After 8 solid years of wanting one, I got one

[Motojoe2492]

Hello! I started years ago with a project that I scrapped due to having an engine that would snap my aluminum frame cruiser. Now, I have no working vehicles and was reduced to a Walmart mountain bike.

Circumstances have caused some desperate times, as I will be homeless in a couple weeks.

BUT.... I am stoked to have been able to finally order an engine kit. I got the cheapest one I felt comfortable buying, doesn’t even have a removable head.

But I installed it in a night and have ordered a spring tensioner and cheap muffler that has a banana expansion chamber.
I have already replaced the trash chain it came with with a 41 with a half link, so the tensioner doesn’t need to take a whole lot of slack.

Before I put the motor on, I had taken the tall handlebars off of an old beat up bike I had, because I hate the back pain that comes with normal riding positions lol

I’m still in the break in period but can cruise at 22mph without being wide open on the throttle. I took the baffle out yesterday out of curiosity and damn this thing is obnoxious that’s why I ordered the muffler, and it happened to have a decent package deal with the tensioner included. Can’t beat it!

The only real modifications I had to do to make everything work was dented my down tube ever so slightly (the studs just barely fetched on it while attempting to mount it) and modified the air box to fit. The carburetor is ever so slightly tilted, but it seems to have no effect on how it runs and my throttle is consistent no matter what. I did get myself some air filter element from work (Napa) to replace the junk foam it came with.

pictures attached include:
-Right after new bars and rack were installed
-after I had gotten the swing of riding it, and snapped a pic on my lunch break
-before and after engine commute stats
-The muffler kit and tensioner I have on it’s way

 

[Greg58]

I can’t tell from the picture, are you using a dual pull handle for brakes or two levers on the left? I have a dual on one of mine that works well.

 

[Greg58]

I have built one bike in a tight frame, I used a 24” tire mountain bike, everything on it was spare parts I have collected over the years. The bike was our sons that he got when he was about 12, he’s now 35.

 

[Motojoe2492]

I can’t tell from the picture, are you using a dual pull handle for brakes or two levers on the left? I have a dual on one of mine that works well.

I just used the lever it came with, somehow fit all of that and the throttle and still have both shift grips. I’ll take a picture of it in a bit, I can handle it pretty well lol. The clutch can be pulled with one finger, leaving the rest for the rear brake.

the handlebars were so tall that I had to switch front and rear brakes, the front cable goes straight up to the right lever haha

 

[Motojoe2492]

I have built one bike in a tight frame, I used a 24” tire mountain bike, everything on it was spare parts I have collected over the years. The bike was our sons that he got when he was about 12, he’s now 35.

That’s awesome that you still have his bike and got a motor to fit in it! I had to cut the air box to have a lower profile when installed, and heat and warp the intake tubes on it to clear the frame. Honestly kinda shocked at how easily I made it work haha

 

[Motojoe2492]

I’ve been doing some test runs with a mid sized load on this trailer. I have plenty of torque even in the lower end for chugging up hills. It handles very well and the trailer never skips a beat, and never sways. I will be riding it about 25 miles in the next few days to follow some work, and it will carry my tent and what I can fit on this thing. It’s going to be a lot of fun!