I had virtually the same rigid frame with the Briggs and Stratton at the start of the clip.
I swapped it for a Honda CL90 (Not a step-through thank you)...anyway - a CL90 and an air rifle, (but I didn't tell my mum about the air rifle.) I got the CL 'cheap' because it had a busted clutch cable.
Another slight difference is that for me the dream was a Norton 850 Interstate, rather than the Hog. But same deal.
I didn't tell her about the XS1100 till after I bought it at 17 either.
There were tons of those frames around here when I was a kid. The trick was finding a good horizontal shaft motor and clutch. You could find motors around if you really scrounged around, but usually had to buy a clutch. Tough trick when you're 8. That song really takes you back though. I had so much fun on those things.
Paint compressors is were I would try to get the mini bike motors they had 12 HP on some of them you know 900 cc sportster power I actually still have one for my littleman a Manco
brings back the good old days growing up.a guy in the neighborhood put a 12hp compressor motor on his mini bike what was funny he used a string for the throttle cable. he would put string in his mouth and tilt his head to make go. damn fast as hell!
Started out on a Honda MiniTrail way back in 1970, then a few years later we had a Honda ST90. I was ridin' like Evel Knievel! After the Hondas it was mostly two stroke 125s out in the woods. When I turned 17 and was out on my own, I bought a 69 Sportster, well almost a Sportster. It was a frame, two wheels, and six 5 gallon buckets of parts. It wasn't until my folks came to visit that they found out I was riding a bike on the street, in the big city, on a Harley-Davidson no less. Thanks for the trip back in time Dave!
ah the z-50 my first led to the xr75, and later a 110cc upgrade.... I wish I still had that bike today.
Why would anyone ever want to try and ban that out of child hood? My sis wont let me buy my nephew a mini bike.... she didnt say anything about building one
I think mine was home made. Rigid,Briggs with straight pipe and a jack shaft between the engine and rear wheel. Pretty sure I sold it for $15.00 and have no idea who it went to. Didn't care,it just needed to disappear after I got a foot stomp CUSHMAN!
old memories for sure.there was nothing like having to share a little mini bike with 3 of your brothers. then you throw in the neighbors cause their parents didn't want to get them one then the kids down the street who didn't have one. the only thing it did was cause a firestorm. but we had a lot of woods to go riding in outside of pittsburgh so it was all good. then i managed to buy what was close to the suzuki tsfiddy from one of the guys i went to school with but never told my folks until i had it paid off and then brought it home. you talk about it being easier to ask for forgiveness than it was permission. i very good example right there. but that was my start.
Got my Alexander Reynolds mini bike in 1968, Honda CT-70 in 1970 and graduated to the big and mighty Honda XR-75 in 1976. The late 60's and 70's were the hay-day of trail bikes in my small Finger Lakes town in New York state.
I just did a google to make sure I was right about something, and found out that my first set of motorized wheels are still being made. LONG LIVE THE TACO!!
First was a Sears 'frame job' used for 40 bucks, upgraded to Honda QA50 then Z50, CT70, Suzuki TM75 (pre RM days), Yamaha YZ80B, Suzuki DS100 (the only brand spanking new bike I ever bought... 600 cash with a matching Arai helmet... prior to the XT). And on and on.
My first was/is a rupp frame with a wrong front wheel that makes it look like a chopper, a 2hp briggs, and no brakes! When my dad and I first assembled it, I was 11 and it was geared fast enough to waste mopeds on the street!
I still have it. It still has no brakes. I turned the governor down to a sedate 30 miles per hour