Mini Chopper

milesguy81

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So I am thinking about building a mini chopper out of only stuff I have, like a $50 budget. I found a 205cc B&S the other day at the dump (Score!!) but its missing the carb float bowl, and one of the oil dipstick plug thingies was gone too 😬. It also had no compression but I cleaned up the exhaust valve and now its good. Can anybody seggust gear ratios to go fast but pop wheelies? Im using a centrifugal clutch (~$25) and a throttle cable kit thing (~$10) and maybe a gas tank for looks (~$20) Yep that's like $55 though. I also cant get the crankcase cover off more than an inch, even after letting it soak in WD-40 for like a week. Anybody else have this problem?
 

Denny

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You need to hang around a while and read a few threads and get some knowledge. Because what you got planned won’t even get you into the parking lot let alone the stadium.
 

Hellion

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I spent $55 on a cheeseburger yesterday. That's not a lot of money. 😁
As long as you're sitting over the rear wheel (1970's chopper style) wheelies should be easy. Use the proper 5:1, 6:1 ratio and just gas it.

Make sure you apply sand paper, coarse steel wool, or a wire-wheel-spinning-fast to the exposed end of the crankshaft (assuming it's rusty) and also look for any burrs that would prevent the crankcase cover sliding over it. Sometimes there's burrs or raised metal on the edges of the keyway that's milled into the shaft. Remove the burrs or any deformity by lightly filing it or by some other method -- If you try to force the crankcase cover or sump cover over a rough rusty shaft, you risk scoring or damaging the shaft bearing on the sump cover.

Where's the pics? I don't believe you actually have these parts and are just wasting our time. :stir:
 

Denny

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I spent $55 on a cheeseburger yesterday. That's not a lot of money. 😁
As long as you're sitting over the rear wheel (1970's chopper style) wheelies should be easy. Use the proper 5:1, 6:1 ratio and just gas it.

Make sure you apply sand paper, coarse steel wool, or a wire-wheel-spinning-fast to the exposed end of the crankshaft (assuming it's rusty) and also look for any burrs that would prevent the crankcase cover sliding over it. Sometimes there's burrs or raised metal on the edges of the keyway that's milled into the shaft. Remove the burrs or any deformity by lightly filing it or by some other method -- If you try to force the crankcase cover or sump cover over a rough rusty shaft, you risk scoring or damaging the shaft bearing on the sump cover.

Where's the pics? I don't believe you actually have these parts and are just wasting our time. :stir:
Must be nice to be rich. $55.00 for a cheeseburger is stupid money unless it feeds a family of 5.
 

John Roger

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$55 is enough for anything you plan on doing sorry to break your heart but i spent like 500 dollars building a decent go kart you need a lot more money also doing willies is hard on a minibike alone but for a chopper its insanely hard. why because if you have a super long rake like a Harley Davidson it almost impossible but in a Honda cbr 500 its easy because most of the wight in the rear. and BTW chopper minibikes are more expensive than normal minibikes.
 

milesguy81

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Well im only like 14-15 so budget is a big thing, its just for fun not the main project. I already dumped plenty of money into my 301 buggy and am saving up for the Ibanez AM53. Im thinking a ratio of 6:1 or something with some wheels I found in the junk pile, and I have plenty of scrap square tubing and stuff so I think I can do it. Thanks for all the responses and I cant get pics till like saturday maybe, I wont be back to the shop till the weekend. Yep Hellion the crankshaft is COVERED in rust
 

Hellion

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$55 is enough for anything you plan

$55 is or is not enough? Not sure what you meant.

I agree with John, you don't want to have a loooooong front fork and all that weight out front as it makes wheelies hard-er but not impossible and definitely not insanely hard. It's all about where the pivot point is and weight distribution. You will have to determine how much of a chopper you want to make as it pertains to fork length. Also, did you mean chopper or bobber? For some people chopper means a bobber. Both terms essentially mean "modified" or "chopped".

I was making a joke on the super high inflation and the cost of fast food (and well everything). In some cities a Big Mac costs $10.

 

milesguy81

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Ok well maybe not wheelies... I will have the seat on top of the rear tire pretty much and a lower gear ratio (4 or 5:1) and 15" tire on the back. I do want the fork pretty long and I might weld on longer tubes to a pedal bikes fork suspension. Im only gonna use this on the road so it should be fine. Hellion I meant chopper but bobbers are really cool! Better make both someday
 

Hellion

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I will probably get pics today, its hard to get to the shop sometimes

What are the prices like in your area for used engines and wheels and stuff? Like on craigslist or Failbook Marketplace? Prices vary wildly depending on location. You might get by on $55 and some change, plus free parts here and there.
 

milesguy81

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I can get a busted engine for around $50 and I already have plenty of wheels. But I will try to get to the shop and get pictures of the inside cause I think I can get the cover off next time I go up. Still probably could use advice on how to do that its soaked in pb blaster for a few days. Still no budging. I also popped it off like an inch and the bearing is coming out of the crankcase cover. Its hard to describe so I will get pictures soon...
 

Hellion

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Yep Hellion the crankshaft is COVERED in rust

I almost missed this, but to reply in like manner you MUST GET THE RUST OFF. That's your problem right there. I don't recommend using sandpaper and anything powered (like a disc sander) because the grit is harder than steel and you can remove needed metal making the shaft diameter smaller ...but an angle grinder with a wire wheel will make short work of the rust and pitting and it just removes the rust (mild steel wires versus a hardened, heat-treated crankshaft). The shaft doesn't have to be perfectly bright and shiny and like new but it has to be relatively smooth in order to slide the sump cover over it.

It's just the way it is. Good luck!
 
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