Wife Lila’s sister, Marty Riley, came down to do a chalk drawing at the 16th Annual Lake Worth Street Painting Festival. While they were down here thawing out from a snow-filled Midwestern winter, they did the obligatory beach thing where Marty shot this striking photo of birds and a sailing ship on the horizon.
Wife Lila spotted a Huffy with a RAW engine kit
When they stopped at the county park at the north end of Jupiter Island (reportedly the richest per capital Zip Code in the country), Wife Lila spotted a bike that was out of the ordinary.
She never did find the owner, but it looks like a Huffy big box store bike that’s been modified by adding a80/66CC RAW motor bicycle engine kit.
The RAW kit looks a little kludgy
There were only two reviews at the Amazon link above.
Both gave it four out of five stars, but they also mentioned problems with fit and finish.
It sounds like something you could make work if
- It fit your bike
- You were mechanically inclined
- Not overly critical
The photo is beautiful.
The bicycle is junk. They sold a bunch of them here in Tucson and cyclists hated them because they were unlicensed and could use the bike lanes, until we got the city council to ban them from the lanes and trails. They are afterall motorized. We needn’t have worried. The engines lasted about 500 miles and then blew up, so there are none of them left on the streets at all!
Bob,
I was a little torn when I saw it. I was going to withhold judgment until I knew who was riding it. If it was someone with physical limitations who wanted to ride, but maybe didn’t have the range, then I’d cut ’em some slack.
On the other hand, if it was some punk kid who should be capable of pedaling on Florida flatlands, then that’s another story.
Either way, I agree that it looked like something that had a short life from a mechanical standpoint.
I love me some Jupiter Island. The more I ride my bike on the island, the more I like the neighborhood.
The Jupiter Island Real Estate market is interesting. Tiger Woods is probably the biggest name on the island right now but there are so many others you would also recognize.
Jupiter Island may be the most affluent zip code in America. Part of the reason is the island plays host to people such as Tiger Woods(*). The other part is that the overall population density is so low. Median household income on Jupiter Island was above $200,000 even before Tiger bought his $45 million tear-down.
Palm Beach, FL is also an affluent neighborhood but the population is so much higher and, even for being a better known town, Palm Beach is less exclusive.
You can find a house for less than $750,000 on the island of Palm Beach. You can’t get a vacant lot with no water access on Jupiter Island for a million bucks.
Manalapan, a bit south of here, is another one of those towns where the per capita income is way above average thanks to geography and a bunch of people who have the correct change.
Cheers,
Matt
(* Tiger Woods can really skew the stats. Before Tiger walks into a McDonalds, the average income for the people eating lunch is around $31,000 a year. When he is placing his order and flirting with the fry cook, the average income of McDonalds customers is suddenly a few million a year.)
Wow. What a great beach shot.
Sounds like Matt should start jupiterislandbiketours.com.
Better than driving a car, but not by much. From what I understand, those 2-stroke engines have terrible efficiency and emissions characteristics. An electric-assist would be the way to go, I think.
In China the cities that limit “motos” to electric, have much cleaner air than those that allow 4 stroke and 2 stroke. Bangkok apparently outlawed 2 stoke engines since we were there in 2000, and the difference if incredible. We should outlaw all 2 stroke engines, and 4 strokes that don’t meet at least automobile level standards. This includes all lawn mowers, weed-eaters and leaf blowers (except the electric ones).
Hey, what happened to the good ‘ol days when bikes were for pedaling for exercise? I mean, I guess you could benefit from having the motor as a backup, but why would you use it on a bike for anything else other than a backup?
bob your a real idiot you have no idea what you are talking about 99% of these kits pass emissions,and see how great jupitar would look if you had to maintain it with electric supplys.p.s im going to make sure i ride mine there just to piss you off,and they are legal on roads and bike paths as long as they are pedal assited.get a life dont hate on some one else’s hobby
you are exactly right, just ordered a new one myself. with the price of gasoline going through the roof,who can blame a person.
Elijah,
I can’t believe I let your comment of May 6 slide through. You are welcome to voice your opinion, but name calling isn’t allowed on my blog.
You get one strike and you’ve used it. Another comment like this and I’ll block you.
Elijah,
I hope riding your motorized bike gives you much pleasure because you think you are pissing somebody off. That’s very adult of you.
Bob Rogers you must have something against 2 stroke motor bikes. Well mine came in handy when we got flooded out in nashville this past spring. I would been able to get out of my area if it wasnt for it. The only other way out was walking. Bye the way im a technician, your bodly functions emit more pollition than my bike. Down where i live we use motorized vehicles all the time for hunting, commuting, ect.
That type of bike looks very interesting. I guess it is a cross between needing to get somewhere quickly and wanting some exercise. What will we come up with next?
Your four stroke hurts my asthmatic lungs. My bodily functions are taken care of by public infrastructure. We don’t have air cleaners for your two stroke.
Bangkok banned two strokes between our last two visits, no other changes in air pollution laws. A decade ago you couldn’t see across the intersection when the light changed. On our most recent visit I had no trouble breathing, and the air was very clear, the better to see the beautiful city.
I use motorized vehicles too. When your two stroke dies, soon I hope, get a four stroke and we’ll both be happier.
Bob, you are obviously a jerk, besides being a hypocrite !! Just keep pedaling your expensive road bike and let others do what they want. Contrary to what you stated, the motor bicycle is alive and strong throughout the country, especially in Tucson. So get over yourself, and watchout cause I just ordered a new moped(correct term) myself. They have been making this type of transportation for at least 50 yrs. Do some homework.
dogbiteskwik,
This dog bites, too. I don’t allow name calling on this blog.
When you’ve logged as many miles by human-powered-vehicle as Bob and his wife, then I’ll give your attitude some latitude.
This is your last post like this. The next one will get all of them deleted and you blocked.
This is one cool bike, a real novelty. But what ever happened to pedal biking?
It’s alive and well, just not for this guy.
I must say I am amazed at the judgmental bias response’s. I am a avid mountain biker,riding anywhere from 60 to 100 miles weekly. I also hold a degree in forest management, and am a avid outdoorsman camping, hiking, and anything that will allow me to experience the outdoors. I am also a motorized bicycle builder and rider. As what happens way to often in our society the views here are the typical short sighted, self involved responses I see all the time, “If I do understand it it must be bad and wrong” Frankly many people find road bikes to be annoying and a road hazard, But does that mean they should be banned from the roadways? Everyone has the right to pursue their passions as long as it does not directly endanger others. And if its any consolation motorbikers in no way consider themselves part of your elitist cycling community. That bike is not capable of speeds that would exceed 30mph just about the same pace as road cyclist. It must obey the same traffic laws as any vehicle. and it get 150 miles to the gallon making it more environmentally friendly than a Prius regardless of how much emissions you think it produces. Incidentally that engine passed a more stringent EPA emissions test than any automobile. I just remembered why I do not miss West Palm.
We have a pedicab and are in our 70’s…need motorized assist…this is a Woody’s pedicab from Orlando ..can you help.???…thanks palm beach gardens area …
West Palm Beach has a fair number of pedicabs working the downtown area, but all of the ones I’ve seen are human powered, including one whose rider is a guy who has an artificial leg.