The motored bike world is a peculier world
I have been cycling for 40 plus years and am seriously trying to understand motored bike culture. In this culture there are folks that sell motors and kits that make a simple bicycle into a motorcycle and that on some of the cheapest of frame sets!
In most states there are laws that define what a bicycle is or is not and how much power assist can be added to a bicycle and still have it be legally classified as a bicycle. You know if you are classified as a bicycle you need no insurance nor registration and in some states no drivers license. The restrictions are reasonable in most states yet some in the motored bike community insist on pushing this issue with law enforcement. Trust me they will figure it out!
The cheap China revolution consists of a motor designed in Russia and now moved over to China and imported by a number of "American" distributors of dubious character.
I will quote Augidog one of the founders of the motored bike culture of the last few years on the China bike thing.
"i agree with you that the leading forums hosting MBcontent have taken on an unsavory commercial flavor, and like you i no longer send folks to them.
the Happy Time, a phrase i coined some years ago ("Chinese super bicycle happy time" as a play on words referring to Chinese fireworks that go off unpredictably) DOES offer one politically-correct option, imo: the 48cc version, while still of dubious quality, can be installed on a suitably safe frameset/wheelset for entry-level riders, altho i am aware that is hardly ever the case.
i think the large majority of the MB'ing populace, both buyer and seller, shamefully & stupidly ignore the safety considerations involved."
These cheap Chinese engines are so unreliable that Augie has coined them and compared them to cheap unreliable Chinese fireworks!
Augie is very funny but is spot on in his analysis of this peculiar culture.
Many company's sell Happy time motors but they all come from the same place no matter how many American distributors hawk them. Its the way things are man. I am in a sea of BS just trying to find some truth. Well Augie the truth is told on my blog. I plan on inviting a number of my hard core cycling friends to check out this blog. That might get interesting! I am hard core cycling yet need to get to work in an economical manor. I am of course a huge fan of GEBE! Me thinks that they have superb engineering into their kits but of course I am biased this is my personal blog....
Kevin
In most states there are laws that define what a bicycle is or is not and how much power assist can be added to a bicycle and still have it be legally classified as a bicycle. You know if you are classified as a bicycle you need no insurance nor registration and in some states no drivers license. The restrictions are reasonable in most states yet some in the motored bike community insist on pushing this issue with law enforcement. Trust me they will figure it out!
The cheap China revolution consists of a motor designed in Russia and now moved over to China and imported by a number of "American" distributors of dubious character.
I will quote Augidog one of the founders of the motored bike culture of the last few years on the China bike thing.
"i agree with you that the leading forums hosting MBcontent have taken on an unsavory commercial flavor, and like you i no longer send folks to them.
the Happy Time, a phrase i coined some years ago ("Chinese super bicycle happy time" as a play on words referring to Chinese fireworks that go off unpredictably) DOES offer one politically-correct option, imo: the 48cc version, while still of dubious quality, can be installed on a suitably safe frameset/wheelset for entry-level riders, altho i am aware that is hardly ever the case.
i think the large majority of the MB'ing populace, both buyer and seller, shamefully & stupidly ignore the safety considerations involved."
These cheap Chinese engines are so unreliable that Augie has coined them and compared them to cheap unreliable Chinese fireworks!
Augie is very funny but is spot on in his analysis of this peculiar culture.
Many company's sell Happy time motors but they all come from the same place no matter how many American distributors hawk them. Its the way things are man. I am in a sea of BS just trying to find some truth. Well Augie the truth is told on my blog. I plan on inviting a number of my hard core cycling friends to check out this blog. That might get interesting! I am hard core cycling yet need to get to work in an economical manor. I am of course a huge fan of GEBE! Me thinks that they have superb engineering into their kits but of course I am biased this is my personal blog....
Kevin
posted by KMB at
2:04 AM
10 Comments:
kevin...i personally believe it IS about the bicycle-first...so, i would be interested in the hard-core pedalists's view of today's assist-kit choices.
remember, altho of dubious quality the 48cc HT is "legal" and IMO more appropriately-priced than it had been in the past.
methinks it's the Happy Time *attitude* what negatively affects MB'ings'image.
to belabor the point, i think the guys using the big engines should ask themselves: "if there were ONLY 48cc options available to me, would i still be doing this?"
this, too...
yes, i'm heavily biased towards GEBE...dig up my history and learn why, they've always treated me, and their other customers, with respect...and they simply do NOT go about tooting their own horn beyond paid advertising or direct sponsorship of riders.
but...there are other legal options available to the true MB'er. many companies offer single-speed assists based on both 2- and 4-stroke utility engines of various design, quality, and price. all i can say about that is ponder the company's character & choose wisely. and please keep in mind that, altho i AM company-biased, i am NOT rider-biased.
You might wanna check your other site.....your rants and dog licking here are meaningless when you advertise them there. http://thekettle-morainebiker.blogspot.com/
Both rude AND helpful. What an interesting combination.
Anon,
First of all thanks for pointing out that I had links on my "real" cycling site. You know that's the site for real cyclists of the ultra kind. I just deleted those side bar links to your site and GEBE. But I have to tell ya that my cycling pals don't have any problem at all with getting to work on a reliable machine that gets 200 miles per gallon! Remember I control the delete key here but you are a moron so I will let the posts stay up.
Kevin
Anon,
While I got ya here could you please explain to me why many in your culture have to have their bicycles look like motor cycles? And you made some references to cutting edge. Let me tell you what cutting edge is its my full carbon high end Orbea bicycle that is cutting edge. Cutting edge for motored bicycles was not 2011 but 1911 just the way I see things.
But since this is my personal blog I can rant here as you say. I am giving you a voice so have at it. I am waiting for a logical explanation to your views on this issue.
Kevin
Why do motorcycles have their engines where they do and not strapped to a luggage rack like an erector set afterthought?
motorcycles are motorcycles, and the assumption is that they are designed & built as a "whole"...thus assuring that engine and frame (and safety components) are structurally compatible.
why is "afterthought" always used like some sort of insult when it comes to MB'ing i wonder? to me, it is not. we are talking about taking an existing bicycle, then adding (as an afterthought) an assist to it. and too many, imo, place too much stress on "center of gravity" with our contraptions...most of the engines used with a rack-mounted assist don't weigh enuff to make a difference.
when it comes to adding mechanical-assist to a bicycle, even the use of the in-frame kits is an afterthought, get it? if one wants or needs his or her bicycle to look like a motorcycle, then one has to wonder what it really is that one wants...are you assisting your bicycle or building a fake motorcycle? clearly, this question is more an issue of attitude than mechanical design. and boiled down..."attitude" is where the threat to legal-MB'ing lies, IMO.
for the HT users...when you choose to use the oversize 70cc or 66cc, despite the availability of a "legal" 48cc version, then you are making a statement of "attitude"...what i've taken to calling "the HT attitude"...if you don't wanna pedal, just get a motorcycle and quit messing with our image and/or future.
IMO!
to be fair, and more clear...some rack-mounter's also exhibit the HT-'tude, imo.
on the open/public forums, there are many examples of oversize engines and crazy speeds. when the public, or LEA's, decide they've had enough of our collective attitude, and start to research how to shut us down, it will be as simple as browsing the popular MBforums for all the information they need to justify and succeed.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home