debunking myths about walmart bikes

[douglasseattle]

Walmart as good? In some ways I would say yes when it is used to build a motor bicycle. What do you pay for in a better bike? Better and lighter components, better wheels, better tires and a better frame.

That said, as a motorbicycle, you do not need incredible components. I paid more for shift levers than a whole walmarter costs, but on a motor bike I am using downtube shifters. They were cheap, light and out of the way. I do not shift that often. The question I have is more the wheels than even the frame.
As a cyclist, I have never found great cheap wheels, but as a cyclist I put on more miles than motorbicyclists would (upwards of 5000 miles a year).

So, I still say a used craigslist bike is the better choice, but a walmarter could be just fine for it's purpose

 

[stevenflintrichards]

hello my name is steven i am new i built a bike last weekend on a huffy nel lusso , i am not an engineer but the solid steel rack that is in the bike rack the one that slides in and out well i took that out of the bike and have had no problems top speed 38 mph so far .i need brakes i have reinforced the coaster but id like to ride with traffic like on a moped so soon ill get brakes till then its just my lil put around .

 

[robbomberbomyea]

heres my walmart bike,complete with pk 80 motor,36t sprocket adapter, battery, charging system back up dynamo.only probs was paint job lighter in spots,used lock tight on all fasteners.great bike sold to customer for 425. basicly cost.

 

[Acraze]

I personally would not ride on of these motorbicycles in the traffic like a moped, I would keep riding it like a bicycle, if you get in on the street wont you need proper lights, turn signals, Motorcycle endorsed drivers licence and registration?

traffic is the reason I dont ride my bike to certain areas.

hello my name is steven i am new i built a bike last weekend on a huffy nel lusso , i am not an engineer but the solid steel rack that is in the bike rack the one that slides in and out well i took that out of the bike and have had no problems top speed 38 mph so far .i need brakes i have reinforced the coaster but id like to ride with traffic like on a moped so soon ill get brakes till then its just my lil put around .

 

[stevenflintrichards]

yeah on one hand here in flint some one would see a guy on a gas bike going fast and throw something in the spokes and then laugh i have to keep my bike inside so it dont get stolen but i am thinking about cannibalising some mopeds from the local scrap yard for proper lights blinkers and a horn people do ride honda sprees in traffic and they top out between 25 and 30 mph. im still only on the second gallon of 16:1 and i only go at wot for short less than one min burst so far but i think once its broken in it will cruse at 30 mph at half throttle idk what brand my engine is either there was a guy on craigslist selling kits out of his garage so i got one and i hope soon to figure out how to post pictures .

 

[KCvale]

I don't want to jump in on page 17 of a cheap bike topic to debate so I will just state my philosophy on motorized bicycles, and it's simple.

Crap bike + crap motor = problems forever.
Good bike + good motor = pretty reliable transportation for a long time.
Cost to keep crap running > cost for a good to start with.

 

[maustypsu]

I bought a Mongoose at Wal Mart. Newbie so this hasn't been modified to MB yet. The only thing I had to change was the seat. Six months in and I'm not disappointed with the quality... yet???

 

[KCvale]

Pedal power is nothing, 1/4HP at best and most any Wally $100 bike will do that for awhile.
Throw 2-3+ HP at them and they balk bad is all I am saying from multiple 1st hand repair issues and a boneyard with a few Huffy's in it.
Just constantly check your back wheel for side to side horizontal movement (hold the frame with 1 hand, try to move the wheel side to side, when it does fix it), and check the 'feel' of how smooth the bearing feels rolling, as well as you motor mount nuts.

Plenty of 1st time builders brag about their $250-$300 BGF motor on a Huffy builds that are awesome, the thing is you just don't see them even 2 month later still bragging for a reason.

All I can keep repeating for your benefit is my post above.
Budget $400 for parts and take the time to build it right and you won't be another of the countless newbies posting 'Help Me!' topics here because they started with crap and there is no magic bullet to fix there mistakes.

 

[maurtis]

For $400, KC, wouldn't that put them into a good-ish bike and a crap motor? Or are you saying there is a good bike + good motor combo for $400 in parts?

 

[happyvalley]

Plenty of 1st time builders brag about their $250-$300 BGF motor on a Huffy builds that are awesome, the thing is you just don't see them even 2 month later still bragging for a reason.

Months or miles later, KC. If truth be told, many if not most just get the thing to run and go down the street, buzz the neighborhood or run an errand on a nice day once in awhile. You know as anyone who does serious miles finds out, everyday reliability for both bike and powering it costs in the end, though often less up front.

 

[KCvale]

For $400, KC, wouldn't that put them into a good-ish bike and a crap motor? Or are you saying there is a good bike + good motor combo for $400 in parts?

parts are parts, I do skyhawk motors and get them delivered for about $200.

A solid bike like say a Macargi Touch or Pantera is $150-$225 so ya pretty close for the basic budget yet solid base bike but I go a ways past that for my builds.

Nothing leaves here without 2 brakes and I do some fancy re-wiring and maybe even painting but the baseline of ~$400-$450 for the two main important parts should always be a top consideration in any build in my humble opinion.

 

[stevenflintrichards]

id like to post a photo of my huffy gas bike but i think only really small less than one mb pictures will post confused

 

[happycheapskate]

Depends on what state you live in. I ride mine everywhere, "like a bicycle", in traffic and anywhere I want to go. I just use front and rear lights and hand signals, don't need any bureaucratic stuff to ride a bike.

I personally would not ride on of these motorbicycles in the traffic like a moped, I would keep riding it like a bicycle, if you get in on the street wont you need proper lights, turn signals, Motorcycle endorsed drivers licence and registration?

traffic is the reason I dont ride my bike to certain areas.

 

[happycheapskate]

The Schwinn Avenue seems to do well. I had to overhaul everything on the bike (grease bearings, tighten spokes, adjust the brakes and cables, headset, bb, etc. The bike has done well and been very comfortable for several thousand miles, mostly as a motorized bicycle. The stock stem was crap, stock kickstand broke off! and the stock tires don't work with the roller. The stock cables were usable but have been replaced with generic lined cables from Niagara Cycle. The brake pads have been replaced with Diamondback Softees (gray). The bike shifts and brakes well, is comfortable to ride.

Worth motorizing if you do all the mentioned work, probably will have to do to about any bike you buy under $1000.

I don't want to jump in on page 17 of a cheap bike topic to debate so I will just state my philosophy on motorized bicycles, and it's simple.

Crap bike + crap motor = problems forever.
Good bike + good motor = pretty reliable transportation for a long time.
Cost to keep crap running > cost for a good to start with.