More research tonight, this time on engine kits.
I have three options, I will put them in the order of most likely to least likely (which is mostly dictated by funds).
1.
JL Hoot kit. Has the same engine as the bird dog kit but contains what most people call an "inferior" gearbox. The reason this kit is most likely to be the one is the fact that it's so cheap. I know that traditionally "you get what you pay for" but this will give me plenty of tinker time as well. It also doesn't come with a killswitch (which is fine, I'll wire my own and use it as an anti-theft device), and comes with a non-adjusting mount and a different crank set. I can fix the mount issue and devise my own way to get the mount on (I'm an industrial designer, it's what I do). But the crank set might be a whole different can of worms. Will it fit on the
Micargi that I posted earlier? Or does the one piece crank foul everything up?
2.
Bird Dog kit. The obvious advantages are the adjustable mount, the better gearbox, and the twist throttle, kill switch, double brake lever combo. Idealistically, this is the way I'd go, but realistically, I can't afford it.
3. Same as the above kit with a real Honda engine. It'd cost 60 or so dollars more for a real honda engine, if I hit the lotto maybe I'll do this.
So in conclusion, my questions regarding the JL Hoot kit are: Is the gearbox entirely worthless/what grease do I pack it with? Will the crank set fit my above posted bike?
Here's an except from a post where BirdDog crucified the first the JL Hoot kit. I placed commentary in parenthesis beside each.
1) The gear box included in this kit is NOT the same as the Grubee gear box. Grubee actually has a patent on his design. The HuaSheng engine output shaft is too short for this gear box clutch design. This means that you have to use several flat washers to make the shaft longer. This is causing the bell housing to split and fail after a short amount of use. (A definite concern, true or false? Can it be fixed?)
2) The gearbox is not compatible with the Honda GXH 50. (A non-issue, the engine is going to he a Chinese copy anyway)
3) The gearbox does not include an engager system. (Not entirely sure what this means)
4) The gearbox includes a fixed rather than a freewheel output sprocket. (Not entirely sure what this means)
5) The kits are sold with no warranty from the factory. This means it is up to the vendor to stand behind their product. I tried to follow the instructions to submit a warranty issue with one of the vendors and the web form I was supposed to use did not exist. (I figure I can fix it unless the engine totally ruins itself. I don't expect great support for these kits anyway, it's more of a self-reliant hobby)
6) To my knowledge there is currently no way to obtain parts for this kit. If you break something I guess you’ll need to buy a whole new kit. (This doesn't make a ton of sense to me, if the engine is the same then why not just order parts from Bicycle-Engines for it? Did they do something I'm not aware of to the Bird Dog kits that makes parts incompatible?)
7) The mounting plate is not adjustable which limits the bikes the kit will fit. (A non-issue, I can figure this out)
8) Does not include the dual brake, throttle, kill switch grip. (Non-issue, I can get an aftermarket dual brake)
9) Does not include a kill switch. You must purchase and install your own. (Non issue, I can install a quality switch in an inconspicuous place and use it as an anti-theft device)
That's all for tonight.
Take care everybody. Thanks for the assistance.
