Bicycle Conversion Kits

[thegayhare]

Hi Hi all

Well as some of you may know I've recently been told I'm going to be hired for a job

Also in that same thread the mention of me on the side of the road gasping for breath as a fatman in the sun trying to do to much came up.

Well I've been looking into the problem with what will be my daily commute to work and I've stumled across something that should help me out.  I mean these Bicycle Conversion kits.

I've come across 2 basic types Gas and Electric

Gas seems to be the cheaper(127)  kit with top speeds listed at 40 mph and 150 mpg
(probably less for me since I am a fat man)
on the more annoying side of the issue being a 2 stroke motor its the type you'd have to premix oil into the gas so no just pulling up to the pump.  but since I lost my licences I'm not sure if adding this moter would require a licence or not.

but that seems minor realy

the electric is more expensive (360-400) with a 20 mph top speed
but quieter and less likely to get noticed and unlike the gas powered kit the added the eletric moter requires no license and the bike is still considered just a bicycle

So what do you folks think? has anyone out there tried a product like this?  also which would you support?

[Netrogo]

I wouldn't really recommend either TGH. When I was a courier I talked with the vets of the business and none of them had anything nice to say about those kits. They're usually pretty cumbersome on the bike, they break pretty easily, and they end up costing a fortune in repairs after awhile.

If you REALLY want something powered but don't wanna go so far as a motorcycle or a car. I'd say get a moped, or a powered bicycle. A moped, well you probably know what a moped is. A powered bicycle is basically a bike with one of those kits but it's a bike that is specifically designed around having a kit on it. Plus the kits are usually a little better quality then the cheapy ones you find on ebay and most of the net.

Either way just remember the golden rule. You get what you pay for. The less it costs, with bikes anyways, the less it's gonna work for ya.

[thegayhare]

well northern tools did have a number of electric bikes for sale
474 dollars each which is just 100 more then the kit which is about what I'd pay for a bike to put one on.

So you wouldn't recomend either damn

I had been looking into getting a scooter or moped with my first couple of paychecks before I'd spotted the kits.  The problem I realy have at the moment is that I won't be able to ride it with out a license and untill the SR22 comes off my record I won't be able to get my license until I first get insurance and I cen't get insurance with out a vehical, and I can't get a vehical...

[Netrogo]

And this is why I just ride and old fashioned bike that requires my legs to move.

[Reese Tora]

Huh, without having anything else to compare on the kits, I would make a WAG that the electric might be more efficient if you can charge it at work, and also less likely to be a vehicle that requires a license depending on the definitions of your local and state vehicle codes.

As long as you don't drive it, you might be able to buy a vehicle from a private person (insurance requirements from dealerships assume you are going to be driving it off the lot) then you'd have a vehicle you could insure so that you could apply to get your license back... or I could be wrong, IANAL, but you might want to look in to that.  Your state's vehicle code should be available for free somewhere online.

[Netrogo]

You're sorta on the right track in terms of licensing Reese. I don't know about other countries but in Canada what determines whether you need a license to drive/ride something is it's top speed while being self propelled. So a moped that can only go 30km/h vs one that can go 100km/h. The 30 would be license free because it can just maintain 'normal people' top biking speeds, where as the 100 would be licensed because you can clock traffic speeds up to the high way safely.

[thegayhare]

well I'd checked according to maine state law any moped, or motorized scooter requires a license.  since I already knew that I decided to to check the laws on moterized bicycles and that also requires a valid state licence.  and since the maximume engine size allowable with out a motorcycle license is 50 ccs the 66 ccs from the kit is right out. so neither of the kit types would be legal, and granted it's highly unlikely that I'd get pulled

So I'm screwed

Till I can save up for a vehicle, and insurance and the fines on my licences I guess I'm hoofing it

I tried practicing on the bike again I couldn't even get the damn thing to move this time  for some reason I pedal and pedal, the chain and gears are working but forsome reason the wheels don't engage...  It's just been to freaking long since I road a bike  I think I'm going to look into getting a cheap riding bike from walmart or something something simple with out the freaking gears. to confuse me

[Netrogo]

If you're having trouble figuing out the gears here's a really simplified breakdown for ya.

For easy pedaling but slow moving little gear on the pedals and big gear on the back wheel. The closer to this setting (depending on how many gears your bike has) you are the easier it will be to go up hills and such. Basically one turn of the pedals will pretty much equal one turn of the wheel.

However...

Big gear on the pedals and little gear on the wheel. When you reverse the above order you get seriously high speed but it takes alot of effort to pedal. Basically one turn of the pedals will equal a couple rotations of the wheel.


If you want a nice, easy ride you should try to find the midway between these two. If your bike has three gears in the front and five in the back then set the chain so it's on the middle front gear and the middle back gear. It'll be a perfect blend between speed and torque giving you a nice, hopefully, smooth ride.

[Netrogo]

Oh one more thing. If you're still having trouble after what I suggested above you might wanna look into a recumbent bicycle. it's a bike where you sit with your feet towards the front or even directly infront of you. I'm partial to these style recumbents myself http://www.mielebicycles.com/main+en+06_200+Modele_Velo_Specialties_Evox_LE_2009.html?CategorieID=48&BikeID=676 but there's alot of different types out there. Another type is a completely flat to the ground bike where the handles are on your left and right, looks more like a gokart of sorts then a bicycle http://mnhpva.org/Mini_Bents/Greenspeed.jpg.

[thegayhare]

okay I tried to get the bike going since I have to go down tomarrow to get my uniform (I'm gonna be a shift leader) I set the rear gear to 2 and the front gear to 4 as the middle gears and tried to get it going...

It didn't work, oh the Chain  switched gears easy enough but still no matter how I peddled the drive wheel wouldn't engage.  while I peddled I managed to actualy fall on my head... litteraly on my head and rolled down into the propane tank... 

I think I'll be better just walking tomarrow

[Netrogo]

This is sounding more like your bike is broken rather then a problem with you knowing how to use it.

[thegayhare]

This is sounding more like your bike is broken rather then a problem with you knowing how to use it.

I realy hope not it's not my bike and if I broke don's bike I'll never hear the end of it

It was working that first day I put it away and then the next day it just didn't work

[Reese Tora]

the bike's chain, is the chain itself not engaing the teeth of the sprockets, or are both sets of sprokets turning and the wheel itself not moving?
what does it sound like when you spin the peddals or the wheels?

to test the bike, if you flip it upside down so it's resting on the handlebars and seat, it will be very stable for testing as to what exactly isn't working.

I've had some problems with multi geared bikes where the cable that moves the gear shift came loose and allowed the chain to slip entierly off of the sprockets, it usually requires a nudge from my foot to get it in the right place.

From what you describe, I think it's either what I described above, or the ratchet mechanism that allows you to coast has broken or siezed up in the 'open' position (which would mean the bike would not make a clicking sound while beeing wheeled forwards)

bikes: the lowest gears are mean for the least resistance when you are going slowly, what's meant to happen is when you get to the point where you have to move your legs faster than comfortable you switch to the next highest gearing to change the ratio as you go.

[Netrogo]

Say TGH, if it's possible can you post a few pics of your bike? Specifically a full shot of the bike then a close up of the front gears and back gears.

[thegayhare]

Say TGH, if it's possible can you post a few pics of your bike? Specifically a full shot of the bike then a close up of the front gears and back gears.

sure I'll snap a few pics when I head out to mow the lawn

intersting enough the walk wasn't as bad as the first time I made it It took me about an hour and a half walking and my only promlem a a sore foot and knee and thats just because I knocked them pretty hard cause I fell off the bike

[Ryudo Lee]

You know, I don't know if it's different up where you are, but down here in Louisiana you can purchase a scooter/moped/motorcycle without a motorcycle endorsement.  Heck, you don't even need to own the vehicle to get the endorsement.  You just have to use a vehicle that's insured.  Same deal for getting just a driver's license, you don't have to own the car, just use a car that's insured.

When I got my DL I took my driver's test in my parent's GMC Jimmy.  Then I went and bought my scooter.  The guy at the dealership only cared that I have a license.  It was the insurance company that decided that I needed the endorsement.  But they insured it anyway, temporarily, until I could get the endorsement.

It's not so much of a catch-22, really.

[thegayhare]

for me it is because I have a sr22 on my license

that means I need insurance in my name to get a license

fortunatly that comes off my licence in august

and here you dont need a motorcycle endorsment for anything under 50ccs

[Ryudo Lee]

You can't just be covered under someone else's insurance?  There's gotta be a loophole there somewhere.

Well my scooter is 600cc so I kinda needed it anyway.

EDIT: I should mention I have the 2007 model of the Honda Silverwing.

[thegayhare]

Well my scooter is 600cc so I kinda needed it anyway.

EDIT: I should mention I have the 2007 model of the Honda Silverwing.

LOL
yeah 600cc is pretty much over the limit and into motorcycle territory

The rule in maine is 50cc or 1500watts

There is one I spotted in northern tools I'd love to get

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200380038_200380038

Its a 49cc, 500watt hybrid scooter gets 200 miles to the gallon.  Top speed is 30 mph but hey it's till pretty cool

it's also $2200 so I'll have to save up for a bit

Although I spotted this one too

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200359416_200359416

49.6cc top speed 45mph, and 100mpg for only $1200 seems like a better deal to me