by DEEANNA HANEY
Intern Lifestyles Reporter

Instead of shuffling to a crowded AppalCART or paying to park on campus, junior criminal justice major Matt S. Hovis created his own form of alternative transportation.

Hovis can now be found riding his seven-speed Schwinn bicycle he recently transformed into a motorized version.

“I just saw them on YouTube and decided I’d have one of them,” Hovis said.

Junior criminal justice major Matt S. Hovis kneels with a motorized Schwinn of his own design. A 50cc engine powers his bike. Photo by Holt Menzies.

A 50cc engine that uses a gas and oil mix is attached to the bicycle and allows speeds of up to 35 mph.

The driver may also switch between pedaling and using the motor with the press of the throttle.

“Sometimes I even feel like ET when I ride it at night,” Hovis said.

It is also environmentally friendly, using one gallon of gas per 150 miles and has an Environmental Protection Agency certified motor, Hovis said, which is significantly less than a regular motor vehicle.

Hovis’ primary reason for building this, however, was to cut down on campus parking costs.

“Why not just spend $600 on a bike and you’ll still have it when the [parking] pass expires? Then you can take it camping [and] to the beach. You can carry it anywhere,” Hovis said.

Each year, students spend hundreds of dollars to park on campus. 

Current costs are $204 for all year student lots and $504 for parking deck passes, and prices are projected to rise in upcoming semesters.

“[Parking prices] didn’t go up the past two years, so I believe they might go up. We won’t know until June,” Frankie B. Chappell of the Parking and Traffic Department said.

Motorized bicycles are treated as regular bicycles on campus and cost nothing as long as they are parked at a bike rack, Chappell said.

According to ncdot.org, motorized bicycles are considered legal road vehicles and drivers must adhere to the same laws as other motorists.

Hand signals must be performed and helmets must be worn at all times.

Insurance is not required.

“I wanna build a couple of  ‘em and sell them. I would sell them for $600. I saw them all the way up to $800 on Ebay,” Hovis said.

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