Motorized bicycles?

Boomyal

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In a current Popular Mechanics there was a blurb about a motorized bicycle using a relatively inexpensive 49 cc motor kit. It sounds like a lot of fun for little money and effort, especially being as I have a garage full of bikes.

Has anyone done this?
 

82rude

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I have not personally done that but ive seen a few bombing around they look like fun .Must get great mileage,lol.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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there are a bunch in my neighborhood putting along. I have a garage full of late 70's early 80's honda mopeds so I havent even bothered to look into it more than that. talking to one guy it takes about a day to convert

He used a bikeberry kit

there is also gasbike.net and all the electric conversions out there. I think electron makes an electric front wheel that you simply bolt on and go. it works with your smart phone with an app
 

bigdee

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I have been interested in this too. Look on eBay....lots of kits,dirt cheap
 

brian4321

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I don't have any personal experience, but from what I've gathered the little motors have a relatively short life span. I'm guessing it's because of the light build and tiny oil capacity. It'd be fun to tinker with though especially as cheap as they are
 

dan t.

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I built one about 40 years ago when I was a teenager, 2 stroke about 50cc off a wringer washing machine,I used a hockey puck as a traction wheel that ran against the rear tire. I wired the throttle wide open and had a kill switch on the handle bar. The motor hinged to the frame just under the seat, used a clutch return spring to the rear axel to tension the motor down. To start it you reached behind you, lifted up the motor, pedaled like hell and let it down. I worked pretty good, had to help pedal on hills. The big drawback, it ate tires, you could wear out a rear tire in 50 miles. If you want to build one go for it and good luck.
 

Palivec108

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I've built 2 of these already, one on a mountain bike frame and one on a cruiser they are very fun and easy to build I found that bigger wider tires will give you a lot better ride they are very harsh on your ass lol and they vibrate the bike a lot my hands would start to get number and I even put rubber in between the bike frame and motor mounts they have all kinds of performance parts from that now such as shift kits where you can use a mountain bikes sprocket and actually shift threw the gears they bake little boots/nos kits for them and air filter etc... I always got my kits for under $200 it's a fun project you should try it they can do anywhere from 25 to 50 it all depends on the bike and weight and road conditions
 

Old Ironmaker

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I never built one but my Uncle from Buffalo gave me a Whizzer when I was 10. That was in 64' and it was old then. I rode that bike to school and everywhere else for weeks before I added gas. I would go to the pumps at the gas stations that were closed and take whatever drippings were in the hoses to fill it up. It took more oil than gas. Then some punk stole it. They go for many thousands of dollars today.
 

bigdee

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This post got my curiosity up so I decided to build one. Started and finished it today. I will gas it up tomorrow and see what happens....
 

bigdee

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Took her for a test run this morning. Fun,fun,fun.....ran sweet and I was surprised how well it climbed hills with its 49cc.
 

dwco5051

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I never built one but my Uncle from Buffalo gave me a Whizzer when I was 10. That was in 64' and it was old then. I rode that bike to school and everywhere else for weeks before I added gas. I would go to the pumps at the gas stations that were closed and take whatever drippings were in the hoses to fill it up. It took more oil than gas. Then some punk stole it. They go for many thousands of dollars today.


My dream as a 12 year old was to have a Whizzer. An older kid up the road had one and a year or so later he got a Zundapp motor bike and offered me the Whizzer for ten bucks. Mother said no way as she often did because she wanted me to at least live into adulthood.

Move the clock ahead about 40 years and a friend and I got to talking about the old Whizzers and we decided we would each get one. That is when I found out what they were selling for and another of my childhood dreams was demolished.
 

bigdee

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Took her for a test run this morning. Fun,fun,fun.....ran sweet and I was surprised how well it climbed hills with its 49cc.

20 test miles and all is good. Its the talk of the neighborhood,everyone asking about it.....more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
 

Boomyal

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20 test miles and all is good. Its the talk of the neighborhood,everyone asking about it.....more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

Glad to have piqued your interest. Please post what kit you used.
 

bigdee

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No Title

Don't know why they uploaded sideways
 

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JoLin

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Gotta love living in New York. This topic piqued my interest to the point that I actually started looking at gathering the components. Thought it'd be a fun little project. Maybe use it to tool back and forth to the boat on side streets sometimes. Then I did some research about NY's (infamous) DMV regs and found this at their website...

Motorized devices that cannot be registered in New York

What vehicles cannot be registered or operated on New York State sidewalks, streets or highways?
You cannot register or operate any of the motorized devices from the list below on any street, highway, parking lot, sidewalk or other area in New York State that allows public motor vehicle traffic. You may be arrested if you do.
  • Motor-assisted Bicycle - a bicycle to which a small motor is attached. A motor-assisted bicycle doesn’t qualify for a registration as a motorcycle, moped or ATV and doesn’t have the same equipment.


I really hate this friggin' state sometimes.
 

bigdee

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Gotta love living in New York. This topic piqued my interest to the point that I actually started looking at gathering the components. Thought it'd be a fun little project. Maybe use it to tool back and forth to the boat on side streets sometimes. Then I did some research about NY's (infamous) DMV regs and found this at their website...

Motorized devices that cannot be registered in New York

What vehicles cannot be registered or operated on New York State sidewalks, streets or highways?
You cannot register or operate any of the motorized devices from the list below on any street, highway, parking lot, sidewalk or other area in New York State that allows public motor vehicle traffic. You may be arrested if you do.
  • Motor-assisted Bicycle - a bicycle to which a small motor is attached. A motor-assisted bicycle doesn’t qualify for a registration as a motorcycle, moped or ATV and doesn’t have the same equipment.



I really hate this friggin' state sometimes.

At the lake I have the advantage in a gated community of miles of very rural roads that are not public. The HOA sets a few rules such as speed limits and ownership stickers but thats it.
 
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