BSO MTB with 2-stroke engine spotted in Dublin...

fatbhoy

So I was making my way down Camden Sreet a week or so ago, and there was what looked like a piece-of-sh1t MTB ahead going quite fast. In fact, I could barely keep up (I was about 20 metres behind), and I was moving too myself. So I thought: "there's something weird going on here: the rider doesn't look that good, and neither does the bike (from this distance), so it must be an electric bike, but it looked to crappy to be an electric bike". I caught up a bit with it, and noticed what looked like a small 2-stroke petrol motor attached to the down-tube (i.e. between the saddle and the bottom-bracket). It was the maddest thing I've seen in a long time, the sound of the engine, smoke coming out of it, and him pedaling it the odd time - headcase! Fair play to him! He must have converted the right handle-bar grip into an accelerator too. I tried to get alongside him to get a good look, but I was having trouble gaining on him, and then he took the left fork before Whitefriar's Street church, and I left him to it. :eek: :pac: :cool:

Khannie

Haha. I wonder did he pay his road tax.

fatbhoy

Khannie wrote: »

Haha. I wonder did he pay his road tax.

Yeah, he's a model to be hassled by the cops alright! :pac:

seamus

There's a guy somewhere around here (i.e. on boards) selling these conversion kits and claiming they're 100% legal because the engine only kicks in while pedalling.

fatbhoy

seamus wrote: »

There's a guy somewhere around here (i.e. on boards) selling these conversion kits and claiming they're 100% legal because the engine only kicks in while pedalling.

It may have been one of those.

Thinkingaboutit

I know of someone in a town in the west, was in merchant navy or something, and disappeared for a few years, who rides around on a similar sort of thing, albeit a more standard bicycle, has gone to Galway on it, no helmet/tax/insurance and responded with fcuk off when someone in a shop asked if he was meant to have those things. Aunt described him as a 'rough buck.' It kept up well with any car. I don't see the harm myself.

kona

fatbhoy wrote: »

So I was making my way down Camden Sreet a week or so ago, and there was what looked like a piece-of-sh1t MTB ahead going quite fast. In fact, I could barely keep up (I was about 20 metres behind), and I was moving too myself. So I thought: "there's something weird going on here: the rider doesn't look that good, and neither does the bike (from this distance), so it must be an electric bike, but it looked to crappy to be an electric bike". I caught up a bit with it, and noticed what looked like a small 2-stroke petrol motor attached to the down-tube (i.e. between the saddle and the bottom-bracket). It was the maddest thing I've seen in a long time, the sound of the engine, smoke coming out of it, and him pedaling it the odd time - headcase! Fair play to him! He must have converted the right handle-bar grip into an accelerator too. I tried to get alongside him to get a good look, but I was having trouble gaining on him, and then he took the left fork before Whitefriar's Street church, and I left him to it. :eek: :pac: :cool:

Seen that too, Looked like a junior cert technology project some kid threw together with the Qualcast and his dads raleigh.

More suited to the rural areas of a 3rd world country that a supposed developed country in the western world. No doubt when he crashes into somebodys car that is road legal, he will plead ignorance. For this reason hes a muppet, and no better than the scum driving around in their V-tec civics with "1.4 on the logbook".

Lumen

Thinkingaboutit wrote: »

I don't see the harm myself.

Indeed.

Sure, they probably say it's because of so called safety, or taxes, or pollution, or noise. It isn't. It's the man trying to control us. We must set ourselves free and do whatever the hell we like.

petethedrummer

Lumen wrote: »

Indeed.

Sure, they probably say it's because of so called safety, or taxes, or pollution, or noise. It isn't. It's the man trying to control us. We must set ourselves free and do whatever the hell we like.

We need some people willing to push boundaries. There is less and less random mentalness in this country. I applaud this man. I hope he puts rockets on the side of it.

seamus

petethedrummer wrote: »

We need some people willing to push boundaries. There is less and less random mentalness in this country. I applaud this man. I hope he puts rockets on the side of it.

I believe the next logic step is for him to ride it naked, no-handed, while juggle flaming batons and playing a kazoo. Sure what harm?

tomasrojo

I hope he adds ironing boards with ailerons so he can challenge the hegemony of commercial airlines.

Khannie

tomasrojo wrote: »

ailerons

Wings man. Nobody knows what ailerons are except google and pilots.

langdang

Any cheapo kit from China would have me in fear of my tackle. I'd be sure to add my own heat-shield / explosion-deflector if I was to use one!!!

kona

He wont last long if its a AL frame haha

seamus

I knew I saw it on adverts.ie

http://www.adverts.ie/car/other-motorbikes/other-motorbikes/bicycle-engine/521958

Road legal my hole.

Khannie

seamus wrote: »

I knew I saw it on adverts.ie

http://www.adverts.ie/car/other-motorbikes/other-motorbikes/bicycle-engine/521958

Road legal my hole.

LOL@Skittles78's comment....

skitles78 says 21/07/2011 3:48 pm (about a day ago):
u do need tax and insurence for these i was onto the pigs about it

Thinkingaboutit

Lumen wrote: »

Indeed.

Sure, they probably say it's because of so called safety, or taxes, or pollution, or noise. It isn't. It's the man trying to control us. We must set ourselves free and do whatever the hell we like.

I think the old lad is unworried with what the law might have to say on the matter. Maybe an accordion might be his sort of instrument, and it's too cold for nakedness there. He'd probably add other stuff if it'd be of use. I should have a picture. It looked quite a neat piece of work with nothing unnecessary, and for him that probably includes tax and insurance. I thought the ancient pedal moped exemption was long gone. Anyhow he hoves about a quiet part of the country.

Power assisted bicycles have to almost slower than a person could pedal them to be legal.

seamus

Thinkingaboutit wrote: »

Power assisted bicycles have to almost slower than a person could pedal them to be legal.

The correct name for this kind of thing is "pedal-assist". That is, the motor assists you in moving the pedals, not the bike. In this way, the bike is functionally limited to the maximum speed that a person could pedal, because the motor is supposed to stop when the person stops pushing on the pedals.

If the bike moves without direct physical input to the pedals from the rider, then it's a motorbike.

studiorat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBkrTQCmo0g

I want!

Also check out our RedNeck bah-sickle fabercator!!

Purrty nice

doozerie

I've seen at least two of these kinds of "bicycle" around in recent months. I cycled behind someone one day just to see how she fared in traffic. She had to pedal to kick the engine in, it seemed, but once the engine was turning over no further pedaling was required (so clearly illegal, as far as I know). It was a rubbish mountain bike with an an extra chain running from the motor to an additional cog bolted onto the non-drive side of the rear wheel.

She was a nervous rider - coming up to lights she seemed to go into a semi panicked state alternatively hitting the brakes and letting go of whatever throttle it had. So she alternated between slowing and skidding on a rear knobbly tyre that was virtually bald. Starting off she was even worse 'cos she didn't seem to know when the engine would kick in and the bike would lurch left or right when it did. Top speed that I saw it achieve was about 40kph, but she may have been holding it back due to nerves. She was a danger on it, both to herself and others.

fatbhoy

doozerie wrote: »

I've seen at least two of these kinds of "bicycle" around in recent months. I cycled behind someone one day just to see how she fared in traffic. She had to pedal to kick the engine in, it seemed, but once the engine was turning over no further pedaling was required (so clearly illegal, as far as I know). It was a rubbish mountain bike with an an extra chain running from the motor to an additional cog bolted onto the non-drive side of the rear wheel.

She was a nervous rider - coming up to lights she seemed to go into a semi panicked state alternatively hitting the brakes and letting go of whatever throttle it had. So she alternated between slowing and skidding on a rear knobbly tyre that was virtually bald. Starting off she was even worse 'cos she didn't seem to know when the engine would kick in and the bike would lurch left or right when it did. Top speed that I saw it achieve was about 40kph, but she may have been holding it back due to nerves. She was a danger on it, both to herself and others.

Yeah, but in my opinion you have to admire the sheer X-factor lunacy of anyone who has one of these. These people are a bit "out there". :pac:

On the other hand, the people that have the electric bikes... I despise them - I can't help but think: "cheats!!". The 2-stroke MTBers are :cool:.

blorg

It's all electric bikes here in China, almost every second bike is electric and most rickshaws or cargo bikes here have been retrofitted with an electric engine. Haven't seen any petrol add-ons at all.

Tayto2000

Bah that's for wusses. I'd get one of these instead.