You need a hobby. Your mom told you so. Your best bud told you so. And your boss at work, showing uncharacteristic concern, told you so. And by hobby, we don’t mean stalking your ex-girlfriend on Facebook like you’ve been doing the past two months. Yeah, you really need a hobby. If building your own motorized bicycle sounds like something that can take your attention from all the troubles in your head, you might want to get yourself a Motoped Kit.
Sure, you can always buy a pre-built motorized bike or get your favorite mountain bike retrofitted with an e-powered downhill kit. Like we said, though, you need a hobby. And building one is bound to give you that obsessive outlet you’d otherwise spend pining over your ex on social media.
The sucky part? Motoped’s kit doesn’t come with everything you need to build a running motorized bike. What it does include are all the custom-made parts, namely the frame, swing arm, sub-frame, jack shaft assembly, bottom bracket, rear hub, sprockets, and exhaust system. They do provide a complete list of everything else you’ll need (as in, specific parts/brands/models), so you don’t need to be the dude randomly buying second-hand parts in some yard, hoping you’re doing it right. Basics of what you’ll need to pick up include a motor (either a Honda XR50 or a compatible clone), carburetor and throttle, gas tank, brakes, rims, and tires, among others. Suffice to say, this will likely end up being a multi-week project, so it’s going to keep you busy for a while.
Once built, you’re supposed to end up with what’s, basically, a downhill mountain bike that’s mounted to a custom frame and powered by a pit bike engine. Being a bicycle, of course, it’s got pedals, so you can still get around even if you blow all your money for gas on a handle of whiskey because you still haven’t gotten over your ex even after you finished the project. Hey, life sucks, what can I say?
Motoped is currently collecting orders for the frame kit from Kickstarter. Pledges to reserve one starts at $970.