Strike 3 Your Out or Homerun????????????

[Bonefish]

Strike one: BGF slant 68.5/80cc = blown after 250 miles

Strike two: CH80 68.5/80cc = blown after 1,000 miles and lacing up at least three sets of spokes after sprocket bolts ate them for supper.

Pergatory/Limbo: Considering going friction drive?!?!?????!!!!!!!? Any thoughts?

Brass tax: I will not buy another one of those China 68.5/80cc engine kits. Money is too valuable to be thrown away.

My stats/use: I weigh 145lbs, Live in Florida Part time during winter. Live in the Mountains Part Time for the Summer. Bike would be ridden every day as a commuter, on FL flat ground during winter, N.C. hills/mountains during summer.

What should I go with? Was thinking about Robin/Subaru EH035 with a Friction Kit.

What Kit and Why? Straton or BMP?

I was thinking i should have two rollers, one for Florida flat ground and one for the N.C. mountains, but read your posts and found out that the Straton kit is hard to replace rollers.

Was thinking about BMP and getting a 1.5" roller and maybe a 7/8" roller.

Figuring i would use the 1.5 for Florida Flat Ground, and the 7/8" roller for N.C. Mountains.

Do these friction kits/4 stroke motors climb hills mountains on there own?, or do you have to pedal them on semi-gradient inclines while applying the throttle to get them to climb?

I'm at wits end.

My CH80 blew its engine back in October in N.C. and now im in Florida pedaling my bike for the past 5 or 6 months everyday commuting. It sucks, but it beats the aggravation/hassle of dealing with those China 80cc **** engine kits.

So this time I'm going to try and get input before i buy, rather than buying and then running here to fix a mess.

BOTTOMLINE/FEASIBILITY:

Looking for something: EFFICIENT, PRACTICAL, RELIABLE, SIMPLE that i CAN use every day as a daily Commuter.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION? WHAT WOULD YOU GET AND WHY?

Thanks, don't mean to bore you with all the questions, but i look at the posts/replys and I see: eaten up tires, bad rubber rollers, ect. Am i getting into the same mess i got into with getting the China 80cc kits or is this a better alternative that will be hassle free and i can rely on using it every day?

The kit would be mounted on a Gary Fisher Tassajarra Mountain bike.

Thanks for any of your input, I appreciate it tenfold.

SO should i swing at a Friction Kit, because it is a Homerun with the Japanese Robin/Subaru Combo?, or should i not even waste my time, because It will be my Third Strike, and im OUT of the MB picture entirely for good then. Anymore MB futile attempts would be insane.

Thanks again,

 

[vegaspaddy]

hi bonefish,

sorry too hear about your experiences so far, but if end up getting the friction drive,it will be night and day compared to the china dolls !!!!!

i have a staton kit it is bombproof, as far as engine kits the friction drives are the simplest and with a good setup you will wonder why you bothered with the china dolls in the first place.

Can you say no more broken spokes !!!!!

 

[Gh0stRider]

I too, am looking to upgrade my bike. I currently have a generic china engine on it and while I haven't had any problems with the engine, I find it a little crude and loud. So I want to upgrade to system that is more quiet. Of course I see that less noise = more money. A scrubber drive would certainly be quiet, but I am worried about tire life as I use my bike a lot. (1000 miles a year!) But then again, having no chain to worry about and being ablt to lift the engine off the tire for pedaling without any parasitic drag are nice advantages. Still looking at chain drive options though but I read that some gearboxes are noisy. No point in a quiet engine and a whining gearbox.

 

[ut1205]

Friction Drive?

I have had a Staton friction drive for about 8 months. Other than oil changes I have not done anything to it.

The only downside in your case is if the street is wet. You can "nurse" it along on the "flats" but forget about hills. Even with a properly adjusted roller it will slip.

I have the 1" roller and my top speed on "flats" is about 22 mph. It would probably drop to 19 with a 7/8" roller.

I have a $10.00 1.95" semi-slick tire on mine. I just turned 300 miles and even though it does show some wear I see no reason why it will not go at least another 300 miles, maybe more. It seemed to wear rapidly when new (first 100 miles) but since then I can't really see wear at all. Very little black dust now. I don't think you can get this reliability out of a "China" motor for $20.00 per year (2 cheap tires).

Other than roller tension (quick push with palm of hand) there is absolutely nothing to adjust. Lift the "drive" off of the tire and you have a regular bicycle. Should you have a rear flat tire it is just like changing the tire on a non motorized bike.

Yes you do need to pedal some on hills but only to keep the engine rpm's in the higher ranges. Most moderate hills around here I can climb with pedal assist in 5th or 6th gear at about 15 mph. I have a 7 speed Landmark and "run out of gears" at about 19 mph. Above 19 I am totaly "engine dependant".

I was going to upgrade mine to a GEBE but the kit, less the motor, is $350.00. That is almost the cost of my entire friction kit with the R/S motor. Since I don't have to ride in the rain I think I will just keep what I have.

 

[darwin]

Bonefish get ya a BMP kit with a HS motor theyre bullit proof and cheap.

 

[Bonefish]

Thanks for your input and ideas,

I put 5,800 miles on a bicycle a year. I reset my speedo at the beginning of a new year Jan. the 1st. to see how many miles i put on a bike. Dec 31st. came and showed over 5,800 miles. That was pedaling. No motor. I do not drive a car, so a bicycle or a MB has been my my sole mode of transportation for the past 4 years, and will be next year unless, i break down and give the man(government) what he wants to get my license back and then get a motorcycle because i have had enough of this MB bull****(i filled in the stars for ya)

I like the idea of the MB because i can dupe the police and ride them on the sidewalk conservatively in Florida and in North Carolina and not get pulled over or busted. (or they just don't feel like bothering with me because there are other more important things they should be dealing/attending to)

Get a load of this ****. I actually got pulled over on my bicycle once with out a motor. I have never got pulled over on a MB, and I rode one time almost the whole length of Florida on one. (400-500 miles doing a back country camping trip along the way on a china 68.5/80cc)


Bottomline: Looking for the most dependable/reliable/economical setup on the market. I do not give a **** about whose MB is faster than whos. If i have a MB that I can ride everyday 20-30 miles with no problems, I would be happier than having a rocketship that goes 35mph but is sitting on cinderblocks half the time.

Differences in the Straton/BMP:

I noticed that the BMP kit is now made of 1/8" steel, where the Straton kit is made of 1/4" aluminum.

Aluminum is more expensive, and one would think BMP is cutting corners to increase profits by going with the steel. But i look at the the clutch drums that BMP is offering with there kits, and notice they are the solid one piece High Quality Drums that Straton does not put in his kits. Straton gives you the less expensive welded clutch drums.

The Trade Off: What would you rather have and why? What is more significant on durability/relability of the kits? A Roller Channel or a clutch drum?

Then you have the 1.25 bearing roller that locks up/goes bad on some people in the BMP kit.

I do not need another headache.


The brass tax: Get a Friction drive, or save my money get my license back and get a Starter Motorcycle. Like a Honda Rebel or a Suzuki GZ250?


Your input, ideas, and experiences shared are greatly appreciated.

Thanks again,

 

[tjs323626]

I have a BMP kit with a RS 35. It will run all day long at about 20-25mph quiet and smooth as silk. I have several other mb's but when I go riding with my gf she always wants to ride the one with the BMP and RS 35. I( will build her one soon.

 

[ut1205]

You need a Motorcycle

If you ride 5000+ miles per year you need a motorcycle or scooter (not Chinese).

Concerning the "Channel" or "Clutch Bell" issue.....do a search on this forum and others for "Channel Failure" or "Clutch Bell Failure". I think you will find that they are "non issues". In almost a year I have only seen one thread about clutch bell failure and it was a BMP kit with a Titan motor.
If changing the drive rollers frequently is an issue then I understand it is much easier with the BMP. I have seen multiple threads about the 1.25 BMP roller locking up but when it does I suppose it acts like a regular roller.

Disclamer: This is my opinion only!!
If I were unhappy with a Chinese two stroke then a Chinese 4 stroke is the last thing I would want to purchase. If I were to purchase another friction or chain drive kit I would insist on a motor made in Japan (Honda / Robin Suburu). I currently have the R/S.

The cost of the Staton and BMP kits are almost identical. You can buy the Staton kit at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bike-Robin-Suba...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c10302590

for $399.00 and free shipping.

The BMP kit is $150.00 (kit) + $225.00 (motor) + Shipping Kit + Shipping Motor.

Just my $0.02 worth.

 

[Elmo]

Get one of these, http://www.bikeengines.com/ Check out Bamabikeguy posts. He is deceased now but he put thousands of miles cross country on one of these.
Elmo

 

[vegaspaddy]

the main difference between the BMP and staton is that it easier to change rollers for different sizes on the BMP setup,

if you check out 7 heavens postings in this (friction drive section) he played with these setups forever, and will give you plenty of good background reading.

The golden eagle kits are excellent (tanaka 33, subaru/robin 35 in the garage) but as far as simple and no fuss setup friction wins hands down.

My buddy is currently riding my staton friction drive, he lost his license DUI so hes been puttering around (with MITS TLE43) stealthy with a basket over the engine, still obsessed with the cops so we are going to convert him over to electric......(Now thats expensive !!!!!! batteries alone $600)

Paranoia MANS BEST FRIEND,

Either kit will pretty much run the same genric 2/4 or brand name engine.

Do your research and it will payoff for you with a quality ride.