Post by aus on Jun 14, 2017 15:05:21 GMT -5
I'm an extreme noob.
I just got a 150cc and I'm loving it.
I am taking to riding pretty naturally I think. I'm also mechanically inclined and enjoying wrenching on it a little. I'm okay at working on small engines and cars... I have zero experience welding or fabricating, however, I'm definitely interested in learning at some point, and willing to do so as part of building my dream bike.
So, my dream bike:
I absolutely love the look of the Sachs MadAss bike. I'd like to build my dream around its unique frame... I'll call it a sideways "Y", you really have to google some pics of this bike. The fuel tank is an integral part of the frame, by the way.
I also love the ease of operating my bike with its CVT..
I'd really like to cruise comfortably in highway traffic - apparently, this means I want a 250cc. The consensus seems to be, you can tune a lighter bike but it's really just best to start off with this size engine.
Unfortunately, the Madass comes in 49cc and 150cc (although a lot of people have up-engined.) And only the moped comes with CVT option.
I like the minimalism of the Madass - I do want a few comforts that aren't stock: fuel gage, tach, probably a more comfy seat for two and some storage racks. Performance twin exhaust pipes and a good suspension. Those are pretty common mods for MadAss owners.
What's the legality of building a custom bike in the USA? if I get a 250cc engine off the internet, a CVT, and either a Sachs MadAss frame or fabricate my own (mainly to have a larger fuel tank) how would I go about getting a title? Are there safety regulations I have to worry about? I'm not concerned with selling this, however I can foresee letting friends take it around the block.
How difficult is it to figure out a project like this? And how expensive?
I'd be willing to put .... oh, say, 500 hours, and $3000 into this (parts and title) and be extremely happy to have a street legal bike .... but if it would take more than 3x that, I'd consider it probably not a good deal for me at this point.
Also, what do you expect as the lifespan of a custom build? I read an article that quotes the DOT as saying any motorcycle has a lifespan under 20k miles - that makes sense from the DOT perspective of depreciation. But I'd expect that I'd probably learn a lot and build a 2nd or 3rd bike as a refinement of the same concepts. I'd also expect to replace the engine and transmission in the long run. But, is it realistic to think that if I care for it lovingly and store it in a garage, I might be teaching my grandkids to ride a custom built bike 60 years after I build it? or is that completely farfetched?
Also, is it practical to think of doing this with a cheap Chinese engine and transmission, or would it be wiser to go ahead and pay for components made in Japan (or elsewhere - stock MadAss parts are made in Malaysia I believe but assembled in China)?
Also, is a build around a water cooled engine a lot more complex? Should I start off with an air cooled build even though that almost mandates a smaller engine size?
I was thinking I'd go with cheap, proven components, but perhaps I should be looking at higher quality racing components? I do think I'd love an unusually lightweight bike in proportion to its power.... however, I weigh about 190lbs and I picked up a stranded friend who probably weighs about 220.... knowing what it is like to carry 400+lbs of passenger on a 150cc, I'm not all that concerned with shaving 20lbs off the curb weight.
One question I'm pondering - maybe I should just get a LOT more general experience before I try something as adventurous as a custom build? I don't know the differences in riding a Ruckus vs a Ninja, how 10" wheels feel compared to 16", and I'm sure there are a LOT of choices between components that maybe I can't make prudently at this point?
Sorry to be so long winded.
Just to reiterate for clarity:
My dream bike is built around:
250cc engine
MadAss style, sideways "Y" frame and minimalist "naked" aesthetic
CVT auto transmission
The basic question is just how difficult and expensive it'd be to tie those three components into a street legal, reasonably reliable bike?
I just got a 150cc and I'm loving it.
I am taking to riding pretty naturally I think. I'm also mechanically inclined and enjoying wrenching on it a little. I'm okay at working on small engines and cars... I have zero experience welding or fabricating, however, I'm definitely interested in learning at some point, and willing to do so as part of building my dream bike.
So, my dream bike:
I absolutely love the look of the Sachs MadAss bike. I'd like to build my dream around its unique frame... I'll call it a sideways "Y", you really have to google some pics of this bike. The fuel tank is an integral part of the frame, by the way.
I also love the ease of operating my bike with its CVT..
I'd really like to cruise comfortably in highway traffic - apparently, this means I want a 250cc. The consensus seems to be, you can tune a lighter bike but it's really just best to start off with this size engine.
Unfortunately, the Madass comes in 49cc and 150cc (although a lot of people have up-engined.) And only the moped comes with CVT option.
I like the minimalism of the Madass - I do want a few comforts that aren't stock: fuel gage, tach, probably a more comfy seat for two and some storage racks. Performance twin exhaust pipes and a good suspension. Those are pretty common mods for MadAss owners.
What's the legality of building a custom bike in the USA? if I get a 250cc engine off the internet, a CVT, and either a Sachs MadAss frame or fabricate my own (mainly to have a larger fuel tank) how would I go about getting a title? Are there safety regulations I have to worry about? I'm not concerned with selling this, however I can foresee letting friends take it around the block.
How difficult is it to figure out a project like this? And how expensive?
I'd be willing to put .... oh, say, 500 hours, and $3000 into this (parts and title) and be extremely happy to have a street legal bike .... but if it would take more than 3x that, I'd consider it probably not a good deal for me at this point.
Also, what do you expect as the lifespan of a custom build? I read an article that quotes the DOT as saying any motorcycle has a lifespan under 20k miles - that makes sense from the DOT perspective of depreciation. But I'd expect that I'd probably learn a lot and build a 2nd or 3rd bike as a refinement of the same concepts. I'd also expect to replace the engine and transmission in the long run. But, is it realistic to think that if I care for it lovingly and store it in a garage, I might be teaching my grandkids to ride a custom built bike 60 years after I build it? or is that completely farfetched?
Also, is it practical to think of doing this with a cheap Chinese engine and transmission, or would it be wiser to go ahead and pay for components made in Japan (or elsewhere - stock MadAss parts are made in Malaysia I believe but assembled in China)?
Also, is a build around a water cooled engine a lot more complex? Should I start off with an air cooled build even though that almost mandates a smaller engine size?
I was thinking I'd go with cheap, proven components, but perhaps I should be looking at higher quality racing components? I do think I'd love an unusually lightweight bike in proportion to its power.... however, I weigh about 190lbs and I picked up a stranded friend who probably weighs about 220.... knowing what it is like to carry 400+lbs of passenger on a 150cc, I'm not all that concerned with shaving 20lbs off the curb weight.
One question I'm pondering - maybe I should just get a LOT more general experience before I try something as adventurous as a custom build? I don't know the differences in riding a Ruckus vs a Ninja, how 10" wheels feel compared to 16", and I'm sure there are a LOT of choices between components that maybe I can't make prudently at this point?
Sorry to be so long winded.
Just to reiterate for clarity:
My dream bike is built around:
250cc engine
MadAss style, sideways "Y" frame and minimalist "naked" aesthetic
CVT auto transmission
The basic question is just how difficult and expensive it'd be to tie those three components into a street legal, reasonably reliable bike?
