I purchased a 49cc 4 stroke motor kit with a 44 tooth sprocket. I put it on a 26 inch huffy cruiser. I am 225 lbs on a good day. My top speed is 29 mph with an average of 90 miles per 2.5 litter tank. The only problem I had with this kit was the clutch after about 2500 miles. Replacing it was easy to do and only cost $30

man, now that I put my 1st gas motor on a bike, I could rewatch all your videos again and learn so much useful stuff, cause when the problem you are describing doesn't relate to my life, I just skim over it not even attempting to remember it cause its irrelevant to me. but now the info clicks into my curiosity like a puzzle piece

25 to 30 MPH is a safe speed for me on either gas or electric powered bikes.... I get stopped all the time when cruising through a neighborhood with questions and curiosity of the bike... Most young kids eyes open up wide with amazement because they want one too.. I make sure to let the kids know that a motorized bike is not a toy and can be dangerous...

Hey thanks for the shout out brother really appreciate that. Totally unexpected, thank you

Great video LA.There will certainly be allot of thoughts going on about each style's merit,but there is one thing we All agree on; Riding in a rainstorm just plain sucks.

The fact that you built up the 2-stroke bike gives you a massive amount of flexibility when considering things like power, speed, and price. Just this last month, I built a 1500w ebike, including the battery, which I built with 98 Samsung 18650 cells. Because I built it myself, I was able to choose exactly how much capacity the battery had, how much power the motor had, what brakes I put on, and so on. It has a top speed of around 34, and so cruising around at 25 mph really isn't stressing any of the components out. In this way, the DIY approach has its advantages, and leaves the HIBOY ebike with a slight disadvantage. Very well put together video though!

E bikes in the EU are stupid 25 km/h and pedal assist only. Gas bikes make 100% more sense over here. Unless ,ou get something over the top they don't make sense as a "stock" product.

I geared my 2s to top at 40mph. Which is sketch, but It cruises very comfortably at 30mph

Thanks for the video man, i looked at both the electric and the 2 stroke. With my budget and mechanical experience, it was an easy choice for me. The 2 stroke it was, and i been enjoying my bike now for almost a year i believe or maybe longer. lol. Electric just could not go the distance, if i want to ride 100miles , all i need to do it keep putting gas in and keep going. Then there was PRICE, and the laws around electic bikes here. 2 stroke was best for me. I appreciate your opinions and thoughts man. take care.

I’ve got a 104 year old Indian with a 4 stroke on it, set up for 25 mph. Just a cruiser that I ride to work. Built like a tank, but I really don’t want to push an over 100 year old bike very fast

Great comparison video. I built a 2 a stroke a couple years ago it was fun to build and fun to ride. I put a few mods on and it ran good but it was constant maintenance. I am currently looking at ebikes and hope to avoid the maintenance. Thanks for the unbiased opinion.

awesome video, I totally agree about the gas bikes, in fact, finding high quality parts is one reason I watch YOUR channel. I realy wish you'd do a comprehensive, part by part video series on known , high quality parts.

2 years ago when I started on the gas bike journey I considered 2 things 1. I love to tinker with stuff 2. Even with the enormous gas prices we have now, if I can reach 5000 km /motor kit, the overall price (gas, oil, brake pads, chains inculded) is still roughly 60% of the price of a decent electric bike which also would be just half as fun for me. Love your videos and the objective, humble attitude...keep up the good work man

L A, I think of you a The DIY Bike Professor because of your thorough investigation & analysis of any subject, bike related. I love it, & had to rewind portions of the vid. several times, because it was chocked full knowledge & experience, & I couldn't wrap my brain around it, in the first pass. Kudos to you & thanks for the knowledge/wisdom drop to the eager learners out here! Blessings & Freedom. Paul from S. Central Tx.

I have range anxiety. 27 miles to town, ten more to the north end, and back home makes about 75 miles. There are so few bikes that can do that without carrying spare batteries or a huge rack that weighs you down.

one more thing worth mentioning is the hot motor on a gas bike. depending on where you live, it might be a nice little heater, or a dangerously hot motor between your legs. I've already got a burn on my calve from the banana muffler. and that's enough to deter my folks from getting one...😔 still love them tho..

Totally loved this video, meticulously informative and very fair

Pretty informative and interesting, if I had the choice, it would be a fourstroke G-bike, easy to diagnose and repair, more versatile has the option of pedal power and easy to upgrade, E-bikes tend to be a fire hazard and are way too expensive for the average working stiff. Thank You.

Another view my ebike is great for working events and checking stuff in town for the city but gas bike is better for exploring the county or going across town where we have lots of hills that drain the ebike

very helpful and practical comparision thank you!

Gasket sealer or silicone on the wire going in the hub is what I’ve done. If the wire and hole is pointed down then less chance of intrusion. I still seal them up though. Water in the throttle has messed up my rides before, glad to see this bike doesn’t seem affected.

What about a gas-electric hybrid? Use an electric hub motor to get up to speed, and gear the gas engine for high speed cruising. Regenerative braking on the hub motor to recharge the battery off the gas engine. If the power goes out, use the bike as a generator by propping it off the rear wheel. Spin up the rear wheel, engage the gas engine, and use regen to generate power. Then pull that power out of the battery with an inverter to run your fridge.

Best gasoline vs. electric video I've seen hands down! As a permanent long distance commuter, I'm considering building an electric hub/Honda 4 stroke hybrid MTB to make my life easier. I've owned a poorly-built 2-stroke and currently ride electric, so have experienced the pros and cons of each.

Waiting for radioactive comment section

Nice video on comparing these to bikes. Very helpful for a newer builder who just can’t decide what one they will buy. Personally I just love working on my two stroke bikes and I rode my friends 350watt Ebike and it was super slow lol,

I love the two stroke motorized bicycle. I hope one day you will ride a properly built 4 stroke 212cc motorized bicycle similar to the smoking loon 212 Predator build by AGK (affordablegokarts). At any rate, I think you missed your true calling. You should've been a lawyer. You have a very good vocabulary, very good command of the English language, you tell both sides of an issue and you explain all the facets of a subject with insight. I appreciate all of your information. Thank you.

Great video, it helped me decide that yes, the electric bike is for me since i am prioritizing reliability and ease of pedaling as i am using it just for commuting and exercising. Thanks for the great video

Thanks for the honest review.

Great video! thanks... It never occurred to me that the gas bike could go slow. Thanks for the heads up!

All my bikes have a 4l first official video on channel out this Friday I'd love to be on your next bike review video , better/worse learning is the goal).

I have both and much prefer the DIY e-bike build mainly for the quiet aspect. However I did purchase a 2nd battery that really didn’t add much extra weight and it was $45 (straight from China). Yeah it took 2 months to arrive but it was cheap. I know people will say it will probably catch on fire but it’s been great so far.

Man..this was such an essential video..thank you La Hover

Hey bruh great video great break down on the major differences between ebike gas bike

LAH, great video as usual and well presented. I'm a two stroker out of cost mostly, some times I have hopped in the van instead of the bike because I can be lazy or my leg hurts bad enough I don't want to peddle. An electric would be a great addition to my transportation needs. Like you, electric range would suit me fine. Right now a 1/2 gallon gas and $1 for oil mix lasts me a month or better in town ($40 per month in fuel in the van, I don't leave home much anymore). Getting electric is out of the question price wise (so if any of those folks sending you an electric wants to send one to this crippled old coot I will take one) but the cost of even assembling one from new eBay parts is unobtainable and the knowledge of what goes with what part wise is more daunting than the money part. I took my old Hardley a Davidson out the other day and ended up in a downpour so bad I pulled the helmet over the front of my eyes and peeked through an air vent to see. About three blocks and I was soaked, dripping wet. Road conditions and sight were the only things slowing me down as the bike seemed to love the water cooling, but then old grumpy here spent twenty minutes drying my chrome and at some point will re polish it. Anyhow I would like more information of building my own electric, I would assume the more sales the price should come down as well. At this point two stroker may be my only answer, but I'll keep watching you. Maybe there's a China Doll electric set-up in the works soon and if so I'd hope you'd get, build and show it on your channel. Stay safe.

I’ve built both gas and electric bikes and they both have their advantages, I’d go further on the gas, and a lil faster (40mph)but e-bikes are cleaner and less maintenance. Btw, I’m waiting now for a 3000w hub for my next build! Hoping to hit 40 or better! Woo hoo! Good vid dude 👍🏽

awesome video very well done and well said

Thanks again for another great video ( and for the brutal honesty on both sides )! I am having a total blast on my 2 stroke BBR stage 4 build. Currently building second with a seeutek engine. Both bikes are Cranbrooks minus the stock handlebars. Any chance that you will be doing a cheap China doll build in the near future? The China doll Motor names are hilarious on Amazon right now and would probably be funny to review and to do a video build on.

I want a gas electric hybrid bike so bad, if you want a weekend project would love to see one !!! Not sure if it would have any practical use but would be cool

The sound and the speed for the money of a QUALITY 2-stroke setup wins hands down.

i put my first gas motor on my mountain bike 3 years ago its got about 3k miles on it..ive only replaced the cdi and spark plug. maybe ive gotten lucky..but it doesnt owe me a dime ive beat the hell outta it the hub bearings on the mountain bike failed before the motor has.

I've used a small 1000 watt generator in tow to my 3kw hub motor build and had unlimited miles per generator fills. For folks with range anxiety. I tested this setup for 6 hours of constant running and charge never dropped under 80%

Comprehensive and thorough as always. I have quite a bit of experience with both and I'd say you hit the nail on the head comparing the two

In NZ you can fly around on an ebike with no motorbike licence but if you put anything over 50cc on you have to have a motorbike licence . Which I find pathetic when it comes down to top speed

Thanks, great video, I am running a friction drive two stroke in NYC don't know how legal it is but I have no matainance with this set up. Staton hi quality friction drive made in USA and a Japanese two stoke no issues and under 400 dollars

I was literally just talking about building an electric bike as a back up to my gas bike

I like 2 stroke kits for their price to performance, electric bikes for simplicity, and my predator 212 swapped Phatmoto all-terrain is the best of all worlds to me. I kinda want to see you get a good 4 stroke kit for a bike, since they are great if you get a good kit or make it on your own.

We love watching your show and we love your partner the dog.

I'm not sure if you've already made a video but I would appreciate if you made a video about identifying features of certain engines. For example ways to tell if a random ebay motor is a yd100.

The online e-bike conversion kits don't cost much until you add a battery. I was looking at a Bosch e-bike because I like the chain drive motors. The e-bike was $2200 and an extra battery was $800. I couldn't afford that, so I opted for the Bafang e-bike kit to get the price below $1000. I like the bike because it makes no sound. Adding a 2nd battery cost around $500, but then there is always the fear of battery failure and if it ever catches fire, they burn down everything around it. Hopefully that won't happen to me, but it is a concern. I have been thinking of buying a friction drive kit with a Honda GX50 engine. You're right, it is more of a hobby than something to depend on.

Really would be cool to see your thoughts on a mid drive ebike . Personally I'd love to own a engine kit to ride long distance but unless you have a provisional license and a CBT certificate and gone through a whole lot of red tape to make the bike legal you just ride them on UK roads and that's why I got into ebikes because the of the lack of restrictions and also its so hard over here to find either a 125cc motorcycle or moped that's fully running for under a £500

No motor noise, no me ride. I like the sound and feel of a gas motor. I don't really find the lack of sound to be exciting for an ebike. Not just that, but the long time to charge an ebike fully if you drain the battery, compared to the low time to put fuel in the tank is a selling point for myself.

well said everything is spot on im currently using an ebike and as you said its worry free but i still want to have a gas bike as well for the sake of tinkering on something and use it the same way i just dont have much choices on engines here in my country mostly chinese ones that you would defenitely must have replacement parts handy but very well said review of each one

(KZfaqs Jarrod D) Made me realize that a 3hp. 4 stroke rear friction drive is simple, cheap, low maintenance & very reliable. Best suited for a commuter bike or for long hobo road trips....He's rode his cross country a couple times....It has good hill climbing power & good MPGs.....A few downsides are engine noise, having to bump start when you come to a complete stop & only a 25 to 30 mph top speed. Some engine noise could be reduced with a better muffler & light plastic or aluminum partial engine enclosure....A clutch could be added so it doesn't need bump started at every stop while still being reliable....He doesn't use a clutch, I assume just to keep it as simple as possible. Between a friction drive, ebike & 2 strokes, I think a 49cc 4 stroke kit is a good compromise. It's quieter & better MPGs than 2 stroke, can still go 30-35 & more reliable than a 2 stroke. Not much more expensive than 2 stroke & much cheaper than a e-bike.

Good video! There’s a few things I like to point out….I had a business building DYI gas, and E-bikes. The DYI E-bike I just built has a 48v 17.5AH 30A BMS…..the Battery was not expensive at all. Buying a battery with a BMS is the way to go, it cannot be overcharged! And the charger turns off when it’s full’ no matter how many times you try to put it back on the charger….my charger will not charge it when full….the top speed and range is 36mph 41Miles with a battery at %10 power remaining, full throttle constantly. My E-bike can travel in rain….just like my gas bikes Range will always go to a gas bike’ bring a small container of 2 stroke oil’ and stop at the gas station when you need to. Reliability goes to the Electric bike…I sold many gas and electric bikes, and I always have issues with returned gas bikes’ Gas bikes is for people who know how to work on them’ most people will buy a gas bike….don’t do any maintenance on them, ride them into the ground, and blame the builder’ this is one reason why I stopped…..doing gas bikes…. I ended up putting as is on my ads, I would let the person test ride it….and usually would know right away, if this person was gonna have difficulty, owning a gas bike. I would ask the customer….are you looking to buy a gas bike for transportation or fun, most times….I talked the buyer in buying a E-bike…..one test drive from a gas, and E-bike, and most decided to go with the E-bike People don’t know how to operate the clutch, burn out the clutch packs, lose the chain, remove the air filter, and ride them in the rain…..I used to provide them a chart for fuel ratios, and provide a bottle of 2 stroke oil….believe it or not, ppl didn’t use the 2 stroke oil, Lock the engine up, and try to return them. Electric bikes are more reliable Gas bikes have a longer range Electric bikes are easier to ride Electric bikes are cleaner Electric bikes don’t Attract unwanted attention’ law enforcement’ gas bikes shouldn’t be road on sidewalks….cops have ears, sooner or later they will catch you. EBikeling kits are very water proof….my battery is very water proof. You can use the bike rack on the bus You can ride a E-bike on most bike trails…..unfortunately you can’t ride a gas bike, people will hear them, and before you know it…..a cop will be waiting for you at the end of the trail’ we have many in Florida, and the gas bikes tend to annoy people….a 4 stroke is far worse.’ I think a 4stroke motor wise is more dependable, but louder’ Off road light dirt trail….gas bikes are a little bit funner’ unless you own a Mid drive e-bike. Total cost on my DIY electric bike was $850 without the bike….kit only.

Nobody thinks about this but I've been wanting to try. What about a Toyota Prius of bicycles. An electric mid drive motor and a 2 stroke

You should build a hybrid, gas, electric, and pedal bike. Use a front hub or mid drive. Pick a wattage and voltage that will go the same speed as the gas engine will go.

My ebike is awesome around town but yeah a long range build I was planning is just gonna be a money pit and even with fast charging I'll be stuck places for a couple hours. I do have a solar trailer I'm building for camping trips but a hybrid build with gas rear and a front hub will be ideal for me I reckon. Totally scrapped my $2500 build plan and just gonna get a hub motor and a 4 stroke kit for about a grand (that's cheap here, we get screwed on imports 🤦)

I love the smell of gasoline. Case closed. Lol Thanks man, this was interesting.

How long do you need to wait for the electric to charge? How long does it take to fill the gas tank?

Hey man can you help me out just wondering if you knew a link to NT carb jets that you personally use ? And also what thread size ?

I'm a gear head I love the sounds of Engine's not motors but yea man I definitely will grab a engine before I grab a motor

If you can I suggest getting both gas and electric both worlds are a blast ...I've even got a BMX just to throw down at the park.....thx for the side by side...good stuff

I have to agree with you. Range isn't even an issue. I commute 10 miles each way, every day, with my rad city, or my rad rover, and never have a problem, whether it be the fat tire bike, or the skinny tire.

Also wanted to say ebike replacement parts are $$$$, battery/controller/motor failure after warranty is like $100-750 depending on what is busted.

A few things I think was skipped in this video, while pre-made ebikes definitely have a serious expense, there are conversion kits that can be significantly cheaper, and offer better parts than what you can get on pre-made, granted my opinion is biased on this as I have just finished my first conversion, but at 1350$ in for something that can be considered a decent ebike, but 1350 is far better than the 2k+ that most pre-mades start out at, also I do feel that hub drive ebikes are just flat out inferior to their mid-drive counterparts, again my opinion is biased, but backed up by stats. Another thing to mention for the electrics, depending on the bike, the battery is removable, and depending on the quality of the battery, it will have a safety to cut off charging when it's complete, meaning yes you can put it on the charge over night, and during cold spells you can just take the battery off the bike and bring it inside

Try a jackshaft kit on a 2 cycle you'll be able to ride at alower speeds(maybe not as slow as the e bike tho) and you will reduce rpm at high speed

hi i someone else put on a relatively new autolite 216 spark plug, is that good enough for awhile? 50cc engine, heavy cheap mt bike, im going to be riding about 3 days a week averaging 10 miles, with small to medium some hills

Thanks friend

Exilent Video very well put both Electric and petrol have there merits as you say .

I don't hate you, on the contrary. I'm going to sub and like, just for the one comment you made. I enjoy hearing truthful information, lies and bs, not so much. Anyway, uh yeah, that comment. You are the first person that I have heard, so far, that has actually told people a very, very smart, and very important thing. *Never charge your batteries unattended!!!*Believe me you are the only other person that I've heard this from, except for myself. I have the standard rad 48 volt chargers, and I'll tell you what, they get hot. It's double fused at the battery, but that's not a fix-it-all solution. Bad things can happen. Spraying water on lithium ion actually makes it burn, and much worse. I've had two chargers fell already, in two years, and I've had a BMS in one of my batteries have a meltdown. It's no joke, these batteries can start a fire, and quickly. Never charge them unattended, and never charge them in direct sunlight. One of the most important comments I've heard someone say. And you and I are the only people that have said it so far.

I have hiboy p6. Amazing bike

I have about 4 years and 4k-ish sank into ebikes over those years.. I've been riding 2 stroke bikes for about 6-7 years and have roughly 2500ish in engines and engine related only terminal "tackle" alone... About 3k if you include tires. They just have their places and it's better to have both

Well done video…

I rode my 2-Stroke motorized bike 42miles through a rain storm and it made it all the way there.

Efectivamente un motor de CDH que costaría unos 160$ si tuviera los componentes buenos serian unos 300$ seria hermoso y algo que estaria dispuesto a pagar.

I feel like trading a bit of performance on the gas engine by putting a more restrictive quieter exhaust on it would solve most of the concerns about karens and drawing attention and/or legality. Like you said, if they don't know you're there. Then they're probably not gonna ask any questions. I plan on buying a trike soon and have been making plans to put a motor on it. I have a bike path near where i live, but to get to it i have to take public roads which means traffic, which means i either get a bike rack or something and drive there or put a motor on the bike so i can "safely" ride amongst the traffic to get to the bike path to then pedal around on.

As someone who wants to get into motorized bikes, which kit would be better for beginners? the pk80 or new zeda 80?

I like your info on both. But yeah, I do love the 2 stroke way more cause it’s fun to ride n tinker with doing my own custom ideas n not to mention the price difference . I really don’t mind doing repairs. Cause I’m into 4WDs n American Muscle Cars so it’s all Fun Fun Fun!!

Just got a Fuji 50cc motorbike it's awesome

Good review...still think you should have used a 4 stroke and touring as concepts of comparison ...these 4 strokes are now made much smaller less noisy and dont vibrate nearly as much as a 2 stroke and little maintenance besides oil changes. Hands down gas wins

500w hub motor? My experience says anything under 2000w is no fun, 30mph I can do that without any heat problems, but I would go with bafang 1000w, 160 Newton meters, 40mph

I did something really stupid but fun. I have a small ebike with 14 inch wheels and I strapped an 80 cc 2 stroke motor , so the electric motor drives the front wheel and the 2 stroke drives the rear and can be used at the same time meaning it can be used as RWD , FWD an AWD anytime i want.

Where did you get the exhaust?

The happy middle ground between these two extremes is a four-stroke, and a big hoop gear on the back wheel same as the original motorcycles, that is your simplest and most reliable drivetrain

IMO, especially from a cost perspective, Gas is the way to go. The cheapest 2 stroke kits (

I never thought much about getting a electric bike but I like the noise of Electric Bikes I need a Electric Bike that can travel 60 miles round trip to work and home.

20 -30 is very quick when I ride i adv like 8 -15 mph I couldt imagine how much easier it would be with a gas or E bike

Currently working on a 750 bicycle you aren't kidding about bulky, but I'm a speed freek so yeah

Built my first motorized bike. Had to fix a tool bag for it... and it holds bike locks and pit stop snacks!

Great video! I'm in the process of selling my 2 stroke bike and in the process of starting my 4 stroke build. I'm more at home with 4 strokes and the 2 stroke was sure fun especially reaching 37 mph 😎🤙

And how about the adjustment aluminum (soft) any idea how to get good ones not the soft garbage?

Basicly if you dont want to be working on your bike all the time and you have the money electric is the way to go but if your on a budget and you have the time gas is the way to go, but there are other things to be considered also like if your a mechanic or not or the laws in the state you live in or what purpose for your bike you have in mind and the weather and terrain you plan to be riding in... For me I lean towards gas but my biggest issue would be fixing them....

Thank you for using British/Freedom units. :)

19:00 That's like my bike but SMOL!

I like them both

Good morning. Great comparison. I do have a question as someone who has never built a gas powered bicycle before. Is it practical to use a single speed all aluminum 29in beach cruiser as a base for a build? I've been getting mixed or no information on this question. Love the bike and I believe in working with what you have but just not sure if it would work,or work well. Thanks.

If you were to make this comparison video between a 4 stroke with a q- matic transmission and an electric bike, There would be no comparison! The 4 stroke is just as reliable, has better range and almost as low maintenance! And a lot cheaper or as cheap as the DIY electric bikes. I have had a electric bikes for many years (14 to be exact!) and am well of all of their short comings but the biggest shortcomings are range and speed and price on some brands. Also the issues of replacing batteries is a big one. Not just cost but weight and durability. If you use a electric bike for commuting. Most of the time that means using bike twice a day. That battery will more then likely have to be replace after a few years. And please dont get me wrong- I like my electric bike for some uses but it is useless in regards to doing the 90 mile tour I did today on my 4 stroke motor bike. Great Videos Hover Man! Best Regards, Michael M.

I don't know why, but gas bikes are just so much more fun to me, I've ridden an ebike up past 50km/h and it was fun, but hitting 50 on a gas bike is just feels that much better, maybe because I had to build it and upgrade it myself and it works. also holy s*it the range on a single tank of gas is at least 40km, probably closer to 50 or 60 though. idk, mini rant over

Funny thing, and I think it's because the folks I know who've bought electrics, have gone cheap, but I find they have more issues with something breaking than many who do 2 strokes.