$60 in gas you say? Do I only leave my house once a week? No, I ride to work 5-6 days a week, I go to the grocery store, I take rides on our local bike trails. I even ride to nearby cities 20 to 30 miles away! And I do it all with a 100 year old invention...a MOTORIZED BICYCLE. This is kind of technology in reverse, going back to where it all started. Long before there were motorcycles, there were motorized bicycles. The first examples were fairly inefficient and didn't go very fast, but motors have come a long ways since then.
Newer kits have a throttle just like a motorcycle, a carburator, and an adjustable clutch. I started with a Giant mountain bike I already had sitting around my garage. Most people prefer to use beach cruisers, but I wanted the ability to go offroad with a higher center of gravity. Getting started is the easy part. there are numerous websites that sell motorized bicycle engine kits. I would recommend Bikeberry, Kings Motorbikes or Custom Motored Bicycles. The kits cost as little as $110 for an engine kit that comes with everything you need to get your project up and running. There are more expensive kits that can deliver up to 400cc's and go 80mph, but I'm a little scared of going that fast on a bicycle.
Once you receive your kit, you can use the included instruction manual, but make it easy on yourself and watch the step-by-step videos found here;
It takes about 8 hours to assemble everything and get it up and running. You have to use premium unleaded gasoline, and mix it with high-performance 2 stroke motorcycle oil, which can be found at any motorcycle shop for about $12/quart. The 49cc engine I use gets around 140mpg without any modifications. If you want to "pimp your ride" however, the possibilities are endless. The best site for custom parts is Custom Motored Bicycles. They have hundreds of parts to make your bike more efficient and and attractive.
When I first got my motor, I could go about 40mph, now it's wearing down a bit and I can only go about 35. Still, if you don't want to replace brake pads you can add disk brakes. Don't want to worry about splatter from puddles? Many styles of fenders are available. More horsepower? An expansion chamber will do the trick. I found that a brass fuel filter worked better than the paper lined filter that came with the bike, and it was only $2.99!!! Also, the chain that comes with these is a bit dinky. You can order more expensive chain online, but it's much easier to go to your local farm supply store (i.e. Farm & Fleet), and get yourself some 41 Roller Chain and a pack of connecting links. This will set you back all of $15.
With all the custom parts I added to my bike, I have still spent less than $200 on everything, including the motor kit. I put a bigger gas tank on mine, I could go about 150 miles round trip without refueling. I made a custom bracket for the back so I can store 100+ pounds on the rear storage rack. But the best part is, my job is about 2.4 miles from my house by road, and I can go to work 5-6 days a week for a month on a gallon of gas. This doesn't mean you shouldn't have a car or get a ride to pick up the kids or go shopping. But think of the money you could save taking your own motorized bike to work or appointments!!!