Even in Paradise

[grouchyolfart]

Dang! Just came across this on our local Craigslist. Someone over here is building boardtrack racers and they look pretty darned nice.

Custom motorized bicycles

They're not totally retro, but still catches the essence, I think.

[HoughMade]

Looks good- $800 is a realistic price....but 240 mpg? Let me guess, that''s on the down hill runs.

[robin]

I just came back from Hawaii---saw a real lack of motorized bikes on any island---will contest you as to where paradise is---in the summer anyway its real hard to beat British Columbia---found it way too expensive .

[grouchyolfart]

Originally Posted by HoughMade

Looks good- $800 is a realistic price....but 240 mpg? Let me guess, that''s on the down hill runs.

Yeh, I kinda scratched my head at that mileage figure too.

From the perspective of someone already building his own motorized bike, the $800 is out of my reach. It's the reason why most of us choose to build our own, eh?

So far, my Point Beach project has cost me $230. That's for the DAX kit, bike, chrome springer and bent seat stem. Another $150 in accoutrements and paint job will net me a nice looking retro at half the price.

I do hope there are still the few, out here, who would spend that kind of money. I'd like to see someone succeed in building these types of bikes for use in the islands, but times are looking grim. Lotta folks losing jobs out here and this place is small.

[grouchyolfart]

Originally Posted by robin

I just came back from Hawaii---saw a real lack of motorized bikes on any island---will contest you as to where paradise is---in the summer anyway its real hard to beat British Columbia---found it way too expensive .

Sorry we ran you broke. If you had waited a little longer, you'd have also been paying an elevated hotel room tax as well. It's not getting any better. Believe it or not, tourist numbers are down and a lot of folks are losing their jobs. You guys are our main source of income so the powers that be are going to try and get as much out of y'all as they can. A tip. Never eat in the hotels or anywhere in the "resort" area. Kinda like Disneyland. Walk a mile outside the "resort" boundary and there's a nice Hometown Buffet for cheap eats.

There are only a handful of us in the islands so I'm not surprised you didn't see as many as you'd hoped. There are a number of reasons why there aren't more of us. Way too much to elaborate on. I tried and it ran several paragraphs. I erased them.

I won't contest you on what or where paradise is. It's all relative.

Paradise? Home. We live here. Our family is here. Most of us learned to make do with what we have. We even manage to find a few extra bucks to get into hobbies such as motorized bikes. It'll get worse. Most of our children move to the mainland for education or job opportunities and return only for a short vacation. Even with a good job, they can't save enough to move back and if they could, they couldn't find a job that can sustain a high mortgage.

From where I live, the beach or a mountain hiking trail is no longer than a 15minute drive. Same for large parks with bike/running paths with large fields for kite flying. Since I live just outside a military base, I get to meet people from all over the country. Most are very nice. Then there's the few who can't handle finding themselves a "minority" overnight. Me, I'm colorblind. They all look the same to me.

In our area, fruit trees abound in backyards and we all share or trade fruit when the crops come in. Mango, tangerines, Kona orange, lilikoi, papaya, lichee, etc. Even fisherman drive up here from the coast to peddle their fresh catch at bargain prices. Kona crab, fresh ahi or aku, mahimahi, etc. I even ride my ebike up to the local egg farm once every 2 weeks to buy our flat of XL eggs. The seller always says, "Thank you uncle and enjoy your fresh eggs." I even ride my ebike over to the weekly open market to buy fresh, locally grown veggies and some Filipino baked treats for the wife and daughter, always trying to jocky into a good position among the little old Japanese, Filipino and Chinese ladies to get the best quality produce. These old ladies show no mercy.

Summer is Bon season. A time during which the Japanese hold festivals to honor their dead ancestors. Every Buddhist church on the island holds a Bon Dance on almost every weekend during the summer. Lots of dancing, Japanese food, crafts and fun. Being Japanese is not required.

Like they say, when in Rome. You gotta get out on your own to see what Hawai'i is really about. Staying in Waikiki or taking tours isn't going to cut it. Maybe next time? Rent a car and get a B&B in Kailua or wherever. Ask your hosts what's happening with the locals. There's always something going on that a visitor would find interesting and you'll be spending way less money or, you can at least see where your money is going.

[5-7HEAVEN]

Yeah, I saw that ad on Craigslist. That bike MIGHT sell, but there's no market here for MB's at that price.

The only other motorized bike I've seen is Hawaii Ed's.

"The Dragon Lady" is the ONLY mb on the road in Honolulu.

[Crazy Horse]

!HOW! Crazy Horse here in Rockville, Maryland.

To whom it may concern we here mb'ers in the forum are mostly guy's who have family's to support, if you know that builder who posted that bike in crug'd list he should know most of us know that we can build that same bike or similar style bike for about $300.00 dollars which is what most of us can afford.

Bikes that cost more than that are really out of reach for most of the more than 10,000 + members here in the forum.
Guy's that can afford bike's above $300.00 or more have the option of pretty much anything they want.

Thanks Joe.

Peace Crazy Horse!!!

EZMOTORBIKE DEALER
Rockville, Maryland
Contact Joe E-mail: krzndn121863@hotmail.com

[grouchyolfart]

Crazy Horse speaks the truth. Yeah, the guy may be going after a niche market that this small state can't support. If he wants to make a go, he'd have to build more utilitarian bikes in the lower price range. Then too, he could simply be a heavy hobbyist who's just trying to pay for the habit. Heey, I bet the guy is a lurker on this forum or the other one. Although his bike looks great, it does look like others I've seen in the forums. Especially the use of that particular gas tank. Hmm.

5-7, I've seen a couple of other MB's on Craigs this past couple months. There were at least 2 MB's for sale. The guy I bought my ebike from, at the time, had a MB in the shop for repairs and I had one inquiry from a prospective builder about the laws. He was down in the Ewa/Kapolei area. They're out there, but still not in the numbers that we'd like. Also, the guy I bought my hub kit from for $50 was disappointed in it's performance. It's only a 24 volt/350 watt and he claims it was too slow up hills. I be thinking there probably are quite a few like him who go small and cheap then give it up because it didn't meet their expectations of performance from a bigger more expensive kit, not understanding that they're supposed to help it along by pedaling.

Oh yeah it's starting with me too. I told the wife, after the ads were pulled, I should have bought one of them. She says, "Why? You already have 2 electric bikes and one gas bike!" I told here, "Yeahbuthoney, the gas bike is only half built and I could have bought one that's already running." She just rolled her eyes. I bet all you guyz get the same response.

[fasteddy]

Grouchy, I know what Robin is saying about it being expensive in Hawai'i. I had relatives who lived there for 40 years but moved to the mainland due to the cost.

As to just what is nicer, that's up to the beholder. If you came here to BC as a tourist your heart might stop at the prices we pay here but as locals we have the inside as to just where to go, same as you do.

Yes we to have a very mixed population, at least here in Vancouver.It's fun to visit different countries and not travel very many miles from home if you let it be fun.

Got to love the little old ladies in the markets.
Kind of wonder where they got the military training.
I had a lady at a Asian market the other day tell me that I should have a woman to shop for me. Since I'm single I was going to ask if she had someone in mind but thought better of it as that's how I got into trouble last time.

The housing isn't cheap here in Vancouver either. A nice appartment is $1,200 a month and a fixer upper house is $ 350,000-$1,000,000 depending where you want to live. Water front is even more than that.

Did the MB maker want to hit the upper money bracket because he felt the money was there?
The first lesson I always felt was taught by H. Ford. Build it reasonable for the masses. They have the money and will buy if it is within thier grasp.
Most of us can find $300-350 over time but too much happens between $350 and $800.

Steve.

[Motoschwinn]

Originally Posted by grouchyolfart

Yeh, I kinda scratched my head at that mileage figure too.

From the perspective of someone already building his own motorized bike, the $800 is out of my reach. It's the reason why most of us choose to build our own, eh?

So far, my Point Beach project has cost me $230. That's for the DAX kit, bike, chrome springer and bent seat stem. Another $150 in accoutrements and paint job will net me a nice looking retro at half the price.

I do hope there are still the few, out here, who would spend that kind of money. I'd like to see someone succeed in building these types of bikes for use in the islands, but times are looking grim. Lotta folks losing jobs out here and this place is small.

How about a pic of your Point Beach so far, or if you have already posted one can you direct me to it? I'd love to see what you've done.