Who uses a motored bike as a daily commuter?

[Fox]

I was wondering who uses their bike daily and what kinda problems/issues you have encountered. (With the bike, not the local law enforcement or anything..)

ie: I use mine most days, since installing the motor and buckling the wheel a little I have found out that my casette is a screw on, thus, I need to replace the entire rear wheel and everything attached to it, the bike was a cheapie.
Most bolts have loosened (will be thread locking them) I replaced most gaskets, gasket goo'ed the exhaust gasket because it destroyed the cork gaskets.

I also found that dynamo lights are near useless original. I burnt out both globes and melted part of the lens on the headlight, it wasn't made to be used at such high speed. There doesn't seem to be any regulator in the dynamo. (Im building a dichronic light assembly anyway, aluminum torch + light holder + battery and charger)

Anyway, who has encountered other hassles?

 

[Hugemoth]

I use mine for a 28 mile daily commute weather permitting. My bike is a $100 Walmart cruiser and I've had pretty much the same problems as you. Made my own engine gaskets. Broke several spokes before switching to 12 ga. Broke chain so went to a high quality chain. Fenders cracked so removed them. LED tail light fell off when I hit a bump so I mounted it on a piece of fan belt from a car. I also removed bearing cages and installed extra balls to the wheel bearings.

I enjoy the commute on the bike.

Moth

 

[DougC]

This subject is pretty funny because I have an engine kit that's not on a bike right now. For various reasons the first bike I put it on didn't work out real well, so I was going to buy a newsboy-type cruiser for it.

I weight pretty much (250+ lbs) so I was looking at the Worksman bicycles--but the one I wanted, the way I want it, is going to cost around $500.... And I keep looking around at all these other cheaper bikes from other places and thinking "do I really need to spend that much?" but I don't want to bother with a lot of repairs, so I guess I do.

I'd ride it to work now if I had it running and the weather was nice,,, but then I only live ~2 miles from work, so that's not so big a thing to brag about.

I plan on moving this year, dunno how far I might end up from my job then. I only have one car, and wanted the motor-bike to be the "second car", a backup way to get around town effortlessly if I needed it (-heck, if gas prices go above $3.00/gal again, the motor-bicycle might end up being the first car-).
~

 

[srdavo]

..... I also removed bearing cages and installed extra balls to the wheel bearings.
Moth

I've been wondering about that....did it help? I'm due to regrease my wheel bearings. I think I'll try it.

Fox,
yes, I ride almost daily. I just try to keep everything tight. Fresh fuel & air in the tires & WATCH OUT for traffic.

 

[Hugemoth]

I haven't had a problem using caged bearings but I always change them to loose balls. More bearing surface area can't hurt.

Moth

 

[jeffspeeder]

i love useing my bike i use it when i go to the store and friends it gets me places faster as long as the problemes stay down a minmum but etherwise i love it

 

[andrewflores17]

i take mine on 15 mile comute every day to school and the only problem i ever had was my chain snaping in half takeing out the enginge mount and alot of tread on my back whell as it got locked up was late to school beacuse i had to pedal it back home and then take the bus but thats the only real problem that i couldnt fix real quick

 

[RLK]

I commute using a 36 volt electric front wheel hub.

My only problem so far is the homeless people that live along the bike path and hang their laundry in the trees after they wash in the river.

No mechanical problems yet. I fear problems from dirt and water getting into the controler and motor so I sealed them with clear silicone RTV stuff. No dirt will get in now and I doubt it will be a problem in the long term. Wish me luck.

Thanks
Matt in CO

 

[Fox]

Well, last night I was some distance away at a friends place. I parked my bike, watched a dvd, went back to my bike and the wheel was buckled so bad it now cant be ridden. Some low life piece of **** must have kicked it, seems that the bike I have has a screw on cassette, which is not standard. Means that the whole assembly has to be replaced, at an approximate cost of 200 AUD. Real nice.. something I just cant afford.

 

[RLK]

Well, last night I was some distance away at a friends place. I parked my bike, watched a dvd, went back to my bike and the wheel was buckled so bad it now cant be ridden. Some low life piece of **** must have kicked it, seems that the bike I have has a screw on cassette, which is not standard. Means that the whole assembly has to be replaced, at an approximate cost of 200 AUD. Real nice.. something I just cant afford.

Try a different bike shop. They are gouging you. The cassette either turns one way or the other. Bike shops have to make their money somehow, but its not the $200Billion dollar Space Shuttle is it? Did somone fly the Space Shuttle into your wheel? That's either one very hard kick or one very weak wheel or one very greedy bike shop with $$$ in their eyes.