You know there’s been a lot of talk lately about the environment, rising fuel prices and alternate methods of transportation.  Why just the other night I was engaged in a conversation about motorized bicycles and how they get 150 mpg (1.57L/100km) … not to mention how cool it would be to build one.

So I did some research and discovered that I wasn’t alone, there are all kinds of powered bicycles out there.  The thought would be to take a bicycle and then mount a bicycle engine kit on it, similar to the one below.

So what would you need to get started?  First you would need a bicycle.  This can be any bike (mountain bike, comfort bike, even a touring bike), although I am partial to the retro looking cruiser type bikes.  Walmart has a good selection, but really you can pick one up almost anywhere, new or used …

Next you would need an engine.  There are several kits and sizes to choose from in the market place ranging from 49cc, 80cc and beyond, but I would think that 49cc would be plenty for just cruising around the back roads.  I’ve found two sites online who carry these bicycle engine kits, ZoomBicycles, based in the US and  CH80 Bicycle Engines, based in Canada.

Next, a little time, patience and know-how … in fact, the ZoomBicycles’ website even has step-by-step installation instructions that make is seem pretty straight forward.

And here’s what you get (this is an 80cc version) …

Now tell me this doesn’t look like a whole lot of fun …

And don’t forget, there are regulations on where you can ride these here in Ontario.