Is it possible to mount an engine kit on a 26inch mtn bike

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anthonysixfoot8

New Member
Jul 23, 2010
3
0
0
Illinois
Hello all this is my first post and my first project on building a motorized bicycle..So basically I am a new comer and hace some questions about how to go about some things..I am wanting to buy a common mtn bike that has 18 speeds I believe is it all possible to mount my engine on that bike with all them gears..Someone please explain that to me. I have a 66cc/80cc Grubee skyhawk Gt5 slant head engine kit 2 stroke....Please help
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
If you're like most of us, after the engine is mounted you'll have little use for the gears. Something you need to know is that you will notice a significant increase in pedal resistance with an engine. That is due to the rotating gears, drive chain and sprockets that will still be engaged even with the clutch disengaged. Many first time builders do not anticipate this and expect the bike to pedal as before. Just a word of advice before you put too much importance on the number of gears your perspective bike has.
Tom
 

wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
4,059
221
63
TX
The easiest bike to build is a steel framed cruiser or mountain bike. Mountain bikes with a sloping top tube have less room to frame mount an engine, sometimes requiring an intake mod. Study the photo gallery to see bikes that easily accomodate engine kits.
 

corgi1

New Member
Aug 13, 2009
2,272
3
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KCMO
steel frame,,,check out shift kit threads too,wonderful concept,,,mount solid to the frame ,no play,,,lots of different motor mount threads for ideas,,,if it isn't fitting ,ask questions,don't use a bigger hammer,,,first fuel/oil mix is "NOT 16-1",I think they say 24-1 on here to start,,,lots of reading for helpful hints and facts,,,,lots of guys on here ready to help,,,,Norm has great imfo threads,,,
 

ferball

New Member
Apr 8, 2010
598
2
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NH
My 26 inch mountain bike worked fine. It has oversized tubes.... So mounting got creative but not impossible and I know some of the shops on here sell some mounting slick adapters. Yard sale bikes work great, but I am a big guy, 6'6" and I tip the scale at a little over 300 so I wanted a bike that I knew would hold up so I dusted off my mountain bike and put an engine on it. Remember that the bike was not intended for the stress and speed of a motor so a mountain bike with over sized tubes is not a bad option as many mid range bike shop mt bikes tend to have over sized tubes, but if it is a wally world special trying to look the part of a decent mountain bike you may want to just get a cruiser because once you get the engine you will never shift again. My bike stays on 4th gear and my front derailer doesn't work because the gear shift made a nice clutch lever
 

taddthewadd

New Member
Mar 1, 2009
337
1
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43
Visalia, California
Here is something I learned at the bike shop the other day. Mountain bikes with a freewheel on the rear wheel (usually 6 or 7 gears) will tipically bend the axel easier then the cassettes (8 or 9 gears). The reason for this is the bearings are located closer to the ends of the axel on the cassette and the bearing on the right side of the freewheel hub is located further inward and so the axel is not supported as well and will bend easier. So in regaurds to finding a mountain bike I would look for one with a cassette (usually 24 or 27 speed) bike.
 

jauguston

New Member
May 1, 2010
142
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0
Bellingham, WA
I have my motor a Grubee Sky Hawk 66 mounted in a Schwinn Mesa aluminum frame with a big front tube. SBP has adapters for big frame tubes so that is not a issue. I also have a Sick Bike Parts shifter kit. This kit has a jackshaft that transfers the power to the right side. The stock pedal arms and cartridge are replaced and a one way bearing is placed there. The front stock chain rings go away and their provided chain rings are used instead. This lets you use your rear chain ring set to have as many gears as you have on your rear chain rings. SBP also has rear chain ring sets (I am using a seven chain ring set) that has a extra big first gear chain ring. I strongly recommend it. It gives you a nice low first gear that you don't have to even pedal to start out from a stop. I found their supplied 36t front sprocket too high geared for me and replaced it with a 30t front one they also have. With it I turn 5100 rpm in 6th gear at 30 mph. It won't pull me on the flat in 7th gear. I am considering trying their 24t front sprocket so I can use all seven of my gears and I have no desire to ride a bike at 30 mph-too durn fast for this 70 year old (-:
 

TurboGoat

New Member
Oct 26, 2009
14
0
0
Ruston, LA
I suggest looking for a steel frame mtb, quick release wheels(rebuild or have the hubs rebuilt), and an 1 1/8" compatible headtube(for a suspension fork of course). A threaded 1 1/8" can easily be converted to a threadless setup and a suspension fork makes the riding experience all the better. 18"+ frame size What I just described was standard stuff on alot of mtb's manufactured from 1988-1998 Trek, Specialized, Kona, Gary Fisher, Raliegh etc.
 

jauguston

New Member
May 1, 2010
142
0
0
Bellingham, WA
If you decide to switch from a rigid front fork to a suspension front fork see if there is a coop bike repair place in your area. I bought a 1 1/8" suspension front fork at out local coop shop used for $14.00. Regular bike shops were talking $150.00 and up. The fork I got was not rated very high by the mountain bike purest Forums but for my riding it sure takes a lot of the jolt out of my old arms and shoulders.

Jim
 

corgi1

New Member
Aug 13, 2009
2,272
3
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KCMO
And at $14 it can be replaced for less than fixing any part of it (especially any part of a high dollar one)
 

Fred the Wizard

New Member
Aug 10, 2010
9
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0
South King County
I installed an 80cc ZB slant kit on my Schwinn MTB. There were no insurmountable problems. The kit came with brackets for oversize tubes but a Schwinn is the bike shown in the installation instructions. One tip though. At least with the ZB the instructions that came with the kit were bogus. The online manual was much better although there were still a few glitches. I posted an explanation of my adventure with it in the general discussion threads. Good luck.