Since we are all talking minibikes.

**beertestr** · 05-15-2017, 07:49 PM

Here's one I picked up last fall for my daughter. She had to help work on it in order to ride it, and she did great for a 10 year old kid. Spending time together and putting a little practical math in here and there was the goal.

I tend to measure the piss out of stuff and lay it out in CAD.... Maybe a bit overkill, but measure twice, cut once yadda yadda.

It started as a decent running bike, but the brake lever was short and the cable routing made squeezing the brake pretty tough. We made new axle spacers to get the rear tire centered, and then made a sprocket spacer to line the chain back up. I scavenged a brake lever off a garbage picked mountain bike and redid the cable ferrules for the rear drum brake.
Girlie did awesome wrenching and running the drill press and mill, and helped layout and scribe any of the sheet metal pieces we needed for the clutch cover.
This winter we'll blow it apart, redo the bars, have the frame powdercoat, and he grandmother is going to help stitch up a diamond pleated seat and embroider her name on it.

More later.

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**svtserpent** · 05-15-2017, 08:05 PM

Nice work! Its great that the young ones are into it also. So are the Honda clones and the harbor freight engines one in the same? I'm confused on that one...

**DRAG-ULA** · 05-15-2017, 08:09 PM

Awesome. These threads make me want to dig the 4-5 I have out of my shed & do something with them....

**beertestr** · 05-15-2017, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by svtserpent

Nice work! Its great that the young ones are into it also. So are the Honda clones and the harbor freight engines one in the same? I'm confused on that one...

I think so.

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**beertestr** · 05-15-2017, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by DRAG-ULA

Awesome. These threads make me want to dig the 4-5 I have out of my shed & do something with them....

I bought a minibike chopper project off somebody on Motown several years ago, that may be next. Not like I don't have other projects, but these are simple and fun to tinker with.

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**DeFormula** · 05-15-2017, 08:40 PM

Very cool! Great that you are doing this with your daughter.

**Tin** · 05-15-2017, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by svtserpent

So are the Honda clones and the harbor freight engines one in the same? I'm confused on that one...

Genuine Honda GX200 and many GX160 and GX140 parts fit the Honda clones and Harbor Freight Predator engines. If you get a Predator, grab the Hemi, item #60363, it's actually 7.5hp and comes with a flat top piston and forged crank. The other Predator has a cast crank and dished piston. Predators are really good engines, but they don't do well beyond their governed rpm unless you get a billet rod and billet flywheel. Those are the weak points of that engine, and other Honda clones in general. OEM Honda stuff is big money, but their blocks and heads are very high quality. Unless you're pushing over 25HP, a clone or Predator will work well.