Good places to learn about minibikes?

CoconutPete

1979 XS650 Special
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I'm talking about the ones that were popular in the 70's.
The one that were powered by lawnmower-style engines.
Not the chinese mini-crotch rockets that were everywhere about 10 years ago.

Do any of you guys have one? How tall are you?

I'd really like to look for one of these to put-put around the neighborhood on and teach my kids about motorized control on 2 wheels.

Good place to look for one? Craigslist is (as always) hit and miss with people wanting $500 for the new chinese ones and $5,000,000 for the older ones.
 
What do you want to know? Single gear, centrifugal clutch, usually a single rear brake that was a rubber covered paddle to contact the rear wheel, exposed chain, thumb throttle. . . . high fun factor, also a high danger factor. Usually, run $3-500 if they are any account in my area. Projects and junk piles 50-200.
None of my business how you spend your $$.
My personal experience was to do the Honda monkey bike. Much more reliable, better performance, higher resale and safer.
1987.jpg
1988 Danny & Josh.jpg


Here is a local CL listing for you.
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/mcy/d/1983-z50r-honda/6307062154.html
 
You might consider putting together a "motorized bike", which is a bicycle with a motor on it. Top speed around 35mph. I put one together and it was loads of fun, Like this one:
 
The top pic is mine as it sits today in it`s original unrestored cond. It`s a 1960 Sensation. It has a Clinton A400 that starts right up. The bottom pic is a 1958 Go Kart 400 and a Go Kart Big Bear Scrambler that are hanging in my friends basement. Both were Christmas presents that year.He got the kart and his sister got the mini bike. "There really is a Santa Claus!"
RILCO KART 038.jpg
RILCO KART 048.jpg
 
Your never too tall or too big for a mini bike. I did not know Hoss Cartwright had a twin brother?
3ed1666cd213c9f4725d4140326512a6--fat-women-motor-scooters.jpg
 
As a cub scout in the mid '60's, I got "Boys Life" magazine and in the back pages was the little ads. One of them was for minibikes. I recall that one pic was one like your red one and another pic was more "chopper style. Triangular frame with "extended forks" and the lawn mower engine. I wanted THAT one! Never seen or got one.
 
I really want to find an old one to restore. It would be easy to buy the one from Wally world, but where's the fun in that. I have dumped more $ into my XS than my boss wanted to sell me his Harley for, but again I said "where's the fun in that?"
 
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