My first motorized Huffy Cruiser

Here is my first build. It is still in the break in period and the weather has stopped me for now. This is a Huffy Cranbrook cruiser from Walmart and a Powerking 2-cycle motor. It was a fun build and a really fun ride.
Later,
Andy

 

[engera]

I like that bike but how do you stop it on a hill with only a coaster brake? A suspended saddle post would be a good $20 investment. I wish we had WallMart in Oz so I could buy that frame and put an SR Suntour telescopic fork on it with 40mm travel & a front disc so I could stop when I needed to.
We've run clean out of cruiser stock until next March or April so thinks are bleak for motored bikes down here.
Is that saddle as comfortable as it looks?

I haven't had an issue with running just the coaster brake but I can see where I would if it did fail. There aren't too many big hills in my area so that hasn't been a problem. I have not heard of Huffy having issues with the coaster brake failing but it would seem like the problem would be the same with or without the motor. I will have to look into the front break idea because I don't want to wait until a failure occurs.
As far as the seat comfort, that is the stock seat and it is very comfortable. It has a fabric and foam feel with a lot of padding. The way I sit on the bike puts almost all of my weight on the seat and I didn't have any problem.

 

[Irish John]

It's not that coaster brakes fail it's that they just don't work period. They have very little stopping power and were originally designed for small kids whose legs were stronger than their arms. They are on practically every cruiser bike and even the expensive ones are hopeless as a brake. Probably OK if you weigh less than 50 kg. but you always need a second brake.

 

[Hot Dog Piggy Tails]

Ha Ha Omg

Irish You are a characterIve never heard that Is that true? HA HA.

No I live here in washington and live on the only hill in my area and its a really steep hill Ive built a couple of them that are premierely Coaster and I powerem up to 25 mph and stop to a dead stop before the end of the road or they get prepped for real service. They work on the flats real well. There not no disc or hub but the pads last longer than the cantilever pads Ive observed. You got me on that stronger legs than arm.. It just got me rolling. If you were to ride on hills every day there is no doubt I would get some stopping power in the best spot ..UP FRONT!. BUT ON THE FLATS OBEYING LAWS...EVERY ONE OF MY BIKES With Coasters or not Skid to a halt. Im 190 lbs if this helps I know guys 325lbers stopping fine on the flats with 70cc'ers. Best up grade for the cranbrook IS the front caliper though...after my Ohst thats funny!!! Yeah they work.

 

[Irish John]

Well I now have a Honda 50 on my Schwinn Alloy Seven and it has two V-brakes that I work through a dual cable lever - far from ideal and it has to be adjusted frequently to work well and dual cable applies same force to both brakes which reduces the braking by about 40%. The Honda is considerably more gutsy than the HuaSheng - it's actually very noticeable when you swap the engines on the exact same bike. Anyway this Honda goes as fast as I ever want a bicycle to go which is something I thought I would never say. It cruises comfortably at 53 km\hr and will peak at 62 on the level but I now need a front disc and the only way I can do that is to put MTB forks on the front which will spoil the sexy lines of the bike.
I can't believe that the USA allows bikes to be sold in 2008 with only a single rear coaster brake that is the second most pathetic excuse for a brake ever invented (the front bolt on caliper brake takes the prize for the worlds most useless brake).
I don't want hydraulic discs cos they are hard to service but a reasonable quality Tektro manual disc is a really good brake and the easiest ever to service. If I lived in the US without free hospital access I'd certainly never ride a brakeless bike. Even here with free hospital care I still like to have decent brakes. The advertising jingle for US Cruiser bikes probaly goes like this:
Here lies John
The Beach Cruiser stopped
But he went on!
Amen

 

[Hot Dog Piggy Tails]

Ha Ha

Your a Uniq person. I just fail to follow you. I can stop from 25 on a steeeep grade with coaster and front caliper. You under estimate or the bike you are reffering too is really really heavey.Ive ridden 8 of these with coaster and a front caliper and love the smooth neer now stopping power.

I agree the double pull has to be a little harder at least. It gets cold your brakes get hard your pulling and pulling and the stop sign at the end of the hill gets closer and closer. HA HA That sucks.

Hey your Finnicky and Uniq and for the most part H brakes are the Ultimate if stock why change em. Oh I think xce when clean or dirty is a for sure stopper Too. Late. HDPT

Oh congrats on the Honda they have been building motors for a grip a real winner for sure.

 

[Irish John]

What I say is true. Just ask in any privately owned and experienced bike shop. Single bolt calipers are the cheapest brake you can buy and the cruisers made with only one brake in the US can't be sold in countries with standards so they have 2 options - throw on a dirt cheap caliper or put on a decent V-brake. Most opt for the former solution even if the bike is $1000 Electra or a Nirve but a few will do the right thing and give the bike a brake befitting it's price.
The coaster brake on a Shimano Nexus 7 or 8 speed hub won't stop a heavy steel Schwinn with a medium sized adult on it. Ipso Facto.
If single bolt calipers had any stopping power the kids wouldn't pull them off their BMX bikes like they do.

 

[Hot Dog Piggy Tails]

Brakes

Any kid who knows how to put oil in thier brake cable housing has"nt had a problem with them. Ive seen it time and time again for the last 25 yrs. people don't want to take care of thire stuff..it gets a bad name .. then it aint cool .. next thing they arent doing thier job on the shop floor because of lack of maintanence and or trying to be cool. The fact is is what youve got to work with of course an H brake or what your calling a V brake is going to stop you easier than a calliper brake the caliper brake has a big ole spring on it for return. The dirt eating Vbrakes that gum up without regular sevice have little feeble springs. HA HA HA. either one would stop you. Its just a case of which one you have.TOOT TOOT

 

[Hot Dog Piggy Tails]

OH

If I were you Id order a front XFD hub brake for $40 and be stopping that machine effortlessly. Thats the best bet...Drum Front. You can lock them V brakes up all day. Drum in the mix with the rigidy of the V and you MIGHT be able to get away with it.The pull on a drum is a little further but it being the front Id say smooth stopping.

 

[Irish John]

If I were you Id order a front XFD hub brake for $40 and be stopping that machine effortlessly. Thats the best bet...Drum Front. You can lock them V brakes up all day. Drum in the mix with the rigidy of the V and you MIGHT be able to get away with it.The pull on a drum is a little further but it being the front Id say smooth stopping.

Thanks Hot Dog I like the sound of those front drums and will definitely get one (treble the price in Australia) but I'd rather thought that the answer for reigning in the Fosscati FG4 Indian Pacific was something along the lines of twin Brembos up front and a servo assisted drum brake at the rear. She's become somewhat unruly since she was upgraded to a Honda and she thinks the horizon is always too far away.

 

[Hot Dog Piggy Tails]

Yeah if you dont mind going quadruplex on a rectifier I can look up a LED Light(Diode) Circuit a guy did up of daisy chaining leds Head(Power) and Brake Series Red Low wattagers 3/4 pwr up front and 1/4 in Brake ensemle.I actually should ask do you have a suplimenta electric output wire they have drum front with dynamo.