Any upgrades I should add to a Thatsdax F50 2 cycle kit for reliability?

[cdevidal]

I’m considering the F50 kit. Is it good as-is or do I need to upgrade or swap any parts for reliability? I will be commuting seven miles each way to the office four times a week. I’ve got an old steel frame ten speed non-suspension mountain bike and with myself, clothes, and backpack, I weigh about 300lb. I would be going wide open on the throttle the whole time (unless not recommended). Commute is mostly flat, one hill over the railroad tracks.

 

[cdevidal]

I can already see from the grainy picture that I'll be wanting an engine-mounted tensioner idler
https://www.ebay.com/itm/49-66-80cc...hash=item2a7170f12d:m:m-b3lt30KT8w_ql7lB4QDvw

Are the sprockets pretty true or should I consider replacing that?

 

[Tyler6357]

I would recommend the F80 for your weight requirements. These kits work better on mountain bikes but have been successfully put on 10 speed road bikes. I would recommend getting the widest tire you can put on the bike, thin tires burn out fast when you have torque and have less traction and allow less leaning in turns. As for reliability? I will say that these little bikes can become reliable, that is, after you have gotten all the kinks out, but be prepared for some difficulty until then. Carry some basic tools with you for the first 200 miles or you might find yourself peddling it home. Also, these engines create quite a bit of vibration that has a tendency to loosen screws so be prepared to tighten and tighten and re tighten everything on your bike. however over time you may find that it is just a few certain ones that come loose. Since you asked about upgrades I would recommend a sprocket adapter instead of the rag joint set up for the rear sprocket. It will drive the hub instead of the spokes and might save you much frustration. Also, a high compression head with large cooling fins will not only give you better compression and more power but keep the temperature of your engine down for more reliability. Also, ride her easy, disengage her and glide down hills, don't let her get too hot and let her cool often, use a high quality semi-synthetic 2 stroke oil properly mixed (no thicker than 24x1), treat your china girl good and she love you long time.

 

[cdevidal]

Isn't the F80 80cc? I don't have the license for that, is it easy to get? I'm in Florida. I have a standard driver license but not motorcycle. Oh and sorry when I said 10 speed I meant 10 speed non-suspension steel mountain bike.

FYI I'm not so concerned about going fast, just want to arrive on time without too much weariness. I would like to also pedal assist if possible but would take it easy on hot days.

 

[Tyler6357]

Oh, okay, when you said 10 speed I was thinking of a road bike. Use tires that are at least 1.95" and as wide as possible and still have the engine chain clear the tire. Also, you can always shift your bike to a higher gear and assist your engine going up hills. As far as engine size, I'm not certain and didn't consider the laws in Florida, I don't know what licenses or registration are required for motorized bicycles or mopeds there. Laws are probably different in Florida than my state of California however, I seriously doubt that many cops could even tell the difference between the F50 and the F80 two engines but, hey, do what you gotta do. But just to clarify, the Dax F80 is actually a 69cc engine, China measures differently and calls their engines 80cc but their displacement sets them at 69cc.

The rear sprocket will be as true as you can make it. If you use the rag joint set up that comes with the kit it will be more difficult to true than if you use a sprocket adapter. However, it doesn't need to be totally perfect as the chain should have some slack in it to make up for small imperfections and the chain tensioner will help guide it toward the rear sprocket. The engine sprocket and the rear sprocket must be lined up pretty straight though. Getting the wobble out of the rear sprocket can be one of the more difficult tasks when assembling your kit.