motorized bicycle - backup transportation

[offroad]

am looking at Motorized Bicycles<br /><br /><br />http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=43628<br /><br />they all go for less than $1000 usually. &nbsp;Can be put on a bicycle rack, that can carry 100 pounds, and travel at 30 MPH with 50 MPG or much more. &nbsp;<br /><br />Compare to a moped, that is the same price, but is much more heavy. and you will have a hard time getting it attached to a van-car-truck for transport. &nbsp;<br /><br />Does anyone on this discussion board use one? &nbsp;they also seem like a lot of fun to mess around with. Only downside might be security of it, as anything mounted outside can be stolen. &nbsp;One user on the motorized bicycle group mentions a smaller portable bike, that is similar to a fold bike, and will get you around town.<br /><br />

 

[minimotos95]

what about a quick detach friction drive set up so you can store the motor inside or in a roof top cargo box and keep the bike on a bike rack, i would think that would reduce the chances of theft... i toyed with the idea in the past but after i rode one i felt the balance was all off.<br />i did see one guy on youtube with a goped(think kids scooter with small 2 stroke on the back), he didn't show how he stored it but they fold up pretty small. of course they are less legal. i had one, i&nbsp;was never hassled by the cops even though they are completely illegal in colorado. so that could be a more compact option<br /><br />some people are getting 100+mpg out of honda ct70's so i imagine it with the right set up you can hit 150mpg on a motorized bike<br /><br />another thing to think about is legality, some states require insurance, plates or&nbsp;some even require a motorcycle endorsment(utah).&nbsp;so if you're in a state that&nbsp;issues plates you may be stopped even though your state doesn't register them at all or it's just a sticker. granted a majority of LEOs will just ignore you if you're not riding like a maniac

 

[offroad]

a motorcycle endorsement is a good thing to get while you are young. &nbsp;

 

[minimotos95]

why yes it is, i am just waiting on the&nbsp;first MOST course of next year and i get to upgrade from a permit to a full endorsement, here is what i will be using instead of a motorized bicycle, registered as a motorcycle, there is some obius downsides to it over a motorized bike or moped, it's heavy, worse on fuel, loud, i will need to make a custom carrier and&nbsp;in CO registration costs&nbsp;50x as much as a 50cc&nbsp;but it is better offroad and goes 52 mph&nbsp;as is and is easy to mod or fix. all in all&nbsp;it's far from&nbsp;the best choice

 

[offroad]

you own the motorcycle, and it works. &nbsp;way way ahead of others. <br /><br />&nbsp;my son had two cars. &nbsp;gave him the first one for $1500, which lasted a year, and then we put in an engine, which lasted a year. &nbsp;he never could-would get a paying job for repairs. &nbsp; Insurance-registration-taxes-repairs are way too much. &nbsp; was hard for him &nbsp;to find jobs in the northeast, or for anyone. &nbsp; &nbsp;Moved to the southeast, and got him a moped new for $1000 with one year warrentee. &nbsp;best deal ever. &nbsp;he is still using it while he commutes to his part time job for 20 hours a week, and can live with a roommate at that low pay rate (minimum wage at $400 paycheck).<br /><br /><br />

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I was just researching this&nbsp; My state is one of the crazy ones that want a full endorsement just for&nbsp; a moped.&nbsp; The law isnt clear, but i think if i stay under 50cc i may not need to get an endorsement/register.&nbsp; I mean to stop in an ask at the dmv.&nbsp; In maryland where i grew up any licensed driver can use a moped, no endorsement.&nbsp; They also had a seperate permit for non license drivers.&nbsp;&nbsp; Was shocked when i moved here and they consider it a motorcycle <img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" /><br /><br />I have had the electrical version of a motorized bicycle.&nbsp; The law regarding that is usually 700 watt or under you are considered a power assisted bicycle and are treated as the same as a bicycle, but it can vary by state (there is a federal law that most states default to).&nbsp; The bike was 450 watt and cheap, so it was ridiculously heavy and had a traditional sla battery.&nbsp; It would go about 14 mph on flats and id get about 8 miles if i helped pedal.&nbsp; I was way over weight limit tho.&nbsp; I rode this for 4 month to work (20mile round trip) and never once was looked at by a cop.&nbsp; Crappy battery died and pedal arm stripped, so i switched to regular (lighter) cycle.<br /><br /><br />I wonder if you had one that looked the part of a regular bike like those would a cop even notice?&nbsp; If he couldn't hear it and you kept it 'normal speeds' i doubt they would.

 

[cedric]

offroad: I have been checking into these on ebay.<br /><a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/boygofast/m...122d8c42&amp;rt=nc&amp;_trksid=p2047675.l2562"><br />http://www.ebay.com/sch/boygofast/m...122d8c42&amp;rt=nc&amp;_trksid=p2047675.l2562</a>

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Wasn't She selling hers a short time ago?&nbsp; Maybe she still has it.

 

[peacetara]

I would urge everyone interested in motorcycles or scooters to go thru the class, lots of community colleges offer them,<a href="http://msf-usa.org/index_new.cfm?spl=2&amp;action=display&amp;pagename=RiderCourse Info"> you can get info here</a>.<br /><br />WHY?&nbsp; Because mopeds are just small motorcycles, but everything else is identical.&nbsp; I went thru the MSF class, and it's kind of expensive, but they put you on a motorcycle, and let you get a feel for how everything works and gets you well set for being safe on a motorcycle.&nbsp; They do tend to push the 'motorcycles and alcohol don't mix' thing a bit much, but otherwise the class is wonderful, and really gets you comfortable and ON a motorcycle pretty safely. I think most states, you magically get the motorcycle endorsement on your license at the end of the class (assuming you pass, which isn't that hard).<br /><br />Anyways, I took the class, and it made me a MUCH MUCH better rider than before.&nbsp; It was well worth the money, if you ask me.<br /><br />With Love,<br />Tara

 

[Les H]

perhaps you would enjiy googling "whizzer" , a company that builds gas assisted bikes, been building them since the late 50's i believe. They buy, sell, fix, sell parts, motor kits , everything to do with them. My Wifes cousin's husband has one ( though not a Whizzer brand) he got on ebay for $200, so they are out there, though, as was pointed out, different states have wildly different rules. Here in Alabama, less than 50 cc's requires nothing at all.

 

[minimotos95]

<p>DazarGaidin, that has me thinking. if one would&nbsp;get a quiet engine and put a milk crate around it. <br /><br />Tara, i agree 100%, another thing to remember is the cars&nbsp;can't be trusted to see you, they will cut you off, smash or run you over if you give them the chance, always leaving an "out" is more important then anything else you do on the road even if you're in a car.&nbsp;<br /><br />with any 2 wheeled vehicle on the road&nbsp;make sure you have atleast a headlight and high beams on if&nbsp;it's day time.</p>

 

[Terry]

If you want a dependable motorized bike, don't get those 2 stroke china kits. There are 4 stroke kits but they are expensive comparably. I built my own out of a harbor freight predator engine that had a two year across the counter warranty. Problem was, someone stole it off my front porch. I'm thinking about building another but will wait till after X-mass so i can find a decent cheap bike on craigslist and then will think it over again. I did enjoy riding mine while I had it. Cruise the back roads in town and see whats going on around you instead of passing everything by at a speed where you see little and learn less.

 

[offroad]

<p>DazarGaidin, that has me thinking. if one would&nbsp;get a quiet engine and put a milk crate around it. <br /><br />Tara, i agree 100%, another thing to remember is the cars&nbsp;can't be trusted to see you, they will cut you off, smash or run you over if you give them the chance, always leaving an "out" is more important then anything else you do on the road even if you're in a car.&nbsp;<br /><br />with any 2 wheeled vehicle on the road&nbsp;make sure you have atleast a headlight and high beams on if&nbsp;it's day time.</p>

<br /><br />started a discussion on the motorizedbicycle forum a couple years ago about STEALTH motors, and someone showed me pictures of a motor enclosed in a milk crate, to make it look like it was being carried, and not powering the bike. the trouble is that having weight up high makes the bike top heavy. &nbsp;You want it low as possible.

 

[MK7]

offroad: I have been checking into these on ebay.<br /><a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/boygofast/m...122d8c42&amp;rt=nc&amp;_trksid=p2047675.l2562"><br />http://www.ebay.com/sch/boygofast/m...122d8c42&amp;rt=nc&amp;_trksid=p2047675.l2562</a>

<br /><br /><br />These will be as loud as a lawnmower. You will attract attention wherever you go. Residential people will hate you. If you're stealth vandwelling, they will happily call the cops everyday to get revenge on you and at least get you out of their neighborhood. Businesses should hate you too. My county (and many others) have outlawed Pocketbikes, mostly due to their noise.&nbsp; This bike kit will probably be the same.<br /><br />Get a folding electric bike. I have two. They only go 17-18 MPH, but quiet.&nbsp; 40 MPH on a bicycle is scary as crap. 25 MPH is already very fast. You'll enjoy the exercise while the motor assist makes climbing steep hills a breeze. <br /><br />My electric bikes are VERY heavy. Probably due to liability issues that they made the frame real heavy duty (and the battery is heavy too). You'll need a decent bike in order to handle the HP and TQ of this motor since it can get up to 40 MPH. On a junker bike, it's going to fall apart....at 40 MPH, you can easily die.&nbsp; <br /><br />

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

You can get electric kits for bikes and mount it to a much lighter bike.&nbsp; My raleigh/diamondback weighs about 20% of the ebike i bought and is way way more solid/better parts than the ebike (tho it was the cheapest one you could buy so ...).<br /><br />The biggest thing for me is you are limited in range.&nbsp; 10-15 miles and then youre pretty much pedaling it all as opposed to the gas bikes which can go like 100 <img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" />&nbsp; Maybe you can hook your house battery onto the rack ha!<br /><br /><br />Maybe you can pedal the gas bike away before starting it?

 

[josephusminimus]

perhaps you would enjiy googling "whizzer" , a company that builds gas assisted bikes, been building them since the late 50's i believe. They buy, sell, fix, sell parts, motor kits , everything to do with them. My Wifes cousin's husband has one ( though not a Whizzer brand) he got on ebay for $200, so they are out there, though, as was pointed out, different states have wildly different rules. Here in Alabama, less than 50 cc's requires nothing at all.

<br /><br />Worthy post.&nbsp; I'm amazed whizzers are still out there.&nbsp; I owned one briefly during the late 1960s, replaced a Moped with it because I wanted to be able to pedal if the engine quit and the Moped didn't work well that way.<br /><br />The Whizzer was a great alternative to the Moped, all in all did everything I wanted it to do.&nbsp; Maybe that's why they're still in business.

 

[MK7]

You can get electric kits for bikes and mount it to a much lighter bike.&nbsp; My raleigh/diamondback weighs about 20% of the ebike i bought and is way way more solid/better parts than the ebike (tho it was the cheapest one you could buy so ...).<br /><br />The biggest thing for me is you are limited in range.&nbsp; 10-15 miles and then youre pretty much pedaling it all as opposed to the gas bikes which can go like 100 <img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" />&nbsp; Maybe you can hook your house battery onto the rack ha!<br /><br /><br />Maybe you can pedal the gas bike away before starting it?

<br /><br /><br />Not sure how much your Raleigh/Diamondback bike cost. I guess they vary on the model. <br /><br />But my 26" (I think), Mongoose Electric Bike (7-spd, 18 MPH GPS verified on a school's track) cost $300 shipped (Northern Tools).<br /><br />My iZip EZ-Go Electric folding bike (20") was $450 shipped. <br /><br />The prices have gone up quite a bit for the Mongoose bike, being essentially the same thing though. Not sure why. But it's probably still a better price than buying a kit and having to install it onto a separate bike (doesn't look easy). Then there's the cost of the batteries which can range from $40-200. My SLA battery pack costs $150. <br /><br />The Mongoose bike is decent, not good quality. Just very heavy duty steel and very heavy. I rode them a lot too. No problems at all. Wrecked a few times.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

 

[user 423]

My backup and grocery getter was a Honda CT90 Trail that was mounted on the back of a Dodge Maxi-van based Class B. They only weigh 200lbs. so most vans or pickups can handle the weight. Parts are readily available (unlike some Chinese made brands) and they are simple to work on.<br /><br />To travel even lighter and if you just need emergency backup transportation, one of these modified mini-bike "pushers" with a 2.5-to-4HP motor would be cool:<br /><br />

<br /><br /><br />They're easy to adapt to any bike and you can help the little motor along on hills with pedal power. The motor can do double-duty powering a "poor boy" generator that charges your RV batteries with a car alternator when boondocking.<br /><br />Edit: ...and the bike can be used sans motor.<br /><br />

 

[Simran]

I've messed around with motorized bikes and mopeds for a long time. The little Yamaha scooters go like a banshy, as do the Honda's; even the ones under 50cc's. That said my favorite is an Italian made Vespa. It handles more like a motorcycle with larger wheels and longer wheel base. With minor modifications it, too, screams for a large bicycle with a 49cc motor on it. It is a real joy to ride and will run forever on a gallon of fuel. I'm not sure how heavy it is but I can cradle it in my arms and load it myself; but it is heavy for one person. BTW, it carries two people comfortably where the Honda and Yamaha are a little small for that.

A word of caution to anyone thinking they will put a motor on a bicycle and ride off into the sunset. It works, and the motors and kits work good too. However, in order to make a bicycle a dependable mode of motorized transportation you will need to spend a good bit of cash on a high end mountain bike wheel. Make sure the wheel has been trued on a trueing stand. Something with real high quality spokes or you'll end up pushing it home.
Been there and done that!!!!

BTW, that mini bike pusher is cool. I've got two of those things I may have go try making one of those.

Gus

 

[josephusminimus]

slowday:&nbsp; That pusher's a tough act to follow.&nbsp; Might be the most practical thing of the motorized bicycle possibilities out there.&nbsp; A person could probably even cobble together something of the sort out of a powered lawnmower