New from TX - Box on doorstep today!

[Dirt Road Cowboy]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here, and new to MB's.

I just got the 80cc kit I ordered from ebay, and next I need to find a bike. I'll be looking around at thrift stores and pawn shops. If I can't find something cheap there or CL, I'll probably get the Cranbrook from Wally World and keep it all Chinese! LOL

I've been reading a lot of posts here, and this sounds like a lot of fun. I did/do have some power concerns, but I have to remember that this is supposed to be a motor assisted bicycle, not a pedal assisted motorcycle.

Maybe someday I will go a bit crazy and build a pedal assisted small motorcycle and use my Cuyuna 215 (20hp 2-stroke) in a bicycle frame, but it will have to be built really strong! LOL

I also have a couple of bigger bikes, a 78 GL1000 Goldwing, and a 73 Ironhead Sportster, but I was really wanting something small to just zip around locally with, and a MB sounds pretty good for that. Plus it's cheap, just like me! LOL

Anyway, thanks for all the great info, and I'll post a build report when I get started.

 

[dirt]

Good to have to have you here. A shift kit would take it from motor/pedal assist to motor only.

 

[GearNut]

Welcome to the forum!
I'd like to see the Ironhead stuffed into a bicycle frame.

 

[Al.Fisherman]

Welcome...
Please read this....

http://www.mediafire.com/?k14v8jfej4nj434

 

[biknut]

Welcome to the forum from Dallas neighbor. Good luck with the build.

 

[Dirt Road Cowboy]

Thanks for the welcome everyone, and the engine tips!

I just went to nearly all the pawn shops in town, none of them deal with bikes!
Craigslist is too high, or far away.

Looks like I'm getting closer to Wally World!

 

[happycheapskate]

Tyler has a lot of hills! You will get to test your bike and skills for sure.

 

[cosmickid]

Hey DRC..
Welcome to the site.
I'm new here too, I live over near Lone Star,
not too far away from you.
There's some folks up in Texarkana that are
building & selling MB's, going to drive up there
in the next week or two and check out their
bike builds.
Nice to see other folks in the area getting up
on MB's.
You might check out some of the junk shops in
the area for a bike. I was at an estate sale earlier
today and they had already sold the 4 bikes they
were selling. shucks!!!!

 

[GearNut]

Wow! Pawn shops that don't deal with bicycles? That really does suck!
The pawn shop down the hill from me always has 5 or more outside for sale.
The problem is he is too greedy. I saw a Schwinn Landmark there about a month ago.
He wanted $200 for it. WalMart sold it brand new for $159.

Keep checking estate sales and garage sales. There's a good one waiting for you to own it.

Here's a half decent China bike from WalMart.com
Walmart.com: Schwinn Southport Men's 7 Speed Cruiser Bike: Bikes & Riding Toys

 

[Goat Herder]

Howdy welcome to the forum biker!

 

[Dirt Road Cowboy]

Guess what I found!!!

I went to Wal Mart to just bite the bullet and buy a bike, but I just didn't see anything I really liked.
The Cranbrook was about the best one they had in my local store, but I wanted multi-gears. I figured that I could always get a CB as a last resort.

I went to a local bike shop, and all they carry are new bikes, mostly Treks! I'm not paying $2000 and up for a multi-geared bike! They did have one single speed Chinese cruiser for $500, but I didn't like it.

The next stop was the Salvation Army. I found a 26" Schwinn Frontier mountain bike for $39.99! The lady said she just brought it out 2 minutes before I walked in!
It's an older bike, made in Taiwan, but everything on it is Shimano! Woo Hoo!

So, I'll start a new build thread in the Mountain Bike section. I didn't picture myself with a mountain bike. I thought I'd probably get a cruiser or road bike, but I have absolutely no complaints about it. Better for off-road explorations!

 

[GearNut]

That should make for an excellent MB.
Steel frame, plenty of gears (21) and linear pull calipers already put you ahead of the game.
Go for an SBP shift kit and you'll be really set.

 

[happycheapskate]

Walmart is ok for generic stuff, and you don't have to pay anywhere near $2000 for a mountain bike. There are LOTS of old-school hardtail Trek 820 's on Craigslist. The rigid ones from the 90's handle great and came with dependable parts and wheels.

You can buy brand new mountain bikes with modern stuff for about $400-800 very easily, by checking places like Bikes, Cycling Clothing, Bike Parts & Cycling Gear: Bike Discounts & Deals from Nashbar, Save Up To 60% Off Road Bikes, Bicycles, Mountain Bikes and Bicycles with Bikesdirect.com, New with full warranties, or craigslist.

 

[Texhun]

Hey DRC. Greetings from some random place 30 miles south of Waco, welcome to the forum. Have you tried target they have some good deals on bikes, a friend of mine got a schwinn clairmont for pretty cheap from wally worlds website. You might have some luck looking there.

 

[Dirt Road Cowboy]

The day after I got my Schwinn Frontier, I found someone selling a Roadmaster 15 speed for $25, so I bought that one too.

Later that day, my son was complaining about how hard it was to find used men's bikes. I told him about my score earlier that day, and when I showed it to him, I could tell that he would get some good use out of it and I gave it to him.

He's thinking about motorizing it, but he wants to see how everything goes with mine first.

I haven't even really started yet, and I'm already making converts! LOL!

 

[waistofhumanspace]

I would only suggest that you use an OLD schwinn, the steel is better to weld on IF you have to & it hold up to the vibrations too. most of the new bikes are so built with metal so thin that beer cans are thicker.

 

[Dirt Road Cowboy]

I would only suggest that you use an OLD schwinn, the steel is better to weld on IF you have to & it hold up to the vibrations too. most of the new bikes are so built with metal so thin that beer cans are thicker.

It's an old Schwinn Frontier mountain bike from the late 80's, or early 90's. It has all Shimano parts on it, so that's something I won't have to upgrade.

It seems to be well built, at least better than the stuff I saw at Wal Mart, and it has to be stronger than a Cranbrook!

 

[Texhun]

All I can say is you can't beat an old schwinn for a MB.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Howdy from THE Forum! Larger citys have Scrap metal yards. I buy some nice bikes for two and three dollars sometimes. There sold by the pound there. Just info, that's what We do here.