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DH Meets Moped in the Motoped, an E-Bike Alternative with Full Face Helmet Attitude

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Complete_MotopedMotopeds is currently in the midst of a kickstarter campaign to get their MTB/motorcycle hybrid off the ground.   This motorized bicycle is currently being marketed as a DIY project using “a Honda xr50 or pitbike engine and downhill mountain bike parts mounted to a custom frame and swing arm,” so if you have a decommissioned DH rig or mini bike with a good motor, this could be your next project.  Hit the jump to see more on the Motoped frame, pics, videos, and more.

 

Motoped_frame_kit

The Motoped frame kit comes with:

  •  a U.S. made 4130 chromoly frame (1.5″ headtube)
  • 6061 aluminum swing-arm with 135mm wide/14mm thru axle spacing
  • sub-frame
  • sealed bearing jackshft assembly
  • 7075 aluminum motorcycle sprockets
  • bottom bracket
  • 135mm x 14mm 36 hole rear hub with 6-bolt disc rotor mounts
  • custom 1″ O.D. exhaust system (pipe&muffler)

The kickstarter campaign priced between $970 and $1170 (depending on where it’s shipping) currently gets you all of this.  You can also head over there to check out a full parts list and estimated costs for the full build.  In the meantime, here are our internet-only informed impressions.

 

Advantages:

When I was a kid there was a guy down the street who lost his license, so he put a lawnmower motor on his bicycle’s luggage rack.  At seven-years-old we thought that was the coolest thing ever and wanted to do the same.  The Motoped is decidedly cooler than that.

Motoped_rear_view

The Motoped’s custom swingarm and jackshaft uses one chain for both pedal and motor drive which doesn’t loosen and tighten with the rear suspension’s movement.

 

Motoped_mtb_parts

Using commonly found parts makes maintenance easy.

 

It could be a good way to put a few spare parts around your garage to good use.

 

In most states a 50cc motor requires no special licensing or registration.  You might even be able to ride it on your local bike path (but, please, be respectful, careful, and pedal).

 

 

It’s like three  bikes in one: e-bike, moped, and dirt bike — you can commute without a car and still look really badass, then shred on the weekend.


Hot_Rod

 

 

 

 

Rod Kimble  would be oh so jealous of the Motoped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disadvantages:

Motoped_XR50Um, it has a motor.

I don’t think your warranty is going to be honored on those MTB components and if you are going to shred, I question the effect of the extra eighty pounds of the Motoped on those components.

Cost: at about $3k for a DIY project, you could buy a moped or an e-bike or a dirt bike.

Rod Kimble  will be oh so jealous.

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silverlining
silverlining
10 years ago

Let the kickstarter, shuttle weenie, grouchster rage commence!

silverlining
silverlining
10 years ago

So I actually went to kickstarter. Kinda curious about:

How much does it weigh?

Sizes, geometry?

What rear rim is that? What tire/rim sizes fit?

Any way to build it and not have it look and sound like a dirt bike?

captain derp
captain derp
10 years ago

white brothers fork? haven’t seen one of those in years ROFL

tajiri
tajiri
10 years ago

is it a superlight motorcycle or a heavyweight dh bike??

chasejj
chasejj
10 years ago

That is a pretty cool motorcycle , but at the end of the day you are going to find a tough time convincing the local LE that every hiker and 1/2 the MTBers will call on you when they see you drift at 40mph on an uphill sweeper in their local park. E bikes are the same thing.
It has a motor and this may be sliding aorund some existing laws, the laws will catch up to them once there are enough of them.
Just saying.

Segg
Segg
10 years ago

One thing that bothers me about “motorized bicycles”: if pedalling is too much effort, why not scrap pedals/cranks completely and put slightly bigger fueltank/batteries instead?

Philipp
Philipp
10 years ago

I don’t get it..

MMyers
MMyers
10 years ago

I don’t understand why Bikerumor is promoting motorcycles.

Dan
Dan
10 years ago

Blurring the lines between motorcycle and mtb can only be a bad thing when it comes to trail access. While this setup might be fun (along with off road e-bikes emerging lately), if it’s ridden on anything other than OHV legal trails, it’ll be bad for us that don’t want motors on our bikes. I can see this issue blowing up in the next few years.

Brian McCulloch
Brian McCulloch
10 years ago

.. Oh hurrah! Let’s drown out the noise of the motor with the obligatory faux-metal soundtrack. “You might even be able to ride it on your local bike path!!” .. yipeee!! yes! – I can’t wait for that moment. As if trail access isn’t a sensitive enough issue as it is.

Collin
Collin
10 years ago

Tearing up (literally) a trail near you.

Ray
Ray
10 years ago

Not a mountain bike! Keep it off my trails please!!!

Zach
Zach
10 years ago

[Deleted] THAT THING!

RoDe
RoDe
10 years ago

I think the appropriate response is to kill it before it lays eggs!!

Ray
Ray
10 years ago

Zack; I think you said what we are all thinking! Or should be!

MMyers
MMyers
10 years ago

Seriously, how much would it suck to pedal a 120+ pound DH bike, even downhill?

stratosrally
stratosrally
10 years ago

While I agree that these shouldn’t ever be allowed on hike/bike trails (which typically are heavily posted with “NO Motorized Vehicles”), the thing does look like a lot of fun. You guys depress me!

Just ride it offroad on property designated for motorized vehicles or if your local laws allow it – on the street. Just don’t use bike lanes under anything other than pedal power.

So much hate… (BTW – when this was posted over on Autoblog a few days ago, some mention of an electric version was mentioned)

Rain
Rain
10 years ago

Reminds me of a plastic toy motorized car ghetto folks buy their larvae as some kind of status symbol.

Otherwise cool. . .

Pete
Pete
10 years ago

If I had a motor on my bicycle I don’t think I’d ever be pedalling.

Ever try an old fashioned Moped? You immediately realize the pedals are only to get the motor started. Here, you don’t even need pedals.

AND it’s only a 50cc? Wouldn’t get you up any decent DH runs anyway.

Pete
Pete
10 years ago

+1 to MMyers – wtf is BikeRumor doing with this article? gonna start FMX coverage soon?

David
David
10 years ago

Master, the hate is strong with this “bike”

Andrew
Andrew
10 years ago

Douchebags rejoice! here is a ‘bicycle’ you can lust after. Don’t forget your can of Monster energy drink and fox head hoodie while you’re riding badly and destroying your local trails.

chasejj
chasejj
10 years ago

Andrew-Douchebag? Really?
I guess that is fair game. I consider virtually every roadie I ever saw to fit that description pretty accurately as well.
You are aware that every hiker you run into considers you a douchebag as well?
So it seems everyone is a douchebag including Andrew.

Kum ba yah
Kum ba yah
10 years ago

Hating on this because it “destroys the trails” or makes noise is as stupid as the 26-27.5-29er controversies so common to this site.

How about its FUN…and if someone chooses this as their devise to maximize their enjoyment all power to them. Not your thing..DON’T BUY ONE.

I hate the “attitude” I get from walkers/joggers/horse people because their lobby was able to ban mtbs from the PUBLIC trails & they give dirty looks/or even confront me about how I am destroying the(ir) trails.

One would hope that mtbs often being an oppressed minority would have learned a little empathy & tolerance..apparently to some here..not.

MMyers
MMyers
10 years ago

@chasejj

Why would you consider roadies to be douchebags? Personally, I only ride road in order to get to the singletrack, but all cyclists are alright by me.

Now, if you want to use a 50cc motor on my local singletrack, then you might move into the d-bag realm.

tony
tony
10 years ago

It is not a bicycle, if it has a motor, it is a motorcycle, PERIOD.

Eric NM
Eric NM
10 years ago

…And the Lord was sorely vexed and mightily displeased,
as he gazed upon the Abomination, the Unholy monster, the…’Motoped.’

And the Lord addressed His people at the Trailhead, and He declared unto them,

How long, oh my people, have I longed to see you pedaling?
Through the desert of the Moabites,
In the mountains of Pisgah,
Taking in the joy blessed Singletrack
that I have granted those who ride the Bike of the Mountain?

But here before me, profaning my name,
(and the honor and credibility of Bike Rumor),
lies the monstrosity known to the the lost as the ‘Motoped’.

Lo, I shall lay waste to your trail access,
and the Equestrians shall curse you;
the Hikers shall banish you,
and you will recoil in horror at what this Abomination shall bring…

Thus says the Lord, and so it shall be,
until you repent and reject this blasphemous, vomitous mass.
And you return to the turning of the pedal,
by your own strength, and with your own heart, and with your own sweat.

And you shall once again be my people.
My trails, shall be your trails.
And the land will once again be overflowing
with Singletrack and Honey (…Stinger waffles).

Amen, amen.

tony
tony
10 years ago

Take this piece of crap over to the MX sites, oh wait, they’ll laugh you off their boards as well.

Capitols
Capitols
10 years ago

Their video is filmed in the town I live in. Most of it is film were motorized vehicles are not permitted. But they are using it a such, not good PR. Funny a few friends had complained about them already.

RideBeerSleep
RideBeerSleep
10 years ago

@Eric NM – Awesome!!! And like everyone else said, please keep the hillbilly thing away from trailheads.

RideBeerSleep
RideBeerSleep
10 years ago

Eric NM – Awesome!!! And like everyone else said, please keep the hillbilly thing away from trailheads.@

ranggapanji
ranggapanji
10 years ago

all the hatreds aside, how do you shift if you have your crankset on? one speed centrifugal clutch, I guess?
I can see the potential of this on MX tracks, but I’ll kill anyone who brought it to any of my local singletracks.

Joshua Murdock
10 years ago

Eric NM is my hero.

Also, I’m just an armchair critic at the moment… but that looks like a spindly and fragile frame with a relatively steep head-angle compared to modern DH bikes… that’s just me looking at my screen, though.

Here’s a great idea instead of a motor: get a 6″ trail bike that climbs well and shreds descents. It seems like everybody makes one now. Then you can climb and descend! Wow!

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
10 years ago

Now that comments have degenerated to the mtb vs. roadie crap, they’ve become worthless. Here’s a hint: you’re a douchebag if you take part in mtb vs. roadie, roadie vs. commuter, and etc. circle jerks.

Mortimer
Mortimer
10 years ago

Just like all the other motorcycles that ride illegally on our local trails and whom cause major trail damage. NOT WELCOME!

KDL
KDL
10 years ago

Time to chop up my Santa Cruz and get me one of those weed cutter engines!

Looks like a lot of fun!

satisFACTORYrider
satisFACTORYrider
10 years ago

It looks like fun but definitely does not belong on mtb trails. It would be better served for hare scrambles or private property whiskey throttling. Reminds me of something you’d order at sky mall catalog after a few cocktails. No hate here just keep it in your property.

satisFACTORYrider
satisFACTORYrider
10 years ago

@Eric nm- lord, give us this day our daily shred –

pornitswhatlwouldratherbmaking
pornitswhatlwouldratherbmaking
10 years ago

lots of good comments tonight.

Eric+1

SatisFactory. I liked yours as well

Chase. totally agree

Stratos. For real, lighten up people.

lts not a bicycle buts kinda cool

Liberty555
Liberty555
10 years ago

Three. (3).

That is the number of seconds between getting on the bike and burning your leg on the exhaust pipe.

Star
Star
10 years ago

Those pedals are for surviving in a post apocalypse
Zombie world…on to the thunder downhill…

Philo Beto
Philo Beto
10 years ago

Considering the ‘Pro’s sized 50s(cc’s) epidemic(or ‘trend’ if you were into it) was(still is?) so big and wide-spread, there’s ALREADY a plethora of ‘adult’ sized ‘mini’ bikes out there.
What this means to anybody who actually sees these pics and thinks they might wanna bite on one, is the fact that there’s HORDES of used 50s(100s, 110s, and 125s I might ad) out there in every conceivable classified-ad publication for a LOT less than this abortion, errr, uhh..’Kit'(?). They’ve(well, most of ’em anyway) also had some engineering infused into ’em before they were manufactured, to assure things like SUSPENSION and CHASSIS are up to task for the weight and power of the thing(s), and the whole enchilada was designed as ONE unit, i.e. all the various pieces are MEANT to bolt to each other, thus they’ll actually perform as such
At the end of the day however, if you look at these pics of a CRF-50 sitting on Praying-Mantis legs, and actually LIKE what you see, well, then you two are meant for each other, and far be it from me to try to separate you.

Padrote
Padrote
10 years ago

Somebody makes something like this every few years and it never catches on. Nobody wants to haul around a thing you can’t ride on the street to go ride motorcycle trails where an actual motorcycle you could get for thousands less would be better suited and much more fun.

The Conductor
The Conductor
10 years ago

It will never be pedaled. Just like most mopeds in this country.

but it will accomplish a double: getting both bicycles AND dirt bikes banned from the trails with one vehicle.

Now, where is that electric Specialized road bike? Just take that e-motoer and put in on a Stmpjumper…

MOTOBuilder
MOTOBuilder
10 years ago

See you haters on your trails in the rear view of course!

ChuckC
10 years ago

Thanks for the support! The Motoped is back on kickstarter and we have already passed our goal. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2097071998/motopeds

Bill
Bill
10 years ago

Personally I love the ideal. I agree you will need the parts that will hold up.
Hopefully the num-nuts will not actually wreck our trails. I would use this as a commuter 10-15 mile ride to work. (i like the DH vs your current moped options.
To respond to the guy about the pedals, if you take the pedals away it no longer qualifies as a moped.

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