GEBE vs chain drive

rowley252

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Hey guys, new to the forum here. I am about to make a purchase of a GEBE or staton chain drive unless there is something else mentioned. Money is no issue I just want something nice that will run smooth. Can anyone tell me which motor kit would be the best to purchase as far as speed, power and reliability. Im leaning towards the Tanaka 40cc because I have seen it has gotten very good reviews.

Thanks
 
imho, the Tanaka 33cc, & esp. if you soup up the exhaust and carb after 25 tankfulls of breakin miles, will keep up with the T-40cc, be quieter and keep a belt a LOT longer. My T-33 has at least 3,000 mi. on it, and no stray thread.

What's your terrain, age, weight, and what do you plan on doing with it?

A 300 pound rider in the Rockie Mtns might need the 40cc.

And how many XX.X mph do you want to go? They all go the same speed downhill !!

Because a stock GEBE T-33 will do 34.+ on the straightaways.

btw: it really helps when you MB.register if you fill in location, that answers a lot of ???, folks who know your area best would give you more specific answers.
 
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I've built and run both. For bullet proof quality and long life, go with the Staton. For lighter weight and simpler instalation, the GEBE's the one. Both are very good systems, and you have a choice of final gearing with both, so you can customize for speed or torque. Chains will outlast belts, but on the other hand, belts aren't all that expensive. Both are a pain in the a** to fix a rear flat tire with, though the Staton is worse. The chain drive is noisier than the belt drive, but most engines, especially 2 strokes, will drown out the drive noise anyway. I think you get better value for your dollar with Staton, and they will last forever with proper maintenence.

With either drive system, get the strongest rear wheel they offer. I speak from experiance here. Both offer very good rear wheels and the rear wheel and the brakes are two areas you really don't want to skimp on, trust me.

The Tanaka 40 will have more torque and power, if more noise. The 33 will give better gas mileage. Both are well made engines. I'll stick with my 4 cycle Robin 35s.
 
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Sorry jumped the gun, Im 25 170 pounds and I live in North Carolina, not really any hills. My main thing is to build something different because no one has bikes with engines on them around here. I really just want something with enough power to keep me interested. The bike I am getting is a 630 mammoth which has green rims on it so I don't want to have to buy a different rim because I like the look of the stock ones. If I go with the staton do I need to change the rear rim? I know if I go with the GEBE I can just get stronger spokes put on.

Thanks for the help.

Clayton
 
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You can buy just the rear hub with a left and right side freewheel from Staton, then lace it to your wheel. If you don't want to lace it yourself (I don't do it myself, I never get them quite true) a local bike shop will do it for you. Most charge about $50.00 to lace up a wheel.
 
A friend of mine has the GEBE set up with belt drive, he weighs about 230lbs and gets about 30mph with the stock set up. The best part of it is, the simplest installation ever a non mechanical guy can put it together. If Ikea furniture was as simple as a GEBE they would sell more furniture. This set up is ideal quick and easy and you can get 2 or 4 stroke engines with the Tanaka or the Robin/Subaru engines there may be other makes but I'm not sure. I have two bikes in frame 2 strokes and there pretty good but they are not as simple as the rack mounted engines. I plan on making a full suspension bike a GEBE deal this summer with the belt drive ( no vibration ) like the in frame engines get.
 
My next question would be are the friction drive set ups good? My buddy wants to get one as well but he isn't trying to spend the money on a GEBE. Does anyone have a preference on the Friction drives, Staton? Also what would be the best engine for him on this setup, he has read that an auger engine (50cc two stroke) is common and works well. Has anyone used the Mitsubishi engine that staton offers?
 
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