Yes, but Honda can sell to whoever they choose to, and if the main focus of your business is selling mororized bike kits, they will probably decline any orders from Staton-inc. That'sDax's egine supplier must be doing cartwheels right now. Watch for price increases on Honda Clone motors, all of them, not just the motorized bike size, but the minibike and gokart size engines as well. Harbor freight will probably not increase prices, but if their supplier does, they will be forced to. Hopefully other manufacturers won't follow Honda's lead there.
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Yes, but Honda can sell to whoever they choose to, and if the main focus of your business is selling mororized bike kits, they will probably decline any orders from Staton-inc. That'sDax's egine supplier must be doing cartwheels right now. Watch for price increases on Honda Clone motors, all of them, not just the motorized bike size, but the minibike and gokart size engines as well. Harbor freight will probably not increase prices, but if their supplier does, they will be forced to. Hopefully other manufacturers won't follow Honda's lead there.
Silvaire
Member
The issue that Honda has is almost certainly a matter of liability concerns regarding products sold that contain their engines as components.
It is those who are in the BUSINESS of selling motorized bicycle engine kits or components that Honda has chosen not sell their engines to.
Anyone can buy a Honda GX35 or GX50 through someone like smallenginewarehouse.com and do whatever they want to with it.
Honda has no way to monitor what individuals choose to do with their engines.
It is those who are in the BUSINESS of selling motorized bicycle engine kits or components that Honda has chosen not sell their engines to.
Anyone can buy a Honda GX35 or GX50 through someone like smallenginewarehouse.com and do whatever they want to with it.
Honda has no way to monitor what individuals choose to do with their engines.
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Happy Valley
Active Member
Speaking of Small Engine Warehouse, they have now added a notice on Honda Engines:
http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com...Drive (Horizontal or Vertical Mount) 7000 RPM
http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com...Drive (Horizontal or Vertical Mount) 7000 RPM
mabman
Member
That has been there quite awhile actually. There is no way for Honda to police this but it does keep Staton and others like him from selling their engines specifically for bicycle use it seems. He also makes motorized wheel barrows that use this engine.
If only Honda, Yamaha etc. would realize the need for a small bicyce engine/transmission and develop it........Yamaha is close however.
http://www.gizmag.com/yamaha-y125-concept-retro-220-mpg/20672/
mabman
Member
What I am talking about is a 49cc that can meet the regs for motor assist bicycles along with an auto tranny and an alternator. They could do it easily but even less chance that it will ever be available it seems.
suitcasejefferson
Member
Honda specifically mentions "motorized bicycles" Since getting interested in them, I have noticed an overwhelming amount of negativity connected with them. Everybody seems to put them down, whether they ride a regular bicycle or not. While they are legal in AZ, up to 48cc, the police will still sometimes harass you about it. The "cycling community" here (I'm talking about the spandex wearing Lance Armstrong types) have been very vocal about them being ridden in bike lanes, which is legal here.
I don't know what the laws are concerning their legality in other states, here you can ride one up to 48cc with no license or insurance. I also own a moped, a real genuine 1977 Puch Maxi, and it is almost completely useless here. It CANNOT be legally ridden in the bike lanes, and with a max speed of 30 mph, it cannot be ridden on the street with other traffic either, because it is too slow. I did used to have a VeloSolex, which is actually a 49cc moped, but looks like a front engined motorized bicycle, with a top speed of 20 mph. I rode it in the bike lanes all the time, and never got hassled about it, other than a few negative comments from the spandex set, but it simply was not sturdy enough to hold up under my weight on the bumpy roads we have here, and I got tired of replacing rear wheels.
I realize that MB building is a hobby, but I wouldn't mind seeing some manufacturer actually build one complete, without all the issues the homebuilt ones have. They could have weld on mounts for everything, no rag joint sprockets or clamp on screen door roller chain tensioners, and they could be built to last. Something like that could be a real form of cheap transportation nationwide. I think a lot of people would ride them, if they were just gas and go, and did not require all the maintenance and tinkering the homebuilt ones do.
Anyway, it seems that installing an engine on a bicycle is not considered acceptable by the vast majority of people in the U.S. I don't have any idea how people in other countries feel about it.
BTW, decided to go friction drive the first time, with a Staton kit and a Robin-Suburu motor. Parts have been ordered. I also ordered a Chinese HT engine gas tank, as a way of carrying some extra fuel, and for looks.
I don't know what the laws are concerning their legality in other states, here you can ride one up to 48cc with no license or insurance. I also own a moped, a real genuine 1977 Puch Maxi, and it is almost completely useless here. It CANNOT be legally ridden in the bike lanes, and with a max speed of 30 mph, it cannot be ridden on the street with other traffic either, because it is too slow. I did used to have a VeloSolex, which is actually a 49cc moped, but looks like a front engined motorized bicycle, with a top speed of 20 mph. I rode it in the bike lanes all the time, and never got hassled about it, other than a few negative comments from the spandex set, but it simply was not sturdy enough to hold up under my weight on the bumpy roads we have here, and I got tired of replacing rear wheels.
I realize that MB building is a hobby, but I wouldn't mind seeing some manufacturer actually build one complete, without all the issues the homebuilt ones have. They could have weld on mounts for everything, no rag joint sprockets or clamp on screen door roller chain tensioners, and they could be built to last. Something like that could be a real form of cheap transportation nationwide. I think a lot of people would ride them, if they were just gas and go, and did not require all the maintenance and tinkering the homebuilt ones do.
Anyway, it seems that installing an engine on a bicycle is not considered acceptable by the vast majority of people in the U.S. I don't have any idea how people in other countries feel about it.
BTW, decided to go friction drive the first time, with a Staton kit and a Robin-Suburu motor. Parts have been ordered. I also ordered a Chinese HT engine gas tank, as a way of carrying some extra fuel, and for looks.
Happy Valley
Active Member
I think those are pretty fair observations. Let's consider too that USBL
estimates 60 million people in the US use bicycles. Let's also consider it's an aging demographic so a well conceived platform of assist presented right might be viewed as a favorable way to keep oneself out there and active.
Valid numbers for MABs are hard to come by from what I've observed but my guess would put it in the low single digit percentage of that. The upshot is, if MABs chief function is that of a toy or novelty which annoys people or to be not much more than fake motorcycles skirting the law, they run the risks of being received about as well as ATVs, perhaps regulated out of existence or severely restricted to private land or outback designated areas.
As to ready-made MABs, there are a few cottage industry types making complete bikes, depending what one is looking for, but for most part they tend toward show bikes or replica board track style with arguably limited utility for something like daily commuting. I doubt we'll see any major manufacturers jump into that ring because meeting both CPSC and DOT guidelines costs would make the purchase price competitive with that of a small motorcycle.
estimates 60 million people in the US use bicycles. Let's also consider it's an aging demographic so a well conceived platform of assist presented right might be viewed as a favorable way to keep oneself out there and active.
Valid numbers for MABs are hard to come by from what I've observed but my guess would put it in the low single digit percentage of that. The upshot is, if MABs chief function is that of a toy or novelty which annoys people or to be not much more than fake motorcycles skirting the law, they run the risks of being received about as well as ATVs, perhaps regulated out of existence or severely restricted to private land or outback designated areas.
As to ready-made MABs, there are a few cottage industry types making complete bikes, depending what one is looking for, but for most part they tend toward show bikes or replica board track style with arguably limited utility for something like daily commuting. I doubt we'll see any major manufacturers jump into that ring because meeting both CPSC and DOT guidelines costs would make the purchase price competitive with that of a small motorcycle.
CroMagnum
Member
I find it odd that Honda would decry the use of their engines for motorized bicycles when Soichiro Honda founded the company in 1946 by - you guessed it - marketing small engines for bicycles. Honda History
Oh, the irony.
Oh, the irony.
rawly old
Active Member
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I don't know about 'overwhelming negativity'. Most of the people I ride
past smile as if to say, "there's one old f@&# whose solved the gas crunch".
I get a lot of positive feed back, not just from kids who think my rig is cool,
but from older people who'd like to recreate without being solely dependent
on muscle power.
I think the reaction one gets is largely dependent on how one rides. There
appears to be a growing schism twixt MaBs and MBs. Looking at the builds
that are happening out there, many of which are beautiful and artistic, it
seems to me that they are just bicycles trying to look and perform like
motorcycles.
If there is negativity out there, it most likely stems from abuse of traffic
rules and a lack of courtesy on the part of riders. Where one rides also
makes a difference. If you're out there contending with busy urban traffic,
you'll probably draw the same reaction from motorists as two cyclists riding
abreast. It's sad that we cannot use main thoroughfares without putting
our lives a risk, but hey! The road less chosen is safer and, for me, a
darn sight more pleasant anyway.
"Gettin' too old to pedal, too poor to drive!"
past smile as if to say, "there's one old f@&# whose solved the gas crunch".
I get a lot of positive feed back, not just from kids who think my rig is cool,
but from older people who'd like to recreate without being solely dependent
on muscle power.
I think the reaction one gets is largely dependent on how one rides. There
appears to be a growing schism twixt MaBs and MBs. Looking at the builds
that are happening out there, many of which are beautiful and artistic, it
seems to me that they are just bicycles trying to look and perform like
motorcycles.
If there is negativity out there, it most likely stems from abuse of traffic
rules and a lack of courtesy on the part of riders. Where one rides also
makes a difference. If you're out there contending with busy urban traffic,
you'll probably draw the same reaction from motorists as two cyclists riding
abreast. It's sad that we cannot use main thoroughfares without putting
our lives a risk, but hey! The road less chosen is safer and, for me, a
darn sight more pleasant anyway.
"Gettin' too old to pedal, too poor to drive!"
