Build Them, Sell Them, Stimulate The Market

[sabrewalt]

Az- Get sued once... Then....

I gotta go with Skyliner on this one. You can make your self available for service until the buyer starts throwing around the L word and then you have to close ranks. There are too many people out to play the litigation lottery in this country. If you are just building these in your garage for a few bucks then you gotta do something to shield yourself.

(Off topic)I was on the job(Thank God) about 2 months ago and I tapped a guys car at about 5mph. Put a little crease in his crappy plastic bumper(He was driving a Chevette class POS). My car sustained 0 damage. He was walking around the car looking at stuff, then yaking on the phone, then he sat down. I recommended we pull our cars off the road. He said it would not start. I offered to start it for him and move it... He glassed over..... He called an Ambulance. Got a neck brace and everything. They towed his car!!!) Cop did not give me a ticket. Cop and Ambulance people were embarrased as ****. (I was from out of town). There are really people out there ready to sue if they think they can....

 

[mickey]

There are too many people out to play the litigation lottery in this country. ... There are really people out there ready to sue if they think they can....

Word. I carry a disposable camera in my glove box to snap pictures of everything if I'm involved in an accident. (apparently, its a good luck token, I haven't had a bump since I started carrying it)

 

[nwguy]

Personally, I wouldn't sell bikes unless I had the insurance for it. Worst case, someone crashes (even if it's not a mechanical failure due to your assembly) and dies, and their spouse sues you for support for the rest of their life. Your life would be very different after that. There's a guy who used to make "Counterpoint" brand recumbents, where the rear rider rode an upright bike and the front rider was in a recumbent position. One of his bikes broke, he got sued and he no longer makes bikes. Someone else does still make this design though. I sold a bicycle built for three that I made (http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/trandem) and wrote up a non-liability contract that the guy I sold it to signed, but I still think about that bike being out there and the potential liability. Professional bike framebuilders carry lots of liability insurance, and that's without a motor.

 

[eltatertoto]

y-know after hearing all this i really dont wanna gat screwed around with, but i REALLY want to build these to sell.... if only i could get a big company to help me out and stuff...... i personally think building the darn things is AS fun if not more fun as riding them... oh well.

 

[Large Filipino]

I seen ads in Craigslist. I would totally go with shady if this was me. I mean yea it could be a stolen bike as far as the buyer is concerned but I don't trust buyers that can't maintain their own rides.
I mean think about it. If you are bicyclally inclined would you buy an entire bike? Just buy it and go? Or would you buy a kit and build it yourself?
That's my gripe for I was thinking about this myself. I don't know if I want to establish a relationship with buyers always there to fix and adjust their bikes,explaining why they blew their engine,getting personally $%^# off cause you poured your heart into this build just so the customer can abuse it.
I don't know if I would be ready for that.
Yea,if this was me,Craigslist,as is,delivered to the buyers house. I don't even know if I would let the buyer test drive it...it seems a lot for a small profit.

 

[eltatertoto]

thaks large.... after a long deliberation, (and begging my ma for the money) i might try that. if i do end up doing that, what bike would be the cheapest, and least modding, for this?

 

[graucho]

Hello all, in the last month I built 2 extra bikes and sold them. Im tring to stimulate the motorbike interest in my area. Besides myself, I have only seen 1 other person riding a MB im my area. I guess I want opinions. Is this a good thing? or is it bad to draw more attention by the city officials by flooding the market place. I have my thoughts. But as my wife says, "your NOT always right" Thanks for any opinions. graucho

OK guys/gals everyone has great points. If selling these to strangers is to risky, how do we stimulate the market? What are good ideas to get people to build there own. Would a person advertise all over the place, meet at a specific place with their bikes and give a demonstration of how to build one for a fee. They build their own, and link them up to this site (MB.com) and let them run on their own?

 

[Large Filipino]

If I was a vendor of these happy time kits,you would see me at the local flea market with the bikes out there for all to see and the kits all layed out for people to buy.
You do see all kinds of Chinese minibikes out there and Chinese ATV's and go peds and such. They're in the malls,flea markets,seemingly everywhere you go. But how come you don't see engine kits?
Because of the laws about these 2 stroke engines I would guess.
It really doesn't make any sense to me how there could be these kid toys powered by 2 strokes selling everywhere in public but not the Happy Time.
What's up with that?
You would think these 2 stroke kits would be selling everywhere you turn.

 

[fastboy9]

yep

thaks large.... after a long deliberation, (and begging my ma for the money) i might try that. if i do end up doing that, what bike would be the cheapest, and least modding, for this?

totally agree with you dude, i enjoy the building just as much as riding. The sound of the engine first bursting into life after you have spent hours of your time getting tired and dirty is just amazing. Just like giving birth (probably).
You sound just like me man, cool vids as well btw.

We really have to get more people into this culture, not just great fun, but I've learnt a lot about engineering too. Everybody I meet I direct to this site.

 

[Large Filipino]

For cheapest and least modding look at garage sales for that 10 dollar mountain bike with the thin diameter frame for effortless installation that the buyer can't mess up then get some scrap bikes for parts around the neighborhood.(BMX handlebar,cables,pads,tires and tubes ect ect...)
Put it all together,ride it,tighten stuff down then stamp it with the elatertoto seal of approval!
I'm looking out for old school 10 speed bikes with that crazy bend handlebar myself with those thin tires. I bet happy timing that would be extremely painless. I would change the handlebar definetly and keep the skinny tires for speed.