GasBike - PhatMoto Rover bike (79cc, $500) - Black Friday Deal

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Yes, and I'm no lightweight so I'm sure Murphy's law would apply. I'm guessing the alloy of that shaft could be improved upon and a good bearing retailer could recommend some superior bearings to support it, but that's not why you buy something like this. I prefer not to be a test rider for the R&D and warranty (or lack thereof) departments of either Phatmoto or the retailers. Speaking of retailers that sell Phatmoto Rovers, if any of them would like to step up with sweet group buy pricing you might get quite a few takers.

I see this as a way for those without the tools and/or mechanical abilities to experience motor assisted bicycling and a weakness like this is missing that mark by quite a bit.
 
Is the frame mount for the jackshaft the same ID (inner diameter) as a bottom bracket? If so,you might be able to make use of a sick bike parts sealed bearing bottom bracket and grind a keyway into the left side shaft.
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If you do this, you can shift the power over to the right side and run gears.
 
I think that would be the ideal solution to the low top speed issue, except I believe it's a single speed in pedaling mode.
 
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You can get a rear wheel that has either a cassette/multi speed freewheel or an internally geared hub. I wanna get a phatmoto frame, but they don't sell parts and I'm not buying the whole bike when most of the parts will go in the trash day one. I wouldn't use the jackshaft to keep the gearing on the left, I would do exactly what I suggested to you.
 
I might be concerned about the bearing in a bottom bracket kit. Even with the reduction from the sprocket sizes, that shaft will be spinning much faster than human legs can rotate it. The increased shaft rpm might be more than the crank bearings can handle.
 
I might be concerned about the bearing in a bottom bracket kit. Even with the reduction from the sprocket sizes, that shaft will be spinning much faster than human legs can rotate it. The increased shaft rpm might be more than the crank bearings can handle.

It'll be fine. People have been running those bottom bracket kit bearings for years on shifter bikes. Mine is almost 10 years old.
 
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Billy sign up for gasbikes emails and you'll get the best deals that way. Close to Tday you'll get them black Friday deals.
 
anyone interested looks like its an order for an import. so buy then wait 2-3 months. again, ill really be interested (looking for new bike) but again im in the electric bug atm.
I got mine in three days.
 
I bought a Phatmoto Rover while the pre-sale was going on. If you can keep them running and avoid ALL of the problems that lead to catastrophic failure then they're a great bike to own. That being said mine is out of commission at the moment. For the first 500 miles I put on it (after break-in and tight down), it was a dream. Starts up nice and quiet, takes off smooth, and once you've switched the spring assembly with a pin it tops out at around 31. The first problem I ran into was cr@p tires - one patch of slate on the road put a gaping hole in the tread. One walk of shame and replacement tire later, the rear brakes start to go. I check them to see the wear and my heart sank... the pads were completely gone and the metal pegs that hold them together were shearing into the wall of my rim. Suffice to say I don't use the rear brakes any more. The front brake is a 165mm disc but sadly it's not hydraulic. The last problem I had with the bike and reason it's not on the road is that I forgot to perform a simple maintainance check on the rear sprocket. The entire rear end of the bike came to me factory assembled to the frame along with the jackshaft. So I figured they were smart and used red threadlocker. No such luck. The screws that hold the rear sprocket to the hub had backed out and were shearing against the frame making a noise that sounded exactly like the centerfugal clutch did when it was brand new, making me unaware of it until I physically examined the bike.

To conclude, if you know every piece and part and all the specs on them and perform routine maintainance religiously, then this is an awesome bike to own. If you are new to motorized bikes and have never built one before, DON'T. Not unless you like torture that is. If you've built a few motorized bikes before and think you know your stuff, it could be awesome just do your homework. One problem can put these excellent workhorses off the road. I say they're excellent even though they're prone to problems because when they are in tip top shape, they're a dream to ride.
 
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