Road Trip!!

KenM

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Local time
9:15 PM
Joined
Nov 11, 2015
Messages
156
Location
Over the hill and far away
Hi all , just wondering . I do not have an engine kit yet, or a bike to put it on for that matter. So I have no experience with a gas bike.
How reliable are these bikes in general?
Could you but a rear rack and some saddle bags, and some camping gear. And ride around for three or four weeks. Putting on 50 to 100 miles a day. Or would this Chinese stuff start falling apart?
Thanks for your time. Just thinking out loud!
Keep looking up! Ken.
 
all depends on how good a builder you are. I wouldn't hesitate to ride 1000 miles on my bike, but wouldn't ride half a mile on some of the bikes I've seen.
 
I wouldn't want to try something like that myself. It would be risky even for a good quality motorized bike using a Honda engine. Anything China made is not road trip proof. The hardware on Chinese kits is junk. Cheap, flimsy metal and bolts with poorly made threading. If you wanna do a road trip a touring motorcycle would be better for that but touring motorcycles aren't cheap. They can go for $25k sometimes unless you get lucky on Craigslist even then someone would want $10k or more for it.

Motorized bikes are meant for short commutes around town raining from 2 to 10 miles a day. I wanted to build a motorized bike originally because I don't get out of town much. You could try getting a kit and making improvements and upgrades to the hardware to make it more reliable but that also can be costly depending on what you want. I'm going with a Staton Inc. friction kit made in USA and Honda 35cc motor for my current build but I wouldn't wanna take it on a long road trip.
 
think of it as a 1920s model T - even if well built, carry tools - most of what may go wrong is easily fixable
 
Thank you all for your input.
That is just what I was thinking about. You need a BIG tool bag, and an even BIGGER spare parts bag!
My wife would make me live outside if I ever whent on a three week trip anyway!
I do have an a electric bike that I really want to take up to ride The Tail of The Dragon . But she does not want to do that either. Oh well.
Keep looking up! Ken.
 
A 4-stroke with proper gear ratios built using quality hardware shouldn't have any problem with a long trip. The 4-strokes are all made to run all day long and most have their own cooling fan.

I wouldn't trust the standard 2-stroke kit engines, tho.
 
Thank you all for your input.
That is just what I was thinking about. You need a BIG tool bag, and an even BIGGER spare parts bag!
My wife would make me live outside if I ever whent on a three week trip anyway!
I do have an a electric bike that I really want to take up to ride The Tail of The Dragon . But she does not want to do that either. Oh well.
Keep looking up! Ken.

Im planning a mini road/camping trip on my Specialized Hardrock 29er with a Honda GXH50cc 4 stroke with Staton Inc pedal axle kit, so I can power through my pedal axle and use all 21 speeds of my bikes gearing with the motor.

Planning on riding the Natchez Trace from end to end, about 500 miles and camp along the way. Looking at sometime this spring. Realistically I could ride it in a 3 day weekend but plan on a week.
 
Good for you! That sounds like a good trip! Take your time and enjoy the time.
That is a beautiful road to ride on.
Keep us posed on your progress .
Keep looking up! Ken.
 
trip reliability

for reliability on a long trip you first need to:
1) balance the crank because excessive engine vibration loosens bolts/nuts
2) replace the stock CDI with a good aftermarket one
3) carry with you a spare stator coil in case yours fries while riding
4) plane flat the head mating surface and make your own gasket
 
Good for you! That sounds like a good trip! Take your time and enjoy the time.
That is a beautiful road to ride on.
Keep us posed on your progress .
Keep looking up! Ken.

A long time ago I used to drive it from Jackson, MS on my way back and forth to Mississippi State University so I'm familiar with it on that section. Since I'm an ultralight backpacker, I have most of the equipment I will need other than possibly a tow behind trailer. Once I set a date I'll post it on the site in case others want to join the trip. We could even have nonmotorized join the trip as I will shoot for 80-100 miles a day which is very doable for most cyclists. On some days I'll ride that far on my road bikes and fly that far on my non motorised hang glider, though am considering adding a motor to it!
 
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