why i wish i would have never bought a bicycle engine kit

[bird]

it realy sounds like my first time trying to get mine to work. the chain idler bent into the back wheel locking it up. the motor mounts snapped, then the motor itself cracked where the clutch arm goes into the motor, this was all in the same day. after that i just slowed down and quit rushing so much and everything started falling into place easyer.

 

[Torques]

I have had a lot of ongoing maintenance/repair with my bike (friction drive). I got the bike and motor mid August. I currently have 2600 miles. I average around 650/month. The engine itself (Robins/Subura EHO 35) has operated flawlessly. It is all the bike stuff, that breaks off like fender mounts, supporting brackets, engine side spokes, rear hub seized, got new hub and wheel (have already broke two spokes on new rim). The maintenance never seems to stop. Otherwise, after repaired, the performance is good until something else creeps up. Having a four cycle engine is nice though.

 

[Cookie]

The rason to do a pre flight check and tighten all ur lose nuts

1. The front motor mount broke after a few days. cost me $20
2. The spokes broke twice $50
3. The bolts all come loose and fall off. $10
4. The weel popped off.
5. The muffler fell off, twice, and when i was fixing it it burnt my arm
6. Gas leaked all over my garage when i was trying to fix it.
7. You really cant turn off the gas, so it floods the carb, and is very hard to start up in the morning.
8. You get oil all over your hand, cloths, and houce when you fix it, because all the seals suck and it gets all over the engine, and all over your bike.
9. My bike broke down on me almost every time I rode it.
10. these are not a cheaper form of transportation, they break down, and cost alot to fix. A scooter is alot better.

The gas leak is a pain but just replace the cock runs about 2-3 $'s

if you ride in a real frog strangler some times the mageto gets damp and it is a bugger to get dry and with everything else check you pot it might have gunk in it just get a in line fule filter they help a lot.

Cookie

 

[tirebiter]

The gas leak is a pain but just replace the cock runs about 2-3 $'s

Cookie

Does anyone know of a specific petcock that will fit the threads in the Chinese tanks?.....part number or application? I could probably find one but if you guys already know it would help. Thanks.

 

[Cookie]

Look on the Gurbee site under skyhawlk they have a great parts list they now have 2 petcocks listed the old type (that leaks ) an a new one I had the old type and do not know about the new one.

Cookie

 

[247Jude]

I also use rtv sealent with the gaskets and o rings. Mine never used to idle right untill I did that.

 

[Al.Fisherman]

WOW.....

1. The front motor mount broke after a few days. cost me $20
(improper instillation)
2. The spokes broke twice $50
(not sure, sounds like a instillation problem, never a broken spoke and all is stock)
3. The bolts all come loose and fall off. $10
(another case of improper instillation, and not heeding others advise)
4. The weel popped off.
(chalk it up to the installer again)
5. The muffler fell off, twice, and when i was fixing it it burnt my arm
(think? Improper instillation, they don't just "fall" off.)
6. Gas leaked all over my garage when i was trying to fix it.
(what leaked? a defective part or not paying attention to what you were doing.)
7. You really cant turn off the gas, so it floods the carb, and is very hard to start up in the morning.
(here we go...a defective part. just because it's new doesn't mean it's worth a da*n)
8. You get oil all over your hand, cloths, and houce when you fix it, because all the seals suck and it gets all over the engine, and all over your bike.
(I'll agree on the gaskets here. How many vehicles can you work on without getting dirty...some..not many...sorry you sound like a wimp, that's why they make Go-Jo (hand cleaner) and a washing machine for)
9. My bike broke down on me almost every time I rode it.
(most likely from ALL of above)
10. these are not a cheaper form of transportation, they break down, and cost alot to fix. A scooter is alot better.
(I'll disagree, they are a CHEAP form of transportation, don't cost much to repair. I can build 3 of these for what I pay for my truck insurance alone.)

 

[motorpsycho]

I have to agree...
installation sounds like a major issue here.
I have never had any one of the above problems with either of my bikes.
wheel popped off? what does that have to do with the engine?
tight bolts go a long way.
broken spokes? hmmm, i have never broken a spoke and my spokes are stock, and i am using 20" wheels. you are not supposed to dump the clutch at full throttle to try and do wheelies or burnouts. this will definitly break spokes. take it easy on the take off, and your spokes will last.
muffler fell off? did the baffle blow out, or did the muffler fall off the engine?
if the baffle blew out, then that would be a mfg. issue...screws not tight from the factory.
if the pipe & muffler fell off the motor, then i would chalk that up to poor installation.
again, loc-tite, lock nuts and lock washers do wonders for these engines.

yes the gas shut off valves are not the best in these kits. but i have never seen one leak gas out of it. there is a gasket that goes on the the shut off valve, and it seals the valve against the gas tank. did you install the gasket? if it floods the carb while it sits, then yes, the valve is bad internally.

i never get oil, grease or gas all over my clothes or my house when i ride my bikes. the only visible sign of oil or grease on my bikes is the grease that's on the chains.
the only time i get gas on my hands is if i spill it when i am adding gas to the tank.
your bike breaking down all the time probably goes back to poor installation. did you take your time and solder all the wire connections and heat shrink them? did you grease the gears under the right side engine cover? did you grease the bucking bar contact point under the left side engine cover? did you adjust your chain tension correctly? did you check your spark plug gap? did you throw away the stock spark plug and put in an ngk plug? did you upgrade to a better spark plug wire? is your gas-oil ratio correct? is your carb. tight on the intake manifold? are you running a fuel filter? is your gas line straight with no kinks?
is your rear sprocket on straight? is your chain aligned straight?
there are a ton of things to get right when you build one of these things.

you can not expect to just bolt these kits on in a few hours, and be riding trouble free.
they ALL take some tinkering, and modifying to make them run right and be dependable.
loc tite all the nuts & bolts, throw away the nuts, bolts and washers that come with the kit and upgrade to some better ones. use lock nuts with the plastic inserts in them, blue loc tite good quality flat washers, and lock washers and you can't go wrong.
the key is patience when building one of these things. upgrade stuff as you build so you only have to build the bike once. you will be a lot happier in the end if you put it all together right the first time.
you do have to be a bit of a gear head to build one of these things right. there are a ton of people out there, that don't even know what a carburetor does, and they try to build these bikes with diasterous results.
there are so many things to get right, and someone who knows nothing about engines, should not attempt to build one of these.
I'm not saying that you know nothing about engines, i'm just saying that 9 times out of 10, when someone has as many problems as this, it's because they don't understand how engines work, and how important it is to make sure things are aligned and tightened properly, tuned propery, wired properly, and maintained.

"joe blow", who has difficulty understanding why he has to add oil to the gas for a 2 stoke builds one of these things, and then complains because it either blows up, won't run, falls apart, or breaks down all the time.

"joe the gear head" gets an engine kit, modifieds, fabricates and tweaks parts & peices to make it work right, and he has no problems.

 

[Skyliner70cc]

I'm with Al F, most of the OP's woes are due to not doing a thorough installation. Two ways to learn...make your own mistakes or spend several hours on this forum reading and learning from other's mistakes.

 

[Oysterville]

Nothing like resurrecting a 4 year old thread.