Hello Everyone!

[agentjosh77]

First off, hello and good day. My name is Joshua Gilbreath and have recently become enamored with the idea of riding to class on a motorized bike. I am a college student on a very limited budget, although having the opportunity to liberty myself from my truck to get back and forth from class would feel amazing.

I have a mountain bike that I ride back and forth from class right now.

I would like to begin the process of converting it into a motorized bike.

The bike looks pretty much like this :

http://www.germes-online.com/direct/dbimage/50227354/Mountain_Bike.jpg

The motorized bikes I have seen have been primarily cruisers. I understand this is because of the ease of mounting the engine in the opening in the frame.

The question that I have is what is the best way to mount an engine to the bike that I have? I have seen others create a bracket system behind and under the seat stabilized by supports rods running down to the rear hub.

These are the two engine kits I have been looking at:

http://www.gasbike.net/grubee-skyhawk-gt2b-48cc-black-finish-bicycle-engine-kit.html

http://www.gasbike.net/grubee-starf...covers-and-head-bicycle-motor-engine-kit.html

Well besides that I would love to hear everyone's input for a good course of action.

Thank you everyone for your help ahead of time. The motorized bike community looks to be a great place to be!

 

[bluegoatwoods]

welcome aboard.

I'm sorry to say that I don't think you can mount those engines the way that you are thinking of. But there are engines available that are meant for rack mounting.

I'll bet someone will come along with recommendations for you. If not, then you could look in the "rack mount" forum.

Good luck.

 

[agentjosh77]

Ok, great! Well that is a good place to start. The lurking will now commence... well until I come back with a good question. Haha.

Thanks for the direction.

 

[bamabikeguy]

As a student, you are going to want to carry books and laptop, and possibly pickup groceries/beer on the way home.

One of the things cruisers can do is have an added basket on front, without the shock absorbers bending the basket legs too much.

That type of bike could fit a small handlebar only type basket, but not the big delivery type.

As you browse, you might see the added benefits of cruiser type bikes, the amount of gear that they can stow.

 

[agentjosh77]

Right, Right. I though of that as well and all that sounds very true.

The laptop and books will be taken care of with my back pack. (North Face backpacks, I swear where build to care a small person to the top of the Himalayas)

Fortunately as a Graphic Design student I have a locker on campus so I can store materials that are essential for everyday things.

Though having the ability to carry a bit of groceries on the way home would be nice.

The rack mounted kits do look promising still.

Does anyone have a good site they used to purchase theirs from?

Thanks again,
Joshua

 

[wheelbender6]

"Y" framed bikes like yours usually require a rack mount, but you need some cargo space too. A lot of guys build or buy a cargo trailer. People sell them for cheap at yard sales when their kids outgrow them. I made one from a razor scooter my kids outgrew.
You can buy a cargo rack for the front wheel, but it gets tought to steer. You will also need a rigid front fork with with rack eyelets to mount a rack on the front. Good luck.

 

[bamabikeguy]

The rack mounted kits do look promising still.

Does anyone have a good site they used to purchase theirs from?

I'm a GEBE'r, Golden Eagle is a site sponsor, up in the upper left of the screen.

Japanese engines are twice as high as the Chinese models, it's supply and demand in this biz nowadays.

 

[agentjosh77]

Are most of the rack mounted setups friction based drive systems?

If so, is the tire wear and as significant as others on the boards have lead on?

Also, price wise why is the rear mounted setups so much more expensive than say a Grubee setup?

I could buy a cruiser bike and a Grubee setup for cheaper than most rear mount kits for?

Questions questions, I apologize if these all these inquires seem so uninformed.

Thank you again.

 

[PatrickW]

Since you are a collage student trying to get by on the cheap, only need short distance transportation, but still want a good ride, (I really can remember those days, honestly) I would go down to the Police Impound Lot and see if I could pick up an abandoned bike (for usually $25 bucks.) Or hit the second hand stores. Then get one of the cheap, 2 cycle, bicycle motor kits ($125 bucks), and a basket (the Police Impound Lot Guy will probably give you one.)

You now will have a motorized bike that will look good with a little elbow-grease, oil, and spray paint to get you to and from class for $150 bucks or less, and still have that beautiful, untouched, virgin mountain bike to go for an intimate ride around the quad with some sweet little honey from the sorority next door.

Now, does that sound like a plan, or what?!

 

[PatrickW]

Oh, I forgot...When you get out at the end of May, you could sell the thing to some incoming freshman, or guy staying for summer classes for just about as much, or more than you laid out for it. Now that is really a plan!