The Motorized Bicycle

This past spring, I started itching for a motor bike of some kind. I was thinking about getting either a motor scooter or a small motorcycle of some sort. I wanted something I could use on short trips down the road or even for a trip into town (we live about five miles from Wal-Mart) when we were needing only a few small things. However, I really couldn’t justify spending the $1000 that this was going to end up costing.

Eventually, I learned about a motor kit that could be added to a bicycle. The kits were advertised on Craigslist for $150 and less. At first I figured it was some kind of scam. But as I began to do my homework, I found out that there were several companies selling these kits, and they were selling for anywhere between $120 and $150. I also found some web forums that were made up of others who had added such motors to their own bikes. And even though a few of these people were not happy with their motor kits, most were. So with this information, I took a chance and bought a kit off of eBay (I made an offer and got mine for $110). In the midst of all of this, I also salvaged a bike that was in good condition to use for this project.

My kit arrived on July 3^rd. By late afternoon July 4^th, I had everything in place and gave it a try. Thankfully, she started right up. And up until I sold her in early September, I used the bike as a regular source of transportation.

After the motor was broke in, my motorized bike would reach a top speed of 33 mph (Even though it would reach this speed, you wouldn’t want to run it at that speed for long periods. Typically, I cruised between 22-25 mph). Also, it would get anywhere between 85-100 miles to a gallon of gas depending on how much I helped by pedaling.

In late August, I came across a good deal on a pair of motorcycles. After riding the motorcycles, I realized that I probably wouldn’t use the motorized bicycle any more. Realizing that, I sold it in early September to a college student. I got $200 for the bike which was probably a fair price for both the buyer and me. I made a little bit of profit, and the buyer got a ready to ride motorized bike. I really hope that it works out as well for him as it did for me.

The Complete Bike

A View of the Motor

Here is the bike with a "trunk" that I added. It was good for carrying a couple gallons of milk,or a few loaves of bread