new member has question about Helio brand motorized bicycles

[ciao]

Hi Everyone,
I bought a 49cc / 2 stroke engine from livefastmotors on ebay. I selected a guy from craigslist to install it. He was a car mechanic, laid off, and a nice guy. However, he botched this install and I've never been able to ride this bike. I have not found any mechanics here that deal with motorized bikes to try to fix this botched job. The bike has no tensioner; the guy broke it, was supposed to come to my house and fix it, but he stopped answering his phone and email. I suspect he may have botched other things as well.
So I was thinking of possibly selling the motor and getting a Helio. Advice and/ or reviews of Helio would be greatly appreciated.
I am almost completely unmechanical. Some will say that is gender based.
Thanks!

 

[PatrickW]

Hi there and welcome to MBc. First, there is no such thing as 'gender bias' when it comes to mechanics.

Now...before you go 'throwing the baby out with the bath water'...what is so "botched" about the install other than the tensioner? That is a rather in-expensive item that anyone with a screwdriver and at least a pair of pliers can install correctly. There is a 13 yr. old girl on the next block who just completed her first build...she goes flying past the house when I'm in the drive working on mine, waves and honks this idiotic "Ah-OO-Gah" horn and then just howls.

Give us a chance to help...that's why these Forums are here, and we have some of the world class experts. Read, look at the bikes in the picture gallery, then ask questions. It would help if you would send along some photos and something about yourself and bike (especially what town you are in.) Never know, someone might show up to take a look and install a tensioner so you can get on the road. (It's that time of year, ya know.) Good luck.

 

[DuctTapedGoat]

Welcome to MBc! This is a good community, and we'll do our best to help you get your bike up and running.

Don't worry, there's no gender biased motor in existence, so anything that guy off CL was able to do, you'll be able to do.

It's understandable that he messed it up - mechanics usually work with steel bolts - everything on the bike is aluminum, so perhaps a ladies touch will be perfect to keep those bolts from stripping out.

If you need any help finding replacement parts, feel free to post in the parts section.

EDIT :

You can always use a friends phone to call him to get some sort of resolution, or even give me his phone number and I could see what I could find out from him as well. He's probably just screening his calls.

 

[V 35]

These builds are not like changing a flat tire . They take time, and understanding of quality . It doesnt take a lot of skill / knowledge
to install a kit. To be happy with it is another story Safety is important, some kits offer semi safe parts like mopeds of old

Top quality parts exist, at a price. Check out photos of high end bikes for quality build parts.

 

[KCvale]

That is a rather in-expensive item that anyone with a screwdriver and at least a pair of pliers can install correctly.

I guess we have different meanings for 'installed correctly' Patrick.
I know you were just being factious, but some people take things literally and actually trying to build an MB without real tools is a fools errand ;-}

 

[2old2learn]

I've been guilty of many a fools errand across my years and feel sure that I'll do so again. Assembling my bike has been a comedy of errors, fortunately in which none of the animals involved in the filming of this movie were maimed or killed.........yet!

Wayne