Chinese Quality Fade

I have a kings 80 on my stingray and I bought a second one as a spare. So far this engine hasn't let me down but it is fickle as to how it's going to perform. It took an incredible amount of tweaking and aftermarket parts to get this engine functioning reliably on the bike. For these reasons I bought a staton kit. Sure they're bulky, sure they're pricey. But I'll be darned if I don't get to enjoy some good all day rides this summer. American and Japanese engineering and manufacturing won't leave me stranded. I'm expecting the bicycle to give up before the engine, gearbox or nuvinci do. Once that happens or I'm ready for an upgrade the kit and all the extras will be easily transferred to another bicycle. Sure, I could have bought a complete scooter or moped for the same cost but with the universal nature of this kit I'll never be out of spare parts.
On the other hand I don't think the HT kits would have gone anywhere if it wasn't for their low price. I bet more than half of the people on these forums would have never even started motorizing bikes without these kits low price, me included. Now that I see how fun MBing is I'm more than willing to shell out good cash to build a reliable bike.
We also can't totally blame the vendors of these kits for looking overseas for their products since the good 'ol USA has almost lost all of it's manufacturing capabilities. Even if price wasn't a factor you'd be hard pressed to find any factories in this country that could build anything other than weapons nowadays. We've got the perfect economic and political storm brewing and our country is at the epicenter of it. Look around you, everything is deteriorating, we're being taxed more than ever before, your fellow citizens are making less now than they were in the early 70's (adjusted for inflation.) Yet our corporations make record profits at the worlds expense. You have more to worry about than the possible shady aspirations of HT kit vendors. If you dont like where X vendor buys their stuff from then don't buy from them. It's only the nature of business to try to grow as fast as possible. If they don't they're doomed to failure.
 
Why I love my Happy Time

A few years ago,I aquired a 1971 Honda 750 four. It didn't run when I bought it for 100 bucks. I cleaned and sincronized the carburetors and checked compression and got her running...okay. Then I took it on the highway. Man what a blast. I was FLYING,man. Going 65 mph. But you see,going that fast was only half the thrill. Today's bikes 65 is nothing. It was a thrill cause it's an ancient bike. The steering bearings were shot,tires all cracked,the fork shocks had like no dampening and from 45 mph on the steering would shake violently. So you can only imagine what 65 mph felt like.
That's what I LOVE about the Happy Time. You gotta talk to it so she won't lock up on you. You gotta take her down the road easy. You NEED that tool pouch cause on a long ride your gonna use it.
When I'm on my bike I feel like a rebel. I got my Happy Time free flowing so no kidding when I'm putting along at an incredible 7 mph thru the strip malls cause I'll be the first to admit I love the attention I get,it almost purrs along like..a Harley.
I'll probably go rack mount with my aluminum schwinn. That trailer pusher idea is still in the bag but the rack mount may be more appealing. It's gonna be so trouble free and quieter and smoother and you don't need to mix the gas and you're not gonna break down and you're gonna go faster and the trail riders will accept you better cause it looks more like a bicycle that a Happy Time does and yes,I'm probably gonna like the not worrying.
But I kinda like the Happy Time problems. I like the side of the road little breakdowns.I like the over vibrations. That's the tinkerer in me.
 
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I haven't blown a HT engine yet.* Haven't even had the dreaded wrist pin failure occur.* The only happy time problem I have of late is a flat tire that I got while exercising my dog on the golf course.

So, as far as I am concerned, the HT engines are of acceptable quality. I, of course, have new studs and nuts in every of my builds. I've tried my best to seize one of these engines with nothing but almost constant full throttle hill climbing but I haven't been as lucky as some of you. Its the bean oil man!

I would have no problem putting a 12 year old on any of my happy time builds provided they are responsible. In 3-4 weeks, I'm going to put 1,000 miles on my Happy Time by taking a trip from Colorado to Texas.

Irish John, try 5 oz of Maxima 927 oil per gallon in your next Happy Time build.
 
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I use Maxima too. I have to admit most of the time I don't have 30 bucks to my name so when my Maxima half gallon jug went half way down I started mixing it with auto parts synthetic 2 cycle oil. No break downs here either other than that magneto. Mostly bicycle related stuff.
 
I use the best synthetic oil

Skyliner70cc said:
I haven't blown a HT engine yet.* Haven't even had the dreaded wrist pin failure occur.* The only happy time problem I have of late is a flat tire that I got while exercising my dog on the golf course.

So, as far as I am concerned, the HT engines are of acceptable quality. I, of course, have new studs and nuts in every of my builds. I've tried my best to seize one of these engines with nothing but almost constant full throttle hill climbing but I haven't been as lucky as some of you. Its the bean oil man!

I would have no problem putting a 12 year old on any of my happy time builds provided they are responsible. In 3-4 weeks, I'm going to put 1,000 miles on my Happy Time by taking a trip from Colorado to Texas.

Irish John, try 5 oz of Maxima 927 oil per gallon in your next Happy Time build.
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I use the very best synthetic oil at Aus$14/ltr wholesale with discount. I'm afraid we are fully metric and although I was schooled in imperial measure it was the 1950s and I would have to consult my conversion tables to understand oz to gallons. I mix at 1:20 but I used to go 1:30 and it was OK.
It is not the poor oil that causes the motors to break it is plain and simply really poor quality engineering. You guys can tell me otherwise but i know what's dud when i see it and the pages of MBc reinforce this fact over and over again. I've also spent 4 years in this Millenium working in China in the construction industry (China's largest industry) so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to Chinese manufacturing quality and total lack of safety standards.
My HT is not for fun & games - it's my means of transport. That's why I'm moving over to something more reliable and sustainable. An engine where the piston shape bears a slight resemblance to the cylinder shape and doesn't spend 49% of it's life span running in!
 
Irish John said:
An engine where the piston shape bears a slight resemblance to the cylinder shape and doesn't spend 49% of it's life span running in!
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Heh. I hear you. For me, the cheapness of the HT was integral to my getting started with this hobby. Even then, I overpaid at $235US delivered. I wouldn't have even considered something that costs $400US+ for mounting on a bicycle. I would have just stuck with motorcycles. Now that I'm involved, paying extra for the good stuff seems more acceptable.
 
This is why I have always been a little shy of getting one of the frame mount engines - It cost me all in about £850 to build my current bike and I have done over 200 miles with no problems whatsoever... you can now get fully built schwinn type bikes with engine etc for £299.

Now cheaper is sometimes better but sometimes you can get too cheap.

Given a choice of buying and riding a frame mount bike for £299 from china and one from indian or native american manufacturers priced and built to £500+ standards I know what I would choose.

Incidentally there is at least one of the modern Indians around my area and it looks a nicely put together machine (and trust me I am picky) so I would not personally have problems with paying a bit more for better quality.

One thing that also may be food for thought, I have gotten the impression that alot of the builders on here have spare cash for these machines but like my father are quite interested in quality for price... ie you pays a bit more and it lasts 10 years not 2 years...

In my position if the engine develops a serious fault or requires machining straight out of the box it would be useless for me - this is one of the reasons I didnt go for a much cheaper frame-mount engine this time. This is not to mention the safety implications of a locked transmission or a shattered piston at speed... accidents mean police interest and police interest generally means whiney health & safety-aholics putting the boot in which none of us want...

just my $0.02

Jemma xx
 
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Jemma & Mickey echo my sentiments absolutely. I wanted a good rig when I started out in 2005. I paid Aus$2000 for it - $1100 on the bike, rack, paniers, mudguards, good night lights etc and $800 on the engine. I was ripped off on the engine - could have got it for $210 but I didn't know the cheap supplier then. I find it hard to understand people singing the praises of those Chinese HTs when Blind Freddy with his balaclava on backwards can plainly see that they are total rubbish.
The difference between a Whizzer and an HT, for example, is like comparing a Mercedes to a Trubant or a Lada. I designed heaps of amazing projects built in China but they only look good if I photograph them from a distance. If I went in close people would recoil with laughter at the shonky finishes on practically everything.
The sooner I have my Honda frame-mounted on my Schwinn Cruiser the better. Sadly the Schwinn frame is Chinese but it's made to US standards unlike the nasty Cruiser copies that cost $220 that I suspect come with the motors that Jemma was talking about. If I could have got a Ducati engine for my bike at the outset I would have because, as Jemma says, I've spent nearly that much on HT motors and labour.
Good headlights are another problem with motored bikes but that is another grouse for another day.
I don't get Jemma's lawnmower/donor joke. Can someone explain it to me - I'm Irish and it's St Paddy's day!
 
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I am a bit of a "tinkerer" & don't mind making some adjustments & repairs, myself. BUT, I do avoid the Chinese kits because when I want to ride my motorized bike,, I want to ride it, FIRST,,, not work on it. That is why I prefer the quality engines/engine kits, that you can find. YES, they cost a lot more, but TO ME,, they are worth it. Mine is a 1969 kit & still runs very well.
 
What sort of kit is it I wonder? Where was it made? Any pictures of your mount?
1969 - anyone who can remember those days wasn't there!
 
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