Minibikes have come a long way
 

Saw this at the dealer today. Holy balls, this is a long ways from the Trail 90 I first rode. :eek:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407551077.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407551135.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407551168.jpg

A trail 90 was a cadillac compared to my first mini bike. I think it was called a Rupp , with a lawnmower engine, and no suspension .
Simpler times. That little minibike is pretty sweet.

Looks like the motor has not changed a whole lot from the early honda days however.

I was riding a Taco 100 I bought used around 1970...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407559102.jpg

The first motorized bike I ever road was a Honda Trail 90 but it wasn't mine. My first mini-bike was a tube frame deal like above with a lawn mower engine of some sort.

I had one of them but it only had sneaker brakes or you just layed it down in the grass!!!

I had my dad's Rupp with a 5HP Briggs. Brake pedal was a steel plate against the tire.

That's how I learned to weld. Id go out, jump it off curbs and break the frame. My dad got sick of doing it and showed me how.

Back when I was a kid it was tube framed/lawnmower engine powered to start with. Then if you were lucky you moved up to a Honda 50 cc minitrail or the 70cc. You were living large with 90 cc or higher ! Man we had a blast with those little machines.

Yes they have
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407588924.jpg

My first bike was a Trail Horse....I couldn't have been any happier until I upgraded to my first real bike in 1974---a Honda SL70. One down, three up. My mother was so mad at my dad for starting me on that path!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407591468.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407591480.jpg

I had the same minibike but mine was red !

I was online searching for a cheap little bike for around town and saw these...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407594862.jpg

My older brother had the same thing, but it was made by Bonanza.

To my way of thinking the yellow SL70 that Kevin Todd posted is a cooler minibike than the Grom in the OP, but I think that's just my latent desire for the Mini Enduro that I never had when I was a kid..

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407596994.jpg

I have an old Rupp out in the chicken house that my son and I restored when he was a little guy. I think it will be my winter project to re-restore it.

grom racing
 

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^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^

I grew up on a farm in a (then) rural area of northern Va. My Dad took me to Western Auto in the town nearby and bought me a mini-bike in 1969; I was 10 years old. It was very similar to the "Taco" above but was black, had cast aluminum 'mag' wheels, 3.5 Tecumseh engine and had 'actual' rear brakes.

That was a very extravagant purchase at the time for my parents. I think the price was @ $150? I was so surprised because all the mini-bikes were displayed in the window and I would just drool every time we went there.

Funny thing is they had about 5-6 different models of mini-bikes on the floor and this one was not the best or most expensive, but it was cool. Also there was a Honda / Yamaha dealer with-in eye sight of the store , but somehow I just knew that they could not afford anything other than what I was looking at in Western Auto. And, even at that age I felt very fortunate that I was getting a mini-bike at all;)

Also Rupp mini bikes were the real 'affordable' hot-rods. They were the next step above a Taco with bigger engines and suspension. More motorcycle-like than lawnmower. Plus they had a good side business selling performance parts for the Briggs or Tecumseh engines. Stuff like cams, shaved cylinder heads, bigger valves, carburetors, chrome exhaust, clutches and CV belt drive conversions. I had their catalog at age 11. It was the Summit racing catalog......... for kids

I think at the time there was an actual mini bike magazine

Same here. My buddy's dad was an Oakland motorcycle cop who taught both to ride out in Wildcat Canyon. Hodaka Ace 100 was my first bike. What fun adventures.

THAT'S a mini bike!
I lusted after one of these when I was a kid. Most of us made our own. There was a guy in town named "Baggy" Bagford who sold frames, wheels, and axles. You could order parts from the Sears catalog too. We used all kinds of engines, from dual McCollough chainsaw motors to old 1930s 1 1/2 hp Briggs and Strattons. I had a Porter Cable saw engine on mine.

BTW I started on a tube frame/no suspension minibike too... it had the 3 1/2 HP Briggs and Stratton lawnmower engine... our dream (brothers and I) was to hot rod it with a 5HP B&S :D
I graduated to a Honda 175

dig this Rudge

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407684888.jpg

I had one these back in 1987:

http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/images/ysr50.jpg

I pulled the old Rupp out of the chicken coop Sunday and powerwashed it. I'll take some "before" pics, then start disassembly so I can get it down in the basement.

I am thinking that when I finish it I will give it to my daughter for a "pit bike" at her equestrian competitions.

I have to find the 1st restoration pics from when my son was little.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407856692.jpg

I loved my mini bike as you can see here. My brother was already killing it on a Yamaha 175 that our Father helped rebuild.

You do know the fun police are en route to your home as I type?

There is no statute of limitations on fun violations, and you, my friend, are guilty as sin. We all were.

Ha ha! Now they just sit and wait for me!:eek:http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407861964.jpg

LOL mine had a foot-operated paddle that rubbed against the outside of the rear tire. First time I stomped on it the weld broke and I ran over it, right before I went half-way through the neighbor's fence.

Good times.

Had that brocure tacked on the wall, man i wanted one of those.

ended up getting an MX-100 that was stripped, 21" front wheel, , plastic fenders, and painted yellow. $125.
For a first bike it was cool, but slow.

When I was 12 back in 1971 I bought a Francis barnett scambler that looked something like this
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1407887304.jpg
Only $50. Mom was furious. A month or two later I bought a Morris mini and An Austin A40 truck. LOL, both were $50 also. Ha back in 1971 what you could buy for 50 bucks :)

The Rupp looks like the first one I rode but never was allowed to have. It didn't have a lawn mower engine though, it had an edger, or other horizontal shaft engine. A Tecumseh 5 hp.

Ok, I finally found the pictures of the Rupp. We have like 8 million photo albums so it took a while to find them.

Original Condition June 1998

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1408204003.jpg

Post Restoration August 1998

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1408204145.jpg


How it looks today

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1408204246.jpg

I am currently finishing up a FS-509 "Cateye" mini cycle for my daughter to use at her equestrian events.

When I brought it home, hadn't run in several years...so says previous owner

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1409692905.jpg

disassembled

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1409693275.jpg

breaking down the tiny motor
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1409693401.jpg

Almost finished

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1409693902.jpg



A little color change. The entire wire harness removed, cleaned, and checked. Everything now works on this tiny bike, lights, gauges, signals, brake lights, electric start. I just need to finish the main fairing.

My first bike was a mini enduro! Great little bike!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1409695168.jpg

Awesome!!!

Sold it a few years ago. Wish I could have kept it but space was an issue, and the little bastard really needed a rebuild that I didn't have the time for.

Yeah, but in 1971 I was getting $1 a week allowance.
That was good for a 50 cent hot wheels car and some candy.
5th grade, the good ole days.

Well I finished the Minibike I rebuilt for my daughter. Unfortunately it doesn't have enough power to ride in the grass at her events. It goes great on asphalt...about 20-25 with 195 lbs (me) on its back. Since it isn't of use to her I have decided to sell it. If anyone knows someone who may be interested let me know. Asking $350.

It is fully illuminated with headlights, rear lights, brake lights, and turn signals front and rear.

What youngster wouldn't like to see this under the tree !

Finished side shot
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1418052275.jpg

Headlights on
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1418052303.jpg

I had always wanted a Honda XR75 when I was a kid like one of my friends had. I putted around on a 3.5 HP Stinger minibike which was better than a bicucle but not much.
My son has better luck with bikes than I did with my Mother. He has had an electric motorcycle that went about 15 MPH, a 3.5 HP minibike that went about 25 MPH, a Honda 125 ATC 3 wheeler that went about 40 MPH, a Honda XR 100 that goes maybe 55 MPH and now that he is 15 years old, has the same bike that I do (matching Honda XR200Rs).

Here's my "Grulf". These are great fun, awesome pit bike.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1418056238.jpg