Thread: mini bike frame

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Don

You've got to have a picture with smoke coming off the back tire. Cmon!

Originally Posted by Mark in Memphis

Don

You've got to have a picture with smoke coming off the back tire. Cmon!

Haha, no smoke, but the front end gets real light when I cranked it open. Then, when I laid off of the gas I felt like I was going to do a header over the handlebars. I guess I was a little more agile 53 years ago when I had my first one.

I agree with Glenn.....3-5 hp is much more sensible. The 6.5 is physically a little bigger (less footroom) plus it is just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much hp.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Haha, no smoke, but the front end gets real light when I cranked it open. Then, when I laid off of the gas I felt like I was going to do a header over the handlebars. I guess I was a little more agile 53 years ago when I had my first one.

I agree with Glenn.....3-5 hp is much more sensible. The 6.5 is physically a little bigger (less footroom) plus it is just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much hp.

Don

Don,
Comparing the pic's of your beautiful yellow bike with the two that BTD posted I noticed that your foot pegs were a lot farther back than the others, which I think would add to the feeling of instability, especially at speed. I would think that having your feet about a foot or more shifted forward would help, but then I've not ridden a mini bike for about 40+ years

You are right, the footpegs should be up front but that engine is too large and took up the spot where your feet would lay comfortably. So the only alternative was drag bike style, behind the engine. I think wheelie bars would help, maybe that is next...........after all, the Billetproof drags are coming up in October and they have a minibike class.

Don

Here is what mine looked like when I bought it. Someone had cut off the engine mounting plate, so I had to redo my frame and straighten it as it was bent from years of abuse.

Thanks for the help and ideas. I found out that its not a Rupp "continental" but its actually a Rupp "Digger" Same bike but has a gas tank mounted on top.


I sent a wire brush down the pipes , actually a home made brush made with long lengths of welding wire with the ends bent about 5 feet long hooked to a drill. Very dangerous but it seemed to work. When I flipped the frame over I did not see any big rust particles come out (good sign) , but there was some black fine powder.

Seeing the bulge in tube it makes since that water got into it and froze. Glad that it is from water freezing and not just rusting out which would be worse,IMO. I spent a few minutes late last night massaging the bulge with a brass hammer to try and lay it down evenly. The metal is still pretty tuff but its moving, so I think the metal in these areas is still pretty good. Gonna try and get it weld up today , I will get some pics.

As silly as it sounds, building one of these is a lot more fun than building a car, I really enjoyed restoring mine. They are so simple and not very expensive to restore. I have just about $ 400 in mine, including the on sale HF motor at $ 99.00. The only mistake I made was thinking that more hp would be better..........should have put nothing bigger than 5 hp on it. A 5 would have also been physically smaller and left more room for my legs and feet.

I might fab up some wheelie bars and give it another try.

Don