New to the MB world and need some advice on my first build.

[ihatewallballs]

Hey all,

Thanks in advance for answering my questions.

I am looking to build a reliable bike for my daily commute which is about 10 miles round trip.

I have little mechanical experience but thats a non-issue I have a mechanic friend to help with install.

I am still unsure of what kit to purchase for my build. I have basically ruled out 2 strokes as the chinese ones are cheap but from what ive read
are very much a gamble. The 4 stroke is much more appealing though it does have its own set backs.

I am not sure if I should get a HuaSheng 49cc Engine with or without a Grubee SkyHawk 4G T-Belt Drive. Also I have no clue what a T-belt drive does, that would be awesome to know.

Some things I would like to do would be order some parts ahead of time I know I'm going to replace like...I'm fairly certain I should get an NGK sparkplug etc.

If someone could point me in the right direction for a vendor that sells a solid 4 stroke enginge that would be amazing, i have checked out 10 or so vendors but they all get pretty mixed reviews so I have yet to pull the trigger on one.

Lastly I am looking around at bikes, I already have a raleigh commuter style bike, very new and has 21 gears. I am thinking since the thing will be too **** heavy to pedal with an engine to get a single speed cruiser for comfort/asthetics. Would I be at a big loss for future upgrades if I put my engine on a bike with only a single gear.

Thank you so much for your assistance. Also any advice anyone has to offer is welcome!

 

[darwin]

Theres so many choices and your ?s are overly broad for anyone to give you specific advice. Read, read ,read and narrow your choices down. Are you leaning towards a 4 stroke? How fast do you want to go? Do you need torque for steep hills? Do you want a shift kit, etc...... As far as venders read the vendor reviews, some are better than other when covering warranties, good luck. Specific ?s generally can be answered with specific answers and not generalized opinions.

 

[ihatewallballs]

I was leaving my search a little more broad in hopes if finding something I hadnt seen yet. That being said I'm pretty confident in what I want.

I am looking for a 4stroke HuaSheng 49cc Engine. I need some help to determine if I should buy one with a "Grubee SkyHawk 4G T-Belt Drive".

Can someone tell me what a "Grubee SkyHawk 4G T-Belt Drive" actually does.

I would like to be able to travel at 30mph, I dont know if I want a shift kit because honestly I dont really know what they do for a MB. My commute has only one steep hill the rest is made up of small hills and flats, but I'd like the freedom to ride larger steeper hills.

 

[Deleted member 12676]

Generally speaking a 2 stroke has twice the power of a 4 stroke the same size. That is because at the same rpm the 2 stroke fires twice as often. A 2 stroke 49cc Grubee is pathetic on hills so I just can't imagine how bad it would be with a 4 stroke. Too bad there are no good 2 strokes available. The Grubee needs a lot of work to make it strong and reliable. But once you've gotten it there you will be a very proud owner.

 

[Happy Valley]

The grube drive is just a gear reduction between the engine and the drive sprocket. It's necessary to reduce engine rpms because most of these little engines rev too high to power the rear wheel directly. A quick look in the search function at the top of the page would show you all of that. There are other solutions.

I think what Darwin wanted to tell ya is someone could lay out what works for them but one size doesn't fit all and there is no one best solution. Remember that a lot of folks will tend to recommend what they currently own but might change their mind next year if they stay with this and as their experience evolves. You already mentioned leaning against China 2 stroke kits, maybe preferring 4 stroke. That's a start. These things aren't really that difficult but they do tend to be personal. The best, maybe only, way to really figure it out is to get enough knowledge under your belt (read read read) so ya get a feel for what that is. The best piece of advice I got starting out was from one of the resident sages here motman812 who once said to me:
"Everything in life is a trade off, the trick is getting what's right for you at any particular time and place"

 

[ihatewallballs]

Thanks for all the input,

as it turns out blowbyumotorizedbicycles.ca is only a 30 min drive from me and I've been invited to come check out his shop so I can get some first hand knowledge.

Thanks, again and I will make a post about my first build when completed.