I am completely stripping my hybrid 28" tire bike. I'm replacing the crank, the rims, and tires. I'm converting it to disc brakes and installing a 4-stroke motor. Am I going to run into problems?
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1 Answer
Yes.
Your bottom bracket will be lower, and closer to the ground which can lead to pedal strike.
If you have mudguards, they will be further from the tyre and will catch less water making them less effective
Assuming you have disk brakes already, then stopping should be the same, but if you have rim brakes then they won't reach and need some fabrication to move mounts.
Adding disk brake mounts to a bike built for rim brakes is sketchy - the frame is not build for new loads in different places and can lead to frame damage.
Your front wheel shrinking will negatively affect the handling. If you can currently ride this bike no-hands, it will be a lot harder or impossible, and you might have to actively hold the handlebars in the straight-ahead position. This is tiring, and a brief lapse can cause a fall.
On a social aspect, with a loud stinky liquid-fuel engine on your bicycle, cyclists won't want to associate with you.
On the other hand, bikers also won't want anything to do with you because its not a "real bike"
If your engine is over the limits for "pedal assist" in your legal region, then it may be classified as a motorbike and attract registration and licencing fees. Check out what those applicable laws are before you commit funds to anything further. You may be required to wear a motorcycle grade helmet and display a registration plate. Also depending on your location, there may be mandatory insurance requirements different to whatever a bicycle attracts.
If you want a motorbike, buy one. A 50cc step-through scooter may be ideal for your requirements. Likewise, if you want a bicycle frame with disk brakes, buy one.
If you just want a little fabrication project for the workshop, then by all means go ahead. Just have realistic expectations.
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1The frame might have some existing disk brake mounts, my old 26" MTB has rim brakes but also IS mounts on the fork and on the frame. Commented Mar 17 at 9:15
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@VladimirFГероямслава good point - I read "convert to disk brakes" as needing mounts added. OP might intend on installing disk calipers on existing mounts. That would address this issue.– Criggie ♦Commented Mar 17 at 9:50
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1+1 using bike lanes will be more or less a thing of the past with a combustion engine, depending on laws and the vehicle's top speed. As an example (EU/Austria): <50cc effectively counts as moped and depending on the top speed (above 25 kph or not) you are only allowed to use bike lanes outside of town - or not at all. I've never seen any of these on bike paths, so you'll be out of the cycling game and just ride a sketchy moped.– DoNuTCommented Mar 18 at 6:38
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1I would say if your engine is over the limits for "pedal assist" in your legal region, then it may very well be practically impossible to get something that is legally allowed on the road afterwards. The registration and fees may be suitable for a company designing a new motorcycle and may involve numerous crash tests and safety checks that easily end up costing hundreds of times the value of a single bike.– quaragueCommented Mar 18 at 11:53