Baja Doodle Dug DB30 - my daughters build

[zogthegreat]

Hi everyone!

So, after weeks of searching, I managed to snag a Baja Doodle Dug DB30 for $60.00:

It's in rough shape, the paint is really faded and there is a lot of rust that will need to be dealt with:

Here is my "basic" ideas:

Replace the 2.8 stock engine with a 6.5 clone

Replace the centrifugal clutch with a Comet 30 clone torque converter, (this will actually be my daughters build and she is planning to do a lot of stop and go off road riding),

Replace the stock 6.5 muffler with a tailpipe of some kind

Rust repair and paint - my daughter mentioned metallic magenta, I wanted to argue but it's her build, so she can paint it how she wants, (shudder )

Maybe upgrade the brakes to hydraulics, she's 12 and I think hydraulic brakes will be easier for her. Opinions on this matter are welcome!

I will be putting a Mikuni 22mm clone carb on it, does anyone have a link for a proper cable?

The seat is worn out with holes, I might replace it. A new rear tire is a must.

Any other suggestions are welcome!

 

[zogthegreat]

OK, because I don't have enough going on, I played around with sizing a 6.5 clone onto the frame. Looks like I'm going to have to sort a few things out. The motor is going to need at least a 2" lift for the torque converter to clear the frame:

I'm also going to have to find or fab a different fuel tank. The stock one won't fit mounted on the motor or in front of the seat and I think that it looks like crap mounted on the tail:

I also don't like how far the carburetor is sticking out, I might do something about that also. For the exhaust, I'm thinking a 1 1/2" pipe with a Briggs screw in type of muffler. Out on the trails, my daughter can run a straight pipe, in the campground, she can use the muffler so people don't get, (too), irritated.

Part of me is worried about the amount of power that this motor will have for the frame, but she will be old enough in 2 years for a real moped/scooter, so I think it will be good experience for her.

Her mother might defer with my opinion!

 

[Randy H]

Looks like that'll be a sweet machine for your daughter. If you go with magenta you can tell people it's Furious Fuchsia.

 

[2SlickNick]

Awesome build, it's going to have a lot of power, it's going to be a wheelie machine.
You can trim the torque converter back plate, and then you're only need to raise the engine 3/4 of an inch.

Watch at around one minute 55 seconds, I've cut plenty of back plates with no repercussions.

https://youtu.be/gSKflysb-b4

 

[bob58o]

I don't trust my full grown adult friends to ride my minibikes without flipping them over.
I also use 6.5 HP engines with TC's. My bikes and friends are bigger.

You realize that if she gives it full throttle from a stop, she is going to end up on her butt.

Nobody ever thinks to let go of the throttle, they just hold on. It usually makes for a funny video cause normally nobody gets seriously hurt. And if it is MY bike, you better not dump it and mess up my powder coat. LOL. Usually looks like some dude dancing in a circle with a minibike (which now is standing straight up). And the minibike always leads during this dance!!!!

Give her some wheelie bars, a tethered kill switch, and a whole lot of instruction.
A thumb throttle is also a good choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFYWPkFi8W0

 

[zogthegreat]

You realize that if she gives it full throttle from a stop, she is going to end up on her butt.

I'm hoping that she knows better by now! My electric scooters can be fairly torquey and has put my son, (who rides motorcycles), on his butt a couple of times. My daughter will ride circles around him, (literally), laughing at him while she does it!

Nobody ever thinks to let go of the throttle, they just hold on.

She did this once on one of my scooters a few years back and ran straight into a wall! The bad part is I saw her heading for it, but I couldn't grab her in time. She vowed never to ride any of my scooters again, but was back on one the next day, (I'm very proud of her for that, she was doing about 12 mph at the time and really did smack the wall hard! She was 8 at the time).

Give her some wheelie bars, a tethered kill switch, and a whole lot of instruction.
A thumb throttle is also a good choice.

I've been thinking about wheelie bars, I know that this thing will be torquey. Is there any general rules on them or just build something to keep the bike from flipping?

Can you mod the kill switch or do you buy a tethered one like for a jet ski?

(EDIT) I forgot to mention that I'm going to have her start with the original 97cc motor until I'm sure that she can handle the mini bike.

 

[bob58o]

Somebody posted a DIY tethered kill switch. Denny? McKutzy?
Like a case around a normally closed momentary push button switch. Holes in the case hold a pin.
The pin holds the button down (which is open). When the pin gets pulled, the button goes back to its normal position - Which is closed.

I bought mine from eBay for 5 bucks. Includes momentary push button too.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-Kil...262810910215?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

 

[bob58o]

I built wheelie bars for my old minibike.
Then I didn't like them.
I was building them to prevent the bike from flipping over completely.
I wanted to still be able to ride on hilly ground and still go off road.
I wanted to be able to still pull the front wheel up.
I made it removable by using clevis pins.

After I started trying to get better launches for "drag" times, I wished I built them to keep the front wheel lower, which also would have meant that I couldn't ride on hilly ground.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

I believe there is insufficient GAB on those wheelie bars.

 

[zogthegreat]

Hey bob, do you have any close up's of how you attached the the wheelie bar? I think I can figure something out, but seeing how you did it would help.