Hello from Dubai UAE

[txcnguy]

Hi
thanks to all the helpful information I got from your site, I am on my second build now. I must say there is a big difference in the quality of the engines, depending on where you buy them but it is really difficult to know this just by looking at them. There are no marks, trademarks, etc so I want to know how to buy the best quality.
I started on with a bare bones one speed bike and a cheap kit just to learn the ways of it, had a lot of trouble getting the engine to run well, jetted it down a lot, added a tuned pipe, now its decent but still four-strokes at mid to upper range, waiting on smaller jets again.
But the second bike I just finished is a gem. I bought a better quality aluminum Giant cruiser here in Dubai with 7 speed derailleur, installed an engine that has the bigger head bolts and smaller intake (first engine had the wider intake) and after a little coaxing with WD40 got it started and perfect 2 stroking right of the start. Much quieter than the first one, I think that the wider intake engines are a lot noisier but would like someone to confirm this.
Here in Dubai there are many many people using pedal bikes from many countries and I get nothing but wide smiles from them whenever I'm out cruising.
Downside is that Dubai streets are not very bike friendly so one has to be careful and plan routes away from any busy roads, and excessive use of speed bumps everywhere.

But I got a lot of enjoyment out of the two builds, the second one I popped it together in about three hours, and its just incredible the amount of add-ons and people who like me are tinkerers, this really is a great tinkerer's hobby without breaking the bank like some hobbies (vis a vis RC, what a rip off the parts are so expensive) IMO.

If anyone in Dubai wants me to help them I'm available for another build.

 

[wheelbender6]

Welcome to the forum. I spent a little time in Saudi Arabia but never made it to the UAE. I would run two layers of air filter to keep the desert dust and sand out of your engine.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Welcome aboard.

We don't get many people here from anywhere in the Middle East. In fact, I can't think of any others. Though I suspect there's probably been some.

wheelbender's double air filter idea sounds like a good one.

 

[Deleted member 12676]

What is the price of gasoline there?

 

[Fabian]

In Dubai the government just about gives away fuel to those people wishing to put it in their petrol tank.

 

[txcnguy]

i have two low profile filters on the way. Yes petrol is cheap here. i have never seen anyone with a MB here.
price of fuel is 1.83 dirhams per litre. or about $1.89 per us gallon.
i do get stopped a lot on the street. this isnt a tinkering place people get everything done for them so i dont think locals would be too interested but i could be wrong.
also passed many local law officers they don't seem to even notice me.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Let's see how good my memory for geography in your area is. I could google it, of course. But this is just for fun.

The Arabian peninsula would be bordered on the west by the Red Sea (?)

On the east it would be the Persian Gulf, I suppose. The U.A.E. would be on this eastern coast, right? I'm guessing it would be south of the Strait of Hormuz. At that point the peninsula comes to a point almost eastward. So you'd be on that coast that faces southeast? Maybe fronting on the Indian Ocean?

Yemen is somewhere down that way, too, isn't it?

 

[wheelbender6]

This is the type of filter I was talking about. It is a pod filter with a foam sack tightened over it to keep the dust out.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

The real fun will begin when you do a build with a shiftkit. You'll see what I'm talking about when you do a shiftkit build.

 

[txcnguy]

We are on the Persian (Arabian) gulf Dubai and Abu Dhabi (capital of the UAE) are on the gulf side and UAE is on both gulf and Indian oceans. Oman and Saudi are our neighbors.