Question: Proper Bicycle for 66cc?

[BeaverRat]

Hey guys!
I have a friend who has commisoned me to build him a 66cc bike. He is buying the bicycle and I am sticking one of my engines on it. We were wondering what a good budget bike is to install this on. Ideally he wants the price to be around 100 dollars for the bicycle, but we dont want a crap bicycle that is gonna fall apart in a couple days. A nice strong steel frame would be a plus too! Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[bairdco]

unless you score a fantastic deal on an old used bike on craigslist, 100 bucks won't buy you a bike that will last.

if you want to put it into perspective, a good pair of boots costs twice that much.

and your buddy will need those boots to push his broken bike home.

not trying to be a jerk about it, but thems are the facts.

if he wants a bike to ride once or twice a month, a 100 dollar bike will probably last him a year, if he's lucky (once or twice a month equals out to 12-24 rides.)

in the long run, a cheap bike will cost you more. almost everything needs to be upgraded or replaced/repaired as it breaks.

and you, being the builder, will soon find out how strong your friendship is when he's calling you everyday with another problem.

i'm talking from experience, and a lot of other people here will give you the same story.

on average, using old american bikes, my builds cost me from 300-600 bucks, not including the engine or the labor. i do everything myself, from lacing wheels, paint, welding, custom tanks, etc. if i charged full pop for the labor, i'd never sell a bike.

my advice is to convince your friend how much fun and what a great learning experience it is to build it himself. saves you a lot of headaches...