Are motorized bicycles just money pits/hindrances?

[Spare_Parts]

Okay, I spent about $600 on my first bike. I started with a kit and upgraded it until I had a reliable bike then I put over well over 2000 very fun miles on it and it's still running great today. I spent about $1000 on my second bike but I got alot of stuff it don't really need and its been fun to mess around with. Is that alot of money for 2 bikes? This is just a hobby for me and I think it's actually a cheap hobby when compared things like snow skiing, motor boats, dirt bikes or quads, or hobbies like golf. If you compare it to entertainment like $100-$200 for good seat to a concert or some magic show or something like that which is over in a few hours, it seems cheap. It's more expensive than basketball but far cheaper than women, haha.

Well said sir!

 

[LewieBike]

I think the big thrill is getting something you bought for $115 and knew it was way less than perfect or workable and yet get it to function and drive on an old bicycle for a summer. 300 miles so far. I haven't ridden mine since last October, but it still starts and runs.

That has got to count for something.

 

[bakaneko]

Too much to count. Shoulda just gotten a nice Honda Grom 125cc (stock) motorcycle. But as some of you may know, I am working on the viability of a ebike gas generator hybrid. Here is the expected cost of the build. The goal is to keep the cost at high range of a gas bike but with good reliability and infinite range from gas.

1000W rear wheel ebike kit = $200
battery = $300
generator = $150
=======================
total = $650-750 (without bike)

 

[JerboaJohn]

I think still in viable range,, really good ebikes are still retailing over 2k

 

[extremeodd]

They kinda can be, this is a list of everything that's either made the bike not run or I've simply had to fix over the last 2-3 months (most of it in the first month)

Petcock broke off (dumping all my fuel onto my right leg)
Fuel tank mounting lug ripped (dumping all my fuel onto my left leg)
Blown headgasket
Fried CDI (two in a week)
Chain tensioner shifting (like 5 goddamn times)
Chain stretching
Rubber mounts getting cut by spokes causing the sprocket to wobble and throw the chain
Carb leaking where it mounts (mix leaned and it wouldn't run)
Main jet housing unscrewing and falling into the bowl (on 2 f***ing carbs in one day)
Engine mounting bolts rattling loose and falling off despite locktite
Engine mounting bolts snapping mid ride (cheap ebay motor)
Engine seizing because of too little oil in the mix (Thought I could make the .6 mile ride from the gas station to my oil bottle, in hind sight running it balls out was stupid. This was on the garbage ebay motor) After cooling off for 5 mins it cycled freely, has some deep scoring on the exhaust side of the piston now.
Intake rattling loose (mix leaned out, it wouldn't run)
Sparkplug rattled loose and fell out (NEVER grab a plug that just popped out of the motor, smoke came off of my finger tips when I touched it)
Exhaust rattling loose (killed the motor to pedal home as the studs were to hot to touch and I didn't want to have the pipe fall off)
Head vibrating loose and losing compression despite red locktite
Had to adjust the flower nut on the clutch plate since it wouldn't release.
Petcock handle broke off
Had to adjust the flower nut tighter by literally 1/6th of a turn to keep the clutch from slipping on acceleration.
Had to retighten the locktite'd motor mounts, again.
Clear fuel line turned rock hard, cracked, and started leaking like a sieve.
Clutch flower nut adjustment, AGAIN.
Had to replace the rear brake pads, the stock ones burnt up in just 2 months (I've NEVER in my life had to replace bike brake pads)

It's truly hard to say how much money I've spent on this project, off of the top of my head I know I've purchased the following:
Ebay motor kit - $90
Zeda Motorsports "poor boy" kit - $240
Bike berry 3.75l gas tank, 36t sprocket, misc hardware - $70ish
zeda 88 expansion chamber pipe (huuuuuge ripoff) - $70ish
Lightly used MZ65 pipe (a must have) - $75
Dual brake lever - $13
Chain breaker - $16
Replacement head and aluminum gasket - $15ish
Gasket kit with aluminum head gasket - $8ish
2x CDIs (always keep spares, they are easy to blow) $14
Engine mounted spring chain tensioner - $16
ebike brake pads (must have) - $19
10ft roll of fuel line - $6
CNC sprocket hub adapter 1in- $36
32t sprocket, 3 hole for adapter - $13
Tach - $15
Double leg middle mount kick stand - $13
22mm muffler - $20
Mirrors - $20


So far that is $769 on just parts, that's not including buying misc hardware, gas, oil, random needed tools, and most importantly, my time.

In exchange for that near $800 I have a bike that now runs well enough to do a 20 mile trip without a single hiccup, starts easy, isn't too loud (still loud), accelerates quickly, and it can go 36 mph on a 44t sprocket. I'll be swapping to the 32t and CNC adapter later today. Hopefully with the inherent adjustability the CNC adapter has, I can eliminate some chain alignment issues I have. If you try to run the bike in gear on the kickstand, with no load the chain catches the edge of the teeth of the rear sprocket making the bike jump along with making a nasty noise. While under load the chain has no problems smoothly meshing. Rag joints are complete garbage IMO.

If I could go back, I'd take that $800 and either go with a 1kw rear hub + 52v battery, or I'd add another $2-300 and get either a BBS02 + battery kit or spend a bit more for a BBSHD + battery kit. Either way, I'd go electric to save the hassle.

 

[Spare_Parts]

Holy f*** that's a lot of problems!

 

[extremeodd]

Yup, a good chunk of them came from learning via trial and error. For instance, today I recieved my 1in CNC hub adapter and 32 tooth sprocket. After installing and shortening the chain I went for a ride. Soon discovered that 32 tooth was way too low as I'm not even entering my powerband by 30mph and while riding back home I felt something like my chain catching the sprocket/snapping. Scared the crap out of me so I came to a quick stop to see what happened. The 3 bolts holding the sprocket had backed out and one fell out, hence the sound/feeling (I think it hit the frame when it was most of the way out, launching it). This was simple user error by not checking the torque after riding a few blocks. So I went to ACE hardware, bought 2 replacement bolts (one spare) and proceeded to use locktite along with torquing them down quite a bit further than I had.

Sadly the 1in hub adapter shifts on the hub even at full tightness (only when you do stuff like dump the clutch to kill the motor when stopped, or using the kill switch when the bike is on its kick stand and in gear.) and seems to be deforming my spokes a tad. I'll take that over the pineapple joint causing the sprocket to eat through the damned spokes (couldn't run the outer rubber piece due to clearance. Sprocket was directly against the spokes).

 

[Will'smotobikes19]

Its probably better to do moped tuning/engine swap than keep buying junky junk. CT70 or something maybe a tomos and mod it out. Looking back I wish I started with one of those.

 

[Frogslayer]

Holy smokes extreme you need to buy a lottery ticket!

 

[JerboaJohn]

build from scratch is not cheaper either bcs you pick good parts and they cost. but all said n done, compare a typical moped to a nice 66cc build and who has the better ride?
preference really. both reliable, ped gets you gas mileage but the mb would be so much faster stylish, , both cost abt the same.

half the faults in new 2 stroke installs comes from not prep the parts esp. the mounting of them. don't take anything new for granted esp from China