Have Felt 1903 want to frame mount a Honda or Harbor Freight 4 stroke-anyone done it?

wildwestrider

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I just found a Felt 1903 locally yesterday in Austin,.....left out in the weather, tires yellowed, chrome is lightly rusty, stripped bolt at Coaster brake and flat tire.....had to drill out the screw for the coaster brake to get it apart.

I want to install a 4 stroke in the frame and will convert the top tube to a fuel tank......

Has anyone installed either a Honda or Harbor Freight 4 stroke in to a Felt Cruiser frame?

1-Any suggestions for a mounting cradle/plate?

2-Suggestions for drive train? (Belts drive would be nice,...but....I'm thinking that it will be a problem.)

3-I'm guessing I will need the wider pedal crank set to get around this wide(r) engine when I want or need to pedal-comments on this?

4-Any thoughts on whether the Sick Bike Parts Gear changer jackshaft and front crank freewheel set up would work with a 4-stroke? anyone done that....they only show 2 stroke engines on their web page.

5-how about exhaust for one of these engines....I would like a long pipe with the exhaust out by the rear axle.

Brian in Austin
 
I was just looking at Gas Bikes.com kit for $249 with the Chinese Honda Knock off. Anyone know anything about these? Durable, well thought out kit?

Brian
 
I was just looking at Gas Bikes.com kit for $249 with the Chinese Honda Knock off. Anyone know anything about these? Durable, well thought out kit?

Brian
It comes with the infamous "Hoot" gearbox.......try researching it here.
I have a Hoot box that is in pieces and it is probably is going to stay that way. i did pull a 10 tooth 2 stroke sprocket off it and it had a cool thin washer that i can use.......

I know a guy that will sell you 2 complete Hoot boxes for $40 + ship :devilish:
How many do you want? :giggle:

I really don't understand how a company can sell these gearboxes with any kind of warranty.
However it isn't a bad deal considering that you get the engine and all the rest of the bike components just don't count on using the Hoot box.....
 
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The long exhaust and mounting plate can be obtained from bicycle-engines.com see following links They also have a complete 4-stroke kit with a decent primary reduction gearbox for a reasonable price. http://www.bicycle-engines.com/piece-muffler-pipe-deluxe-p-145.html http://www.bicycle-engines.com/vframe-mounting-plate-p-105.html

As for a belt drive option? You should look into the EZ Motorbike kit. I believe it can be bought with a belt drive option although I haven't seen a price mentioned for this set-up. I believe the belt option woud use the Whizzer rear drive Sheave so you would want to be sure that the Felt frame has enough clearence. The EZ folks also have a longer Flexable Exhaust option but it does not reach all the way to the rear dropout like the one above.

As for the wider cranks necessary to clear the motor and drivetrain? Any kit you buy comes with a wider crankset of one type or another. The wide one-piece crankset that fit the Felt and other cruisers is not currently available here in the US. Bicycle-Engines has some on order but I have not read here any date set that they are going to actually available.

The SBP shifter kit for the 4-stroke Honda/Clone motors is in the prototype stage I believe. There is a thread here from a few weeks ago with a photo or two of the set-up. I don't remember any specific availability dates.

ocscully
 
Thanks Oscully.

I called bicycle engines.com;...got a call center. I told them I would call back as I think I prefer to deal with someone who installs these and has knowledge of what will and wont work on my bike. Sounded like you had prior experience dealing with them...........do the call center people know about the kits and what works and what doesn't..........or do I need to know what I want and just call and order from the "Machine" (call center)


Any thoughts on hanging a fuel tank under the back of the seat/saddle as apposed to converting my top tube on the felt?

Brian
 
I've worked several call centers and have over 4+ years experience. This means there's a HIGH employee turnover rate in nearly every call center, regardless of company, and most of the time, you will get a brand new person that's not savvy with the product or service. Get your info from other sources if possible.

I haven't mounted a 79cc Harbor Freight engine on a bicycle frame yet, but others here have with some modification. I've only put one on a bike trailer so far. If you remove the muffler, modify the airbox, and remove the gas tank, the engine can be quite compact and may fit alright.
 
I just found a Felt 1903 locally yesterday in Austin,.....left out in the weather, tires yellowed, chrome is lightly rusty, stripped bolt at Coaster brake and flat tire.....had to drill out the screw for the coaster brake to get it apart.

I want to install a 4 stroke in the frame and will convert the top tube to a fuel tank......

Has anyone installed either a Honda or Harbor Freight 4 stroke in to a Felt Cruiser frame?

1-Any suggestions for a mounting cradle/plate?

2-Suggestions for drive train? (Belts drive would be nice,...but....I'm thinking that it will be a problem.)

3-I'm guessing I will need the wider pedal crank set to get around this wide(r) engine when I want or need to pedal-comments on this?

4-Any thoughts on whether the Sick Bike Parts Gear changer jackshaft and front crank freewheel set up would work with a 4-stroke? anyone done that....they only show 2 stroke engines on their web page.

5-how about exhaust for one of these engines....I would like a long pipe with the exhaust out by the rear axle.

Brian in Austin

1. Search in the gallery under FELT and you'll see pictures of Fely 4-strokes although the 1903 has only been motored with a 2-stroke but all the cruiser frames are identical except the MP & Heritage.
2. The EZM gearbox would be great and failing that get a Grubee GB.
3. You'll need a wide crank - use a one piece and not the ugly 3 piece.
4. SBP kit is not going to work for you and you don't need it with a 4-stroke.
5. Buy the long chrome poo poo pipe from Bicycle-Engines.Com and it will look fabulous but you can't have a pannier on the exhaust side because it will burn.
So if you buy a complete Grunbee kit it will work well and you can use the top tube for a fuel tank but it doesn't hold much fuel. Pictures are shown of tube\tank alterations on this Forum.
All you need to know is contained here on this site and most of it will come up under a search for FELT CRUISER.
Good luck and please tell us how much you paid for the 1903 & can we see pics?
Addendum: Fix the rear silencer to the seat stay using 2 s'steel hose clips one small and one large. That is all you need and it looks OK as well. See pics attached.
 

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Thanks, lots of good tips there. Any suggestions on where to find the wide one piece crank?

Brian

Well I'd like to think Bicycle-Engines.Com would have at last got them in after a 9 month drought. If they haven't arrived yet I'm sure they will arrive soon and if they aren't due in until many months away then tell them what you think and buy elsewhere. If I could source an emergency supply from China for my customers who won't accept the ugly and expense - generating 3 piece I'm sure they could do so as well for their customers. They caused a lot of hardship over these but I think it may be fixed now.
Why not wait for the EZM Honda kit? I reckon it's heaps better and it sounds like it's American made. A Felt 1903 deserves the best and the best is cheaper very quickly. Those HT 2-strokes cost me an arm and a leg over a 1 year period. The Honda\Grubee is far cheaper because it works better, The EZM will probably work better still. Get a front hub brake for that 1903 because you'll need 2 brakes. If it's badly scratched and needs repainted take the opportunity to braze V-brake bosses front and rear before repainting and then pull the coaster brake off so you can back pedal on corners to position the pedals clear of the ground. Those Felts are beautifully made but they have no brakes. Like a Bimbo of a bike really - beautifull but pretty stupid.
 
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