Are buyers getting more interested in BETTER quality kits ??

[Esteban]

As long as I have hung around this board, I have seen the constant frustration with owners of H.T. kits. I know some of you have had great success with them, but it seems to me that there are just TOO many issues with the quality,,, or lack of !! When I first came here, the $99 kits on WalMart $59 bikes were all the rage. I am almost 60, ride a regular bike everyday & could wear out most WallyWorld bike in months. I don't want to work on my bike/bike motor, everyday, & feel that many of you are aggravated with these as well. TOO MANY problems. BUT, as long as they are selling, very little will be done to improve the quality.
I see more & more members are realizing this & turning to better built kits, engines,, etc. I am not affiliated with any seller/manufacturer, & won't recommend any certain seller/product ,, but I know quality when I see, or use it. By the time a buyer gets a HT running right, he could have many problem free miles on a kit costing more. He may buy 3 kits before he gets one running like it really should. Also, in MY opinion, a $99 bike, is the last thing I would put any motor kit on. I paid that much for bikes in the 1960's. I am retired & on a low fixed income, so I know what it means to stretch a dollar.
If you have had good service out of your kit & bike, I think that is great ! BUT, for me , "" You get what you pay for !!""

 

[Mountainman]

Esteban -- although new to the very small bike engine riding -- lifetime of riding motorcycles -- I have seen some very cool looking motorbikes on this site -- I agree with you in regards to Quality WANTED by some.. My little motor hasn't even gotten here yet -- and already I am thinking about a real upgrade -- must keep my hp low due to no drivers license.. Have a good day, from Mountainman

 

[SirJakesus]

Oh I would hope so. The difference is like night and day between a chinese kit and one made with a quality engine and components. My happytime I never trusted more than walking distance from home, but I would take my staton kit as far as I had fuel for the return trip. It may have been much more expensive but every extra dollar is reflected in quality and reliability.

 

[HoughMade]

I think people are always interested in better quality. The issue is whether people are willing to pay for it.

I see people complaining about spending $250, give or take, for a HT, which is certainly a jump above what they used to be (cheaper ones still out there for around $200), but in the world of engines that can be put on bicycles, this is still inexpensive.

There are numerous prices points for motorized bicycle in ascending order:

- basic HT
- slightly better HT
- Chinese 4 stroke w/ Hoot gearbox
- Chinese 4 stroke w/ Grubee (if you can find it)
- Dax Titan
- Honda engine w/ Grubee (again, hard to find the box)
- Various GEBE and Staton
- Whizzer

Now, there are some exceptions, but generally speaking, as you go up in price, you go up in quality. That is the inherent tradeoff. Don't like the quality of the Happy Times? There are options, but they cost more.

If there were a truly high quality 2 stroke frame mount, what would it cost? I don't know. I mean, there are stunningly high quality 2 stroke manufacturers out there, but they have not broken into this market (question- can they under current EPA regs?).

My thought, just a guess really, is that if there was a really nice 2 stroke, it would cost at least as much as the Grubee/Honda or Dax Titan...and would anyone pay well over $400 for a 2 stroke? Especially when there are already other options available.

I even wonder if anyone would by it at $300...and I don't know if it can be profitably built and sold for that.

Interesting topic.

 

[Mountainman]

Hi Sir Jakesus -- thanks for your input -- new to this -- don't even have my engine yet -- should be here end of this week -- ordered from Station -- Subaru 33.5 1.6 hp -- this old rider has no drivers license in Calif.. wow the more that I look into hassle free riding in this state -- MANY CONCERNS !!! But -- doing some homework !!! And yes getting back to quality -- if one can afford it I have learned to try and buy the best -- pays off in the long run... Have a great day, from Mountainman

 

[eljefino]

I saw a motorized bike on another forum and out of curiosity looked the kit up on ebay. If it were not for the internet and ebay wholesalers I would not have gotten into the hobby to begin with. After all nobody stocks/advertises the kits locally. A+ to the site administrators and the free sticker campaign.

If I ever upgrade to a better kit I'll find a buyer for my existing bike, for sure... and at a profit, most likely, due to gas prices. One needs an "entry level" model to hook people and the HT fits that bill perfectly.

I would not have bought a so-called "high-quality" kit for my first unit, just as one would be foolish to buy their kid a $3000 guitar before making sure they stick to being a musician.

 

[Esteban]

Putting a cheap ,vibrating motor on a $99 bike, is something I would NEVER do. Save up more money & buy a good, dependable, long lasting, kit, FIRST. That is the economical way to do it.

 

[stude13]

hi; tanaka, honda and subaru are true quality and inexpensive if you find dealers on google. true quality bikes can be had for pennies on the dollar nationwide on craigs list. quality is job one. you should tune your bike for the forces it will see with a motor. true the wheels, zip tie the spokes, put goo in tires and you have more of a chance to complete your rides with a wide grin. p--s on w-mart! mitch

 

[Mountainman]

hi; tanaka, honda and subaru are true quality and inexpensive if you find dealers on google. true quality bikes can be had for pennies on the dollar nationwide on craigs list. quality is job one. you should tune your bike for the forces it will see with a motor. true the wheels, zip tie the spokes, put goo in tires and you have more of a chance to complete your rides with a wide grin. p--s on w-mart! mitch

Hi Mitch -- I owned a bicycle shop many, many years ago.. trued many a wheel -- have never heard of zip tieing the spokes ? Would you fill me in ? Happy riding from - Mountainman

 

[lennyharp]

todays ride I think that people may have different experience and reasons to get into Motorized Bike riding. I got started because of gas and the need to feel more independent and save money. This all started 2 months ago if we are talking Motorized bikes.

I got started for similar reasons riding a bicycle for all my transportation needs in 1973. Gas tripled overnight and I needed dependable transportation. I knew I had a power source in my body and mind. From 1973 I owned a few trucks, and no cars until about 1979 and I still got around mostly by bike. I learned early on that low quality bikes were not dependable. I did use a lot of different bikes and only some held up to heavy use.

I have crashed a lot of times mostly racing crashes but a few from equipment failure. You do not want the steering on a bike to fail as it did on mine and sent me where I was leaning into the path of a car. That is a story but I was ok other than a lot of skin left on the pavement and maybe a broken finger. You really do not want the fork to fail and throw you face first into the pavement as it did on a friends bike. He was not so lucky and needed a lot of surgery to his face and other broken parts.

I built a dozen bike frames and quit because of the desire many had to get lighter bikes, too light at times. Also the trend to aluminum was not really good if not well designed and used in the right places and ways. Some metals fatigue quickly and fail easily. Some materials are resilient and can take a lot of vibration and stress.

Steel is Real is an article that explains some of the reasons I would use a high quality steel frame and fork. When suspension is added I will use aluminum as in the fork for my current bike. The suspension is dampening the shock and the aluminum is not fatiguing. Cro moly steel is a spring steel that handles a lot of vibrations and stresses. Mild steel is better than aluminum but worse than Cro moly steel, and a heavy bit of it like my old Varsity makes .

I have not even mentioned head sets, pedals, handle bars, stems, seats and the many other components that make up a bike. When you have a package of good quality components you have confidence on a long, hard, even steep ride like I did this morning. I would not want to mix it up with traffic on anything less than what I rode on this morning's ride.