Phat Kat Kustoms

[Sidewinder Jerry]

That is exactly the way I looked at it when I first started with a motorized bicycle… until the hobby put its hooks in me.

I was like… if you’re gonna spend a couple thousand on a motorized bicycle then just buy a decent used mid sized motorcycle.

That was before I learned what a modified MB is…

The bikes RDM, Smolik, and a bunch of others create corrupted me. It now has me setting the bar higher in what I want out If of a motorized bike.

There’s something about a super small and light power bike that grabbed me. It reminds me of years ago when I did motorcycle competition as a hobby.

If I was 20 years younger I’d probably be traveling to the SoCal events and playing with a $4K bike.

Since building up my bike and engine to where it is now it’s been very reliable and very fun to ride but it’s far from the ones I’d like to have.

Now I just wish I had some sort of suspension.. decent front shocks would help tremendously. Using a cheap 26” cruiser frame is very limited for fork and shock options. If I want that I’m gonna have to go to 1 1/8” threadless..which means something like a felt frame. Even more money. It never stops.

As chainlube put it… it’s a deep rabbit hole…maybe bottomless.

The forks and wheels I’ve been lookin at cost about $1,000. Then I’d need that frame to put it on IF I went that route.

That.. will have to wait a good while. Probably wait forever.
Gotta learn to be happy that I have what I have now.

In the mean time I’ll just take my time putting together a new engine.

The wonderful thing about steel frames they're easy to weld on. Therefore, if you can weld just put the Head Tube on your frame that you need for the type of forks you're wanting to use.

 

[Nickt919]

The wonderful thing about steel frames they're easy to weld on. Therefore, if you can weld just put the Head Tube on your frame that you need for the type of forks you're wanting to use.

I kind of thought about that but I don’t think my welding skills are up to par for a job like that.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

I kind of thought about that but I don’t think my welding skills are up to par for a job like that.

Do you have any family or friends who are professional welders?

 

[Nickt919]

I do not… no friend or relative welders.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

I do not… no friend or relative welders.

I do decent but for something like a headtube, I'd want someone who welds for a living to do it.

Other trades to consider are pipe-fitters, metal fabracators, and auto-body workers; do you have any family or friends who do those trades?

 

[FrizzleFried]

I will say that after riding this Phantom... it's real hard going back to the standard China Doll.

...and yeah, it would be cool to have to torque to pull a wheelie if I wanted to.

 

[FrizzleFried]

The more I think about it... the more I think I WOULD spend $600-$800 for a motor (when I had it)... IF the motor was a proven reliable engine WITH the torque, etc... Basically think Phantom 85 but with a proven track-record and a little more torque. I'd probably swing for that at some point.

$350 for an "iffy" motor or $700 for a "proven reliable" one? I'd cough up double.

 

[Nickt919]

I did not plan this project out like I should have. I just knew I wanted to build a Minarelli hybrid..clone.

If you build it yourself you can buy the stuff a little at a time and it won’t hit you in the wallet all at once.

I would like an engine like a Phantom built or longer stroke saw engine at some point.

My engine started out as a $116 CDH 40mm stroke engine. The box it came in has PK80 on it. Its definitely a 40mm stroke.

Then I bought a $50 Chinese Mineralli top end….

but to use that top end I needed the cylinder spacer and intake…individually with a fiber insulator from Smolik…$120…
and a CDH aluminum head..$50…
and a Mikuni vm20 clone..$40..
and a super charged CDI ignition…$30…
and a $70 jog pipe….

Then the monster motor over powered the clutch so instead of the expensive SAF super clutch I gambled and bought just the RDM pressure plate…$50…RDM pads..$20…a washer set to tighten the clutch spring…$5. So far it’s fine.


To dial carb in..main and pilot jets…$20..(all the jets were a lot more really)

Then after all this..I was warned not to use the Chinese top end..a ring locator pin came out the piston and ruined that piston/cylinder..
So went with a more reputable top..
Athena….$175.
So deduct the Chinese top -$50 and add $175 for the Athena top end…
Whew…so probably a little more than $650 but it all came in drips and drabs over months.
The engine doesn’t have lots of low end torque but when it gets up to 7k it really comes to life.
It has top end power capable of scaring the ever loving crap out of me….fun…

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

I did not plan this project out like I should have. I just knew I wanted to build a Minarelli hybrid..clone.

If you build it yourself you can buy the stuff a little at a time and it won’t hit you in the wallet all at once.

I would like an engine like a Phantom built or longer stroke saw engine at some point.

My engine started out as a $116 CDH 40mm stroke engine. The box it came in has PK80 on it. Its definitely a 40mm stroke.

Then I bought a $50 Chinese Mineralli top end….

but to use that top end I needed the cylinder spacer and intake…individually with a fiber insulator from Smolik…$120…
and a CDH aluminum head..$50…
and a Mikuni vm20 clone..$40..
and a super charged CDI ignition…$30…
and a $70 jog pipe….

Then the monster motor over powered the clutch so instead of the expensive SAF super clutch I gambled and bought just the RDM pressure plate…$50…RDM pads..$20…a washer set to tighten the clutch spring…$5. So far it’s fine.


To dial carb in..main and pilot jets…$20..(all the jets were a lot more really)

Then after all this..I was warned not to use the Chinese top end..a ring locator pin came out the piston and ruined that piston/cylinder..
So went with a more reputable top..
Athena….$175.
So deduct the Chinese top -$50 and add $175 for the Athena top end…
Whew…so probably a little more than $650 but it all came in drips and drabs over months.
The engine doesn’t have lots of low end torque but when it gets up to 7k it really comes to life.
It has top-end power capable of scaring the ever-loving crap out of me….fun…

Get a Sturmey Archer S3X fixed gear 3-speed IGH to use as a jackshaft transmission. Then you'll have the bottom-end necessary to quickly get you to the top-end. The really cool thing is you won't have to be moving to shift back into 1st gear when needing to stop

 

[Nickt919]

I’ll look it up. Thanks.