Lookin' to ride
- Thread starter Fenris
- Start date
bluegoatwoods
Well-Known Member
We're glad you found us.
What sort of engine is it?
What sort of engine is it?
well, the engine i bought is from zoombicycles.com and im a bit worried after looking around on here that i bought a pretty cheap engine. Im not that worried though as i plan on just using it for joyrides and not hardcore commuting everyday.
bluegoatwoods
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you got what we call a "happy time" engine. A 50 or 80 cc two stroke? They are not the Cadillac of engines and some folks view them with distaste. But I say they're pretty lovable and I'm not the only one.
They need pretty constant tinkering, but it's usually small stuff. I've rigged up my bike so that it can carry a load of cargo and with that I've found that I can leave my car parked for 3 weeks or a month at a time in all but the snow and ice months.
Mine have proven to be more than durable and reliable enough to justify the price.
You'll see horror stories here from people who couldn't seem to make theirs work. I'm pretty well convinced, though, that a good chunk of those are "operator error". Still, I'm willing to believe that there are a few lemons. Maybe a few more than we'd really like, but probably not a lot more.
All in all, the odds are in your favor. You'll have fun. Keep us posted.
They need pretty constant tinkering, but it's usually small stuff. I've rigged up my bike so that it can carry a load of cargo and with that I've found that I can leave my car parked for 3 weeks or a month at a time in all but the snow and ice months.
Mine have proven to be more than durable and reliable enough to justify the price.
You'll see horror stories here from people who couldn't seem to make theirs work. I'm pretty well convinced, though, that a good chunk of those are "operator error". Still, I'm willing to believe that there are a few lemons. Maybe a few more than we'd really like, but probably not a lot more.
All in all, the odds are in your favor. You'll have fun. Keep us posted.
I chose the 80cc two stroke. It has turned out to be quite a pain putting it on my cruiser bike but the end result will be quite worth it. The only problem is that nearly everything had to adjusted, i mean everything. Me and my friends almost got everything perfect last night and as i was putting the rear tire on and the bearing just disintegrated...Im thinking of just getting a free wheel and putting on a front brake conversion something or the other...
motorbikemike45
Member
My advice to everyone just getting started is always the same, don't scrimp on brakes, wheels, or tires. MBs have the ability to go much faster than many bikes are designed for. Hitting a storm sewer drain at 25-30mph can ruin things that a pedal bike at 12 mph would barely feel. Most sane MB riders want more than just a rear wheel coaster brake. They tend to lock up, skidding the bike into a fall, and crashing into a car or truck, while bad, is better than skidding under one. The other problem with coaster brakes is they are chain activated. A derailed or broken chain means no brakes at all, and that could spell disaster for the rider.
bluegoatwoods
Well-Known Member
Yup, I've had the rear hub on a coaster brake bike disintegrate, too. They just don't seem to be up to this task.
Adding a second brake is so highly recommended that it might as well be viewed as a necessity. In fact, there's no reason that you couldn't put hand brakes on both the front an rear wheels. Then you'd have 3 brakes. Not a bad idea.
Adding a second brake is so highly recommended that it might as well be viewed as a necessity. In fact, there's no reason that you couldn't put hand brakes on both the front an rear wheels. Then you'd have 3 brakes. Not a bad idea.
