Well Nice Knowing U All I Just Threw My Bike In The Garbage So See Ya!

[Purple Haze]

Thanks for all the feedback, fellow Mb'ers. The point I was trying to make is that these things don't have to cost much more to be a lot better. This ain't no Ferrari engine. They could put better bolts and screws in them, maybe sleeve the cylinder, and improve the casting quality for what, maybe $10 more? Fabian, you are right, we have come a long way on aftermarket parts due to some talented and enlightened people with a passion for our hobby. I am a machinist by trade, and am looking at composite resins as a possible cure for the clutch noise. GM has made timing gears out of nylon for years with excellent results in noise reduction and longivity. Of course, they don't have the lube problem we have. I'm thinking of using Delrin as a substitute since it is self-lubricating and quiet. I have had no problems with the rubberized pucks themselves, other than contamination due to the lube we have to use on the gears. As for the ignition problems, Jaguar has done much to solve these with his brilliant and innovative CDI kit. But something needs to be done about the weak magneto. I'm NOT an electrical guru, but perhaps someone can find a simple solution to this. All of these problems can be fixed rather cheaply, and we will all benefit from having a strong and simple $200 engine, rather than having to buy a more complicated to mount 4 stroke, which will put off a lot of people with limited mechanical skills.

 

[graucho]

Thanks for all the feedback, fellow Mb'ers. The point I was trying to make is that these things don't have to cost much more to be a lot better. This ain't no Ferrari engine. They could put better bolts and screws in them, maybe sleeve the cylinder, and improve the casting quality for what, maybe $10 more? Fabian, you are right, we have come a long way on aftermarket parts due to some talented and enlightened people with a passion for our hobby. I am a machinist by trade, and am looking at composite resins as a possible cure for the clutch noise. GM has made timing gears out of nylon for years with excellent results in noise reduction and longivity. Of course, they don't have the lube problem we have. I'm thinking of using Delrin as a substitute since it is self-lubricating and quiet. I have had no problems with the rubberized pucks themselves, other than contamination due to the lube we have to use on the gears. As for the ignition problems, Jaguar has done much to solve these with his brilliant and innovative CDI kit. But something needs to be done about the weak magneto. I'm NOT an electrical guru, but perhaps someone can find a simple solution to this. All of these problems can be fixed rather cheaply, and we will all benefit from having a strong and simple $200 engine, rather than having to buy a more complicated to mount 4 stroke, which will put off a lot of people with limited mechanical skills.

I've enjoyed this thread. Everyone played nice and we all actually had a good discussion with different viewpoints.

 

[Fabian]

I agree totally with Graucho and it's nice that everybody is playing it nice.

Best immediate outcome from this discussion is Purple_Haze takes the bull by the horns and uses his machining skills to manufacture a much better version of the standard clutch and gear set.
What a great concept; using Delrin or similar yet durable material for the clutch gears if it's feasible and reliable - not to mention significantly cutting down gear noise.

As i've said before on this forum: make the item and i'll have my credit card waiting for a funds transfer to the genius creating such a needed product!

It's frustrating though that in time gone by, some of those making speeches about designing, manufacturing and bringing about new technology have failed to deliver on their word - frustrating for i'm prepared to pay good money for good technology.

As the old saying goes: build a better mouse trap and the motored bicycling community will beat a path to your door!

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

I use a Staton Inc shift kit on my auto shift Land Rider bike. Yes I had my critics and still do; the biggest thing against them is what I built actually works. I now have the only bike in the world in which the throttle is used to change the rear wheel gears automatically and the engine also drives them as well.

Whenever I'm stoped at places people always ask questions. A common one is how much did the build cost. I tell them the bike was given to me but with all I've added onto it its around $1200. I let them know you tend to get what you're willing to pay for.

 

[Esteban]

Older, experienced guys on here know what to expect when buying a Chinese kit. [ They don't get any of my money, though ] It is the new guy who buys these kits & get frustrated with them, & that is a shame. Most dealers sell these kits as though it is an easy 15 installation , on any bike, & you have instant , trouble free miles of enjoyment , & cheap transportation . Then, they try to install their kit on a $70 WallyWorld bike , & they find out very quickly just what they have bought !
Even though I don't use these kits, I would also like to see kits come with better quality hardware & parts, more honest advertising , & better instructions . Many new buyers barely scrape up enough money to buy a kit, just to find out it needs better parts, & they are not mechanically inclined enough to properly install them. ALL of this is eliminated if they had only bought a good quality rear friction drive kit .

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

After having heart surgery I found I could no longer climb these Tennessee hills. They were really tough when I was younger and healthier. Still I've always enjoyed bicycle riding and didn't want to quit. I was talking with my nephew about seeing a auto shift bike on tv. I told him it would be cool if an engine were put on it with the gears shifting automatically. To my surprise he told he had one but didn't really like it. So he gave the Land Rider bike to me.

Now the quest was on to find a kit. The China girl kits seemed to be really cool and affordable. Then I went on to some of the forums and started reading. I also checked out the reviews on different kits and dealers. I watched You Tube videos all kind of things like that.

The more my knowledge about the low budget kits increased the less I liked them. I wanted to be able to pull into a gas station and just fill up not worry about mixing in oil. From what information I gathered since you'd have to get up graded parts for the cheaper kits why not just buy a good quality kit to start with. I started looking at 4 stroke kits. Station Inc and GEBE really stood out to me. I saw online a Land Rider bike with a GEBE set up this seemed like the way to go. Then after some more research I found the large belts have to be replaced every now and then. Also they had trouble dealing with steep hills.

I had read many good reviews on Staton Inc. Then I contacted David Staton. David was very professional and helpful. I wasn't totally against the cheap kits yet. David told me they were illegal in many places because of the manual clutche and being larger than 50 cc. I told him I'd get back with him. So I looked up my local laws and he was right, I was sold at that point.

Now it was time to decide what kit I wanted. David said I'd probably have to get rid of the auto shift feature. But that was the main thing I wanted to keep. Then I saw the crank drive kit; I knew that was the way to go. David told me he didn't know if it would work. No body had ever put a crank drive kit on a auto shift bike before.

I was so excited when the kit arrived. I put it together and went for a ride. Of course it wasn't long before the problems began. First my bike chain broke. So off to the Bicycle Center here in Oak Ridge I went. The owner Bill was a really cool guy. I got a SRAM chain from him, its still on the bike today. The next thing to go was the rear axle. I called Bill up and he said I needed a cromolly axle, that too is still on the bike. I had to figgure out how to adjust the auto shift derailleur. I also replaced the Falcon freewheel with a Shimano freewheel. I bought a spoke, freewheel removal and crank puller tools. Other than a broken spoke now and then the bike runs great.

Yes I got depressed when things went wrong. What I've discovered from this is don't let it keep you down there's always a way to fix it.

 

[Big Red]

Us Older Guy's.

Older, experienced guys on here know what to expect when buying a Chinese kit. [ They don't get any of my money, though ] It is the new guy who buys these kits & get frustrated with them, & that is a shame. Most dealers sell these kits as though it is an easy 15 installation , on any bike, & you have instant , trouble free miles of enjoyment , & cheap transportation . Then, they try to install their kit on a $70 WallyWorld bike , & they find out very quickly just what they have bought !
Even though I don't use these kits, I would also like to see kits come with better quality hardware & parts, more honest advertising , & better instructions . Many new buyers barely scrape up enough money to buy a kit, just to find out it needs better parts, & they are not mechanically inclined enough to properly install them. ALL of this is eliminated if they had only bought a good quality rear friction drive kit .

Yer right Esteban, A young inexperienced builder could run into some major problems with a cheapo 2 stroke kit. I know I went through a big learning curve with them. My thing is that I want my bikes to look more like motorcycles. Call me old school, but I just like the look better than a hunk of metal sitting on my rear wheel. If I did do a rear mount I would still make it chain or belt drive though. A round "file" driving my tire just don't sound like the best option to me.
And I DID put a cheapo 2 stroke on a cheapo ($90 on sale) Wallyworld Huffy Cranbrook. So far, About 5 months now, It's the best ridding bike I've ever owned. It's got a steel frame with the better 2011 welds, (2010 was carp,) 12 guage spokes and heavy duty steel rims. add a Howard sprocket mount and some baby apes and it's a REAL nice Cruizer. Just finishing up my wiring for all my electrics, (a little at a time,) so it has head and tail lights, break light, turn signals and horn. I also got it registered last month. And last but not least, that little 2 stroke HUMMMS down the road.
I do agree that there could be a better quality 2 stroke kit on the market. It would make it easier for the inexperienced first time builder. But I'll still probably get them as cheap as I can. With a little knowledge and very little work you can make these engines scream.
All that said, To each his own. If you like the rear friction drives then more power to ya. I'm just happy to see another motorized on the road.
Big Red.

 

[Esteban]

Click on my avatar pix & you can see my first friction drive motorized bike. It was very dependable, but I no longer have it.

 

[Annoyin1]

you have to have alot of patience with these bikes. its a fun hobby but frustrating sometimes. anything with a motor is a pain in the as!

 

[Esteban]

you have to have alot of patience with these bikes. its a fun hobby but frustrating sometimes. anything with a motor is a pain in the as!

So, spend your money, WISELY . Cheap = CHEAP !