What style of bike is best?

jar50972

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Hi, and thanks for looking at my thread.

I am trying to create a MB (obviously :p). The first step is to find a bike. I just want to make it easy as possible, with no frame mods or anything or custom mounts. From what I've read and searched on this forum, it seems "Diamond-style mountain bikes" are the best.

Now I'm a cheap b*****d, so I'm checking craigslist to find a bike under 50 bucks. I see some diamond style bikes around here, but I'm not exactly sure what makes a bike "motor-ready" I've found 3 bikes which I thought would be the right style.

The blue is 24" frame,
3M43Jd3p05I15Gf5Hacan0938f9876db61cb2.jpg

black is 26",
3Lf3p63Hc5K95H55J3cb7290a3490b1a514fe.jpg
and purply-blue is unknown size.
3Ed3Ia3Fa5Ga5F85J6cb154e8eb9107ce160b.jpg
 
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Bikes with ~1" tubes are nice because the motor mounts don't require any modification to fit... Most modern mountain bikes have larger frame tubes which can be tough to mount to... the ROADSTAR in your image looks perfect. EDIT: *ROADMASTER
 
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I have the same question, which one is the roadstar? Is that the 24 inch frame? So as I finish this piece of c#$% I'm working, I've got enough stuff to make another one, which I hope I can complete easily, and I can sell to recover some of my pain. Thanks a lot for everyone's help, John
 
Look like any of the 3 will work, I thank blue 26" bike would be the best though.
The main thing is the space in the middle of the frame where you mount the motor, the more you have the better in most cases, some bikes the motor will fit but real close.
This is a great place for newbies, and take it from me check out the vendor area and check the vendor reviews so you know a good dealers from a the bad ones. I did not do that and almost got ripped off by eBay's boygofast.

Also on your post you got the black bike under the 26" picture and the blue bike under the 24" picture I thank they are supposed to be the other way around. I thought I was the only one that put thing backwards lol
Good luck and welcome to the form
 
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Look like any of the 3 will work, I thank blue 26" bike would be the best though.
The main thing is the space in the middle of the frame where you mount the motor, the more you have the better in most cases, some bikes the motor will fit but real close.
This is a great place for newbies, and take it from me check out the vendor area and check the vendor reviews so you know a good dealers from a the bad ones. I did not do that and almost got ripped off by eBay's boygofast.

Also on your post you got the black bike under the 26" picture and the blue bike under the 24" picture I thank they are supposed to be the other way around. I thought I was the only one that put thing backwards lol
Good luck and welcome to the form

Thanks for the quick reply. Why do you think the blue would work out better than the purple? It seems the purple bike has a larger opening? Or is that not the reason?

Thanks for the working about BGF, I was looking at them. I've seen your post about your horrible experience, and it made me think twice.
Still, I'm considering BoyGoFast or BikeBerry for the engine.
 
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Bikes with ~1" tubes are nice because the motor mounts don't require any modification to fit... Most modern mountain bikes have larger frame tubes which can be tough to mount to... the ROADSTAR in your image looks perfect.

Why would you say the ROADMASTER as opposed to the blue one? BTW, the price difference is negliable, with the blue bike costing $29, and the purple ROADMASTER costing $35. I will email both to find out more details

EDIT: Turns out they are being sold by the same person! I guess I can check out both at the same time? Should I print out the engine template thing and bring it along with me?
 
I can almost guarantee you an HT will fit in any of those frames... the 24" might be tight but DONT TAKE MY WORD. Anything you can do to measure or test fit will save you alot of headache down the road. I considered three frames for my build... any of them would have worked. Just find a frame that fits your style, fits the kit, and is in good condition.

EDIT: One thing to watch out for in particular is the clearance between the crank arms and your crankcase. Wide cranks can be had for pretty cheap, but mountain bikes typically have multi-piece cranks that can be a bit pricy to replace with a wider set.
 
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The second two looked like they had more clearance to me. What you really need to do is buy the motor kit first and take it with you when you inspect the bikes to see if it fits.
 
Just make sure it has disk brakes - that's the most important thing to consider, then upgrade the brakes with Avid BB7 calipers and either a Shimano 8 inch front disk or preferably a Hayes 9 inch front disk. The rear 6 inch disk is perfectly sized for maintaining good front/rear brake bias, particularly with a Hayes 9 inch front disk.
 
Just make sure it has disk brakes - that's the most important thing to consider, then upgrade the brakes with Avid BB7 calipers and either a Shimano 8 inch front disk or preferably a Hayes 9 inch front disk. The rear 6 inch disk is perfectly sized for maintaining good front/rear brake bias, particularly with a Hayes 9 inch front disk.

From what I've been reading, it seems that disk brakes are unnecessary for the riding I will be doing. I live in a HUGE development, with no pedestrians, and the occasional car on the main road. I won't go faster than 25mph, for safety and legal concerns. Also, none of the above bikes appear to have dsik brakes, all V-style.
 
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