While window shopping on Amazon I stumbled upon this kit. "80cc two-stroke motorized bicycle conversion" it read. I IMMEDIATELY was sold. I thought back to my childhood. "If ONLY i could have an engine on my bicycle!" every kids dream. So, admittedly foolish, I purchased it with no further research.
BUILD ONE. impulse buy.
The engine promptly came in the mail and I was left to find a bicycle. Being more of a do-er and less of a thinker, rather than looking for a community of Motored Bike builders, I set forth to my neighborhood Walmart with a crisp Benjamin in my pocket looking for a cheap cruiser.
What I found was the Cranbrook.. $80. SOLD.
Still in go-mode, I rushed home with my bicycle, opened my box-o-parts and started slapping them on in the most logical order i could dream of (Of course without taking photos). By the time the sun set I had a vanilla cranbrook with my engine kit mounted and running.
IT WORKS. Start to finish, I was "done" in about 6 hours. I rode it a few times and was happy with it. But something felt like it was missing. It seemed to "Out of the Box". i had not personally selected anything but the handlebars on this bike. It was not my own.
SO... like I do with everything else, I started trying to fix things that weren't broken.
I decided i did not like the plastic throttle that came with the kit and decided that it needed something a bit beefier. I purchased a generic aluminum motorcycle twist throttle. and some comfy Oury grips that would soon match the leather saddle I had in mind. Unfortunately the stock throttle cable did not like the new assembly as much as I did, so I had to go with one from a Honda XR-70 .
A few more rides in I decided that the OEM Huffy rear wheel was not built to the quality that I vainly imagined I required. I had problems with the hub locking up and the bearing races trying to back themselfs out at high RPMS. At this point I began to regret starting the entire project with a Walmart bike as the base, But I had passed the point of no return. I will make it work.
The next upgrade was a chrome rear wheel with a Shimano coaster-brake hub. ( I soon look forward to ditching the red front one for a match to this)
I also added a Bi-pod kickstand
At this point, I have a vision. I know the aesthetic that id like the bike to take once its finished. All that i need is time a materials.
THINGS TO COME
*Custom front springer (indian style)
*Leather saddle
*Chrome front wheel
*Custom fabricated mounting brackets welded to frame
*Lowered rear end
*Stainless gas tank to fit in frame. (in the works)
*static mounted bipod kickstand ( Ditch the bolt on.)
* NO MORE RED. ADD MORE CHROME. haha
TO BE CONTINUED....
BUILD ONE. impulse buy.
The engine promptly came in the mail and I was left to find a bicycle. Being more of a do-er and less of a thinker, rather than looking for a community of Motored Bike builders, I set forth to my neighborhood Walmart with a crisp Benjamin in my pocket looking for a cheap cruiser.
What I found was the Cranbrook.. $80. SOLD.
Still in go-mode, I rushed home with my bicycle, opened my box-o-parts and started slapping them on in the most logical order i could dream of (Of course without taking photos). By the time the sun set I had a vanilla cranbrook with my engine kit mounted and running.
IT WORKS. Start to finish, I was "done" in about 6 hours. I rode it a few times and was happy with it. But something felt like it was missing. It seemed to "Out of the Box". i had not personally selected anything but the handlebars on this bike. It was not my own.
SO... like I do with everything else, I started trying to fix things that weren't broken.
I decided i did not like the plastic throttle that came with the kit and decided that it needed something a bit beefier. I purchased a generic aluminum motorcycle twist throttle. and some comfy Oury grips that would soon match the leather saddle I had in mind. Unfortunately the stock throttle cable did not like the new assembly as much as I did, so I had to go with one from a Honda XR-70 .
A few more rides in I decided that the OEM Huffy rear wheel was not built to the quality that I vainly imagined I required. I had problems with the hub locking up and the bearing races trying to back themselfs out at high RPMS. At this point I began to regret starting the entire project with a Walmart bike as the base, But I had passed the point of no return. I will make it work.
The next upgrade was a chrome rear wheel with a Shimano coaster-brake hub. ( I soon look forward to ditching the red front one for a match to this)
I also added a Bi-pod kickstand
At this point, I have a vision. I know the aesthetic that id like the bike to take once its finished. All that i need is time a materials.
THINGS TO COME
*Custom front springer (indian style)
*Leather saddle
*Chrome front wheel
*Custom fabricated mounting brackets welded to frame
*Lowered rear end
*Stainless gas tank to fit in frame. (in the works)
*static mounted bipod kickstand ( Ditch the bolt on.)
* NO MORE RED. ADD MORE CHROME. haha
TO BE CONTINUED....
