Mini Bike..What did I buy?

[Keit1212]

Payed $50 for it the way it sits. From what I can tell the handle bars aren't original and I'd like to find some of the taller ones that you see on vintage minis. The seat also doesn't look original and if not I'd like to buy or make the banana looking ones also from the vintage looking mini bikes.

But yea the plastic fake gas tank is definitely coming off and the front rim may need changed since it has a sprocket on it? The back tire holds air not sure about the front yet. Also will I need a jackshaft for this or can I just use a clutch and tension-er? I'm gonna be ordering a new handlebar if possible and what ever other parts I need.

Anyways here's pics tell me if I did ok. I see alot of rolling chassis go for $100 plus on ebay.

 

[mike.]

Not sure what it is but it looks awesome and you got a deal. No need for a jack shaft though. A tensioner will do just as good of a job and it is less complicated. Jack shat will allow you more room to play with gearing though. Imo, ditch the scrub brake and switch to a drum. Your frame will support it and you will stop easier and not wear down the tire. Maybe even hook the brake line to the old scrub brake peddle so you can still foot brake? Just an idea.

 

[Keit1212]

Not sure what it is but it looks awesome and you got a deal. No need for a jack shaft though. A tensioner will do just as good of a job and it is less complicated. Jack shat will allow you more room to play with gearing though. Imo, ditch the scrub brake and switch to a drum. Your frame will support it and you will stop easier and not wear down the tire. Maybe even hook the brake line to the old scrub brake peddle so you can still foot brake? Just an idea.

Ok I'll add a drum brake to my list of things to get.

Was thinking of one of these two handle bars. Anyone got any better ones?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Speedway-mi...DefaultDomain_100&hash=item231bd9cf65&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Speedway-mi...DefaultDomain_100&hash=item231bd9cca3&vxp=mtr

 

[Blazkowiez]

You might try old minibike forums. Sweet bike though, I look forward to seeing the build.

 

[Keit1212]

You might try old minibike forums. Sweet bike though, I look forward to seeing the build.

Ok I'm gonna make a post over there too thanks!

Any how I got the thing disassembled down to the frame. It looks like something was either cut off or they tried to weld something on.

Also I picked up a 5hp engine for free from my parents neighbor and I brought it home. Was told it ran well he just had to take the cover off alot to fix the recoil. There's an extra shaft coming out of the engine and I was wonder if it was going to be in the way? (see pic) So if it will work i'll get this thing fixed up and start ordering my parts tonight.

Also found out its a manco,but don't know the year yet.

So far I need:
Handle bars
clutch and chain
drum or other type of brakes. Drum look kinda expensive.
Some type of chain tension er
what else?

^This all was on the front axle for spacing I guess?? So we have broken bearing pieces on the left, a sprocket in the middle with some spacers below and a brake disc on the right?

^rear tire W/ sprocket.

The front tire looks fine and does hold air found out so that's a plus. It just needs the correct spacers instead of random junk tossed on.

 

[ML-TOYS]

Are you just planning on building it for fun or to restore.
The old mini bikes to restore can get very costly

 

[Keit1212]

A little of both.

here's the engine pics

 

[Keit1212]

Well this is as addicting as vintage garden tractors and go-karts! Been reading about minibikes now and ordering lots of goodies for this.

A user on Oldminibike forums is selling me the original 7/8" handle bars that I need.

Also ordered quite a few other things...
these grips w/ throttle
Also this seat. I may have to make a bracket for it.
Max torque clutch and chain
Also got the parts for the 5hp briggs I need from partstree.com.

Also ordered this stuff from Omb Warehouse:
AZ4024 #41 Master Link - just incase
OMBCG1 OMB Chain Guard - sweet!
AZ8380 Steel Axle Bushing x2 for the front axle
AZ8206 5/8" x 1-3/8" Precision Sealed Bearing x4
R267 Wire Stop w/ Swivel - Universal $0.75 -just incase

After all the ordering is done comes the fun part paint!

 

[Keit1212]

Lots of progress. I really wanted to use my sandblasting cabinet for this project, but either my medium is wrong or my p.s.i. isn't up to par. I figured I could blast intermittently, but things weren't working out. So I I did what I could before painting it. I plan to take it all back apart one day and sand blast it right though.
So I got it painted and reassembled it. Put in new bearings in the front and back and added spacers in the front.
Scrounged the piece I needed (see pic of flywheel)that connects the engine recoil to the flywheel and got the motor running. It's still gonna need a good carb cleaning though. I cut of the extra shaft on the motor and sanded the shaft the clutch goes on. I got it smooth enough it slides on and off. Found the correct bolt to hold the clutch on. I put a 1 1/8th washer on the inside and one a hair smaller on the outside with a lock nut.
When I bolted the motor on I found out that I need more the the 4ft of chain that I ordered so I'll pick some up next week. So for now i bolted the motor down towards the front and it looks very nice.

 

[Keit1212]

 

[Keit1212]

I got my Seat, Seat Bracket, rear shocks, and rear fender in the mail today.

Went ahead and wire wheeled the rust off the shocks when I got them. Also welded on a new bracket for the seat pivot. I went ahead and mounted the seat and shocks and man does it look sweet! Also I know my welds and fab work suck.

 

[kendelrk]

im suprised nobody has been able to identify it for you yet, its a manco thunderbird that somebody changed to make thier own. you can see the basic frame and compare to this picture http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10...ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0,i:98&tx=133&ty=109. i had one and its a great little bike. i just like my mini baja a bit more. either way 50$ is a good deal

 

[landuse]

Nice work. You will have that going soon at the speed you are going

 

[Jcotz]

Nice work! Your progress has been pretty rapid. But building is half the fun!

 

[Keit1212]

im suprised nobody has been able to identify it for you yet, its a manco thunderbird that somebody changed to make thier own. you can see the basic frame and compare to this picture http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10...ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0,i:98&tx=133&ty=109. i had one and its a great little bike. i just like my mini baja a bit more. either way 50$ is a good deal

Yea I had it identified on omb forums, but thanks for the pic!

Nice work. You will have that going soon at the speed you are going

thanks! getting a new head gasket today, then just waiting on the original handle bars to come in the mail.

Nice work! Your progress has been pretty rapid. But building is half the fun!

thanks and yea once it's done what will I do with my time....lol

 

[Keit1212]

Well I put the new head gasket on the engine and it still smokes. I believe it's gonna need rings. So I put it off to the side and it will be something I can do later on. I've never put rings in an engine before so it will be a good learning experience.

So I went ahead and took the 5hp briggs off my tiller since it will require no modification to work on the mini bike. That way I can take it back off next spring to till the garden.

The engine off my tiller runs mint with no smoke and throttles up nicely. I did buy the bit of chain I was short and got the chain linked together perfect. So I'm just eagerly awaiting my handle bars and I should be riding soon!

 

[Bluethunder3320]

a bad head gasket usually doesnt make a flathead small engine smoke. thats only in cars or water cooled engines where the coolant or oil passes through the head.

it could also be worn valve guides

check compression, if its low put some oil in the cylinder. if the compression is much higher, then you can safely say your rings are bad.

if theres fuel in the oil that also means bad rings.... or sometimes carb problems

nice job on the bike it looks mint!

 

[Keit1212]

a bad head gasket usually doesnt make a flathead small engine smoke. thats only in cars or water cooled engines where the coolant or oil passes through the head.

it could also be worn valve guides

check compression, if its low put some oil in the cylinder. if the compression is much higher, then you can safely say your rings are bad.

if theres fuel in the oil that also means bad rings.... or sometimes carb problems

nice job on the bike it looks mint!

Thanks!

Well the head gasket wasn't bad. I just replaced it because it came apart when I took the head off. What I should have said was when I took the head off it had alot of carbon/oil build up around the valves. And when I rotated the flywheel to move the piston up and down It was leaving alot of oil at the top. Which I assume cause the oil build up around the valves. So once I cleaned it all up the smoke pretty much came right back. So I guess it needs rings.

 

[Keit1212]

Well it's done. Just gonna need a few tweaks and adjustments here and there. Here's a few pics of how I hooked up the throttle and the finished bike.

And now the bad news. I didn't take into account that I haven't rode a bike since I was a teenager. So I rode it around slow for a bit. Rode it around front of the house on the road. And then it happened. The steering isn't as maneuverable as I would have thought and I wasn't use to the brake so I put my feet down. Well I was holding on and ended up throttling up and my feet flew out from under me and I went into the ditch.

The bad part was the wife was watching and she wasn't laughing at all. Me I was just busting up cause I haven't had a thrill like that since I was a kid and I did bmx and skateboarding. So yea I wrecked it and bent a peg but man was it fun! Just need to upgrade to a clutch brake like the rest of the world now. Also gonna see if I can figure out the steering.

Also the exhaust has to be changed cause it burns my leg lol...

 

[JCB003]

That turned out great!