Building mini-bikes NGC

[inditx]

Here’s one of my brothers recent builds from scratch.

inditx

[Lannis]

Here’s one of my brothers recent builds from scratch.

inditx

That's how I got into riding as a young lad .... I'll never forget the first time I started that Briggs, opened the throttle, heard the centrifugal clutch start clanging, and was moving forward on two wheels under motor power ... 52 years ago and the ride hasn't ended yet!

Lannis

[twowings]

Interesting! Perhaps a little triangulation between the front downtube and the backbone...not an engineer, but rough riding might put some strain on that front...

[s1120]

Looks nice!!   You know.. I was one of the lucky kids.. My first 2 wheeler was a Honda mini trail.. but MAN I always wanted a old school mini bike!!  Maybe when I grow up.... oh wait... im 53...  :) 

[tazio]

Mine was a Scat Bat. Or was it Bat scat?
Lived on it after school each day.

[Dilliw]

Herter's with the huge golf cart rear tire for me.  I think you can still see the track marks at my folk's house.

[guzziart]

I got this gem for $200, all it needed was a $114 (ebay) top end.

[JJ]

At age 12...my very FIRST solo ride on two wheels was on this mini-bike...the legendary TACO 22...in the backyard of my cousin's friends house on Route 9 in Beacon, New York!! 

[BrotherJim]

My brother likes to buy clapped-out little Briggs or Chinese-engined minis, put an HF Predator 212cc engine in them, and hoard up his garage with them.  He makes custom number plates and chain/clutch guards on the plasma table and cuts different designs into them.  They are super-quick up to about 3k rpm, at which point the vibration becomes unbearable.  His kids think he's the best Dad ever.  Not so sure about the neighbors.  This one has a donor engine from a trash day snowblower (Guzzi content?).

[izzuG]

I have a 1974 Eldorado, 2002 Ducati SS, and a 1979 CB750K - hands down the mini bike gives me the biggest smile, but it is by far the most dangerous of the 4 bikes! I would never ride the other three in flip-flops, after having adult beverages, but it happens often on this little bugger!

[Huzo]

I started on a thing called a Deckson Hunter in ‘73.




Dad thought I might need a serviceable skeleton beyond the age of 14 so spent money we didn’t have and made me read a list of rules a mile long.
ANY infraction would mean loss of bike for an indeterminate period and none was committed.
THIS is what I came home to..




I have NEVER had a bike that I felt more loved or privileged to “own”.

[inditx]

These stories are awesome! Keep em coming!

I bought my first mini bike with lawn mowing money but it had no engine.
I saved again and found a garage sale lawn mower that had a 5hp Briggs.
Let’s just say “no governor” on that one.
Great fun around the neighborhood but the neighbors and eventually the law didn’t share my joy so no more around the neighborhood.
The tracks around the house are probably still there akin to the Oregon trail wagon tracks I imagine.

inditx

[Huzo]

Just in the interests of full disclosure.
I’m not claiming the Deckson or SL 70 are the actual bikes.
But the Honda in the shot is indistinguishable from how mine was when I got it.

[TDF]

My uncles, Dads younger brothers,  had a red framed Briggs powered mini bike they pretty much wore out.  At some point Dad got ahold of it and got it running fo us, his sons.  By then it only had two places the engine would run, idle and wide open, the brakes were so wore out if you used them they just locked up, and the foot pegs had been broken off so someone along the line had welded a piece of fence post across the frame for our feet.  Needless to say every time you leaned it over one of those would dig in and throw you off.  I was also introduced to my first speed wobble on that thing.  Can't for the life of me figure out how Dad thought giving that to a couple of pre teens was a good idea unless he was just tired of us.  Still was great fun.  Made the Honda Super 90 that followed feel like a real motorcycle.

TDF

[s1120]

Ahh.. the old days and that first taste of freedom!!!  early 70's riding at its best!!!

[Sheepdog]

The first mini bike I rode was a great deal like the one in the OP: no brakes!