I completely understand the term "you get what you pay for" and that's why I spent $250 for a 4 stroke kit. That's more than twice what a 2 stroke kit goes for. But what I got was far less quality than any 2 stroke kit ever sold. The little 4 stroke Chinese engine is great but everything else is pure junk.The main weakness of the hoot is that there is no outboard bearing for the crankshaft, which flexes causing the gears disentigrate! The Grubee somewhat overcomes this problem by using a much larger primary gear (and better heat treat) that is less affected by this flexing.
For me it's about the "price to value ratio". The "cheapest" guy either spends the most (replacement cost) or has a lot of broken stuff. However, the "thrifty" person recognizes the value in a well made product that will far outlast the cheap product which, in this case, will cost less per mile to operate. Thus the more expensive option is actually less expensive (i.e. price:value)!
As it turns out most of the other stuff in the kit is cheap and works fine. $600-$700 for a reliable bicycle motor kit that gets over a 100 mpg and lasts for thousands of miles is a bargain in my eyes. I'll pay $.20 a mile any day to grin ear to ear picking the bugs from my teeth turning heads wherever I go on my mb.
I have < $1000 into my 4 stroke bike w/ motor kit, transmission, hydraulic rim brakes etc. Bear in mind that I've not reached the break even point, let alone profit on my transmission. So it's not like I got a discount on my transmission. I think if Quenton and Mike were to add up all the hours into their product it will be some time before it really pays off as well. Those are hours spent making successes and mistakes, working through the bugs so that you don't have to. I mention this because I'm often amazed at how much products are compared on price alone. Our Mall Wart society is readilly handing our economy over to the Chinese. I'm not opposed to international trade, I don't however wish to be involved in the global race to the bottom!
If you're making a transmission for the 4 stroke Chinese engines, I'd like to see it but saw nothing about it on your site.Hi all, well xlite it might interest you to know, that the poor gearboxes are what caused us to start the most progressive Bicycle Engine company in the country.
My Hoot lasted about 50 miles! I have plenty of new (take-off) Hoot boxes for sale cheap. We build our own transmissions that do NOT break, Made in USA, tho the engine and other components are from the Chinese Motor Bicycle industry.
EZ MOTORBIKE COMPANY and my site (none of my EZ-Bikes are posted yet).
If you are interested look up the threads about EZ and start a post here in 4-stroke and we will get you some more pics and answers.
Mike
EZMotorbike Inc.
What is the point you are trying to make here?So Mike, let me get this straight; you think the Hoot gb is poor quality but you'll sell them?
Hough, I suppose your right (as usual);no real problem, as long as he's up front about it. Not a practice that I would ingage in but not unethical.
How much more up front did you want him to be?My Hoot lasted about 50 miles! I have plenty of new (take-off) Hoot boxes for sale cheap.
Mike
EZMotorbike Inc.
I'd REALLY like an answer to that myself. And what the heck is up with that Boygofast "upgraded" box?Did anyone have a success story on a Hoot box? Somebody must have one that works OK as they all can't be bad.
Gear oil? I was warned not to put too much GREASE on the gears. I wonder if you have a new upgraded one.
First of all my experience is mostly limited to engines owned by friends who rarely got more than a few miles before gearbox failed. I haven't made any real use of the 4 stroke kits I own yet because of this. And info garnered on this forum. So far I've used one of the engines in-frame with a Dax gearbox to see how it compares with the HF 80cc. Not robust mounting and I'd never try a long trip for that reason.no i think it was wrong to have gear oil in it, i put grease in mine, to much, i need to go clean it out and try again, how much grease where you told to use? how much grease do you use!