Inexpensive but comfortable bicycle for 2 stroke motor?

I really have my little heart set on that schwinn point beach one. Just a matter of saving up some bucks. I had an old bike very similar to that when I was a kid, it was very comfortable to ride.
 
those walmart bikes look like a good option, and they are very inexpensive....but they dont have any type of comfortable suspensions/ shocks......I have a bike now that my motor is mounted on, that doesnt have suspension and its a very bumpy ride if you have to travel over older roads or gravel type roads/ backroads.

I was hoping for something that was more comfortable , even if it meant spending a bit more money for my 6ft 4" height

I bought the Schwinn Point Beach at Walmart.com and I've gone 81 miles in three days and it holds up very well. Even at high speeds she is very sturdy and VERY comfortable. Highly recommend this bike to anyone. You will have to drill a hole for your engine mount but that's easy.
 
Ok, I should follow up on this.
First a story, then I have a size question ok?

I BOUGHT the Schwinn Point Beach. Spent my saturday putting it together. Cheap *** bike there, NOT a real schwinn at all. (Made in china ****.)
Well that's ok, I knew it was a cheap bike right? This will be my prototype and I'm sure I can sell it next summer and try again with better stuff.

All looked good.
Except the tires were deformed. I mean bad! Wobbly. They only inflate them enough to pack so ok, I have a mechanic right across the street, I assembled the bike and walked it over there.
DEflated the tires. I ran the whole wheel to check for crimped tube, that the tire rim was seated in the wheel rim etc. Fine! Put in ten pounds, ran it again. FINE. Filled it. STILL deformed. BOTH tires were like this. The tread just wobbles and it is formed that way.
Across the street and one lawn behind my back yard is the fire department parking lot. I rode around that a few times, the bike (style at least) IS very comfortable. BUT these tires? It rode like a galloping horse. I can only imagine this with a motor on it!

So... yesterday I stuffed the bike in my trunk and took it back. They called up this kid from bikes.
(I have dealt with him before, he is a moron!)
He starts telling ME how you have to make sure the tire is seated properly. I assured him I KNOW how to seat a tire. I've been changing bike tires since I was eight! These tires are deformed!
He said, "Ok your the expert.... but..."
And... get this. Hold onto your chair. Ready?

"I can fix it for you but if you hit a puddle it may make the tire go out of alignment again."

Really? A puddle???? Really?
Ok, you go fix it for me.

Meanwhile I looked at their bikes again. Took another Point Beach off the rack and spun the wheel. Wobbly! Same thing with the tire. Tread is visibly crooked.
Then I took a few more. Pulled off a ten speed, a huffy, another cruiser. All fine! True as can be.
It's only this one with defective tires.

So I go back to the front, that guy shows up and tells me "the rim is fine, it's the tire."
DUAH!!!!!! Isn't that what I said????
now I told him I LIKE the bike. Just give me a set of GOOD tires and I'll put them on.
Or.. YOU go swap the tires and I'll wait.
But no. They refunded my money. So much for that.

So I'm back in the market for a bike.
Tried spookytooth.com. They said they could custom build a bike and to let them know what I want.
(This is way above what I thought I'd spend but what the ****.) So I sent a list.
Then never heard back!

Tried to sign up and log into their site to read the instructions on a motor. Their site was messed up. Logged me in but then every page would tell me to go log in. So I emailed them again!

NO REPLY! To either. NOT good. I do know this is the busiest time of year for bike dealers but gees! It's been DAYS! Answer the email before I blow OVER SEVEN HUNDRED bucks! aghh!
Poor customer service is a sure way to blow me off for good!

I'm back to my original plan. Get a cheap (not walmart) bike, (200.00 range or LESS.) buy the motor, and commence to pulling out my hair trying to install it. I was finally able to pull up spoooky tooths instruction manual. Very detailed manual. How hard can a simple two stroke be? One screw here, one bolt there. One thing at a time right? I can do this.


So my questions; I found a TON of bikes on line. I mean TONS! But there is no way to sit on one.
I'm going to stop by a bike store today and see if they will help "fit me." They will probably be too expensive to buy, but hopefully I can get the size specs down.
So.. how exactly do you figure size? Is "wheelbase" the distance between axles? That walmart bike seemed cramped to me and it was bigger than spookytooths.
This walmart bike I had to put the seat almost as high as it would go to be able to peddle comfortable. BUT that meant I could not reach the ground unless I got OFF the seat first. Which isn't that big of a deal. I have a 27" mens 12 speed I do that all the time.
There seem to be other things to look at too, like how close the seat, handlebars, peddles are to each other. Are there "specks" for all that? If so what?
What about stretch bikes? They look like they could be hard to handle at slow speeds or tight turns.
Anyone have experience with them? I don't trust that long chain either. But they sure look comfortable. I DO want to have a bike I can peddle too. Not get too spoiled with the motor. That is for the up hills, long sections of road into the wind, like that.

It's hard enough to buy clothes on line, bikes are very similar. If I know what measurements are comfortable it would help.
Again the bike shop should help there.
(I just won't tell them their prices are insane. I'll act interested. get my facts and leave.)
 
Unfortunately, the problem of warped rims is not unusual in these inexpensive chinese made bikes. My Point Beach was fine, but two others i got from Wal-Mart were not. One of the Kulana Moondogs I got actually had a warped front tire (not the rim).
The problem is with the spokes. I invested in a good set of spoke wrenches and searched online for instructions.
Warpage doesn't just come off the rack. It can occur over time in the course of riding the bike.
After having to do it a number of times I can now true a warped wheel in only a couple of minutes. It's a handy skill to have, especially since these motors put unusual stresses on wheels and spokes.
It's also a good idea to invest in a scissor or "U" type kickstand which lifts one wheel or the other off the ground. They make it much easier to perform maintenence on these bikes. (Scissors are pricey but "U's" are pretty cheap).
 
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"Unfortunately, the problem of warped rims is not unusual"

Rims were fine. Tires were formed odd.

And yes I know about adjusting spokes. It's a ROYAL pain but I know. Being as I'm heavy it's even more important to know how. I do. Not a fun job but I pretty much have it down.

In this case, the warped tires with my extra girth, I could hear the spokes pinging. If I kept that bike it wouldn't be long I'd be tweaking spokes.

Naaa. I need to find a steal wheel. not that thin aluminum thing.

Say, what's better? Steal or "alloy?"

Thanks.
 
Yes, I had warped tires on my Moondog. I got some good tires from the bike shop for $15 ea.
I don't know what to tell ya about the rims. I've never had to choose.
 
Get one with good brakes!

Ok, what I read so far on that, is to get side pull. NOT center pull.
(Don't know quite why, I always found center pull easier to adjust.)

Say.... pumpbuilder, that bike in your avitar. Where do you find one like that?
My son is interested in that style. Low, big seat.
He wont' touch gas though, wants his electric. (green kid.)
 
Yes, I had warped tires on my Moondog. I got some good tires from the bike shop for $15 ea.
I don't know what to tell ya about the rims. I've never had to choose.

I thought about just buying tires, but.... that walmart bike was So cheaply made, poor welds, cheap *** peddles, agh.
Meanwhile I found a ton of nicer stronger made bikes on line. Not all that much more expensive either.

Still trying to figure out a good "fit" without being able to sit on one. Stopped at a bike shop yesterday and got some (barely helpful) advice.

Still shopping.
 
Don't know if this helps, but I'm a heavy guy and had the same concerns you do. I bought a Manhattan Flyer (pic in gallery) and love it (It's made by KHS - another Chinese company). I actually bought the bike last year, before think of motorizing it. It has worked out great! It's very comfortable to ride and I think you can buy a single speed version for under $200.

Just my .02..:cool:
 
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