Sheik Yerbouti
Member
- Local time
- 11:09 PM
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2008
- Messages
- 195
Hey everybody. I posted in the introduce yourself forum, but for the sake of keeping things on topic, I wanted to make a separate post in here regarding my first project.
I'm in college, and I'm poor. That's what makes this kind of transportation so viable. Living in the city makes it easy to get from point A to point B, but sometimes waiting for the bus is simply a pain. And to top it off, I can't afford a parking spot on campus, and my apartment is a few miles away. After mulling over various ideas, I settled on the concept of a motorized bike. Mostly because it can be pedaled (for the days where I feel I need a workout) or driven. Does this hobby seem like a viable method for my needs?
Now, after doing some initial research, I decided that I want to do this project as thrifty as possible. I settled on the concept of a Chinese 2-stroke kit and a cruiser style bike.
When it comes to selecting a bike, what are my main goals? I assume a steel frame is better than an aluminum frame. I'd rather sacrifice weight for strength and rigidity. I also hear that disc brakes are HIGHLY recommended (I want my build to be as safe as possible). I figure that most of the cruisers in my price range have coaster brakes, so I figure some cable actuated disc brakes would be a darn good idea. Is it possible to retrofit them onto a cruiser like that?
I won't really be able to start the project until the summer, so my next question is more or less engine related. Are the chinese 2 strokes going to be available until then? I know that the EPA has been cracking down on Chinese 2 strokes, but they still seem to be easily available over the internet. I know they are the cheapest option for me. If they are going to still be available, what are some good books or online guides to the repair and mounting of engines of that nature? I am not a gearhead, but I am very resourceful when it comes to hardware and rigging things. I need to gain some engine knowledge before starting this project, so any help is really appreciated.
If there is a list of links that answer such questions I'm truly sorry for not seeing them before posting.
Thanks for your time.
I'm in college, and I'm poor. That's what makes this kind of transportation so viable. Living in the city makes it easy to get from point A to point B, but sometimes waiting for the bus is simply a pain. And to top it off, I can't afford a parking spot on campus, and my apartment is a few miles away. After mulling over various ideas, I settled on the concept of a motorized bike. Mostly because it can be pedaled (for the days where I feel I need a workout) or driven. Does this hobby seem like a viable method for my needs?
Now, after doing some initial research, I decided that I want to do this project as thrifty as possible. I settled on the concept of a Chinese 2-stroke kit and a cruiser style bike.
When it comes to selecting a bike, what are my main goals? I assume a steel frame is better than an aluminum frame. I'd rather sacrifice weight for strength and rigidity. I also hear that disc brakes are HIGHLY recommended (I want my build to be as safe as possible). I figure that most of the cruisers in my price range have coaster brakes, so I figure some cable actuated disc brakes would be a darn good idea. Is it possible to retrofit them onto a cruiser like that?
I won't really be able to start the project until the summer, so my next question is more or less engine related. Are the chinese 2 strokes going to be available until then? I know that the EPA has been cracking down on Chinese 2 strokes, but they still seem to be easily available over the internet. I know they are the cheapest option for me. If they are going to still be available, what are some good books or online guides to the repair and mounting of engines of that nature? I am not a gearhead, but I am very resourceful when it comes to hardware and rigging things. I need to gain some engine knowledge before starting this project, so any help is really appreciated.
If there is a list of links that answer such questions I'm truly sorry for not seeing them before posting.
Thanks for your time.