cloakedvillain
Well-Known Member
I guess its more of a question about how bad the hills are and how bad your weight is but 2 hp feels plenty for a bicycle.
Power is fun, but at what is your idea of good enough?
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GW's Motorized
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I personally think that the 4hp my BT80 has is more than enough for intown commuting
CENTURION
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I get around fine on my .795 HP Solex, we have pretty good hills around here, but I will usually build up a head of steam before I hit them. I took a 20 mile ride on it the other day, and combination of hills and flat, I averaged 13.8 MPH. My 66 cc. 2.97 HP bikes seem like rocket ships compared to it, but the noise of them after about 5 miles is starting to get to me, longer rides I use hearing protection.
Sidewinder Jerry
Well-Known Member
After my back surgery in October and I've healed, I plan to retire my little RS 35, I'll replace it with a Honda GXH 50 that I have. With the extra torque and hp, whatever gear I could run 6000-7000 rpm at WOT with the RS 35; I'll be able to get the same rpm results using the next higher gear using the Honda.
cloakedvillain
Well-Known Member
If I understand it right that little thing has done right by you for a long time.
Al Regresar
Well-Known Member
Some car guys would say there is no such thing as enough power. You always want more. I think that the question of ‘for what’ or the application is at issue. For me (6’4”, 250 lb.s) 5-7 hp will get me up any hill. Plus, brakes, safety, and the limitations of bike frames and wheels show me that I really don’t want go to go over 50 mph and that cruising (majority of time) at 25-30 mph is plenty.
Sidewinder Jerry
Well-Known Member
Around 13 years and 5000 hours of use. Regular maintenance, replaced carburetor, filters and spark plug. Being in the right gear, thanks to a tachometer/ hour counter has prolonged the life of the clutch
That's one of the reasons why I have the Phantom, I always cruise around at 30 to 35 but can exceed that speed by far if I wanted...It has more than enough power...I just don't want to be cleaning the racing stripes out of my undies...lol.
Sidewinder Jerry
Well-Known Member
I'm 6'2" and 250 lbs and go up 30% grade hills with my 33cc, 1.6 hp, 4 stroke. I've even done this while pulling 200 lbs in a pull behind trailer for a total weight of 550 lbs. Small engines, steep hills, and large people gears is a must.
Living in the mountains brakes are your best friend. Steep hills/long down grades can give you more speed than most can handle.
I am a firm believer in having more than you need and simply not using it unless needed than wishing I had more and it bites me in the backside.
In my opinion, after having run a standard 66cc motor, then doing work to it to try and get more out of it, then moving up to a yd100 and then also doing work to it to try and get more out of it, I have concluded that my Phantom 85 in mostly stock form (port matched intake, balanced the crank, and removing 1 base gasket for better squish) on a stock carb and exhaust is the most adequate engine I have used. It's not just that it has more power than m yd100, but that it has probably double the mid range and lower rpm torqe of any engine I have ever had, and it makes it WAY more useable in day to day riding with the hills I have to contend with (Omaha is one of the hilliest cities in the U.S.). On top of all of that it allows me to run a smaller rear sprocket to keep the RPMs down more whilst also having the power to pull.
Can my bike do 50mph the way it is setup? Yes it can, and with relative ease. Do I do 50mph? Nope. What my bike loves is 30-35mph, and it's right in the meat of the torque curve at those speeds, so it pulls great and without having to rev the snot out of it. It also gets incredibly good fuel economy, despite it's power, because it doesn't require full throttle to go everywhere thanks to how efficient the design runs. Half throttle with the same 14mm I.D. carb all of the other engines use means it can manage over 100mpg if you can keep your throttle hand under control and just cruise at normal speeds.
And, just to go back and emphasize the point, it's pretty much a stock engine with a couple of tweaks for my own satisfaction. No expansion chamber, no modded exhaust making lots of noise, no huge carb and reed block that leak fuel and air.
