Bell water bottle holder at that time. When I bought it I rode it just about everyday. As a bicycle is was a nice comfortable ride. This is NOT the bike you would get today. Picture of bike

Pros: It has a reasonable front suspension; nice wide road tires. The seat is comfortable for someone with no a$$. It came with SRam grip shifts that are comfortable. The handlebar was ok for a bicycle. The brakes are adequate. I think in first gear you could climb a wall The chain tensioner bolted on with no issues The engine fit in the space available with room to spare. I moved the water bottle to the side of the head tube and think I should mount one on the right side as well just for symetry.

Cons: It does not have disc brakes or a place to screw in a disc brake. The front tube is thick and required a LFM mounting bracket, that is bolted on. The handlebars are too short for sitting up straight. The seat does not have hoops to hang a saddlebag. It has shimano style bottom bracket so you need a tool to remove it. The kickstand did not do a good job of supporting the bike with motor installed.

Overall: When I think about a bike with a motor I compare it to my Skyliner. Sure the Skyliner could have a prettier frame with extra tubes, a chain guard and it could have come with fenders and disc brakes, but overall it is an easy bike to add on a motor.

I could review my Walmart Roadmaster $75, but when I get right down to it it was pretty much useless, except for parts. Motor would be a tight fit, rims are cheaply made, seat is too narrow. I will say if you have another frame and needed tires (rims are carp), cables, brakes, pedals and a front shock the bike is a good deal.

[Weedylot]

I don't have a bike that wasn't motorized except for two large Schwinn Varsity models, The Whizzer is built on a Global frame from China. It is a copy of (I believe) a Schwinn Heavy Duty. It is stout, heavy and black. I would recommend it as an excellent starting platform for just about any motor that might be installed.
Pros: Black, stout and heavy
Cons: It is set up with the seat up forward, almost touching the tank and the handlebars are too wide for that arrangement. The fenders stays are flimsy and haven't yet fallen off, but will. The coaster brake is great for pedal speeds, but woefully inadequate for motored use. Lastly, it was made in communist china and can't be fully counted on for quality.

[2door]

Okay, guess its time I chimed in with a review of the popular Schwinn Jaguar now that I've ridden it as a pedal bike and motorized.

Pros: Well built bike, even from China. All the welds look good, nice paint and just downright attractive. (My wife didn't want me to "Ruin it" was her words, by putting a motor on it. But that's the reason I bought it, right? Got mine at Target. Regular price was $149. on sale for $124. but because I pointed out to the manager a few scratches, I got mine for $99.00. Not a bad deal. I brought the bike home and rode it around my neighborhood for a couple of days and was pleased with the way it rode and handled. The big 2.125 tires are soft and gave the Jag a nice smooth feel. It took bumps well and I really like the grip shifter with 7 speeds. I had to adjust the rear derailer a bit to index the shifter but no biggie. I was very impressed with the brakes. They're side pull and have those extra long pads, about 3" long and they seem to grab the alloy wheels with little effort. Originally I had planned to go with disc brakes on the front but after riding the Jag with and without an engine I see no reason for that expensive upgrade. All in all, a very nice bicycle for the price. I enjoyed it as a pedal bike for as long as I could stand it then went to work installing the Dax-80cc and a few of my own custom refinements. As the build progressed I discovered a few things that will fall into the 'Cons' catagory which I'll cover now.

Cons: Even though the metallic blue paint is pretty, I found it very susceptable to scratching. You have to be careful because any metal contact with the paint will leave a mark. I found some paint to match, Dupli-Color automotive touch-up and took care of the blemishes after the build was complete.
If you're a big guy or gal the Jag is going to feel a little cramped. It's designed something like a sportscar and not intended to offer a lot of leg room. I'm 5'11" and in the stock configuration I felt like I needed to slide to the rear but there's nowhere to go. The Jag doesn't come with a rack or fenders.(Thanks to Dan, I now have fenders;even if I did chop the heck out of them. Thanks Dan) I solved that problem with a lay-back seat post that moved the saddle rearward a full 6 inches. That helped a lot. I was much more comfortable with the seat slid back. I flipped the handlebars over, going for a boardtrack look and surprisingly that made the ride even more comfortable. When I'm riding I feel like I'm reclining forward and the bars are just wide enough to offer support without feeling like you're trying to do arm stretches. I installed a center stand that just happened to fit exactly where the original kickstand was attached. What I discovered is that the welded kickstand bracket is a little flimsy. It twisted somewhat and allowed the center stand to tilt forward. I reinforced the factory bracket with a short section of 1/4" flat stock welded between the chain stays behind the crank. I have experienced no other weak areas in the frame.
The Jag is still too new to give you a full report on the motorized version but after about 25 miles I can honestly say it is a very comfortable, smooth and well mannered motorbike. I keep the tire inflation on the low side (factory inflation is 40, I use 30psi) with the softer tires the only reason I would consider installing a springer would be for the looks. The ride is soft.
The Jaguar will challenge the beginner because of the cruiser style frame and the necessity of a custom front engine mount but for anyone who has some fabrication experience, or the bucks to buy a ready-made engine mount kit, the Jag would make a great addition to any motorbikers stable.
Tom