You Know You Want One...

[CaveCreekRay]

Mini bikes are making a comeback... If you had one in your youth, you still want one. I had a Rupp Enduro in 1971. I may look for a nice used Honda Monkey...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou2PLolvw0I

 

[armylifer]

When I was about 13 years old I built a mini bike from an old 20" bike frame and a B&S 5 HP motor that came off an old reel mower.

I did not have any money to buy any parts so I did not have a centrifugal clutch. The drive from the shaft was by the original lawn mower drive pulley connected by v belt to the original drive wheel from the lawn mower. To start the motor you had to push start the bike and jump on when it started. The motor was direct drive. It only had the original front hand brake from the bicycle to stop it, along with the compression from the engine when I grounded out the spark plug. I got bit more than one time by the spark plug until I ended up connecting a wire and spring lever to the handle bars, to shut the engine down.

That mini bike cost me nothing but a few hours of work but it was fun to drive around the field behind our house.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

I bet today you still use the things you learned building that mini bike. The lure of excitement made you learn how to fabricate with what you had and how to use tools to create what you wanted. And I bet you took some care with your creation knowing, if you crash it too bad, you may lose that excitement.

I remember the first time I rode a mini bike. It was an incredible rush of freedom and excitement. By simply turning this hand grip, the whole world moved by. The wind blew in my face. And I did not have to pedal. I was sitting still, in total awe. That feeling was a drug I remain addicted to to this very day.

I feel sad for the kids of today who have no chance to experience that rush...

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'll stick with my quads. Besides, I'm too old and stiff to bend myself to get on one.

I remember when I was a kid, I took an old Toro reel lawnmower, removed the blades, added a hitch and my coaster wagon, changed the final drive ratio and rode it all around. A lawnmower that went 30 mph. Stopping was a pizzer though.

Kid down the road too a sheet of plywood, added axles and an old Briggs lawnmower engine and rode that. The plywood flexible flyer...lol

 

[armylifer]

Ray, you are right about me still using the skills that I learned as a kid building that mini bike. I taught my kids too. My son and I built 6 off road vehicles together. 2 Suzuki Samurai's and 4 Jeeps. We took all of them down to Moab, UT a few times and to many of the venues in WA state. At each of the events we took those vehicles to someone ended up buying them from me. My son kept the last Jeep we built and he has it to this day. He has been wrenching since he was 10. He was installing lockers and crawler transfer cases for extra cash by the time he was 12. Now his oldest son is 9 and he is teaching him about mechanics.

My daughters did not go in for building vehicles but I taught them maintenance and each of them also took an auto shop class in high school. So yeah, my kids got heavily exposed at young ages. No sitting on computers for them.

 

[bearbait]

Thanks for posting Ray and yea your right, I did always want one. Even now when Princess Auto (pretty much the same as HF) has them in their flyer I get the urge to buy one. Who knows, I was 55 before I've ever driven or owned a motorcycle and now at 62 I bought my second one.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Good comments.

My only kid was a girl. So, she had to learn how to ride motorcycles and work on stuff.

I gave my daughter my old '81 Celica to drive as her first car. After a year, I noticed I was the only one doing any routine work on it. I told her that if we upgraded her car, she would have to do the routine work on it, with my help.

She did the brakes and fluid service. Asked for a compressor to run her air tools as a wedding present. Took great car of "her" car until she ran the wheels off of it. Got a great price for it because it was immaculate.

She's 35 now and her Sorento was due an oil change. With the 5 year-old in pre-school, and the two year old mesmerized by mom picking up a car and putting it on jack stands, she changed the oil rather than having someone else do it. It was just easier and simpler. Handy skills to have. Oh, and she's hell on car salesmen. I made her sit through the whole negotiation in her "newer" college car deal and she used those skills to hammer the KIA dealer on her Sorento.

Sometimes they listen. Sometimes they don't.

 

[Lil Foot]

My first powered 2 wheeler was the ToteGoat shown below. (1972) Top speed WFO 16mph, but it would climb anything you had the guts to try.
Then later we had a FatTire like the 3rd pic, except orange & black instead of red & black. Lots of motorcycles over the years, but these fit the thread best.

 

[Wildfire]

The love for the mini bike has been going on for a long time. The first thing I ever wrenched was my 1969 Honda Z50. Dad bought it used for me in 1970. Loved that thing. The next one was the Honda CT70. That came about after I outgrew the Z50 and it never ended there.
I’ve had so many bikes I lost count. The last few years I’ve gone back and picked up junkers to restore. Loved restoring them but just ran out of room.
Oh the memories

 

[Lil Foot]

Welcome back Paul, you've been missed!

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Indeed Paul,

Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Ridem32]

My first bike was a 1970 mini trail 50. Great little bike. Had lots over the years. Honda makes what looks to be a Honda 50 same gas tank etc but it has the Honda 125 grom motor in it. And Honda is very proud of it. But it looks very nice. Can be seen on Honda website. The mini trail 50 was bullet proof.


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[Ridem32]

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[CaveCreekRay]

Nice pics Ridem...

Wow... the exhaust goes down, back, and around the skid plate and back up to the muffler! That seems an awful long way. Ground it once and you could pinch off the exhaust.

Rider reports on these give them high marks. I have an '86 Z50 that is almost a big. The Monkey has lots of power for its size with the Grom motor. My wife's Vespa 150 weighs a ton and is still zippy despite a belt drive and its loss in energy.

 

[bird dogger]

In grade school quite a few years ago I acquired a broken down scooter (then called a doodlebug) and made it serviceable by patching a hole in the block with a rag and custom fit wood peg. No slip clutch on it so a file elongated the motor mount holes and a rusty barn door hinge and some wire attached to the block and operated by the foot would slide the motor forward and off I’d go. That scooter paid for itself (cuz it cost next to nothing) by running a gopher trap line in the countryside. Fishing the river was now an easy cruise away, as well as visiting some classmates who were also living in rural settings. That scooter made possible a lot of possibilities that were otherwise inaccessible without transportation or a very long hard bicycle ride!

When my kids were little, I found an old scooter (I think it was called a Grand Prix) and fixed it up to rideable condition. They and their friends rode the daylights out of it all through school and by the time they graduated it was pretty broken down again and almost ready for the junk pile. Instead, it was stripped down, frame repaired, etc. and completely refurbished. Since I had planned to give it a military look I did it up in honor of my wife’s dad who served in the 164th Infantry on Guadalcanal during WWII.
With a new 6.5 HP engine on it you best be holding on when you crack the throttle! The tires had to also be glued on or they’d spin on the hub and shear the fill nozzle off. That was partly due to some hard driving with a 200 lb. rider but what fun!! Now any youngster that visits gets a little instruction and payback is the wide grin and bulging eyes as they take off like a rocket after a few practice runs.

Here’s a few pics of the before scrap pile and the after refurbishing look as it sits now:

 

[CaveCreekRay]

AWESOME OVERHAUL!

Bet the grand kids have to take it easy on it today!

 

[bird dogger]

AWESOME OVERHAUL!

Bet the grand kids have to take it easy on it today!

Thanks for the compliment!!

Some more pics of the build: Stenciling the seat cover with permanent black marker. The rear carry all rack for the auxiliary gas tank. The full conversion into the LRP scooter (Long Range Patrol)!!






I started this addition to it but ran out of winter before finishing: Will become a custom sidecar when I find an appropriate wheel and finish the running gear. Plan to spray the interior with some box liner material to water proof it so when not hauling some tiny Generals around it can hold ice and refreshments while out on those long range patrols! I’m thinking at least a 12 pack! I’m betting a few people can guess what the almost ready made side car is from!

 

[bird dogger]

AWESOME OVERHAUL!

Bet the grand kids have to take it easy on it today!

Sorry, I forgot to address the grandkids comment: We’re not lucky enough to have any grandkids yet so I treat Every young ‘un that visits as if they were one! It’s quite rewarding to see those kids learn and do things that they didn’t think they could or their parents wouldn’t let them try at home. All while being safe and in control of the situation, of course! Here’s pics of one of our good friend’s son who was a little too young to go by himself but would yell with delight on the rides I gave him! Sadly, they’re between assignments now from the Air Force and have just moved but I doubt they’ll forget the fun and new found experiences they’ve had here.