Make Your Own Trail Scooter

[Randy H]

http://users.infoconex.com/~ramrod/btscooter.htm

 

[Hellion]

Lots of good designs at that link. The Golden Age of minibikes and trail scooters...

 

[Desertduler]

Check out my old "Moto Gote" on that site and me and some of my buddies racing some of those old trail scooters.
http://users.infoconex.com/~ramrod/motogote.htm
http://users.infoconex.com/~ramrod/mdtsr.htm

 

[Hellion]

How about that. Your work has been published more or less.

I am starting to give these trail bikes some serious respect--they have superb ground clearance. I like those narrow but aggressive tires you have too.

 

[Desertduler]

How about that. Your work has been published more or less.

I am starting to give these trail bikes some serious respect--they have superb ground clearance. I like those narrow but aggressive tires you have too.

Those tires were the last ones to exist. They were Good Year Extra Traction tires and I found 23 of them in a warehouse in Denver Colorado and bought them all. I have long since sold them off. That purple monster I built would do 45 mph and climb really steep hills. Those old trail scooters ride like a jack hammer!

 

[Randy H]

That's pretty cool Desertduler.

I've been researching Tote Gotes a little. Might even try to replicate one. At least capture the essence.

 

[Desertduler]

That's pretty cool Desertduler.

I've been researching Tote Gotes a little. Might even try to replicate one. At least capture the essence.

We had quite a few different makes that we raced at the time. After Ralph Bonham invented the Tote Gote back in the late 50's many other brands sprung into the market. Bearkat, Trailblazer, Hillbilly, Sherpa, Mountaineer, just to name a few. We had lot's of laughs racing those things they were the worst handling two wheeled machines I have ever ridden! I have some pictures somewhere of some of the trail scooters that we raced.

 

[Randy H]

Tote Gote Land

http://users.infoconex.com/~ramrod/tgland.htm

The Bearcat is nuts. The rear tire and sprocket combo looks wicked. Looks unstoppable.

http://users.infoconex.com/~ramrod/Bearkat.htm

Desertduler, have you posted any pics or info about those machines? I'm sure a lot of guys would want to hear more. I barely remember an uncle having a Tote Gote. Only one I've seen in real life. 40 years ago.

 

[Desertduler]

Tote Gote Land

http://users.infoconex.com/~ramrod/tgland.htm

The Bearcat is nuts. The rear tire and sprocket combo looks wicked. Looks unstoppable.

http://users.infoconex.com/~ramrod/Bearkat.htm

Desertduler, have you posted any pics or info about those machines? I'm sure a lot of guys would want to hear more. I barely remember an uncle having a Tote Gote. Only one I've seen in real life. 40 years ago.

Here is my friend Wade racing on his Bearkat during one of our races.
He and I used to race motorcycles in the desert together. Sadly he lost his life on a motocross track he came up short on a jump and crashed real hard. He was one excellent rider and at his funeral some of the sadness was lightened to a degree when they showed some of the photos of us racing these old machines.

 

[Desertduler]

Here is Wade launching at one of our starts on his Bearkat (far right).
Notice the John Deere green " Hillbilly" that is my first racing trail scooter I had the smallest engine a 6.5 Honda GX 200.

 

[Desertduler]

Here is a small glimpse of some of the terrain we were racing on.
Bill takes a "Soil Sample" aboard his Mountaineer!

 

[Desertduler]

Look at the pain on this young mans face as he nears the end of one of our "Gote" races.

 

[Desertduler]

One last shot of Wade on his Bearkat as he gives a "Thumbs Up" to another buddy of mine who is no longer with us as he leads in one of our "Gote" races. Notice the remote desert tank on the front forks!

 

[Desertduler]

The "Purple Monster" bucked me off one day and I cracked my right shoulder blade and I couldn't train my rear delts in the gym for awhile.

 

[chancer]

Cool Pics Dez. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Randy H]

Desertduler
Thanks very much for those posts and pics. I can only imagine how precious they are to you.

 

[Desertduler]

Desertduler
Thanks very much for those posts and pics. I can only imagine how precious they are to you.

Thank you Randy, indeed they are. We did it to have fun and it was a blast to say the least! That is what life means to me create fond memories and we all got a big kick out of it! We dared to do it and we made it happen.

 

[Randy H]

I'm gonna have to round up some pipe and expanded metal and see what I can come up with. Not even going to try to find a sprocket like that. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try.

 

[B_Bimmer]

Thanks for sharing, looks like a pile of fun. I gotta say though, I think my back would just desert me if I tried to ride a minibike all day.

 

[Hellion]

You can't complain much about a machine that has little to no suspension and was meant to merely trundle along, negotiating narrow trails in the woods (if you believe the marketing brochures) to get a hunter to his cabin...

I love the plain, spartan, utilitarian styling (or is it no styling?) of these bikes.