Southbury Man Enjoys Motorized Huffy

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

Countless riders own Harleys. Bill Kerber’s motorized conveyance might best be called a “Hardley.” It’s not very powerful and doesn’t go very fast. Unlike a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, it doesn’t have a massive V-twin motor, rather a petite 80cc single cylinder engine that sounds like an enraged chain saw when revved. In fact, Kerber’s bike actually is a bike, a modified Huffy bicycle with a removable wire basket on the front that he rides on errands and for fun near his home at Heritage Village in Southbury.

“You zip right along with it. I had it up to 23 miles per hour. I go on short trips to the store because I have the basket,” reported Kerber, who emailed RIDE-CT about his ride after reading last Saturday’s column on rising scooter sales caused by climbing gasoline prices. While a new 50cc Vespa costs more than $3,000, Kerber built his motorbike about a year ago from a kit for less $250. The bike cost $89.95, the engine kit from gasbike.net was $119.95 and shipping was $32.

There were challenges, though. Assembling the bike on the dining room table created a problem for him. “The wife didn’t like it,” he said. And there was one big mistake that he made. “I tightened the sprocket too tight and bent the spokes on the (rear) wheel, so I had to replace the wheel,” he said. That’s why the bike has a whitewall tire in front and solid black rubber in back.      

Kerber estimated that it took “a little more than a weekend” get the bike on the street. “If someone’s handy, it doesn’t take much to put it together. Basically, it’s a chain and engine,” he said. It’s a step-by-step process: attach the carburetor and install the engine, mount the gas tank and hook up the fuel line, install the throttle and clutch, add the sprocket and chain. “Somebody without any experience might take a little longer,” he said.

Kerber added a few accessories, just like many motorcycle owners do. Instead of saddlebags, there’s the basket. He also installed a Schwinn single seat, a rear rack, a speedometer and a rear kickstand. The manufacturer of the engine advertisers that the kit bike will gets upwards of 150 miles per gallon, but it’s range is limited as the gas tank only holds 2.5 liters of petrol. “They say after it’s broken in it’ll get better gas mileage and go faster,” he said.

The only place the Huffy hesitates is on hills as the engine only puts out 2.75 horsepower. “If you don’t have a head start going up a hill, you’ve got to give it a little help,” he said. By “help,” he means pedaling, which is something he doesn’t mind as he’s dieting. In fact, he often rides it without the engine running. “When I get tired, I kick in the motor,” he said.

For Kerber, 67, the diet has been as much of a success as the bike. He’s lost 102 pounds in the past two years. While he’s still working on remnants a spare tire, he now weighs less than 240 pounds. He’s lived in Southbury with his wife, Barbara, for six years. The couple moved from Staten Island, N.Y. to be near their daughter, who lives in Cheshire.

Riding the “Hardley” has rekindled an interest in riding for Kerber, who owned a Honda CB360 and a 650cc Yamaha many years ago. “Never lost interest really. I wish I had a bike instead of this,” he said, referring to the moped.

For now, though, it will suffice. It not like Kerber needs a thrill. Before retiring, he worked for the Port Authority for 32 years – painting and later inspecting bridges. A typical work day would have him on the George Washington Bridge where, if he looked down, all he’d was water far, far below. “When I first started, I’d go home at night and sit in my easy chair and doze off – feel like I was falling. Eventually you get used to it or you’d have to quit, you couldn’t do it,” he said.

Maybe he should trade up to a motorcycle. For most of us, motorcycling is the most dangerous thing that we do. For Kerber, given his career path, motorcycling could be considered a safe haven, although he explained that he did quit riding on Staten Island because of the traffic. “It seemed like everybody was trying to run you over,” he said.

That’s a sentiment shared by riders everywhere – whether they’re a motorcyclist, a bicyclist or something in-between.

(Originally published in “The Republican-American” on May 7, 2011.)