NEW BUYERS ! Would you buy one of these motors ??????

[Alan]

OK, point well taken that the HT's are junk. But everyone starts somewhere. A lot of people reading these posts own HT'S, so while your trying to "help", you're actually insulting many. I own several bikes. Real bikes with shaft-drive, fuel injection, Blaupunkt sound, E-Z-Pass, GPS, etc., and still, I am insulted.
Step a few feet back, and realize that if you compare the "better kits" to a Tomos or a real motorcycle, those great, more expensive kits, are now junk too, by comparison.

I just don't get this. Insults masquerading as advice. If I wanted a rack-mount, BAM, I'd have one. For dependable trans, I'll take the Honda VTX or the Kawi Classic. For fun, it's whatever I want.

 

[Esteban]

I think that datz510 has made some of the best statements concerning these kits. Maybe someone with an engineering background, will read this & come up with a much improved design. I think many of us would be willing to pay a little more for a better kit.

 

[Esteban]

WE are all here for our own reasons, & rude comments/name calling is not one of them.

I will say this again, no name calling. As far as calling anyone an idiot,, it was not by me in my posts,, & I don't see it in another's post.

STAY on the subject & no name calling.

 

[fastboy9]

"The Happy Time is a tinkerer's DREAM"
I love my engine, the way I see it, its a base platform to make your own motorized bike. You could run it straight out of the box, but there are so many things that can be done to it to personalise and improve it. If you are mechanically inclined and the kind of person who will look at something and wonder "how" then this kit is brilliant. The satisfaction of riding your bike that you have built and improved is such a great feeling! When I first got my kit I had basically no engineering knowledge at all. I have learnt so much from this beautifully simple engine, and as I have learnt more from this site the bike has evolved too.

Until a better frame mount option becomes available then the HT will always be selling, what really needs to be done to save the HT style is an improved high quality japanese/american clone to be made. And until then, us "tinkerers" will have lots of fun doing the improvements ourselves and learning more on the way.

Fastboy

 

[Large Filipino]

I blame the utterly easy life we have compared to the rest of the world for downing ANY bike kit because they have had a bad experience with it.
I mean think about it.
Today we as a whole just basically hop on our cars start it up and put gas in it. Now with the price of gas the way it is I'm sure these cars out there are not getting the regular maintenance it so needs. But day after day it runs and runs and we generally don't care until it breaks down and then all of a sudden we hate the manufacturer of the car whether it's a Ford,Chevy or a Toyota even.
When you put an engine into a BICYCLE that was NEVER DESIGNED for an engine YOU BETTER BELIEVE you're gonna NEED some maintenance. That is something you simply CANNOT AVOID!!
And this goes with ANY BIKE ENGINE KIT I don't care WHAT it is.
These things are MANLY because these things need your skilled hands.
So there you are. If the Model T came back with nothing changed most would say it is junk. I mean look at the single brake! It's MECHANICAL!! And it's SOOOO SLOOOW!
But some would LOVE a car like that. Those are the same type of guys that appreciate a Motored Bike.

 

[Warner]

Interesting thread. I think it's great that people have choices. I want to use my bike as a serious means of transportation to and from my job, which is about 20 miles each way. That alone prevented me from considering anything Chinese. I've seen the vast differences in quaility with most Chinese parts from other hobbies I'm involved in and because I'm in a situation to do so, chose to pay more for something that will be much more reliable. I don't have time to work on the stuff that I have, so the LAST thing I need is something ELSE that would need constant attention and frustrate me with its low quaility. I chose the Staton chaindrive kit mated to the Mitsubishi TLE43 engine. Hopefully that will be a reliable setup - all of the research that I've done about these things indicates (to me) that it was the best choice. I respect everyone's choices to use one thing or another, and sometimes the cost IS a limiting factor. In other hobbies, I've seen cost become SUCH a limiting factor that the people who were making quality products and charging for them accordingly were effectively driven out of business. So now there's LOTS of cheap parts that don't work correctly, and nobody making the GOOD parts since the market for them effectively dried up because hobbyists weren't informed enough to recognize quality or understand why it was worth paying extra for. I'll choose to support the makers of quality kits so they don't "go away". If you like tinkering and must have the frame mounted look, that's cool too. No harm, no foul. I just wanted something that I could trust. My gameplan is always to buy the best quality that I can afford, as long as it makes sense. Everyone has choices to make.....take your time and understand what they are and why you are making them.

Have a good day friends,

Warner

 

[augidog]

with a few exceptions, which have been addressed, stating the pure-fact about the HT's quality isn't an insult to the riders. again, for the most part, those who are discussing this important issue are speaking from first-hand experience.

what i find interesting is that almost everyone agrees they'd LOVE a quality HT, but still seem determined to stymie any attempts to rally and force the issue.

organized-consumerism rocks, we've already proven ourselves effective as a consumer's group, forcing more honest listings from the more honest sellers. for the newer arrivals here, you're missing out on how far we've come, and the many improvements we've already forced. those who've been along for the ride can testify to our effectiveness.

here is THE perfect example of why we need to rally together: anyone care to guess how many of the many many many broken HT's would still be on the road if the crank was balanced? my guess is almost ALL of them! i consider that "chunky" crank to be a purposefully-designed-defect, from the 1st time a HT pops-over it begins to beat-up it's own topend assembly, thru imbalance and a glaring lack of lube to the rod-assembly. a balanced crank, by default, would "sling" more lubrication around than two featureless pancakes sandwiched together...so simple...but we keep buying it as is. the consumer should be insisting on a more balanced crank. you have the power in your wallet to force it, why make it so easy on them?

another thing...for those who think the HT industry is about poor chinese-joe working with poor usa-joe, nu-unh! you got it wrong...most of that $200 is going to the middleman, get the source and the consumer a bit closer together and you get more of that money going into the engine itself. same final cost, mucho-better quality. logic.

so, you see...it's not really about the engine at all (or the riders, so chill)...it's about the people who are bringing it to us in it's present state. it's just too easy to make a fast buck, the ads are horribly misleading about size & specs, quality, legality, installability, applicability...

i've said elsewhere...if the consumer was a bit more discerning about the "buy it now" impulsiveness, we would eventually see the fall of the cheapos and the rise of the quality HT we're trying to bag.

we are trying to help, in MBc-tradition...i want a certified-HT in my personal fleet.

i think esteban had the right idea, why NOT put it out there for the new arrival to see?

esteban may have criticized a product, but i didn't see anything that indicated he was trying to insult the riders who're using them, i think the current friction in this topic is the result of overreaction.

 

[lennyharp]

It's not too cool to let some small thing get your goat and make you feel insulted. "Don't worry, Be happy" And enjoy the riding and what ever else you do with a motored bike.

 

[Jakylpops]

I have told everybody this already last year.... They still sell... Don't believe me check it out.. These kits are ruining the resale value of quality builds. You could say HT kits just SUX, but idiots still use them anyways. Oh well, let them learn the hard way.

I rest my case...hopefully our more "experienced" members can unclench a bit. It's all fun and games until somebody has a stroke

 

[thatsdax]

Americans know what is best..

The People that buy "consumers" are the ones that know what is best. If they are sold junk, they will soon know it and will no longer buy that product. Remember the late 70's early 80's? My point being, the American consumer is not stupid and in fact very smart with few exceptions. There are those.. But for the most part, American consumers are very smart and will not be sold Junk. Screw me once, shame on you . Screw me twice, shame on me. You know the saying...... If the 2 stroke motors are as some say, the market for them would have been squashed years ago. As a matter of fact, they were good then, and even better now and getting better all the time. If you buy from a reputable seller with warranty "backed warranty" then it is hard to lose and the rewards are great !! The inexpensive 2 strokes used for bicycles are a great choice for many and will continue to be the choice for many. How do we know this? Because Americans have voted them as being in the top as the most bang for the buck !! How do they vote? Well.. They vote with the most important voting ballot known, it is the good old fashioned green back !!! Enjoy the ride...