How To: Build a motorized bicycle
Dave made this informative video on how to attach a "Weed Eater" [string trimmer] motor to a bicycle. Used bicycles and string trimmers are easy to find and very cheap to buy. You could make this project for less than $100, maybe even less than $50. The information on modifying the clutch could be very useful in making robots too!
How To: Build a Weed Eater motorized bicycle
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Aug 15, 2008 01:00 AM
Bicycles, DIY Projects |
Permalink
| Comments (4)
| Email This |
| Digg this!
Recent Entries
- Googlephone Jailbreak - Remote access gained ...
- LED "Art Object" is the new LED throwie
- Submersed Songs: Fish that make music
- Learn about electronics: Relays 101
- Teach Make!
- Robotic fish
- Medical aesthetic footwear
- New soft circuit kits in the maker shed and massive soft electronics roundup
- DIY hobby o-scope
- Sparky: DIY telepresence robot
Comments
Oldest comments listed first.
| Posted by: justDIY on August 15, 2008 at 6:15 AM |
@anonymous ... aah, the rust belt - just like Michigan, we love our rust.
what makes me laugh is the statement that "Every city has a bearing supply store". I guess Canadians really like their bearings, there's nothing like that around me for at least 200 miles.
| Posted by: acidrain69 on August 15, 2008 at 11:54 AM |
Very nice DIY. If you don't have access to the tools to build this yourself, there are kits out there that mount on a bike. I have one of the Grubee kits mounts on a Trek Antelope 800. Works pretty good, and you just need a screwdriver and maybe a drill depending on your frame diameters. Clutch is manual, you just let out the clutch while riding and that starts the engine. They usually run about $250. Not as cool from the DIY perspective, but much easier. If you have the engine sitting around anyway, you could always build a DIY generator using a regulated car alternator.
![]() |
Posted by: mlange.myopenid.com on August 15, 2008 at 1:08 PM |
@anonymous:
NO, there is NOTHING without rust.
It's like a disease, plaguing all steel and iron-based products. Anything that isn't stored during the winter eventually gets infected.
Leave a comment
Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!
Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.
$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)
Features and more @ MAKE!

Stop by the Maker Shed store and check out THE place for open source hardware, Arduino & Arduino accessories, electronic kits, science kits, smart stuff for kids, back issues of MAKE & CRAFT, box sets, books, robots, kits from Japan and more.
Add MAKE to iGoogle - GoogleGoogle.
Add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
Add MAKE on Twitter.
Add MAKE on FriendFeed & the MAKE room.

Why advertise on MAKE?
Read what folks are saying about us!
Click here to advertise on MAKE!
Makezine authors!
Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor
Tel: 707-827-7311
Twitter / AIM
Gareth Branwyn
Jonah Brucker-Cohen
Collin Cunningham
Marc de Vinck
Kip Kay
Luke Iseman
Patti Schiendelman
Becky Stern
Mike Dixon
Peter Horvath(intern)



