Ridley Vintage Bicycle

GoldenMotor.com
Easy Rider

Easy Rider

Santa Cruz Scooter Works
Jan 15, 2008
2,145
7
38
Nor*Cal
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

Wow! For that price you might as well buy a Whizzer or a SCSW Full Suspension bike.
 
ebmvegan

ebmvegan

New Member
Jul 15, 2008
283
0
0
OC, Ca
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

The bike looks really cool. A gas tank that is the frame is a really clean look. I wonder how much gas the bikes hold. It doesn't look to be a whole lot. Well, if anyone is willing to shell out that kind of money for something most of us can build at a fraction of the price, good for the dealer. I would like to see one on the road so I can pull up next to it and show the purchaser that they spent way too much.
 
T

themark

New Member
Oct 16, 2008
18
0
0
Tokyo
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

I'm not sure how credible these guys are... they've lifted their website photos directly from the FELT website, and have photoshopped the engine into place, and in some cases, the gas cap.

Felt Bicycles 2008

if you look at Ridley's outdoor product photos you'll notice that the gas cap, and some of FELT's graphics are mysteriously absent. I e-mailed FELT to ask them if they were affiliated, but am still waiting for a reply.

And $2000 is steep, but not as bad as Derringer...$3000+
 
tyrslider

tyrslider

New Member
Sep 26, 2008
958
2
0
RainCity
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

Seems you have to bladder those frames to make the tank work as a tank. I don't think they make'm sealed from Felt.
 
tyrslider

tyrslider

New Member
Sep 26, 2008
958
2
0
RainCity
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

wow that's pretty bad photoshop job. I think those cruisers are about $600 and how about their $500 motor kits?
 
Clotho

Clotho

Member
May 25, 2008
304
2
18
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

If you go to RidleyCycles you will see that Ridley is a real motorcycle company that has been manufacturing a quality product for a number of years.

I like their latest offering of the Felt cruisers very much. $2000 may seem steep at first until you consider how much work it takes to create this bike. Making the tank fuel tight is a fair bit of work to do properly. Nobody uses a bladder that I know of. Most either weld them which messes up the paint and requires heat treating or they use metal epoxy to seal them and follow it up with tank sealer which is probably what is done here. Also their motor mount is a work of art. It is CNC machined out of solid aluminum. You can see it here: Engine pic. I also see other upgrades on the bike shown such as the brass petcock and the automotive plug wire.

I think the price tag is reasonable especially if you compare it to the Derringer bikes which are really little more than a Chinese engine and paint slapped on a cruiser frame. He even uses the (shudder) hole in the frame motor mount. I feel sorry for his customers as they are truly being taken advantage of.

I know whereof I speak My Felt
I haven't accurately measured the tank capacity of my bike but I have heard that they hold .57 of an American gallon which sounds about right. My bike holds a little more than 2 litres.

Many people are not capable or not willing to build a bike like this themselves. For them $2000 would probably be quite reasonable and I am sure that this company will sell many of these
 
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Dan

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
59
Moosylvania
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

They are pretty with some excellent touches. But they are all one speed with coaster brakes on the rear and none up front. The average person is right handed, Therefor right footed. So at a red light on a hill, you have to push off with your left foot which is awkward for some folks. If you have to stop fast, (and how often does that happen?) and your feet are not in the right position, things can get ugly at 30MPH. If you watch the 1st vid of the bike being reved, it is shaking badly and the muffler is wiggling. That beautiful forward mount seems to be failing.

Love the tank and Felts are awesome foundations for a MB. But this is not a good idea at half the price.

Add brakes and a better mount and these would rock. (but not at 2K)


Andy, I wasn't being contrary towards you. We must have been typing at the same time.
 
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Clotho

Clotho

Member
May 25, 2008
304
2
18
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

Good call on the brakes, or rather the lack thereof. I hadn't noticed that. Mine came with a front drum brake which works quite well and looks similar to these but these bikes do not have it. The one shown is actually a 3 speed with a coaster brake and I agree that this is inadequate.

We are going to have to disagree on the price however. Joe consumer just wants to buy the bike and have no problems or at least someone to offer him support when there is a problem. Building the product in small runs and providing the required support costs money. You have to build in adequate margin to cover all this. Most of us on this board are not the target market for this product. We can build it ourselves and support it ourselves.

I'm not affiliated with this company in any way. I don't even live in the same country. I am an experienced entrepreneur however and I am confident that I could have sold several of those bikes at $2000 each to the many, many people that have stopped me on my travels and asked. "Where did you get that?"
 
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Dan

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
59
Moosylvania
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

Clotho, you're definitely right. Fair market value is what the market will bare. And They are truly good looking (markeitable) MBs. I certainly wish them well. The web page and presentation is fantastic. The safety thing is just nawing at me. Even buying all materials at retail, it is a very high profit margin and about double the cost of similar products.

You are right though, they will sell.
 
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Clotho

Clotho

Member
May 25, 2008
304
2
18
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

The profit margin may seem high. I figure it is about 100%. However if you compare it to other industries it doesn't seem all that unreasonable. Clothing and Jewelry come to mind. Both can be as high as 1000% and this is more the rule rather than the exception.

What the market will bear is the true measure. They really do need to improve the brakes before they sell this to anyone however.

If you were considering selling a product like this how much would you ask? Have you considered the cost of space, labor, materials, advertising, insurance, etc.?

I am often surprised how cheaply some of the builders here think their finished product should sell for. They don't seem to put much value upon their time. Even after a sale is completed it is still likely that more time will have to be spent to make sure it is a happy customer.

The Chinese engine kits may be inexpensive but in the end they probably cost much more than other kits due to the fact that greater effort has to be made to ensure their smooth functioning and reliability.

There ain't no free lunch. You pay either in time and effort or you pay in dollars.
 
Dan

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
59
Moosylvania
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

Clotho said:
If you were considering selling a product like this how much would you ask?
Click to expand...
$1,300. Compete with the existing producers who have lighting integrated and heighten my profit margin with volume materials purchases as I develope a customer base. Invest time and money with out working for free. Fair price and profit.

The back yard builder and our apatite for cheap has definitely made this a ruff market.

That tank is big time labor intensive. But for top $, the design should be better. The vibration, braking and a better engine. Can't see the cap on any of the vids.

But dang them's some pretty bikes! In a year or two might just see a Ridly section here.
 
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Bikeguy Joe

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

I will build anyone a custom bike with a "regular" motorized bicycle engine kit gas tank, to your specifications and deliver it to you personally anywhere in the continental U.S. for 2000.00.

Tax free.
 
Dan

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
59
Moosylvania
Re: Ridley.. anyone seen these?

I have been looking at a Felt in a nearby bike shop for a year+ It is a discontinued "trestle" Very cool looking one speed. The front forks already have a hole were front brakes can be bolted on! They will sell me a set for $20. The bike is $325. Been there a long time and they want it to sell. In wanting to figure out how they did the gas tank, I looked around the web found that some folks have been doing it for years. It costs about $60 and can be done with out welding or harming paint!!! This is very cool. I been lusting after that bike. If rear coaster brakes with new fronts are not up to the task, I will drill the STEEL, (Gotta love steel!) cross support over rear tire. This also gives me an excuse to try an experimental "spill proof gas cap" I have been wanting to make. ..., I will stop and stay on topic, for once, rotfl

OK, I lied. snork
Any one with a 4 stroke know the dimensions? Mounting plate and engine height. Bike has 7" from down tube to seat tube above the chain and 11"+ to the bottom of the top tube.
 
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