Is this kit Good, Bad, or ugly?

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
 
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.
 
So would it be a better buy than a 66cc chain driven, or would the friction drive last longer and be more reliable?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
lenny9651 said:
that friction drive will eat up your back tire quick
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I have over 200 miles on my Staton friction drive and have almost zero tire wear. He uses an improved straight cut roller design as opposed to the diamond textured ones and it is up to the rider to properly adjust the pressure.
 

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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.
 
Albula vulpes said:
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.
Click to expand...

The roller is heat treated and zinc plated. I'm not worried about it wearing out.
 
To be honest, it looks like you could make one out of some flatbar, angle iron, bicycle peg and a honda engine. Honda > All.
 
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