I HEART Gas Bikes!

BikeBillboards · #1 04-04-2009, 02:09 PM

On a crazy, half-baked, fully drunken whim, I bought a 66cc, advertised as 80cc, Made-in-China Happy Time 2-stoke engine kit from bikeberry.com. The instructions were written for a tiller, in really bad pidgin translation.

So, I left it alone for a month, while perusing the gas bike boards, before really getting serious about installing it on a real two-tired bike. Ha ha. After getting enough info to feel half-way comfortable, I finally finished. Thinking I just wasted a whole month, $200, $50 just for the KREEM fuel tank liner, the damn thing actually fired up and rolled!

Of course, the muffler end cap fell off on the first ride. Then, after a few more rides, the quarter-inch, frame-mounting bolt snapped in two. Grade 8 5/16, fo' shure. That took another 48 hours of brutal, greasy work. Had to remount the whole engine, not just a broken bolt replacement.

If you don't have a REAL sense of humor, DON'T do gas bikes. The ride ain't exactly rolls-royce. It feels more like riding a two-tired weedeater.

So far, my legs are still attached firmly to my hip! Thanks for all the help, guys!

myke · #2 04-04-2009, 02:20 PM

Sounds great! Welcome to the board, although I am a relative newcomer myself. I have not yet been able to ride mine yet and I am looking forward to it. I also have been reading up on the forums for tips and following them as I build. It's more difficult then you might think putting this "kit" on a bike the correct way. I'm sure it would be easy to slap one on just like it comes out of the box.

Waiting for better quality threaded rod and a rear wheel myself before I can complete my first.

myke

BikeBillboards · #3 04-04-2009, 02:33 PM

Yeah. I met a dude at the hardware store, getting out of gas bikes. The EK tore up his spoked rear wheel. He weighs around 250 and wuz going up a steep hill. So, he blows $70 on another wheel, just to find out he didn't have enough frame clearance for the big 44T sprocket.

He finally gave up and abandoned the EK to rust on his bike, until I came along to ask if I can have the engine! Now, I gotz a spare.

Cabinfever1977 · #4 04-04-2009, 02:36 PM

these kits do go right on,if you have the correct bike,which i dont have.it does help if you have a hardware store nearby,i dont,i have to go across town.and it helps if you have spare bolts and parts around the house.it helps to have jb-weld and gasket maker and teflon tape and stuff.