This is really a "Help-My-Trap" bicycle with a helper motor on it. You cannot pull away with it, even though it has a clutch, and there are no gears on the motor drive. To get going, you open the fuel cock, set the choke to on and press the tickle button on the carb twice and you move off with the clutch lever latched in, start pedalling and, once you're up to some speed and you drop the clutch and open the throttle slowly until the little motor takes over, then you can stop pedalling, just like riding downhill without pedalling. When you want to stop, you pull the clutch in, engage a little latch to latch it in, and you ride it like a normal push-bike while the engine idles, or you can stop it with a kill-switch. When the engine is warm, you turn the choke off.
It is a CR50, made in China, 50cc 2-stroke, and the exhaust is well clear of any hairy legs, meaning you have to sit really funny to burn your legs on the exhaust. The run-in mix is 16:1 and the run in speed is between 20 and 25km/hr and max continuous running time is 30mins. After 80km, the motor is deemed run in to the point of running for longer than 30mins, but total run-in is 500km. At this point you can increase the speed to 35km/hr which is about max and decrease the 2 stroke oil to 20:1. If the bike runs away with you, i.e. you're going down Suikerbossie, you just pull the clutch in to save the engine from over-revving.
How fast is "the clappers"? Let me put it this way... when Gill and I go out riding, I have to move to keep up on my mountain bike, and my Argus time is 3h45, (I was a bit slow because it was the day after doing a PB on the Cango Caves Marathon
, also a 3h45).
But anyway, if you want one, email: Best Brand World Bikes on , you get a box with motor and tank and lots of loose fittings and all you need for R1200. Then you'll need a bike, (I got a cheapie from Macro at R800, as I didn't want to drill holes in Gill's decent mountain bike) and with some common engineering sense, the same kind you need to keep your ACVW alive, your off!
It's a fun kit to put together, not unlike something from Airfix for entertainment value and difficulty level, and it's good fun taking it around the block too. In my opinion, it's a little fad... but what the hell, toys are toys. If I was serious about putting Gill on a motorbike (again), I would buy her one of those Vuka scooter jobbies, or something in that class. (Of course, my dear wife actually wants a Ducati 900 monster,
again...
)
As far as upgrading is concerned, Tom, you can buy the CR80 which is, surprisingly, an 80cc.