Alt Bike Culture - A custom motorized ride

new here and unsure where to post this sorry this was the only pic i had on my camera deleted the rest by accident
but Discuss


Basically

Custom made in San Jose cali
by pipelyne mfg
powered by a Morini 50cc dirtbike motor air cooled
unsure on other components
beisdes just front and back shimano brakes
but its all custom minus a few bolt on parts
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/phatnum17/018.jpg

There's been a flood of Craigslist ads trying to sell motor kits for bicycles. To my way of thinking, if you want a motorcycle, get one, if not, I don't see a point in trying to turn a bicycle into one. I'm not sure how the legalities work around here (Dallas area), but I've never actually seen anyone ride one of them in person.

It's odd to me, too, that they'll advertise the kits as being abot to go 30 mph, but it's mounted on a Walmart cruiser that I wouldn't hardly trust to ride down the street. Your build looks a good bit beefier, though.

Don't think i'd want that between my legs. ... ... ...I agree with Stephen to some extent, bikes are for pedaling.

There's been a flood of Craigslist ads trying to sell motor kits for bicycles. To my way of thinking, if you want a motorcycle, get one, if not, I don't see a point in trying to turn a bicycle into one. I'm not sure how the legalities work around here (Dallas area), but I've never actually seen anyone ride one of them in person.

It's odd to me, too, that they'll advertise the kits as being abot to go 30 mph, but it's mounted on a Walmart cruiser that I wouldn't hardly trust to ride down the street. Your build looks a good bit beefier, though.

Yeah i have noticed the flood of cheap china motors on walmart bikes lol but this frame was custom made in the good ole USA chromoly and all top of the line componets, The motor is from italy and here in california is completely legal as a assisted bike The motor can be gear to go upwards of 70+ and believe it or not is really stable and the suspension and the rockshoxx absorb most if not all road and trail riding shock.

Its good on gas as well lasting about 2-3 hours so its good to commute which is useful here in cali


Don't think i'd want that between my legs. ... ... ...I agree with Stephen to some extent, bikes are for pedaling.

Its a single speed you can still pedal but if your tired start it up and cruise :)

There's been a flood of Craigslist ads trying to sell motor kits for bicycles. To my way of thinking, if you want a motorcycle, get one, if not, I don't see a point in trying to turn a bicycle into one. I'm not sure how the legalities work around here (Dallas area), but I've never actually seen anyone ride one of them in person.

Here's a quickie summation of local laws:

Motorscooters have no pedals, must be below 50cc in displacement, and must fit strict federal guidelines for emissions and safety.

"Motor bicycles" have pedals...and, honestly, that's it. IIRC, there's a 125cc limit, but nobody looks very closely.

Curiously enough, the limit on electric bicycles is 750 watts - about 0.8 horsepower. However, because E-bikes don't get any noise, I can tell you for a fact that you can have upwards of 20 horsepower and get away with it scott-free.

I've thought about building an E-motorcycle myself out of a full suspension frame, but the expense of building the whole thing from scratch was just a little bit too much.

Looks like the exhaust passes mighty close to your knee.

it actually doesnt its routed thru the frame but the pipe doesnt get hot, warm yes but not pipe burn scalding hot

Out of curiosity - why a petrol engine?

Even with a tuned pipe, you're lucky to see the high side of 6 horsepower on a 49cc engine, and all of your torque will be in a very narrow band.

A far smaller electric motor will produce 13HP continuously, and over 20HP for up to a minute. And you get peak torque at 1 RPM.

Gas motors have longer range and this paticular motor makes over 10 hp better carborator and pipe over 15hp stock form can reach an excess of over 60 mph much more efficeint then a electric as far as range and brute torqe speaking due to being limited to maybe 20 miles without having over 10-15 pounds of battery's ... Gas ftw... My carbon footprint is minimal as far comparing to my car

Gas motors have longer range and this paticular motor makes over 10 hp better carborator and pipe over 15hp stock form can reach an excess of over 60 mph much more efficeint then a electric as far as range and brute torqe speaking due to being limited to maybe 20 miles without having over 10-15 pounds of battery's ... Gas ftw... My carbon footprint is minimal as far comparing to my car

I call BS.

I have never seen a 50cc engine produce 15HP. Ever. Show me a dyno test, and I'll believe you. Top-spec 125cc kart engines can produce 30HP on a good day, and those cost a small fortune.

Even in the case that you are producing such an enormous quantity of power, there's the stress on the internal components to be considered - you're placing a huge load on all the moving parts in the engine. Aforementioned kart engines are extremely unreliable for this reason, and require regular overhauls.

Secondly, 2-stroke tuned pipe motors have an extremely limited torque band - it's the nature of a tuned pipe. Unless you're at or close to the resonant frequency of the pipe, there's no power boost. Go talk to a moped mechanic if you don't believe me. (If it's not a 2-stroke - which is pretty unusual for a 50cc dirtbike engine - then there's simply no way you're getting 15HP, period.)

Finally, you're looking at ancient E-bike technology. 15 pounds of LiFePO4 batteries would give you a 60+ mile range, and a 20+ horsepower 3-phase brushless motor weighs a lot less than your 2-stroke - net weight compared to a petrol engine with full tank is about the same. An electric system requires nearly zero maintenance, has effectively only one moving part, and unlike a carburetor won't regularly require adjustment.

Leave carbon footprint out of the picture - as you said, it's a moot point either way (though I should mention that 2-stroke motors are major smog producers - you're probably in the same league as a hummer.) While they do require a bit more money and a high school physics education, they offer tremendous performance.

I call BS.

I have never seen a 50cc engine produce 15HP. Ever. Show me a dyno test, and I'll believe you. Top-spec 125cc kart engines can produce 30HP on a good day, and those cost a small fortune.

Even in the case that you are producing such an enormoujs quantity of power, there's the stress on the internal components to be considered - you're placing a huge load on all the moving parts in the engine. Aforementioned kart engines are extremely unreliable for this reason, and require regular overhauls.

Secondly, 2-stroke tuned pipe motors have an extremely limited torque band - it's the nature of a tuned pipe. Unless you're at or close to the resonant frequency of the pipe, there's no power boost. Go talk to a moped mechanic if you don't believe me. (If it's not a 2-stroke - which is pretty unusual for a 50cc dirtbike engine - then there's simply no way you're getting 15HP, period.)

Finally, you're looking at ancient E-bike technology. 15 pounds of LiFePO4 batteries would give you a 60+ mile range, and a 20+ horsepower 3-phase brushless motor weighs a lot less than your 2-stroke - net weight compared to a petrol engine with full tank is about the same. An electric system requires nearly zero maintenance, has effectively only one moving part, and unlike a carburetor won't regularly require adjustment.

Leave carbon footprint out of the picture - as you said, it's a moot point either way (though I should mention that 2-stroke motors are major smog producers - you're probably in the same league as a hummer.) While they do require a bit more money and a high school physics education, they offer tremendous performance.

Call bs all you want my polini/bizeta 50cc 5 port factory reeded,ported pocketbike motor makes 15hp its a $1200 motor and yes i pay good money for these components .geared for a pocketbike its known to hit 70+ not saying i have but attend races and actually see it. As for mopeds i know of a similar machine being polini powered and having only 50cc hitting 70-80. Also sure 125cc karts have 30hp i believe it gotta account its a 4 stroke,has at least a 6 speed gear box and lord knows what else...120+ top speed? I can only dream...

I pay top doller the motor on the bike isnt cheap nor of china quality

Flame on...

Flame on...

I'm familiar with the engine - it's about 9.4HP bone-stock (at least in theory it is - I've never met an engine manufacturer that wasn't at least a little bit optimistic.) 9.4HP will get you to 60 if you're reasonably aerodynamic and have the right tuned pipe.

Why I doubt you're hitting 15 is simple - there's no way that every component in your engine is rated to take more than half again more stress than it was originally designed for. Your conrods, crankshaft, and cylinder head simply weren't meant for the loads you're placing on them. Either you're producing a far more likely twelve, or you're going to blow out your engine every few months.

Finally, for the $1200 you spent (without tuned pipe and carb?) you could have an electric setup that produces half again more power. That is, quite simply, a big difference.

keyword....stock without carb or pipe inlcuded with the numbers..and what stress? The only part ive had to replace in a good 2 years of running were the crank bearings which cost me nothing due to having a replacement in hand already other then that the cylinder is bulletproof and pretty reliable cause its watercooled...as far as e tech goes i support it but battery tech has still to play catch up because lipo's are pretty durn expensive

I chose gas you chose electric will it surpass combustion engines ? sure.. But let me enjoy the smelll before we use all the oli...and within our measly life span

keyword....stock without carb or pipe inlcuded with the numbers..

Keyword: Actual horsepower.

Even if you're using the 9.8HP watercooled version, you're still going to have some serious reliability issues if you're putting half again more stress on the engine parts. Hence my guess of no more than 12.

Also, LiPo is an outdated technology - the best choice for E-bikes at the moment is LiFePO4, which has up to 10x the charge cycles of a comparable LiPo cell (some of the better cells are rated for up to 7,000 charge cycles), huge discharge rates, and the ability to charge in an hour or less. Lower grade Chinese cells are now very inexpensive - $800 will get you enough for at least 40 miles (more if you're aerodynamic or have slick tires.)

I personally hate 2-strokes with a passion. I have asthma, and your little toy produces huge amounts of the nasty smog that impairs my breathing. The sound from a tuned 2-stroke can wake the dead at twenty paces and the living at fifty - in short, you've got a noise violation on two wheels.

Sorry that you hate 2 strokes. sure there little pollutants but noise isnt a issue with my w/c motor as its strictly track only but the particular motor is very friendly on the air vs those cheap china motors spewing blue smoke everywhere and actually below legallimits set for mopeds and what not as the exhuast is routed thru the frame and much quieter then you think. Ill try to put a vid on youtube to prove my point

Personally, I see no point whatsoever in putting an engine or motor on a bicycle. I can get a decent Honda Minicub 50 for less than what the engine alone costs on your bike. And the Minicub will go faster, stop faster, carry more, requires no 2-stroke oil, and will last more years than you've been alive with almost no maintenance.

Your "bike" puts out "15bhp" at the crank, but unless you are showing off to the Goped riding junior high schoolers in your neighborhood, who cares? I like to go fast too, but a 15 hp motorized bicycle doesn't exactly meet anyone's definition of "fast" does it?. You have an interesting toy, kind of like the things my grandfather used to put together in his barn. My last motorized 2 wheel toy was my Yamaha R1, which pretty much exceeds anyone's definition of "fast".

well thats your opinion bud. Call it a toy all you want who said it had to be fast? I never said it was meant to be fast. Its fun to ride requires little maintinence, no registration and gets lots of attention because hey its eye catching and the avervage consumer thinks its pretty darn cool.. You had a r1? Cool we have 3 street bikes and plenty of other "toys" your just so damn negative..id really rather ride my fixed gear anywho compared to a little ebike