Folding Bikes - what�s my baby worth. motorised brompton

Dear Folding friends,

I come once again seeking the advice of the nicest of all sub forum groups "the folders". I�m thinking of selling my bike on e(vil)bay. So I�d like some opinions from you wonderful guys and gals.

so...what�s my baby worth.

Basically its a Brompton bicycle with a small light 4 stroke motor, it can be used to go up hills and cruze on the flats as it has a bwr (Brompton wide range) 3 speed hub. the engine freewheels thus I often ride the bike without the engine. The engine is quiet and camouflaged in a pannier which does not effect its performance. i liked to use it for long distance rides in hilly Wales, so im sure it can handle flatter and shorter trips.

I've had the bike for over a year and rides well, yet tends to splutter below -5 Celsius

I have attached two photos folded and unfolded,

the bike is spec'ed under the impression i would never need another bike, shame i now have to sell.

spec
crank: shimano xt hollowtech with external bearings
hubs: BWR front for 3 speeds of motor and 6 gears at rear! both less than 6 months old
grips: specialised ergon
tyres: marathon plus
tubes presta with "safe guard" (like "slime" but used in roal mail bikes, ive never had a puncture with this stuff)
weight: around 20kg
engine: robin Subaru eho35 (top speed around 30mph on flats, range 170 average mpg)

selling for preparations of international off road touring for as long as possible and can thus not take two bikes.

So what could I expect to sell it for? feel free to elaborate on why you believe it to be worth a certain amount this would help me understand others opinions.

Cheers, T

Strip off the engine, sell it , and put the bike back to as near as stock as humanly possible.

"weight: around 20kg" That's not a portable bicyle, it's an ilegal moped.

It's also an offence to use it on UK roads.

for those whom are openminded I believe it may be of some intrest, which seams the case when people realise its stealthly motorised.

as with most bikes in particualr folders "horses for courses"

How stealthy can a gas engine putting around be?

But yeah if I was in the market for a brompton I'd go for a clean one without an engine mod. First thing I'd think about was what kind of stress was put on that front axle and tiny fork and how much longer would it be till it snaps on me one day. I'm just weary cause non motorized folding bikes are usually not made to handle such stresses on certain parts of the bike. I'd opt for a full size mountain bike if I was adding a gas motor to one at least the frame and fork would better handle the torque and stress.

If you part them out you might sell them soo much easier, someone will want the bike only and for the motor you'll find a select group of people that will want to motorize everything but don't want the bike.

Azreal911

over one year of all sorts of riding the frame and fork are fine. And with 10+ years of welding experience and educated in structural engineering (from an eductaion in architceture). the bike is going to last...

To be more direct, I would like to know if your were in the market for one of these how much would you pay?

It is the most compact motorised folding bicycle i have ever seen, this surley will be of some broad intrest.

"It is the most compact motorised folding bicycle i have ever seen, this surley will be of some broad intrest. "

You might be suprised at the lack of interest. Indeed, some police officers might feel that it's a non-roadworthy, uninsurable death-trap which would leave the rider open to prosecution if they rode it on the road.

Whack it on Ebay. You'll have an absolutely firm indication of value within 7 days. Someone in the USA might buy it.

Oh, yeah:

"Any road vehicle in the UK fitted with an internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel) must be registered and the user must have a licence, tax, insurance etc. and wear an approved helmet. This includes motorised bicycles."

Things might be different in Wales, but you're not going to see that put-putting around Richmond Park in London.

"It is the most compact motorised folding bicycle i have ever seen, this surley will be of some broad intrest. "

You might be suprised at the lack of interest. Indeed, some might feel that it's an uninsurable death-trap.

Whack it on Ebay. You'll have an absolutely firm indication of value within 7 days. Oh, yeah:

"Any road vehicle in the UK fitted with an internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel) must be registered and the user must have a licence, tax, insurance etc. and wear an approved helmet. This includes motorised bicycles."

I was hoping that i could get some sort of indication from here prior to ebay.

and yes i am aware and you are correct




"Any road vehicle in the UK fitted with an internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel) must be registered and the user must have a licence, tax, insurance etc. and wear an approved helmet. This includes motorised bicycles."

but the way i see it judge :innocent: is legally there are many things which are moraly questionable which are legal my favorite "the expenses scandel" :roflmao2:. I work under the good old fashioned law of common sense and ride with consideration to all, more than i can say for those with licenses. :thumb:

but!!!! this is not the discussion i want to have, if you do pm me or start another thread. i would just like an indication of if you were interested what you would be willing to pay :thumb:

p.s sorry for my spelling :)

I gotta go with everyone else who has commented, it might garner some interest, but not in the traditional folding community. We have a couple of folk in my town who have thrown motors on traditional bikes, they can't believe no one in the biking community cares for them or is interested. But it's true, we bought bikes to pedal them, a motor doesn't hold any interest to the average cyclist.

"but!!!! this is not the discussion i want to have, if you do pm me or start another thread. i would just like an indication of if you were interested what you would be willing to pay"

It's a discussion you got: You asked for advice on an open forum, mine is don't be an idiot. Also, don't ride that on the road, because you're putting other people at risk.

There are no laws citing common sense. There are only the Road Traffic Acts, and you choose to ignore them by riding an illegal, uninsured vehicle on the road. Then you publish the fact in an open forum.

How much advice do you need? It's a bicycle with a gasoline motor bolted on the front. It's been driven by a 6'2, 85 kilo bloke from Wales who says he uses his 'common sense' instead of observing traffic laws, getting a driving licence, insurance, or a legal vehicle.

Why is that? You already been banned from driving?

Mr Jim,

no problem, this is hypothetical, "if your were interested how much would you pay?"

this bike is a bike, and can be used in that way. but if you want to ride a month of consecutive centuries this would help.

p.s. this motor certainly has not been thrown on but several months of weekend R and D to incorperate the engine into the fold.

Hold on now: you want someone who doesn't want that thing to tell you what it's worth to someone who does? Sorry, all I know is: I don't want that thing. Granted, if things were different, things would be different... but then things would be different. Too hypothetical for me.

The fact that remains is: I don't want that thing.

As others have said, I'd strip the engine and put the Brommie back to box stock.. I'd never transport a gas engined anything in the trunk of a car .. or take it on a bus .. or boat ... the value to a typical folding bike forum user is probably less than if it were a nice stock bike .. but as others have said, doesn't hurt to put it on the bay and see what shakes..

Hold on now: you want someone who doesn't want that thing to tell you what it's worth to someone who does? Sorry, all I know is: I don't want that thing. Granted, if things were different, things would be different... but then things would be different. Too hypothetical for me.

The fact that remains is: I don't want that thing.

no problem, just thought that people may want to help with a bit of imagination

p.s. nice picasso avatar i would have though a man/women of your surrealist persuasion would enjoy abit of hypotheticalism


As others have said, I'd strip the engine and put the Brommie back to box stock.. I'd never transport a gas engined anything in the trunk of a car .. or take it on a bus .. or boat ... the value to a typical folding bike forum user is probably less than if it were a nice stock bike .. but as others have said, doesn't hurt to put it on the bay and see what shakes..


yeap i might be tempted to as i really would like the engine for another project:thumb: and if an international buyer was intrerested i just ship all but the engine as the eh035 can be easily obtained locally.



Why is that? You already been banned from driving?

p.s. i have not been rude to you correct me if im wrong if i have been so i apoligise, however could you refrain from be offensive to me.

So, you're selling an illegal vehicle, and you don't like questions about being banned from driving or complying with laws.

I'm not being rude in asking about your lack of a driving licence, you admitted it yourself - but there is something here which is not straight forwards, and your evasiveness confirms that.

More interesting by the minute. Are you selling a folding bike or an illegal motor vehicle?

ok, I haven’t been banned from driving. I hope that doesn’t come across as


evasive




however you stating:




you admitted it yourself - but there is something here which is not straight forwards, and your evasiveness confirms that.



This is about as well founded as me stating you are a sexually frustrated moron. Mate I wanted advice from a range of people, not just you. Simple anything you post I aint interested in this thread.

Now let get back to the original question thanks.:thumb:

Oh, yeah:

"Any road vehicle in the UK fitted with an internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel) must be registered and the user must have a licence, tax, insurance etc. and wear an approved helmet. This includes motorised bicycles."

Things might be different in Wales, but you're not going to see that put-putting around Richmond Park in London.

That's interesting, here in California (USA), the exception is a Mo-Ped .. this particular motorized bike requires no driver's license, yearly registration, or insurance ... it does need to be licensed for the street.. on mine, there was a one time purchase of a plate (good for the life of the bike).. and a helmet is mandatory (as they are on motorcycles and scooters) .. to be considered a Mo-Ped, it must have pedals and be able to be ridden without engine assistance.. legal in bike lanes too .. mine's a 1979 Vespino SC (Super Corsa :lol:) .. 49cc ... fun ride for a change of pace.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1414/738761241_f4b3b600da_b.jpg

bruce very nice is that yours?

i used to live in the states and know how different that laws are. they never seemed any more dangerous than other road users.

My older cousin had a mobilette (http://motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/classic_bikes/mobylette_type50.jpg like this but less powerfull looking) that looks similar

I'm not your mate.

Is the bike stolen? Do you have a receipt for it?

I'm not your mate.

Is the bike stolen? Do you have a receipt for it?

PM me the serial number and I'll run it through the computer.

mate, i have done my own checks with the "ooinks".

p.s. why did you edit out the "pm me the serial number..." ?something fishy is going on

I'm not your mate, x 2.

" mate, i have done my own checks with the "ooinks". '

No, you have not.

You're in possesion of an illegal unregistered motor vehicle, you drive it with no insurance, and no road tax, you're trying to sell it and you are unwilling to confirm you have a receipt for the bike, and you call the police 'ooinks'

??

Can we have the bike's serial number?

S you keep editing your messages and messing me around.

any one intresting in buying the bike i will send the serial number no problem,

Any childish **** on a power trip can stop wasting my time, and learn some respect for others.

If anyone is interested in buying a Brompton, the factory keep a complete list of bike serial numbers, type colour, etc, and where and when they were sold. There are two on a Brompton, and can be verified.

If buyers have any queries or suspicions about Brompton serial or frame numbers, they can call Kensington and Chelsea police station on tel: +44 20 8246 9253.

Buyers are not recommended to purchase Bromptons without a reasonably complete and verifiable purchase history from the seller, or where serial numbers are missing, or not obtainable (and verifiable) from the vendor before viewing or purchase.

If purchasers buy a bike and it later turns out to be stolen, the police will return the bike to the original owner if possible. The purchaser will not be able to retain it.

If you have a bike of any sort in the UK the police recommend that the details and photos are registered for free at:

www.immobilise.com (http://www.immobilise.com)

The database is accessible to the UK police nationally.

Azreal911

To be more direct, I would like to know if your were in the market for one of these how much would you pay?

It is the most compact motorised folding bicycle i have ever seen, this surley will be of some broad intrest.

ok before this entire thread just turns into a flame war between these two I'm just going to say if i'm interested in this I'd probably pay like probably $800 cdn for the bike and just strip the motor afterwards cause it has no value to me. Like others said try ebay and put a reserve on it so you can see how it goes.

ok before this entire thread just turns into a flame war between these two I'm just going to say if i'm interested in this I'd probably pay like probably $800 cdn for the bike and just strip the motor afterwards cause it has no value to me. Like others said try ebay and put a reserve on it so you can see how it goes.

When it comes to buying used anything-not just bikes-I have a little alarm in my brain that will go off in the event something about the use (abuse) or purchase history of the given product is not quite right: even if it supposed to be "legitimate." My alarm is ringing very loudly now. I would not buy this Brompton, with the motor added or back-to-stock level, for any price.

In general, if you have to pedal it or it won't go,
it will not require a drivers permit or operators license, and insurance..
Electric assists which add power to your effort probably qualify , { and motorized wheelchairs **

but if you can put your feet up and it will go down the street
without any effort other than throttle turning , It's a Motorized Vehicle.

Jeeze Snafu, Give it a rest.

Who peed in your Wheaties?

Try the forums at http://www.motoredbikes.com/.

bruce very nice is that yours?

i used to live in the states and know how different that laws are. they never seemed any more dangerous than other road users.

My older cousin had a mobilette (http://motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/classic_bikes/mobylette_type50.jpg like this but less powerfull looking) that looks similar

Yup! the Vespino is mine .. I've had it for years.. rescued it from a mechanic's shop of all places .. they were going to toss it .. apparently couldn't get it to run after spending months on and off with it .. only had 55 original miles .. was a demonstrator in South San Francisco circa 1979 .. I guess they thought MoPeds would take off and be big sellers .. not around here ..haha .. anyway, I put air in the tires and pedaled it for a couple of miles from the mechanic's shop to mine and then had it running within a couple of hours .. cleaned it up, and there it sits.. I run errands on it periodically downtown .. certainly no speed demon, 35mph is about max!

Personally I wouldn't buy a bike that has been motorized unless I had the manufacturer involved in the design and implementation. That bike may have worked fine for a year and may fail tomorrow. Who knows what will happen - a fork failure at high speed is about as bad as it gets.

It's not like a used Brompton is overly hard to come by.

To the OP - just put it on EBay with a reserve you can live with....who knows what will happen???

Jeeze Snafu, Give it a rest.

Who peed in your Wheaties?

lWhat are you, my mother already? :)


End of topic. South Wales Police will deal with it.

ok before this entire thread just turns into a flame war between these two I'm just going to say if i'm interested in this I'd probably pay like probably $800 cdn for the bike and just strip the motor afterwards cause it has no value to me. Like others said try ebay and put a reserve on it so you can see how it goes.Thanks, its help to know what others think.
When it comes to buying used anything-not just bikes-I have a little alarm in my brain that will go off in the event something about the use (abuse) or purchase history of the given product is not quite right: even if it supposed to be "legitimate." My alarm is ringing very loudly now. I would not buy this Brompton, with the motor added or back-to-stock level, for any price.Just out of curiousity why are alarm bells ringing?
In general, if you have to pedal it or it won't go, it will not require a drivers permit or operators license, and insurance.. Electric assists which add power to your effort probably qualify , { and motorized wheelchairs **but if you can put your feet up and it will go down the street without any effort other than throttle turning , It's a Motorized Vehicle.hi fietsbob yeap we have electric bikes here which are legal and assist in the same way the motor does, the bike would required to be registerd if used on road or can be used unregisterd on private land the users choice.
Yup! the Vespino is mine .. I've had it for years.. rescued it from a mechanic's shop of all places .. they were going to toss it .. apparently couldn't get it to run after spending months on and off with it .. only had 55 original miles .. was a demonstrator in South San Francisco circa 1979 .. I guess they thought MoPeds would take off and be big sellers .. not around here ..haha .. anyway, I put air in the tires and pedaled it for a couple of miles from the mechanic's shop to mine and then had it running within a couple of hours .. cleaned it up, and there it sits.. I run errands on it periodically downtown .. certainly no speed demon, 35mph is about max!very nice nothing like bringing something back to life :)
Personally I wouldn't buy a bike that has been motorized unless I had the manufacturer involved in the design and implementation. That bike may have worked fine for a year and may fail tomorrow. Who knows what will happen - a fork failure at high speed is about as bad as it gets. It's not like a used Brompton is overly hard to come by.To the OP - just put it on EBay with a reserve you can live with....who knows what will happen???i can understand its just hard to heard when you have spent soo much time, money and care on something im sure you can understand with your stable of bikes

I think you've found the wrong place, this being a bike forum. I'll agree with the general view here that even if we wanted it, which is quite unlikely here, it's totally illegal, and I'd expect to get nicked in about a week if I rode it. Take the engine off, and sell it as a proper bicycle; I don't think anyone is likely to pay £850 for it.

Ignoring the weird flame war, and forgetting illegality or otherwise, who do you imagine would want this? I originally got a folding bike to mulitmode commute. With a petrol engine, it's not going on a peak hour train plus it's got a motor, so that would be strange. I'm not going to be able to carry it gracefully through the foyer of my office and store it in a cupboard. I'm not keeping it in the living room room.

So I can't carry it, I can't use it on the train, I will have to keep it outside shops and in the carpark at work. It will live in the shed at home: what's the advantage of it folding?

If you can imagine a target buyer, then you can start to guess what they would pay for it.

Dang I didn't even think about that. Jefmcg, put that thing anywhere indoor and within minutes you'll get a lingering gas smell that increases. Thing is I always store my folder indoors cause it's my only bike and my dailiy commuter so yeah I wouldn't want to lose me.

the market may be a tourer who like the portability of afolding bike.

Azreal i can understand what you me i know that a petrol lawnmover i used to stink out the shed. however i store my bike inside and cant smell anything, neither my mates haven't mentioned it. i gues it must be due to engine quality? :?

lWhat are you, my mother already? :)


End of topic. South Wales Police will deal with it.

No, she would be ashamed of you....

I would believe she brought you up better.

I'm getting the impression the Foldy crowd aren't into this machine for various reasons - weight, possible legal issues, ashamed mothers, death traps!

There is a Sticky Thread on the Electric Bike Forum for ''Alternatively" powered bikes.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?451938-Gas-Gashol-Alcohol-or-Diesel-amp-Alternative-Powered-Bicycles

nigelme,

Some intresting reading. I certainly feel that power assited bicycles could replace a large percentage of mass car use especially as the fuel effciency can be so much better than other petrolium based travel. thanks for the link;

easy .... just let us know the frame number and everybody will calm down ....
thor

nigelme,

Some intresting reading. I certainly feel that power assited bicycles could replace a large percentage of mass car use especially as the fuel effciency can be so much better than other petrolium based travel. thanks for the link;

Around here, there is still interest in the Whizzer (http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/TheMag/features/200802/whizzer.html) .. a buddy of mine has one.. since it doesn't require a driver's license (and his had been revoked), the Whizzer was his main form of transportation around the county for years ..