Help me pick a bike motor

Tifford

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Apr 25, 2008
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Hey guys,

I know a lot of you guys & gals have been there and done that so I'd like some advice.

I have a diamondback Edgewood for a bike.

I noticed that a lot of guys have 25cc engines above the rear tire. Can I go up to 50cc? The reason why I ask is that the roads in SC are narrow and I want to be able to keep up with city traffic but still get around 100 mpg.

What would you guys suggest for me if I want to be able to go 45 to 50 miles per hour? Would I still be in the 100 mpg range?

I'm 6 foot and weigh 230 pounds.

Tifford
 
First your speed expectations are a bit beyond the capabilities of the average motorized bicycle and any of the kits/systems currently available. If you feel that you really need to reach those kind of speeds you would be better off looking at a scooter like the Honda Ruckus. There is a new 50cc 4-stroke rack mount kit available from thats Dax that claims it can run at 35mph all day and has a max speed approaching 40mph. Only time will tell if these speeds are accurate. And there are members here that are trying the NuVinchi CVT Rear hub that may be successfully reaching speeds above 40 mph. As to your 100mpg requirement that should't be a problem. The 50cc Honda or its various clones seem to be getting around 120-130 mpg the smaller 35cc Subaru/Robin 4-stroke approachs 200 mpg. But once again the speeds from these various engine kits is in the 25mph to 35 mph range.

ocscully
 
Yea, if you're that serious about the speed and feel like spending some money... get a rack-mounted 50cc 4-stroke like a honda, a super solid, full suspension bike (wouldn't go with the walmart brand this time), & the NuVinci hub.

Only other thing I can think of is the engine kerf has, the GP460 2-stroke I believe. "Headache loud" is how he described it & that is true. He said he hit 50, tho. You'll have to check out his posts about his muffler that helps a bit & his gearing & such...

I wouldn't take the cheap way out on this tho. NuVinci would be it for your situation. And might be mine, too... quicker than I thought since cops can still consider my motored bike a motored vehicle or motorcycle. Laws here are too vague, so I may upgrade quicker than expected as my current bike isn't worth registering, insuring, etc.

Maybe you need a motor scooter?
 
Looks like I'll have to find a Honda 50cc engine. I called the DMV here in SC and they said that I had to keep it under 50cc.

Looks like I'm going to have to find the right gearing to make it go 40mph.

Too bad..I had a small 4 hp pressure washer engine that was going to be perfect.



Looks like either a new Honda engine or a look at chain saws.



Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I will check back on Monday. Cheers!

Tifford
 
Forget the bicycle and get a motorcycle. First off, these engines and drive units are not designed for sustained 40 mph speeds. Secondly, bicycles are not designed for sustained 40 mph speeds, the bearings, tires, wheels and brakes would take a beating. Speaking of a beating, meeting the asphalt at 40, after a catastrophic failure, won't help you much either.
 
yeah kerf has it dead on....
If you need to keep up with city trafic, you want enough power so they wont be passing you every five seconds. If you had the gearing to make 40 or 50 your acceleration from 0 to 20 would be terrible. Ignoring those problems, if you could push a bicycle to that kind of speed with good acceleration, they dont have the supention so that you can hit a bump in the road at 45 and live to tell about it, braking is also a big issue, i think a little 50cc or 150cc scooter might work a bit better for your needs
 
You're crazy, man... you're crazy!!

That bike you're wanting to put this on isn't even full suspension. That is a minimum... which means you pretty much have to make it rack mounted... you're using it daily at high speeds & up hills, so you need a 4-stroke.

So, rack mounted 4-stroke with NuVinci on a different bike that you're still gonna need to add headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, a horn, etc... or get a scooter that has all that stuff already. Going ~50mph will require you to register & insure any type of vehicle -- bicycle, scooter, truck, suv, whatever. Might as well go with a solid full suspension frame with transmission for $1500 give or take a few hundred.
 
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