New Guy-1st Build-Im thinkin 4Stroke??

[Special Ed]

Hey Guys,
first off let me say what a cool forum this is. I have been on lots of other forums for other hobbies and this one is hands down one of the most informative and friendly I have found.

OK so heres my story:
Im a bike guy. Love my road bikes & Mtn bikes but mostly my old collectables( Stingrays and Cruisers). I always have a garage full of bikes in various states of restoration.I have had over 100 bikes over the years. I ride them all- no shelf queens that never get ridden.
Im NOT a Motor Guy- never have been, but im not afraid to give it a try.
I live in Huntington Beach Calif. and my daily commute to work is 10miles all along Pacific Coast Highway- virtually flat the whole way.
Im 225lbs if I skip lunch haha.
For my 1st Project I want something reliable and sturdy to ride to work a few days a week.
If I get the "bug" I can for sure see myself building a board track racer or a cool Cruiser, but that's project #2.

For this first attempt- Im thinking of a 4stroke kit and mounting it to an old KHS Mtn Bike I have. theres plenty of room Height wise, but im not sure about pedal clearance.
From what I have been reading here- the 4stroke kits seem to more reliable out of the box and run at full speed for a longer period of time.
So thats my story. Advice is always appreciated, especially if im way off base in my thinking.
Thanks,
Ed.

 

[WightBoy]

Welcome! I went 4 stroke on my first build and love it. You can get 3 piece cranks that will give you more clearance or you can also try bending your crank arms to provide clearance too. I would agree that 4 stroke is more reliable but if you want to run wide open all day, 2 stroke in my opinion is the way to go!

 

[Special Ed]

Thanks for the info Wightboy.

 

[Shobiz1492]

i personally like the 2 stoke engines because of the simplicity of them, the cost of them and the fact that you really dont need that much power, i have a pk80 bike and thats plenty for me. dont get me wrong, 4 strokes are great, but i personally like the 2 cycle

 

[Special Ed]

Thanks Guys,
Im now heavily leaning toward a 2 stroke. With everything i read and after talking with Dax I think that's the route im taking. Appreciate the input.

 

[Dan]

Howdy Ed, welcome.

 

[zwebx]

i thought the 2 strokes would have been the beez knee's also but there just not built well... i have had 2 of them and my 4stroke kit has done double the ammount of k's than both of them combined
i mean if you were to put a morine motor in there i would love that because there built well
but imo and experience has made me love my 4stroke (i have also talked to another local and he said he was also going to 4stroke)
but hey thats my 2cents
maybe ones from dax are better than the ones i got i dont know all i know is one failed prematurly from dodgy casting ruining the bore and the second went for longer than 15 minutes and went approx 300 - 400km and the clutch froze on me i will see how the mix of both of those bikes go together when i have some time

 

[LabRat]

I have had three blue smokers, Still have one. Build 4 strokes now - less problems.

 

[2door]

Welcome Ed,

2 stroke verses 4. It's really a case of chocolate verses vanilla. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Those who have had bad luck with a 2 stroke will tell you to go 4 stroke for dependability. On the other side are those who have had only good experiences with the little Chinese 2 stroker and swear by them. I fall into that catagory and I prefer the looks of an in-frame 2 stroke.

Read a lot and look at pictures of the bikes built by the members here and make your decision based on personal preference. Either way you're guaranteed to have fun.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

Tom