Are buyers getting more interested in BETTER quality kits ??

[adamtheha]

A HT engine is an engine that likes to be babied, tuned, adjusted, fiddled with and poked. It's because a bike and an engine are fundamentally incompatible (mostly), and one causes problems with the other. A user who loves to fix and fiddle will love the HT engine, and will be able to keep it running fairly consistantly.
I've personally spent 20+ hours on my bike, not a single hour wasted IMHO.
I've sold kits to people that I know are looking for a cheap thrill. Whatever suits them is fine with me, I'm more interested in the transportation aspect.
Any engine on any bike in the hands of a "delicate" or lazy person is going to be sitting in the garage collecting dust before long. Most people don't want the hassle, and are willing to pay much more to drive a car.

 

[lennyharp]

This conversation is totally relevant now in this day. Solutions to transportation have long been part of our daily situation. I think most of us thought the auto and truck solution was permanent with just simple modifications and developments. Here we are a bunch of people thinking outside the box for at least some of our transportation remedies. For some it may be just fun but for many it is actually transportation. I certainly fall in that group of wanting to get around cheaper and more independently. I guess I was sold on the fact I would ride and benefit before I bought.

I have lived for more than 2 years as a dad with wife and 4 children where we only used bicycles for transportation, that was from 1989 to 1991 or so. The bikes we used were quality (not necessarily expensive) and served us well, and I built a trailer towed behind me or the wife. I would certainly ride the junkiest bike if that was all I had but I would be looking to upgrade asap. The time to upgrade for me is as early as possible because I am sold on the need not to be stuck 20 miles from home on the way back from work. Worse would be stuck halfway in between on the way to work. Quality ensures the least down time and repairs on the side of the road. Another benefit is that catastrophic failures of equipment, the kind that kill or injure, are less likely to happen.

 

[CARROT-The DESTROYER]

All good points

I think everyone in this chat is basically more or less in agreement.
The market is growing, and the need for a reliable product will be in greater demand. At this time, the only alternative is the HT option to get started at a reasonable investment. I am not very knowledgeable about DAX, Goboyfast or Spooky Tooth, and were they get the motors from. But from what I have read, DAX and Goboyfast- seem to be doing what they can to improve the 2 stroke design- using bearings vs. bushings as well as other improvements to make the motor more reliable. THIS- is what I appreciate and would support; their inspiration and innovation to- make it better.
I also believe a large part of the success in this industry is the relationship between the company and the buyer. IOW the tech support that goes w/ the purchase. That is a key ingredient to the consumer. I wonder how many of those HT projects that wound up in the shed may have been due to lousy customer support?
My experience thus far: I have made one call and one email to the company I made my purchase from. I have not received any response. If I was not aware of this site or had access to a computer, I am not sure where my build would be at this time. I would think that this site would be a major forerunner for support for any company in this market, but I have never seen a single post from the company I purchased from. I guarantee you, I will not buy from them again. What I do see is the previously mentioned companies and advertisers on this site doing all they can to support this market and help it grow. That is where my dollar will be spent next time.

thanks,

Troy Fitz.

 

[Marktur]

Troy, Lenny, Carrot - agreed and good posts!

Adam - agreed, PM is key. Don't recommend an HT motor to folks that do not know how to turn a wrench...otherwise their problem will always and forever be your problem!

I happen to find wrenching and maintenance on my bike to be relaxing, because I pound on a keyboard and sit on my *** all day...not to mention that breaking down away from home stinks.

 

[Esteban]

One other point I would like to recommend to everyone. Gas prices hurt us all & there is not going to be a supply of oil forever. I encourage you to think,,, not only of a powered bike,,, but think of just riding a regular bike. Everyone needs some form of exercise, & to me, bike riding is one of the most enjoyable. I don't think many us need a powered bike at all. I am nearly 60, & a 10-15 mile ride is a joy to me. BUT, I do live in Florida & there are few hills. Get a good bike, ride it, to get in better health, to conserve fuel, to set an example for others to do the same.

 

[Esteban]

Here's a cute one I ran across for sale in Fl.

OOPs,, here is the link !

http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/bik/725989470.html

 

[techboss]

Carrot I agree with your post.

I look at this from a cost point of view. I own a HT myself. Spent many many hours trying to get this thing off the ground from pedal clearance to final product. I spent days doing this, and as of today I have taken this bike over 400km with out any issue.

If you are going to invest in a good kit (dax,staton,gebe), I am sure you get better experience and better support. Remember that you still have to put the kits together, why not buy a used Vespa scooter at this point for under 1,500?

 

[augidog]

because, overall, a vespa don't hold a candle to my GEBE, or a titan or staton or DE for that matter...most of us here already loved bicycling, so don't ask me to give that part up and go scooterin'

...plus i still have all the joy of DIY'ing, tinkering, etc...except now i get a positive return for my effort because i'm making improvements to my bicycle instead of fixing the drive-train. it's a lot cheaper to slap new wheels/tires/whatever on a bicycle than on a production vehicle like vespa.

2500+ miles without a single (drivetrain) problem...i'm even still on the
original belt...and that's with me beatin' it up day after day. nothing else
i've owned or ridden has come close to that record

 

[HoughMade]

I've put a lot of money into this thing, but I built it myself and I am going to have it the way I want it. To do the same thing with e a motorcycle would cost 20 times more....and it would hardly be rare.

If you are interested in getting from point A to point B only- have a ball with a Spree....but for me, it's about the build, the look, the uniqueness and the hobby of it all. It's not even about transportation for me- I've got cars....gas prices hurt, but I can take it (don't want to, though). Nope- there's much more to this for me than getting there- it's about the ride.

 

[lennyharp]

And you be stylin' with that ride of yours, HoughMade.!!! My wife showed me a picture of a Vespa 2 months ago as a second set of wheels and now I have become addicted to my Motorized Bike. The romance just was not there for me in that or even a big bike. I love pedaling and helping the bike go and even just riding with a biker friend with no motor at times.