skipS
Member
- Local time
- 7:20 PM
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2008
- Messages
- 55
When i started coming to this site I asked questions about the Chinese HT motors and was almost scared away from all the nightmare stories. People wrote and warned me of all kinds of things. I heard stories of motors lasting only a few weeks, vibating apart over and over, wheels breaking spokes all the time, gas tanks leaking, people getting stranded ETC. I almost gave up on the idea of a HT build. I had a budget I wanted to build in (under 400 USD ) and I wanted something reliable that I could ride on my short commute to work (6 mile round trip). I decided to try my luck anyhow.
I chose a Walmart bike, which everyone said would crack, get lose spokes, etc. I chose the Grubee Skyhawk 66 cc I found on sale at Gasbike.net. I threw it in a retro panama jack Walmart cruiser and I spent about a week building it. I rubber mounted the motor with a piece of car tire, I rubber mounted the Gas tank with a piece of inner tube, I changed the stock plug and coil wire out, I used loctite on everthing I could, and i zip tied all the rear spokes at the point were they cross, And I added a dual brake handle and robbed the brakes off a dead mountain bike I had.. Thats it. Total cost $350 USD
Yesterday I realized i had been riding the bike for almost two years now, ( or two full riding seasons here) and I have over 1200 miles on it trouble free. there are no frame cracks, no fender cracks, no lose spokes, no wobbily wheels, no leaky engine, no leaky gas tank. It starts every time in 5 ft or less and is vibration free at 25 mph which is plenty fast for me on my short commute. I also have a 150 RWH 2004 Kawasaki ZZR 1200 sport touring bike with over 53 thousand miles on it, and the HT bike gives me almost as much fun as that bike does.
So my point I guess is, Don't be Afraid, take your time, choose the right combo and enjoy yourself. Maybe I got lucky with my choices, But so far ( knock on wood) im a Happy guy.
I chose a Walmart bike, which everyone said would crack, get lose spokes, etc. I chose the Grubee Skyhawk 66 cc I found on sale at Gasbike.net. I threw it in a retro panama jack Walmart cruiser and I spent about a week building it. I rubber mounted the motor with a piece of car tire, I rubber mounted the Gas tank with a piece of inner tube, I changed the stock plug and coil wire out, I used loctite on everthing I could, and i zip tied all the rear spokes at the point were they cross, And I added a dual brake handle and robbed the brakes off a dead mountain bike I had.. Thats it. Total cost $350 USD
Yesterday I realized i had been riding the bike for almost two years now, ( or two full riding seasons here) and I have over 1200 miles on it trouble free. there are no frame cracks, no fender cracks, no lose spokes, no wobbily wheels, no leaky engine, no leaky gas tank. It starts every time in 5 ft or less and is vibration free at 25 mph which is plenty fast for me on my short commute. I also have a 150 RWH 2004 Kawasaki ZZR 1200 sport touring bike with over 53 thousand miles on it, and the HT bike gives me almost as much fun as that bike does.
So my point I guess is, Don't be Afraid, take your time, choose the right combo and enjoy yourself. Maybe I got lucky with my choices, But so far ( knock on wood) im a Happy guy.
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