Buildng a motorized bicycle off road bike, frame suggestions?

[the_edge150]

hey guys,i'm buldng a bike for off roading in the mountains. any suggestions as to what upgrades/parts i should use? for sure, a 66cc motor, and a 56 tooth sprocket on the rear. i don't need top end speed, but low end torque is a must. any suggestions on frame,forks,and rims that i need to use. i want to be able to go up into angeles national forest on this thing and have fun on the trails this spring/summer.

 

[BarelyAWake]

Re: Buildng a HT off road bike, frame suggestions?

TBH I really do think a shiftkit is a must for the trails. I've a Schwinn mountain bike w/a 66cc and I find that w/o gears it's just too fast/too slow no matter where I am. While ya can get away with just changin' the rear sprocket, ya won't be rock crawlin' alla time *shrug* still - no matter if ya get the kit or not, trails on these things are a blast fosho lol

For the frame - there's just too many choices, but I'd stick to a traditional V frame and a steel one at that... I've not had any problems with my aluminum one, but it does make me a lil nervous about hops. Same goes for the forks actually - simply put, the best ya can afford lol Check yer local bike shop for take-offs, I've seen some seriously nice forks in the parts bin just 'cause they weren't the right brand to "fit in" with their friends or whatever *shrug*

Rims? By far the best, strongest, and most affordable have been the Worksman wheels... but that may not work out well for the bike yer after given the coaster & drum setup. For the money... ya might be building a set, w/e hubs ya get with the bike are prolly fine and these Sun Rhyno triple hollow alloys ($27ea FTW) were recommend to me by a friend;
Bikeman: Sun Rhyno Lite Rim, 26'' 36 hole Silver

I know I've not given ya a lot in the way of solid answers, but most of it's just opinion and personal preference anyway

 

[the_edge150]

Re: Buildng a HT off road bike, frame suggestions?

well, the trails here where i ride are pretty steep, and i really don't think anything past 15-20 i will want to go. i was thinking about this frame

i can get this frame right now at my local bike shop for 25. then front shocks and wheels are my biggest concern. i'm going to make this bike single speed, so i can simplify the building, and skip gears that i'm not gonna use on it. should i go with alloy rims or steel? thanks for the help barelyAwake

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Re: Buildng a HT off road bike, frame suggestions?

Edge, just buy a good used aluminum mountain bike on CL for $200.
I think the Trek's & GT's are solid & inexpensive. (I've also seen a lot of nice used Cannondale's lately)
Just remember that the lighter the bike is, the easier it will climb; & the shift kit is also a great idea!! It's real easy to custom build a rear cassette with a super low first gear for climbing!

 

[the_edge150]

Re: Buildng a HT off road bike, frame suggestions?

i want to try building this all from new components, i hate going with used parts, and right now, i have a budget of about 275 put away for this. i just hope i can get done in time to go have fun this spring and summer. i was originally considering a boxer from SCSW, but i have to fix my saturn, so its gonna be a squeeze on this one, but it'll get done.

 

[wheelbender6]

Re: Buildng a HT off road bike, frame suggestions?

If you are OK with buying a used bike, the GT LTS is a full suspension bike that has room for a motor in the front triangle.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Re: Buildng a HT off road bike, frame suggestions?

i want to try building this all from new components, i hate going with used parts, and right now, i have a budget of about 275 put away for this. i just hope i can get done in time to go have fun this spring and summer. i was originally considering a boxer from SCSW, but i have to fix my saturn, so its gonna be a squeeze on this one, but it'll get done.

Dooooood... you're gonna spend 5 times that much if you buy new parts!!!! DON'T DO IT!!
Shop around & check the prices, you'll see what I'm talking about!

For $275, you can get a bad a$$ used bike with better parts!

 

[the_edge150]

Re: Buildng a HT off road bike, frame suggestions?

well, i got the frame, then i bought a schwinn secondhand to strip for parts. i just now have to install the kit, then get a 56 tooth sprocket for the back. any suggestions to where in socal i can get one? i'll post pics later,its coming out sweet, and i might be able to ride the trails as soon as this weekend! waaaayyy earlier than expected!

 

[the_edge150]

Re: Buildng a HT off road bike, frame suggestions?

i talked to the rangers at the canyon where i ride, they say as long as i ride safe, they don't care if i'm on the trails, as long as i stay where the Mountain bikers are allowed. the trail i mainly ride is a dirt road,and the way to get to a OHV trail, which is the biggest reason i want to do this is to ride the OHV trail through the angeles national forest.. i appreciate your concern mike.

 

[Otero]

Steel is real. lotsa diamond frame mtn bikes to be had cheap on CL. I have a
Juiced Bikes CCS electric commuter which I dearly love, but it can't out perform
the gas mtn. bike I built for 1/3 the cost. The electric set up did teach me a good
deal though.
I wanted a long range bike that could go anywhere, capable of being pedaled
well even without power. this is what I arrived at after numerous builds & mods:
Altus 9 spd. 32/11 freewheel with trigger shifts. custom 50/40/26 chainring for
pedal or power. Extremely reliable Tanaka 40cc PF 4000 with a G.E.B.E. belt
drive kit. The bike is a chromoly '93 Giant Boulder I picked up on CL for $35
complete with rockshox fork in virtually unused condition. The 2 liter primary
tank is good for 90 mi. & I can put an additional liter in the bottle cage or
there's also a mount for a 3 liter jerry can. Or... if I use the trailer, make that
6 liters For a 350 mi. range under power alone. Top spd pedaling 38 mph,
more than twice as fast as I prefer to ride. the 26" x2.7 Butcher front tire
is perfect for the beach or shredding a trail. I have a stealthy engine cover for
pedaling thru legally nebulous areas. First pic is from the CL listing.