Are the new 4 stroke China kits any better quality than the 2 strokes? I saw a 4 stroke kit on ebay from Boy Go Fast, that has a centrifical clutch. It looks like it could be rack mounted without too much trouble. I have been doing a bunch of repairs to my 49cc China to keep it on the road lately, and just getting a bit fed up. Between chain tensioner troubles, broken stud bolts, and a rear tire that is just a bit too wide and wants to rub on the chain a bit. I am going to try and get the spring loaded chain tensioner, and a thinner tire and give that a go for now, but the 4 stoke is looking good.
New 4 stroke Kits
- Thread starter Chitty
- Start date
That engine looks good, but everything else in the kit looks to be of the same low quality stuff the happy times have.
I believe Daune said Chinese 4-strokes are good quality, but the fit and finish isn't as good as Japanese made 4-strokes.
I believe Daune said Chinese 4-strokes are good quality, but the fit and finish isn't as good as Japanese made 4-strokes.
I have never heard anyone say good things about the 'JL HOOT" gearbox, only bad things, the grubee gearbox is supposed to be good, but hard to find anywhere...they seem to go out of stock quickly
That is exactly right. The Hoot is the one that looks like a figure "8" on its side. The Grubee is roughly oval in shape and does not look like an "8".
The Hoot does not disengage- the Grubee has a manual disengage. The Hoot seems to have issues with the shaft keys (not a big deal), the clutch bell coming apart (pretty big deal), and the greats sometimes breaking (a really big deal). That being said, some people have had good luck with them, but those reports seem pretty rare.
However, the engine itself is sound.
I have the Grubee (bought last August) and it works well, but like a 2 stroke, it takes some work to get everything lines up and adjusted. However, once that is done- it works well.
The Hoot does not disengage- the Grubee has a manual disengage. The Hoot seems to have issues with the shaft keys (not a big deal), the clutch bell coming apart (pretty big deal), and the greats sometimes breaking (a really big deal). That being said, some people have had good luck with them, but those reports seem pretty rare.
However, the engine itself is sound.
I have the Grubee (bought last August) and it works well, but like a 2 stroke, it takes some work to get everything lines up and adjusted. However, once that is done- it works well.
i have one. it was purchased from bikekitsdirect.com for $269. shipping included. there were a couple of issues with the kit but the seller compensated me for them and was polite. this kit requires a square-drive bottom bracket. the bike i put it one had the one-piece crank so i had to order a sealed bottom bracket from bike nashbar for 14.99. also i had to buy a usa to euro adapter for 18.99 (ebay). still it was the cheapest kit i found even with the bracket upgrade. i rode it without the pedals with a 44Tsprocket instead of the 50T they supply. you can;'t really do this cause the clutch clangs too much without pedal assist on take off. it ran really good tho once it took off. felt smoother and more like a motorcycle than my 2 stroke. looks like i have the crappy hooter gearbox.
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Boy, Shiloh, I had my credit card in my hand until you mentioned "crappy hooter gearbox.
How important is that, fellows?
ricland
A good motor with a bad gear box is like a submarine with a screen door.
It's there but it won't work.
It's there but it won't work.
But how bad is gear box?A good motor with a bad gear box is like a submarine with a screen door.
It's there but it won't work.
Is there any consensus on this?
ricland
I have the old 4 stroke kit with the old Hoot GB. I have had good service so far with my GB, but I have done a few things to address the weak points of this unit. The clutch works best with gear oil. It is quiet and smooth with oil. I use 5 ounces of 75W90 synthetic. If the box has the vented fill plug, it will blow oil through it. If it does not have a fill plug like in the later Hoots, drill and tap one in. Make sure it's vented or it will blow oil through the seals. I had to add an internal baffle to stop the oil blowing through the vent hole. The welds for the gear which is attached to the clutch bell may have to filed or ground down to ensure there is no interference with the teeth on the main gear. Otherwise, you will break teeth. Another good add on for this box is to glue on a good quality mouse pad cut to fit the GB cover. This not only helps reduce noise, but it also protects your leg from the hot GB. I can ride with my bare leg resting on the GB with no problem. I use a 36T sprocket which allows a 25 mph cruise and a 30 mph top end. It has decent hill climbing ability (no pedaling) with my 225 pound load. The weak point of this GB is the clutch. Realizing this and making the proper adjustments should give pretty good results.....
66
66
Great stuff, 66.
You sound like a crackerjack mechanic.
With your permission, I'm going to forward this to the Bikedirect people.
By the way, they're aware of the vent hole problem and list this solution:
So, all and all, do you still think the Bikedirect.com kit is alright?
It's $120 cheaper than the least cheapest and that's a considerable some of money.
ricland
Hi ricland,
Thanks for the compliments. I've learned a lot through the forums. You are welcome to forward my post. The Bikedirect kit is probably the best deal for this type of kit. It certainly is worth a try to go with a solid bolt if you experience vent hole leaking. You may be lucky and have no leaks from other spots but I have read of other people running into seal and gasket leaks. Just remember that this clutch is so smooth that you might be tempted to start up without pedaling a little to help. You can do this but you will have much better clutch life with a little pedal assist on start up.
66
Thanks for the compliments. I've learned a lot through the forums. You are welcome to forward my post. The Bikedirect kit is probably the best deal for this type of kit. It certainly is worth a try to go with a solid bolt if you experience vent hole leaking. You may be lucky and have no leaks from other spots but I have read of other people running into seal and gasket leaks. Just remember that this clutch is so smooth that you might be tempted to start up without pedaling a little to help. You can do this but you will have much better clutch life with a little pedal assist on start up.
66
The engine is decent and the mounting system is decent but the gearbox effectively takes the kit down to the HT 2 stroke quality level. All the "figure 8" gear boxes seem to have more problems than the Grubees.
I wouldn't want one, I would opt for a livefast or Dax rack mount 4 stroke instead. $400 at livefast is decent deal. Same engine BTW as DAX & the one we are discussing.
Ok, even though I'm not that thrilled with a rack mount, if it's a better set-up performance wise, I don't mind paying extra.
It's obvious to me, though, that the center of gravity is not at the best possible locations on the rack like that.
But you're saying it's a better, smoother, faster, more reliable ride, right?
ricland
Well, now I don't know.
Xcel seems to be saying the livefast or Dax is a more problem-free set-up. I sure would prefer a frame mount but really don't want to wait until the end of summer to get one.
Overall, do you think the rackmounts are more reliable?
ricland
Basically, the hoot gearboxes have chewing gum splines that shear under load. If you even attempt to try and go from standstill you'll find alot of splinters of the cheap metal they use in the gearbox. Our Ex-BMW engineer fashioned replacement splines from butterfly clips and since then no problems. The Engine itself is fine, its the gearbox. If you want to do the same as us, i'll happily advise, but i recommend a GruBee GB.
Hey, Thanks, milegajo.
I was wondering why they were practically giving them away.
Say, how do you think the grubee stacks up against the livefast and Titan?
ricland
Unfortunately we haven't any experience of those, but im sure the other guys have. All the Best Ricland