Michigander

I am restoring a 1940's columbia cruizer. Today I got an idea. How possible would it be to mount a motor on it? I don't mean the kind of thing where you have to pedal it up to speed, but more of a minibike setup. I don't know very much about motors, but I am quite handy with tools. I don't want to have to do major welding. I suppose what I am really wondering is, are there any kits available for this sort of thing?

Rev.Chuck

There are/were motor kits for cruisers. Belt driven on a big pulley attached to the spokes.

kendall

get one of the old flip flop style hubs, put a single speed direct drive sprocket on the 'off' side and a centrifical clutch on the motor along with a decent throttle control should work nicely. May still need to pedal a bit to get to a speed that won't stall the motor depending on gearing you work out.

Once hooked up a weedwhacker motor to drive a wheel on a pair of roller skates, it was fun as anything, and fast as all get out but almost impossible to control, I only rode them twice. Thought I could control the speed to some extent by lifting my heel, didn't work, as soon as it started moving, you almost did the splits so your weight went on the drive tire, and all you could do is hope you missed everything in your way.
Finally took them apart and trashed the skates.

Ken

Michigander

I did a google search and found this:

https://www.kingsmotorbikes.com/Engine_Kit1.htm

Does anybody know how good these are, or if there are better ones available?

ljbike

Some of the Electric bike companies have motors that will bolt on. None are cheap though.

Stacey

I'd look here: simpsonmotorbikes.com

I was talking with a friend about some of theses lo-buck motors and the feeling I got fromk him was that they were more or less 'seconds' with poor port positioning and bore plating... and minimal (read NO) support. The guys at Simson really seem to be into these motors... complete with mods.

They'd be quite appropriate for you Columbia.

Good luck regardless of how you proceede.

geebee

Try https://www.spitfiremotorworks.com/ looks real nice and very retro.
Check out this site for some superb older style conversions. https://www.whizzerbikes.com/homepage.html

Michigander

Just for the extra cc's I'm going to have to go with the 80cc king model. I'm starting to think I should make this thing into a half baked Captain America looking chopper, which leads me into another question. Does anybody make nice looking chopper forks, or will I have to do what the name implies and chop and weld the fork?

Stacey

Try these from loficustoms.com. They look good, and for $50 they work good for me

Michigander

Those look neat. I'll have to order one.

thatcher

look up motorized bikes on ebay. they have kits, iv built a bunch of them. its fun

cabana 4 life

or you could do it your self
https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/108132-what-part-2-a.html

jbhowat

The name chopper comes from not cutting and welding the forks, but from chopping and rewelding the head tube angle.

Michigander

Cabbana, I wish I knew enough to make something like that. I suppose I will eventually, but to start I think I'll do something more simple. I have to ask, how fast will that thing go?

mrbean1957

I just installed a Kings 80cc motor on a Schwinn Suburban. Took 10 hours to get it installed. Fired up the first try. I would suggest a very easy break-in period with his motors just to be safe.

FlatTop

Lots of pictures of old motorized cruisers at https://www.whizzerick.com
It's obviously a labor of love with the site owner, a look at his five-page gallery will tell you. Lots of variations of powered bicycles and flyweight motos.

cabana 4 life

its not mine the place i work is next to a.a. some guy came up with it he had on that had a chainsaw motor on the handel bars, i had video but i cant find the post

cabana 4 life

wait i found it check out the video its to funny

https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/102955-what.html

jeff-o

Look for a hub motor for your bike. It's much easier to install than anything else, and usually the motor comes in a kit with batteries, the motor controller and a throttle for the handle bars.

Bikedued

I stopped by this place on my way through the desert. They seemed to know what they were doing and were doing a pretty good business from my opinion. They offered to convert one of my bikes for I think
about $360. Not sure they do that for someone shipping a bike in, though. They tend to like building the
whole bike from their materials and parts..

https://www.spookytoothcycles.com

Michigander

Got my king 80cc motor yesterday. Slight change of plans. My buddy and I will be installing it on my 97 Schwinn Mesa on Sunday. My cruiser is now in good working order and looks pretty cool (I'd post pics if I had the proper camera), but my old mesa is more stable and it hasn't seen more that 10 miles since 2001, so it seems like a good idea. Additionaly, even though I haven't remotely assmbeled this thing yet, its obvious that Stacey was right about King Motors, you get what you pay for with these things. A cheap, chinese made motor has no place on a cruiser I have put more than 600 dollars and countless hours into. I probably will put a motor on my columbia by next summer, but it won't be a king. If nothing else I'll get one of those simpsons, but I don't like how small their motors are. My boss is a car guy and told me I could mount a chainsaw motor on a bike fairly easily and go well beyond safe speeds, so that might be another option.

Anyway, the instructions for my new motor say for the 1st 50 miles, go no faster than 15 mph for 30 miniutes at a time. How bad of an idea is it to ignore the instructions and have at it?

geebee

Usually the biggest thing with modern motors is to not hold a constant speed vary it regularly and try to run WOT only for short bursts.
Having said that some of the chinese motors are based on older designs/materials so prehaps vary it but don't WOT for the first 50 miles.
Enjoy and don't forget to let us know how it goes.

Michigander

Forgive my ignorance; what does WOT mean?

badcompany9

Wide Open Throttle

Thasiet

Wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful. I'd love to do one with a banana seat or modified motorcycle seat and stunt pegs at the rear axle to carry a passenger. But does anyone do it in a four-stroke? What good is 200 mpg when you're adding a hundred times as much organics to the atmosphere? Not to mention the damn noise pollution...