New guy questions

[Rollfast]

Hi all,

I've got an old Trek Antelope that I want to put a motor over the back wheel. Either friction or chain, probably a Stanton. I lost my right leg, above the knee, a few years ago and want to ride minus the prosthetic leg. I ride now with a pedal with a toe cage and I'm good on flat ground but hills are a bear. The motor will help a lot.

I assume a friction drive kit can be later upgraded to a chain drive but price wise it's probably cheaper to just go chain drive right off the bat. Living in Michigan we can count on damp or wet roads often. Are the friction drives worthless when wet or just limited, mainly on hills?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Zev0]

In the wet, yes, frictions are basically worthless.

 

[fetor56]

I wouldn't call friction drives worthless,but it's like u said....their just limited.
Take a look at the Dax Titan kit & see what u think....read the reviews.Also look at the Staton setup.
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=10508
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?p=115629#post115629

 

[augidog]

i guess it's up to me to remind you of the cleanest, most reliable system going...unless there's a reason for ruling out belt-drive, i think you should have a look at golden eagle, too....it's virtually weather-proof.

 

[stude13]

and bullet proof if kept in adjustment, which is straight forward and easy. ride on

 

[Rollfast]

I like the Golden Eagle system but am hesitating over the cost and that's why I'm considering a friction drive. Dax chain drive looks good but is the Titan motor as well thought of as the Honda or Robin? I've seen the Livefast too but wonder about the motor. Stanton chain drive looks bomb proof and is almost $100 less than the Eagle. Tough decision for me!

Has anyone seen this plan/kit from Carr?
http://www.carrprecision.com/Pages/prod04t.htm

 

[loquin]

The Staton is rock solid, and can handle as much HP as you can reasonably throw at it. The GEBE takes a little more gentle touch on the throttle, if you want the belts to last, and along the same lines, you should probably peddle more at takeoffs. (With the staton, get going a few MPH & gun it.) But, the GEBE system is probably a little more efficient that the staton chain drive. The chain itself is about a wash, but, when you add the gearbox, that shifts the overall efficiency in favor of GEBE. Use a 1.6 HP or greater engine, and it really wouldn't matter which one you use.

Since you're looking for a hill climber, all other things being equal, the 50cc Honda would work well. But, if you need to stay under 50cc to stay legal, the Robins/Suburu 35cc is hard to beat. Just gear it so that it has a top end around 22-25 mph.