Is this kit Good, Bad, or ugly?

GoldenMotor.com

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
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Littleton, Colorado
Staton has a good reputation for quality. I'm not a friction drive fan but there are a lot of them out there.
Good luck.

Tom
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
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San Diego, Kaliforgnia
Friction drives will not eat up rear tires if you choose the correct ones. Look for a tire with a flat tread profile and a tread pattern that is rather smooth, not knobby.
That said, it is true that a friction driven tire will not last quite as long as a chain or belt driven one.
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
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San Diego, Kaliforgnia
From what I have learned on this forum, friction drives last about the same time assuming that the chinagirl engine you get is a good one. The Tanaka, Mitsubishi and Subaru engines are definitely better built than the chinagirls and you are more apt to get a longer life and reliability from them without the gamble you have with a chinagirl.
Chinagirls have more brute power though.
Chinagirls are also alot cheaper to rebuild and have waaay more aftermarket support in regards to performance upgrades.
 

The_Aleman

Active Member
Jul 31, 2008
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el People's Republik de Kalifornistan
That friction drive kit should last a long time. They are very simple and far better built than an out-of-the-box chinagirl.

As mentioned above, rear tire choice is very important. I recommend something like a CST C1218. Very durable, should play nice with a FD.

One thing tho: if you ride on wet roads a lot, you may not like a friction drive. They can slip.
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
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San Diego, Kaliforgnia
On flat ground it would travel the same once you are up to speed.
It will slip a bit under brisk acceleration or climbing a grade.
Water will act like a lubricant between the drive roller and the tire.
If it is slippery it will slip.
 

Albula vulpes

New Member
Mar 16, 2010
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FL
A friction drive is more reliable than the 66cc inframe chinagirls. They run fine when wet until the roller wears down from excessive wear. Then they start to slip when wet. I would get the BMP(roadbug) friction kit over the staton, because you can change the roller with little effort after the roller wears down.
 

Ironhorse5.1

New Member
May 11, 2014
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Norman, Oklahoma
A friction drive is more reliable than the 66cc inframe chinagirls. They run fine when wet until the roller wears down from excessive wear. Then they start to slip when wet. I would get the BMP(roadbug) friction kit over the staton, because you can change the roller with little effort after the roller wears down.
The roller is heat treated and zinc plated. I'm not worried about it wearing out.