Vanishing Hobby

W

wrenching4fun

Well-Known Member
Does anyone else think this is a lonely hobby? I don't know a single person in my state who shares this interest. When I was an avid hunter and fisherman, I was surrounded by friends anxious to go. Before Hurricane Isabel took out my Harley, I rode on a regular basis with like-minded enthusiasts. Not long ago I could call ten friends to ride in a parade and we'd have MBs, Vespas, Cushmans, and Whizzers, all rumbling along the parade route.

Today I tinker in solitude and no one except a handful of strangers on online forums gives two hoots. Either I've gotten withdrawn in my golden years or the hobby has been overtaken by ebikes and cyclecarts. Has anyone else thought about moving on to more fertile ground.
 
I've noticed a large decline over the years. When I lived in Oak Ridge there were several motorized bicycles. Before I moved from Oak Ridge I seldom saw one. In my town of Rock Wood I've only seen one other motorized bicycle and that was 4 years ago. I'm currently the only motorized bicycle rider in my town right now.
 
I realize we have to accept change, but to me it's a symptom of something out of whack. I grew to appreciate the thrill of motorization when my dad introduced my younger brother and me to gokarts. That led to tinkering with motorbikes and then muscle cars. I see so many young boys and men who would much rather play video games than build something. To me it's an unfortunate sign of the time we live in. Life cannot be fully experienced behind a video screen.
 
I agree change is happening. I've been riding my whole life of 71 yrs. When I was a teenager every kid wanted a motorcycle. Now they don't. But back in the day there wasn't much choice. You either got a motorcycle, car, or you were walking. That's not the case anymore, because now there's all kinds of electric alternatives and bikes aren't even at the top of the list. The only riders still into gas bikes are for the most part are north of 50 yrs old.

Last night I rode my newest bike, Bullwinkle, to the Dallas bike night meet up. Every rider looked at least 50ish. Guess which bike got the most attention? Not necessarily from the other riders, but pedestrians walking by would stop and point out my bike of all the bikes there, and say stuff like what a cool bike. You couldn't tell if they even noticed any of the other bikes. You can fight the change, or you can become the change, the choice is yours.
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Unfortunately, a segment of society connects anything daring with toxic masculinity. Equally unfortunate is the fact that any young man who thinks that way should stay off of anything that moves faster than an escalator! When we were young we yearned for excitement. Today excitement is confused with danger. Just like my old grandmother use to tell me when I rode my Puch around her place. "Motorbikes are sooooo scary and, they smell!"
 
wrenching4fun said:
Better photos of Bullwinkle?
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wrenching4fun said:
Unfortunately, a segment of society connects anything daring with toxic masculinity. Equally unfortunate is the fact that any young man who thinks that way should stay off of anything that moves faster than an escalator! When we were young we yearned for excitement. Today excitement is confused with danger. Just like my old grandmother use to tell me when I rode my Puch around her place. "Motorbikes are sooooo scary and, they smell!"
Click to expand...
Maybe the young generation aren't as lost as media makes them out to be. At least there's a sizeable portion that aren't. They may not like motorcycles, but speed and danger are still as high on the list as ever. I've been on rides with 50 mph unicycles (euc) that are very popular, and a 40 mph skate boards (eSk8). There's slower things called one wheels that are ridden surf board style, and only top out at 20 mph, but the worst accident I've seen so far was on one of them. The rider broke his leg so badly they almost had to amputate. The euc riders have learned the hard way that full body armor is a must, and a common topic of conversation is about the bones they've broken. I haven't heard of anyone getting killed though, which happened to some of my friends when I was their age. I was riding the red bike is this video.
 

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California isn't the only state run by idiot politicians who thrive on regulations that strip people of liberty. Most who want to deprive us of unregistered transportation are chauffeured around at our expense. Until we scream enough, they'll continue their encroachment.
 
Motorbikes were popular thru 1940 - 1965 but mopeds and scooters from Italy and Japan took over
Motorbikes made a comeback in 1998 with the next generation Whizzer Motorbike made in Taiwan
China came out with a copy of a Russian 2 stroke motorbike engine in kit form - Bolt on any bike
You average 16 year old boy wanted a motorbike or had a motorbike
From 1999 - 2015 I saw motorbikes all over the place and many motorbike clubs were formed
These motorbikes ruled up until 2015 then E Bikes hit the US streets

E bike is the main attraction now for the average 16 yr old boy in Ca. as they ride the 45mph Surron
All teenagers now have some kind of E bike

Motorbikes are once again only for those who love them and are willing to build them and work on them
Motorbike crowd is mainly guys over 50 yrs old

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wrenching4fun said:
Does anyone else think this is a lonely hobby? I don't know a single person in my state who shares this interest. When I was an avid hunter and fisherman, I was surrounded by friends anxious to go. Before Hurricane Isabel took out my Harley, I rode on a regular basis with like-minded enthusiasts. Not long ago I could call ten friends to ride in a parade and we'd have MBs, Vespas, Cushmans, and Whizzers, all rumbling along the parade route.

Today I tinker in solitude and no one except a handful of strangers on online forums gives two hoots. Either I've gotten withdrawn in my golden years or the hobby has been overtaken by ebikes and cyclecarts. Has anyone else thought about moving on to more fertile ground.
Click to expand...
I've only seen one fella that had a 4-stroke 49cc bike and he said it was stolen and the police recovered it. The fella that stole his bike
just abused the heck out of it and ruined the rear rim and spokes. I told him I had a rim that had good spokes in it and he could have it
for free. That's been about 3-years ago and I haven't seen him around. I don't know anyone in the area that has any 2-stroke or 4-stroke
bikes either. I suspect that the kids today do not have the mechanical aptitude to build motorized bikes. My first build was a 49cc 4-stroke
bike and I know that that bike has over 6K miles on it until I had problem with the magneto which is now obsolete. While I had that bike I
built a Predator 212 bike and I'd hate to say how many miles I have on that bike. That engine is a torque-monster and I use it to pull
trailers and groceries.

I went to Ebikes or I should say, EMopeds and as far as pulling trailers heavily load, you can hardly tell you have a trailer behind you loaded
or empty! One of the Emopeds is a 48 volt Geared Hub Motor and the other one is the Walfisk Ultra 60 volt with the Direct Drive Hubmotor.
I would never buy a Geared Hubmotor driven bike and also would stay with at least a 60 volt or more battery system. I only know one fella in
my area that has a HappyRun EMoped and I suppose he like it a lot. I'd like to talk to him to see what he thinks of it. Another friend of mine
has noticed in his big city that People are buying Ebikes of all kinds to save money verses driving cars for transportation.

I think that building a GasBike will actually cost you more in parts and your labor just to accomplish your goal. I'd hate to say how many $$$
I have spent building the 49cc bike and then the 212 Predator bike. Check with Indian22 on what he is working on and his HD Ebike is a game
changer! The GasBikes, Ebikes and EMopeds can give a fella a wealth of mechanical knowledge and that probably out-weighs any satisfaction
for buying a ready-built product! Buy a ready-built product and improve it to make it better in quality and to suit your purpose is another way to
learn about Ebikes and even GasBikes.
 
I have an e-bike mainly as a source of exercise. The pedal-assist function allows me a good workout without over-taxing my old bones. It's appealing to be able to jump on and go without any preparation other than overnight charging.

However, as EZL points out, there is something to be said for riding a one-of-a-kind bike built with your own hands. And personally, I like the sound of an engine propelling me down the road even if it is only 2 or 3 horsepower. Finally, I don't suffer from range anxiety with my motorbikes. If I get low on fuel I simply take on more and keep on going. When your battery is depleted on an e-bike, you are sidelined for a recharge.
 
Yes my bike is a conversation with people no matter where I park it. It's also nice to know there's no other bike in the world that looks like mine.

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