Nic Pottier wrote:
Hi guys,
Thanks for the advice. Some follow up questions..
1) Why is it so important to get a bike that hasn't been thrashed? As I
understand it the only parts that will be kept are the frame, swing arm,
fork, wheels and brakes. Everything else pretty much gets tossed.
(signals and such not withstanding) Assuming that the forks and frame
haven't taken any major damage is there really that big a concern over
it being thrashed? Obviously the cost of a thrashed bike make them
appealing, but I'm trying to understand what the main concerns are.
well its really the other way around, you are saving the entire suspension
system, the brakes, the controls, wheels.
You dont want to be replacing: wheel bearings, steering bearings, sprockets, swing-arm bearings, rotors, shock,
calipers, master cylinder, fork internals, fork seals, tires, brake pads, switches, and all the other things I forgot.
2) The reason I saw states that a 1L bike, specifically a CBR would make
a good base is that it has an aluminum frame and swing arm, so is on the
lighter end of things,
this is typical over-simplified advice. Sounds good, doesn't match real world. A steel frame can be as light as
aluminum, and aluminum can be heavy. Devil in details, ya know. Its expensive to weld on aluminum, so all things being
equal, I'd go for steel. I'd try to get a bike with good suspension and strong brakes to carry the extra load. Though
you DID mention Lithiums. Or I'd get something where all the parts work and its $300.
if you google around you'll find various sites that list the weights of bikes.
but still has lots of room for batteries. That's
what drew my attention towards this particular bike. Anybody know of a
good source of naked frame (and swing arm?) weights for various bikes
and years?
If you don't mind the style, cruisers are cheaper, heavier, roomier, and less beat-on than sport bikes. More to the
point, I think you are over-designing. Your first bike is going to be a test-bed and learning experience I'd say. Just
pick up something for free or really cheap. Once you have made a lot of mistakes, those really expensive batts can be
moved to a more sophisticated frame.
HTH
John
