Any love for mini bikes?

BadassBob

BadassBob

Digitally rendered
I've been messing around with them for a couple of years now and having a lot of fun. A friend of mine gave me a Motovox that he bought new for his daughter. She was scared of it, so I traded him some unused stereo gear and got to swapping the anemic 79cc 2.5HP engine for a Predator 212 Hemi from Harbor Freight. Mods are a Mod2 cam, Mikuni 22mm slide carb, 0.010 head gasket, ARC billet connecting rod, ARC billet flywheel, billet lifters, chromemoly pushrods, 26lb valve springs, and a 3 step header. It spins to 8,000rpm and 61mph with me (173lb) on it and a 75 tooth sprocket in the front and a 13 tooth on the clutch. Now I'm thinking of finding an old Ruttman or Taco and putting a genuine Honda GX200 on it all hopped up.

xiSFFSv.jpg


SX5CVOr.jpg
 
MacNoob said:
60mph on that thing?! I'd look just like your avatar if I tried that.
Click to expand...

With a brain bucket of course :D. There are a few in my area that have gone over 100MPH, one of them hit 119MPH in the 8th mile at the drag strip a couple of weeks ago.
 
That is very cool. What's the handling like? Must be good if you are comfortable at 60 mph. I have been thinking about a mini-bike, but haven't done any research yet. What would you be looking at if you did not have one already?
 
I had one of these in my younger days, Rupp Roadster II. Mine was brown, had about an acre lot to ride it on.

17148c3271912ddbdf571c1b7a414e82.jpg
 
l
Lo-Fidelity said:
That is very cool. What's the handling like? Must be good if you are comfortable at 60 mph. I have been thinking about a mini-bike, but haven't done any research yet. What would you be looking at if you did not have one already?
Click to expand...

The handling is way better with the new Kenda Super Turf tires. The original tires were the factory Motovox tires which were made for dirt and it was pretty unstable past 30MPH. I never got the death wobble, but came close a couple of times. Now it's very stable and doesn't exhibit any goofy behavior at higher speed. If I didn't have this one yet, I'd probably get an Azusa mini bike roller http://www.bmikarts.com/Azusa-Mini-Bike-Kit_p_1866.htm, then add my own clutch and engine. Those rollers run ~$300 to $350 depending on which tires and wheels you get with it. The frame and forks do need to be painted, or somebody could powdercoat it as well.
 
Last edited:
SPL db said:
I had one of these in my younger days, Rupp Roadster II. Mine was brown, had about an acre lot to ride it on.

17148c3271912ddbdf571c1b7a414e82.jpg
Click to expand...

Very nice Rupp! Those guys are spendy these days. There's a '72 and a '74 on my local Craigslist, $1800 for the former and $1400 for the latter.
 
I have a Lil Indian that the kids have outgrown but I just can't part with it. Made in Detroit back in the 60's.
 
Had a few Tacos. 55, 44, 22 and a Flexo Big Bear Scrambler. Wish I still had the Flexo.

Here is a replica Taco 44 with side car I built from scratch to show at the annual Griffith Park Side Car Rally 2013
Untitled.jpg
 
Last edited:
Peter Fonda probably would have driven one of these when he was a kid ...

cmc08.jpg
 
I have some fond memories involving mini bikes. Mainly me begging and never getting one. It is amazing how big a deal one of those things are to a young boy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom