I'm new to the motorized scene. I've been helping a friend with a '48 Schwinn J Whizzer. Working on it with him has been a lot of fun. I'd like to get or make something of my own, but do not know what the choices are. Would someone please toss out a name or two of motor kits that are worth looking into? Front wheel better than rear wheel drive? Cost? Reliability? Any comments would be greatly appreciated! Thanks. Mike
Entry Level Motor
- Thread starter TR6SC
- Start date
Will'smotobikes19
Well-Known Member
Reliability means Honda, Zenoah, and some others. Kit engines are not reliable trust me. That 1948 engine is probably more reliable than a brand new engine from ebay. They're good to tinker with and improve but if you really want to get around I would go for a belt drive setup with a small 4 stroke but Zenoah makes pretty reliable 2 strokes. On staton inc's website it says any small Japanese 2 stroke can last 50k on their setups. My next bike is going to be belt drive and will purchase a good engine for it. Save yourself the frustration if you get into this hobby and invest in a motor made with real metal and accurate tolerances, but that's just my opinion. Other people will say get a Zeda 80 or whatever and you can if you want but the little Zenoah can go the same speed stock as a stock kit engine and it is 41.5cc while the kit engine is 66cc. GoldenEagleBikeEngines has good setups.
Will'smotobikes19
Well-Known Member
In that case I would use a Honda GXH50, they make a mount that it bolts onto in the frame of a beach cruiser and some mountain bikes there is a clone motor kit but I wouldn’t get it. You will also need the wide pedals and a transmission. The motor is $400 new but will last a long time like I said. Maybe twice the miles of the huasheng clones. That’s if a huasheng is capable of 10k. Change the oil regularly and it could last 50k. Also gxh50s and the clones sound sweet with a long straight pipe.
MotorBicycleRacing
Well-Known Member
What is your budget for an in frame kit?
Why don't you buy a Whizzer?
Depending on where you live you can buy them cheap.
LewieBike
Well-Known Member
The only 2 stroke kit Golden Eagle sells right now is the Tanaka 32 cc, and it's OK. But not anywhere near the older 41 cc engine kit for power. Golden Eagle also selling their newer, big 4 strokes, which are now 38 cc Chinese Honda tiller engine clones, sort of a crap shoot for quality with those also.
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Will'smotobikes19
Well-Known Member
Yeah I noticed Mitsubishi,Tanaka and Subaru motors seem to be more rare or discontinued is this because of the cheaper clones that are everywhere and no one wants to spend extra money or is it because other companies bought them out? or a merger?
LewieBike
Well-Known Member
It would be speculation on my part. I'm friends with the old member here Gone Fishin' or Augie and he's been a bit troubled by GEBE's lack of decent engines for a while. I mean you can buy from Northern Supply a Thailand made Honda GX35 for about $350 and then buy GEBE's engine-less kit for about $380. It is why I bailed on buying one of their kits, just too rich for my present income. Plus the 48cc CG engine I bought instead is quirky and seems so far to be running well enough. With it's clutch pulled in, it's far easier to pedal than a GEBE I've ridden with the belt connected.
I'm also sort of suspicious about the fact that there are a lot of past GEBE ex-owners who end up with their belts shredding after 600 to 1000 miles and they just give up on the drive because they can't fine tune the sheave to pinion alignment close enough to keep the drive from shredding belts. I'll take a chain drive over a self installed synchronous timing belt pulley system.
I'm also sort of suspicious about the fact that there are a lot of past GEBE ex-owners who end up with their belts shredding after 600 to 1000 miles and they just give up on the drive because they can't fine tune the sheave to pinion alignment close enough to keep the drive from shredding belts. I'll take a chain drive over a self installed synchronous timing belt pulley system.
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Will'smotobikes19
Well-Known Member
Oh, I thought they were Kevlar belts but they might be using a cheaper one now. I did see staton’s chain drives but the sprocket looks really small that mounts on the wheel wouldn’t be much good for acceleration for about $600 you can get it with a gx35 where the gebe is like $700. Well I don’t want to hijack this thread so let’s keep TR6 in mind, he wants a reliable inframe setup. Sadly almost all engines/mounts etc. are made in China. Some parts are okay but a lot wouldn’t have passed inspection in a Japanese manufacturing factory. Maybe bicycle motorworks’ iron sleeved engine would be a good start.
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LewieBike
Well-Known Member
Any of you familiar with the late 1940's Italian motorcycle maker Ducati's little 48 cc engine called the Cucciolo?
What we need right now is a little compact, quality made narrow 4 stroke similar to the Cucciolo.
What we need right now is a little compact, quality made narrow 4 stroke similar to the Cucciolo.
