What started as a thread about engines u-turned into the cost of bikes, so I'll lob the ball back over the net with some estimates and approximations...
I think the minimum cost of a decent bike and reliable engine would be $500...
Sure, a tinkerer and idea-type could shave up to 20-30% off that $500 base cost, but then again it doesn't take long to spend another 100 bucks on gizmos and do-dads.
I base my guessing on initial research back in 2004-05, then the third newspaper I interviewed with wanted an different angle for a story.
I proposed a comparison with the only other motorized bike I could find in the area (40 miles away), and the other bike with the Chinese engine got the headline...
100 miles per gallon These bikes beat the Saudis, oil companies
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/051112/bikes.shtml
Anyway, learning as I went along, seeing the variety of prices of bikes I settled on my preferential choice for $250, which has two important features I think enhances the ride -
curved handlebars and gel saddles. It costs me $50 in materials if I want to convert a used mountain bike and add these two items, plus my minimum wage labor. (Straight handlebars irritate my right elbow area after about 10-20 miles).
So, even with Joey's Chinese setup in the
Decatur Daily article, he had $500 in the dealio, and I was offering my New Sun/GEBE setup for $850.
That would give any person a price range, from low to mediumhigh, with Whizzers in a seperate pricing category.
Anybody thinking they can put an e-bay bargain on a back of the barn bike, for $200 or so, is going to get their moneys worth, and not be on the road very long.
I'm talking about the average person, not an experienced bike enthusiast or tinkerer.
But if a person wants to ride in reliable fashion,
$500 is a good target to shoot for, and "out of the box" like GEBE and Staton type kits, are going to take $50-75 in bike upgrades to work the way they are intended, no matter which bike frame you use.
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