Well, lets look at that shall we?
Just a china girl engine alone will run you any were from $80 to $100 dollars plus shipping for the engine alone.
Figure in the China girls inherent flaws and lack of long term dependability, poor castings and its almost non uniformity of assembly.
Would you pay say... 3 times more for an engine of higher quality/greater longevity?
By comparison the the S6-T Morini engine, which has less displacement yet more power than a china girl goes for around $580 to $600 with out shipping costs, and if its broken in and run properly it will out last a china girl at least 5 to 1.
Recently I purchased a brand new Morini S6-T AND a slightly used china girl 66 from a guy that wanted to go all electric.
The Morini weighs about 25 pounds dry, and its a bit wide for a bicycle frame, it got good old Marvel Mystery oil sprayed in its orifices, its ports taped up and put in a plastic bag on a shelf till I build a frame worthy of it.
The china girl weighs 16 pounds, Its got a wealth of cheap replacement parts AND a shift kit that was made for it, and its smaller and lighter than a Morini. It got my customary DE bugging and a rebuild and went right into a bike.
It cost me about 16 hours of labor, figure that as 2 days pay, and $60 in rebuild parts to undo its flaws, so figure around $360 to $400 dollars worth of my time and money.
I'd pay $300 for an American version of the 66cc china girl, if it were more dependable than a china girl and lighter, smaller, well built and as powerful as the Morini.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Morini, I like the china girl AFTER I've worked all the bugs out of it, but a mid ground cost quality simple 2 stroke that looks cool in the frame? and doesn't require DE bugging? that would be perfect.
(the main reason I don't like 4 strokes is they still look like weed whackers none were ever designed to be put in a bicycle frame)
Some where in this great country of ours there has got to be a small hungry foundry that will stand to make good on that charge.
If I had the wherewithal... Id go for it myself.
Yes, American made will be more costly at first, but it would be worth it.
Its easy to sit there and find reasons to NOT do something, that's the attitude that has crippled the U.S. in the light industry sector.
I say we take it back.
Just my opinion...
BBB