what do i look for in a bicycle engine kit

[biker]

i keep seeing all these diferent kits on ebay. what should i look for to make sure i am getting a good kit. any help would be deeply apreciated

 

[Pablo]

I'm no expert - so others will chime in:

A proven kit that others have put together with no major issues. Knowing someone who has done that kit is good, but asking on a website is fine too

80cc engine with good bearings and non-cheesy carb
Good clutch
Good gas tank with real petcock
HD mounts and frame adapter
Real clutch handle and nice twist throttle
HD MC chain (not a bike chain)
Good quality sprockets and chain tensioner
Good real English instructions

 

[paul]

hi biker. do not go with the cheapest kit you can find. company's are putting better kits out thier every day. i bought the cheapest i could find from not knowing anybetter and ended up spending more by trying to make it right. we have a few members that really know thier stuff and imagine they will tell you more. i have heard all kits are the same but they are not so do not believe it. welcome to motorbicycling you are in for a lot of fun and cannot wait to here about your bike and see pictures of your build

 

[ChrisHill]

Hey there Biker...welcome to motorbicycling.

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when you make your purchase...least of all should be the bottom dollar on eBay, unless you don't mind dealing with headaches and issues.
Your best bet is to ask questions (lots), read as much information as you can with regards to what is available out there. If you can find any reviews, read them carefully and compare what you find out to other engines and dealers. The other good thing is to ask other riders what engines they are riding, and if they have had any issues with the engine or the dealer. Consider the warranty that is being offered, and what it consists of...does it seem fair?
Also, ask yourself about what you are purchasing. Does it make sense that you could really purchase an engine of decent quality for that price?...chances are if the price seems almost to good to be true, it likely is.

Cruiser is more than right when he says that not all these engines are the same...even though they may look very similar...it's what happens on the inside of that engine that decides if it is quality or not.

I hope the above information (or lack of) didn't sound like any type of sales pitch. The link for my website is in my signature for that purpose, lol. I am just offering advice on how to find a good engine.
Naturally, I would say that my engines are the best there is, but that wouldn't be a good thing to say unless my customers say it too...and they do.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with me.

 

[paul]

biker i have looked at the kits chris has and also read reviews on them and he has a top notch product. definately take a look at his website and ask questions that is what the forum is for.

 

[biker]

Thank you Chris, Pablo and Cruiser. I have been thinking about building one of these for some time but with know one to talk to about it and no where to ask for help I been a bit afraid. Nice website Chris. There is a ton of information their which I still need to go over. You all have given me a starting point and glad I found this forum. I was ready to buy the cheapest thing I could find but you all are keeping me from making a bad mistake. Now I just need to convince the wife to let me get one. I think when I show her how much money we can save with me using the bike just to go back and forth to work she will say its ok. I imagine I will have lots more questions for you soon.

 

[ChrisHill]

Thank you for the compliments on the site...even though it still needs a ton of work. It'll take finding some time, which right now is almost impossible, lol...working 7 days a week, and building bikes, and a hobby/business, and a family, and, and, and...lol.

You could tell your wife about all the money that you will save on gas, insurance, and maintenance and that you need the exercise, lol. If she's like mine she'll be happy that you are saving the money...means she can shop more

If you have questions for me personally, you can get in touch with me thru this forum (PM me or a post), email me [email protected], or give me a call (evenings are best) 1-807-628-0667.
I look forward to being able to help in any way that I can.

Take care, and have a good one.

 

[iRide Customs]

Re: what do i look for in an engine kit

Here's a short comparison of 2 engine kits I did a while back. The two engines are a 48cc round head from Simpsonmotoredbikes.com and a 70cc from ThatsDax.

I got my Dax 70cc kit today for the new bike...WOOOO HOOOO!!! First impression was mixed. Some good things in the kit and some not so good things.

My first Grubee 48cc round head kit came from Motorbikemike (Simpsonmotorbikes.com) and I was pleased with it.

Mike's kit came without a fuel line or a fuel filter...Dax's kit came with them.

Mike's kit came with the beefy motor mounts...Dax's kit has the wimpy stamped steel ones.

Mike's kit came with extra, long mounting studs and mounting blocks...Dax's kit had 1 extra mounting block and no extra, long studs.

Mike's kit comes with the nice plastic throttle with the built in kill switch...Dax's come with an aluminum throttle (which has a throttle body sized for a 7 year old's hand) and the seperate cheesy kill switch.

Dax's kit comes with a better engineered air cleaner...Mike's has an older style that just happened to break on me 2 days ago (going to have to do the beer can treatment)

Dax's kit comes with the heavy duty chain...Mike's does not (could be because Mike's was a 48cc)

Dax's kit came with a matching grip for the non-throttle side...Mike's had no matching grip.

Other than those thing, the kits had pretty much identical items, i.e., chainguide, chainguard, tank, petcock, tool kit, instruction manual, etc.

I am very excited to try out the new roller bearing kit from Dax and I hope it treats me to miles of "bug it teeth" grins! More to come as the project takes form.

Dan

The instruction book from Mike Simpson was much more informitive than Dax's and if you want to see the whole review thread on a different forum, I can PM you the link

The 48cc was $325 (I think) and the Dax kit was only $225...that's with shipping.

 

[onij]

I'm new to this forum, and am very happy with all of the information I have read. I know it's been a few months, but if you happen to read this, could you send me the link to your full review. I have very little money, and my car just died. I won't be able to afford another one for several months but with the way gas prices are rising, I figured this would be the way to go. Unfortunately $200 is pushing it for me. I understand that the cheapest you go, the less quality you get, but can anyone recommend another kit for under $200 that isn't bad? This dax kit may be worth it though. Not sure.

 

[deacon]

my kit came from this dealer he seems to be stable not much else i can say about him... the kit was okay if I had assembled it correctly...Motor bicycle Motorized BIKE GAS ENGINE KIT MOPED 80cc - eBay (item 190224589827 end time May-28-08 17:29:28 PDT) You could bid on one and maybe save a few bucks.

 

[packeryman]

Hey there Biker...welcome to motorbicycling.

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when you make your purchase...least of all should be the bottom dollar on eBay, unless you don't mind dealing with headaches and issues.
Your best bet is to ask questions (lots), read as much information as you can with regards to what is available out there. If you can find any reviews, read them carefully and compare what you find out to other engines and dealers. The other good thing is to ask other riders what engines they are riding, and if they have had any issues with the engine or the dealer. Consider the warranty that is being offered, and what it consists of...does it seem fair?
Also, ask yourself about what you are purchasing. Does it make sense that you could really purchase an engine of decent quality for that price?...chances are if the price seems almost to good to be true, it likely is.

Cruiser is more than right when he says that not all these engines are the same...even though they may look very similar...it's what happens on the inside of that engine that decides if it is quality or not.

I hope the above information (or lack of) didn't sound like any type of sales pitch. The link for my website is in my signature for that purpose, lol. I am just offering advice on how to find a good engine.
Naturally, I would say that my engines are the best there is, but that wouldn't be a good thing to say unless my customers say it too...and they do.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with me.

I purchased one of Chris Hill's kits and am very happy with it. Have not had any problems. After each run for any length of time I check head bolts and ect with a precision torque wrench and none have loosen up. He appears to have done excelent work on the engine. I run the 44 sprocket and am going to try the 36. Here in Corpus the land is very flat. I have put together another bike with the Honda GX50 frame mounted and the Grubee 111 centrifucal clutch gearbox. The gearbox sounds like a thrashing machine at low speeds and lightens up on the noise factor as you increase speed. I have taken it apart several times to lube all bushings,bearings and gears but to no avail.