Is a Motor Upgrade worth the $$$

ut1205

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Feb 8, 2010
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Location
Tennessee
I would like to hear from someone who has actually done this if there is anyone out there who has.

I have a Staton Friction drive with a R/S 33cc four stroke. I am happy with it but would like to have more "low end torque" for hills. I do NOT care anything about more speed. I use a 1" drive roller and do NOT want to go to a 7/8".

Question:
Would a Titan or H/S 49-50cc upgrade increase performance enough to justify the $175.00 - $200.00 cost involved?
 
Ive never owned a robin on a MAB but think about it, the HS has 1 more pony than the 33cc. The Titan I have Im really happy with it. The machining is great and every thing is sturdy. Its not the honda but its dang close and its cheap, parts are readily available. My next kit will definately have that motor on it. The honda also has the upgrade cost of adding a clutch to it on some apps. HS is a great lil motor just cant say enough about it.
 
Yes. It Is!

I've upgraded my Subaru engine to Mits 2.2hp on friction drive. It was well worth it. Both engines are very dependable. Performance improved greatly.

Then I upgraded the Mits engine to GP460 4.5hp engine. Performance was awesome, but reliability sucked.

Hard to say if replacing the Mits engine was worth it.:unsure:
 
I also have the Staton Subaru four stroke engine, but I have a lot of hills here in Ky. I didn't care about speed, just hill climbing power. I upgraded from Staton, the Honda GXH50 with 1 3/8 roller. I've only had the kit for about two weeks and it's really not broken in yet. So far, it seems to be OK in pulling some medium hills here. I went to a State park in Indiana yesterday and tried to pull a really steep hill, called Fire Tower hill, and got about half way up and that's all. This hill is really steep and probably no friction drive will pull this hill, but I just wanted to try. I might have to go with a smaller roller.
 
Were you pedal-assisting? If you were, I would imagine that ANY hill could be conquered.

I have an extremely steep driveway entrance ramp at work that I'm unable to climb with my twin-engined single-speed cruiser. However, with single engine and 21-speed bike, it's an easy climb.

It's all about gears and pedal-assist.
 
Were you pedal-assisting? If you were, I would imagine that ANY hill could be conquered.

I have an extremely steep driveway entrance ramp at work that I'm unable to climb with my twin-engined single-speed cruiser. However, with single engine and 21-speed bike, it's an easy climb.

It's all about gears and pedal-assist.

I agree... I have an eho35 powered staton friction drive on a 1.5 inch roller. ITS AWESOME!!!

I have it on a 92 specialized hard rock and I can go anywhere. I dont really consider it a full motorized bike.... its more a power assisted bike. With the 21 speed gear selector and me pedaling, I accelerate extremely fast and can climb anything. Best part is when I get into a pedestrian area like the park or mall I just detach the engine and no noise or smell.

the exercise is better too.

I have to say that I am enjoying the simplicity of the friction drive a LOT. The key is having a multi speed bike to go with the drive roller.... that way you can pedal assist at any speed.
 
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That one-speed gear is where the problem lies, not the engine or drive system. If I had a running start with my twin-engined cruiser, I could climb every hill I came upon. If I had to stop in the middle of the hill, it took some doing to climb, but it did.

With single engine and multi-speeds, any hill was doable. Not at top speed, of course, but doable.

The simplest way to solve this problem is to transfer your engine kit to a 3-speed to 28-speed bike.:unsure:

Another way would be to install a 3-speed hub onto your cruiser.:unsure:
 
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