Motoped Intro

The Motoped is a motorized bicycle that has a modified pit bike frame. Downhill Mountain bike parts, Honda CRF50 body panels and an XR50 or clone engine  finish it off.

I bought an $80 2 stroke engine and mounted it to an old mountain bike as a “what the heck, why not” type thing, then I saw a Motoped on a motorized bike forum and it was all the best (to me) parts of a mountain bike, motorcycle and moped combined. It was expensive,  I could have bought a used Dual Sport for less, but –

  • $20 moped registration a year, no insurance required
  • Light enough to carry up/down stairs
  • Easy/Cheap repairs I can do myself

I got my frame kit from motopeds in Fall of 2010 and built it up over the Winter making good use of eBay.

Slideshow of bike being assembled

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0STHFC7-nkA

Here is a quickparts list – Purchased from ebay unless noted.

  • Motoped DX Frame – www.motopeds.com
  • RST Sigma 8″ Travel DH Fork
  • Lifan Engine + included Misc Parts
  • Avid BB7 203mm Disk Brakes
  • XR50 Gas Tank/Cap/Petcock
  • XR50 Fender Kit
  • Syncros 1 1/8″ Headset
  • Syncros Riser Handlebar
  • Syncros DH Stem
  • Shimano XTR Brake Cables
  • Syncros Rim Tape
  • Slime Tire Liner
  • Front Mavic Wheelset
  • Rear SUN BFR Rim (48 hole, new ones are 36 hole easier to find)
  • Front Tire and Front/Rear Tubes
  • Arrow Racing LT Rear DH Tire
  • XR50 Skid Plate
  • XR50 Seat
  • Throttle, Cable, Grips & Killswitch
  • Motorbike Chain (#420)
  • Bicycle Chain
  • Z50 Frame/Engine Bolt set
  • BMX 14T Freewheel
  • Chainring Bolts/Washers/Nuts – Uneccessary if you buy a crank, I re-used
  • Curved Kickstarter
  • Carbon Stem Spacer
  • Kore RIM Tape
  • DT Swiss Spokes and Nipples
  • Gas Tank Vent Tube

And the bike a little later running

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9nMiaIx5aE