Hello all asking for your opinion

Nicholas

New Member
Local time
1:35 PM
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Dec 19, 2012
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12
Location
Santa ana, CA
i have stumbled upon motovelo.us, and it got me started on researching engine kits. i DO NOT plan on buying from them anymore because of the reviews i have read. wanted to get input from here as well. i believe i have my mind set on a 2stroke. price is not to much of an issue for me at this moment. the loudness, dirtiness and maintenance is not too much of an issue for me as well. i like to get my hands dirty

So i live in california and have read it is hard to get engine kits to california, so if anyone can recommend some that would be great. i don't have the bike yet either, but i am thinking of beach cruiser.
 
The cruiser bikes ride better, go straighter, and corner sweeter than the close coupled mountain bikes .
The 2 stroke motors are OK if properly broken in . Pre installation blueprinting, and careful break in assure long engine life, if you've got a bad motor, you'll know it after 1 mile. I personally prefer frame mounted motors, with mounts welded to steel frame. Look at lots of pictures
and get ideas. A better than kit throttle is a good move, so is replacing rag joint with a 2 pc clamshell hub. Don't expect bicycle wheels to hold up to engine torque for very long, upgrade to M B Grade wheels. Heavy steel wheels produce lots of gyroscopic stability, and are a plus
on a suspensionless bike.
 
I've done business with Norm at Venice Motor Bikes. Good guy. He ships to California. Give him a call.

Haven't bought an engine kit from him, but I did get a nifty custom adapter plate for attaching a disc brake to a Schwinn style springer fork. I don't have enough posts (at this writing) to leave a review though.

Best,
Rick
 
I agree that a steel beach cruiser is the most comfortable. Some guys prefer the quicker steering of a mountain bike.
 
V 35;355574Don't expect bicycle wheels to hold up to engine torque for very long said:
how much will that be and would it just be the rear tire. Or needed for both. Also do u know if installing disc breaks is necessary?
 
Here are important questions to consider when building or buying for yourself or others:

1) What is the predominant riding terrain? (Level ground, hills, asphalt or dirt etc...)

2) What type of physique does the primary rider have? (Large, small, short, tall or health issues etc...)

3) What will the rider's local laws allow and require them to have? (Lookup and personally read these laws.)

4) What kind of bike is being motorized? (Mountain, road, whizzer or recumbent etc...)

5) What is the bike to be used for? (Shows, long trips, around town, off road or racing etc...)

6) How much of a budget is to be used for the build or buy? (All at the start or as you can afford projects etc...)

Seek the answers to these questions in order to get the most out of the bike you're building or buying. We're here to help with any questions you may have. The purpose of the questions to consider is not to overwhelm or confuse you. Rather help you focus in on what will work best for you and help you develop a building or buying philosophy. This site has lots of people who can help you but the only way they can is by asking questions. Any one of the questions to consider somebody here can help you with.

A fool never learns from their mistakes.

A smart person learns from their mistakes.

A wise person learns from the mistakes of others.

Good luck with your build or buy.
 
Here are important questions to consider when building or buying for yourself or others
A wise person learns from the mistakes of others.

1) level ground, partial hills, and dirt sounds like fun! i live by the beach but doubt I'd get to useunless i can really silence the sound of the engine
2) I'm 5'10" 145lbs soccer player so i have some good physique
3) noted and will def get on that. live in california so im sure i will have a lot of reading to do :sigh:
4) a whizzer bike would be awesome, but realistically beach cruiser. they are in abundance here in orange county.
5) around towns, at least a 10 mile stint. i am going to stay away from racing. i want something that will be able to do streets at a good amount of speed.
6) well i have about an 500ish initial buy and more money to build onto in the later mths. i do not mind saving up for it and waiting.

side notes, i am leaning towards a 2 stroke essentially, but i am willing to do a 4 stroke. depends on my options and research. i don't know where to get it but i want an engine that is more or less, fully operational out of the box, pref not from china, i have read about some people mentioning their "Chinese" engine and its high maintenance. don't get me wrong i would not mind the maintenance, but i believe that it would get laborious after a while. i am impulsive but i know that i must do the research on this one to try to get it right the first time.

do you have any forums post that i should read that you recommend. i have read a few but there is a lot to take in. or any searches i should do within this site.

something that just popped into my head, not sure but do they make wankel rotary engines for bikes.

thats all i cant think of for now thanks for the insight
 
You're now on the right track of making a plan before buying. So many people just buy the cheapest kit they can get their hands on. Then become discouraged when they find it wasn't what they wanted. Do your research then come back with your questions.
 
I've built a few Skyhawks, the throttle is a sore point. Made of model airplane plastic, and doomed to a short life.
Domino makes a very nice throttle, OEM on some euro brands of scooters . I could go on and on about cheesy quality parts

For a safe build, go to heavy duty wheels, and a clamshell hub sprocket, they torque all spokes evenly.
 
I've built a few Skyhawks, the throttle is a sore point. Made of model airplane plastic, and doomed to a short life.
Domino makes a very nice throttle, OEM on some euro brands of scooters . I could go on and on about cheesy quality parts

For a safe build, go to heavy duty wheels, and a clamshell hub sprocket, they torque all spokes evenly.

i like the look of your bike, i like the seat. im going to google the engine. i liked your chain tension idea too.

which website and kit are you most familiar with.
 
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