Motorized Bicycle

Any one ever bought and installed the motor kit they sell for bicycles???
I see there are several brands and upgrades available.
Any advise you can give me.


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That's an interesting concept, John. I don't know if you recall, but the father of our former Governor Dave Treen had a company back in the 50s that produced the Simplex Servi-Cycle. It was basically a bicycle on steroids, with a motor much like in your photo. It had a centrifugal clutch which, when revved up, engaged a fan belt that traveled in a channel around the rear wheel. I had one for a short time, but traded up for a Harley 125.
 
I haven't seen a kit for a long time. Whizzer was a kit in the beginning wasn't it? The former Olds dealer here in town sold the Whizzer reproductions for a few years.

When I was a kid we had one that the local welding shop built. You had to wind the rope around the pulley on that one to start it. Us kids spent a whole lot more time winding and pulling that rope than we ever spent riding it.
 
brother had a whizzer back in the 50's,..i can remember him pushing it way more then he ever rode it, he still talks about the time he once rode it for 25 miles, it was quit a feat.....LOL
 
I have had some experience with a couple of those kits. You can expect that you will need to do some fabrication. You can also expect that some parts will need modification to be usable. Typically, the exhaust will interfere with the frame, the chain setup is a kluge at best, and attaching the large gear to the rear wheel is a weak point. Once they are put together and working fairly reliably, they are fun to ride around on. They also extend your riding range considerably.
 
I see a lot of them in AZ when we are there in the winter, if I ever get too lazy or out of shape to pedal mine I might consider it. Some of them stink a little, some not so much. There are some 4-strokes available, here is a link.

http://www.bikeberry.com/flying-horse-complete-79cc-pull-start-4-stroke-bicycle-engine-kit.html?keyword=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAjwiPbWBRBtEiwAJakcpAaa5Eza3G5PgpvFCa4cmtDLe8vl5itfJ4KhV4-wKXLZd2j6Z9o9shoCnlMQAvD_BwE
 
Google electric bike motor kit. Lots of them out there, most have the motor in the hub of the front wheel, so no chains, linkage, etc. Quiet, no smoke, nothing for the tree huggers to complain about. Most just use it when they need an assist on hills, etc.
 
I believe there is an outfit in China that makes kits to convert your motorbike to a pedal bike. So pedal the old Harley or Yamaha down to the drug store or for a ride on a Sunday afternoon. Might be a bit heavy but a person would certainly get in shape after a while. Sounds like a good idea and maybe a YT'er will search out the possibility of getting a franchise for North America.
 
My friends near the camp in Nova Scotia have 2 electric assist Bikes, you do have to peddle but the motor makes it almost effortless. They came from Germany if I recall and were mighty pricey $5,000 comes to mind.
 
There's a guy in town that buys bikes at walmart and puts a motor kit on them. I think he sells them for around 400 bucks.
 
John
I put one of those kits on a bike for my father close to 10 years ago. It works but like anouther poster said expect to do a little modifications to the parts to get it to fit. Biggest thing I had to modify was the exhaust header to get it to clear the frame. My Dad rode that bike for two or three years around here until someone stole it out his yard. I will tell you this if you get it tuned right it will out run the brakes on a bicycle pretty quick!
 
Ordinarily, no one puts these on high-quality bikes - bikes with frames that can take the stress of speeds over 25mph. Get clipping along with one of these on a Walmart type of bike and expect things to get real squirrely while cornering or going down hill. And as mentioned below, you will find the breaks to be inadequate.
 
Same here at the Berlin flea market. Think he said they are built in china complete. They use a heavyer frame bike. Have seen him sell two in one afternoon. Same price you posted.
 
When I was 14 I had a Whizzer. Great machine to teach mechanical skills to a teenager, but pretty worthless other wise. A real piece of crap, but somehow I kept it running.
 
If you do motorize a bicycle with rim brakes, consider upgrading the brakes and the brake pads. Kool Stop makes a salmon colored brake pad that improves braking in both wet and dry conditions without increasing rim wear.

For the cost of a decent mountain bike that can handle the extra stress of the engine, I would look for a used scooter, a small street legal motorcycle, or maybe an e-bike (electric).
 
When I was a kid my cousin showed up with a motorized bike, frame was modified for a B&S engine with centrifugal clutch. Wheels were replaced with 8" pneumatic tires. It was setup so the driver could stand and another could sit on the original seat. We put a hitch on the back and I had a home made trailer made out of a peach crate that we towed behind with our fishing gear in it. Not real fast, but better than pedaling, and we went to the stock dams in the area to fish for a number of years with it. Finally got a Honda Trail 90...that put an end to the bike! The good ole days.....
 
Why do you want that ? Can you ride it street legally ? It is a Chinese Whizzer copy and may be of questionable quality. A small Jap bike would make you a lot happier { in my opinion ]. It is made for a Schwinn which is no longer made and the fake balloon tire bike frames flex a lot. You need a 48 Schwinn for that.
 
In about 61 I put a 4 hp Briggs on a Hawthorn from M Wards. I was able to get the gearing to about 1/3 taller what was needed. I started off down the hill peddling hard. the engine started to pull faster than I could pedal. I got up to about 45 mph and made it about a mile to the top of the next hill. The run back was the "convincer" Stopping from 40 turned the coaster brake into smoke. I also owned a Whizzer. It was more suitable for actual transportation. Jim
 
I've taken one of the engine apart when it stopped working for a guy I knew. They are very poorly made. A lot of casting flash, poor machining, and the piston fit and ring fit is horrible. I would be surprised if the engine made it more than 30-40 hours of use total before requiring upper cylinder/piston repair. I told the guy to scrap it, because having a piston and rings made for it would be double what the whole thing was worth, and even if it ran for another 50 hours, something else would be worn out.
 
No but I've seen them used......with a "motor vehicle" license plate that a bicycle doesn't require for public roadway usage.
 

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