Before You Motorize, Think Smart

H

Hive

Guest
I have long thought to put this up here.

You are or are thinking of going biking on a motored bike. That means you plan to ride a bicycle, made for pedaling, even if a high priced MTB, powered by a gas or electric power plant.

The motor will take you and the bike to speeds exceeding 15 mph, generally, on a bicycle made to travel at much lower average speed.

Consider the stress on the bicycle's components and what it will take to stop you and your bike at speed...going faster is one thing, stopping fast is quite another. When necessary to stop fast, nothing else comes in to play but stopping.

Think about it.

So, with all the possible problems inherent with a motored bike, problems that could harm you and others, why do some people consider and actually buy cheap bicycles offered by big-box sellers for use with a motor?

You ever wonder why (some goofy) regulations and laws come to be written?

Think about it, before you do it.

If you decide to motor a bike, use your brains and do it sensibly.

 
I have to agree. I have stated this on here at times, too, but I feel that people are just trying to get out as cheap as possible. I remember when these Chinese motors were $89 & people bought $59 bikes to put them on !!!
 
That is why I tell guys to have 2 "v" brakes as a minimum.
When I rode motorcycles, I would PRACTICE panic stops.
Try that with a coaster brake.
 
forget the v brakes. i have them on the rear but as i have learnt from motorbikes 80% of the braking is solely done by the front brake system so therefore i have fitted a disk brake system to mine to allow a bit more braking. it isnt on my pics at the moment as i have stripped the bike for some tlc. also have some uprated tyres to allow as mountain bike tyres are not suited so some road tyres extra thick make it more stable and less chance of shredding tyres and brakes. have noticed that the rear v brake pads leave a black mark on the rear wheel so they have been uprated aswell. found racing bike pads work well aswell.
 
It's a good reminder. And it should be repeated again and again and again. (Okay, with just a bit of a breather in-between.)

Even fairly expensive bikes shouldn't be subjected to the forces that a gasoline engine is capable of producing when ridden fast.

My answer to that is to just ride them not all that much faster than I'd ride a pedal bike.
I might occasionally go 20 mph for short stretches on good, smooth pavement. But my average speed over several miles is about 12 mph.

Those who must go faster really should get a motorcycle. An older, name brand, 400cc or so can be had for about the cost of, say, a GEBE kit and bicycle. I'd rather have the bicycle (this from someone with an awful lot of motorcycle miles, and no regrets, behind me). But if I just had to go faster, then I'd choose the motorcycle.
 
I have long thought to put this up here.

You are or are thinking of going biking on a motored bike. That means you plan to ride a bicycle, made for pedaling, even if a high priced MTB, powered by a gas or electric power plant.

The motor will take you and the bike to speeds exceeding 15 mph, generally, on a bicycle made to travel at much lower average speed.

Consider the stress on the bicycle's components and what it will take to stop you and your bike at speed...going faster is one thing, stopping fast is quite another. When necessary to stop fast, nothing else comes in to play but stopping.

Think about it.



So, with all the possible problems inherent with a motored bike, problems that could harm you and others, why do some people consider and actually buy cheap bicycles offered by big-box sellers for use with a motor?

You ever wonder why (some goofy) regulations and laws come to be written?

Think about it, before you do it.

If you decide to motor a bike, use your brains and do it sensibly.



Mountain bikes are designed to go much faster than 15 mph, though +25 would be a stretch unless you are talking some extreme downhill models. Cruisers I think would encapsulate your point.
 
I disagree somewhat. Both of my shifter kit motorized bikes are from big box stores. One was purchased from K-mart and the other from Walmart (Schwinn Searcher and Schwinn Skyliner). Both have performed flawlessly no issues what so ever. Frame is steel and built well with solid welds, suspension fork is great, and brakes stop on a dime (v brakes).

After 3 years, I did loose the factory bike chain. It broke and spit itself out while on a ride. The new Shram chain is working great.

I caution folks to be careful about being heavy on your front brakes. Where I live, there is tons of loose dirt on the side of roads where bikers typically ride and front braking is used but minimally to avoid a spill.
 
thinking Vs. bleeding

I am using a modified mountain bike frame and derailleurs and V brakes. As for speed my top speed on a mountain bike was about sixty chasing a Alfa Romeo down a twisty hill in Portland OR. I had set my pedal bike with V brakes and small 26 by 1.5 tires. when I pulled up to him at a red light he turned and looked at me and said "do you know how fast you were going?" he seemed amazed. For me it was just a matter of control and to look at where you want to go instead of where you hope you wont go.

Something I do is before I hop on my motor bicycle is check my brake pads I seem to blow through them fairly regularly. I like the Kool Stop pads because they seem to work better but are harder to adjust to keep from squealing. They used to make them in Oregon but I am not sure anymore. lately I have been having to check the wear on my rear tire because I seem to skid them a bit more since I have motorized them. So far I have gone through as many rear tires as motors on my bike(I am hoping that this is the last motor for a long time.)

I have always felt that if you go with a cheep bike to start with than you are asking for trouble. I have gone faster and farther on my road bikes than I have gone on my current motor bicycle. I used to do the spring century on my old Trek touring bike and when I would tour to Bend from Portland it was grate fun to bomb down the Santiam pass into Sisters.

For me if you start with good equipment that is one more thing you don't have to worry about. I like using mountain bike equipment because it is built for the abuse that you have in off road riding. I am not referring to the Walmart, Cosco versions, but Real mountain bikes. My current motor bicycle is a old Scott frame with suntour cranks and Shimano derailleurs and V brake clones. Its strong and reliable and its fun to ride without the motor. so with the motor its a gas! Kind of like my bionic bicycle, I can rebuild it to go farther and faster than my puny self.

mike
 
I agree with you that we should put safety above style, performance and economics. However, a huge part of the appeal and success of motorized bicycles is low initial cost.
 
Those who must go faster really should get a motorcycle. An older, name brand, 400cc or so can be had for about the cost of, say, a GEBE kit and bicycle. I'd rather have the bicycle (this from someone with an awful lot of motorcycle miles, and no regrets, behind me). But if I just had to go faster, then I'd choose the motorcycle.

True that and it's what I did for a dependable commute worthy ride and something that could be used on 40+ mph minimum speed highways. I picked up a Honda 250 enduro mc and had a hard time choosing that over an older but clean 650 Suzuki.... both in the price range of a decent bicycle and Gebe kit.
 
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