Mini Bike project

[Suburban_Guy]

I'm almost ashamed to post this after looking at the Iris Gate (did I mention I like it ) but what the heck I'm having fun.

This is my first welding project other than doing a few miles of hardfacing on the excavator and backhoe buckets. I started with the wheels from my minibike when I was little (can't figure out where the rest of it went) and built the frame using 1/2" pipe and a conduit bender.

I'm waiting for shocks and a few other parts to show up from the U.S. so that I can work out the dimensions for the forks and finish that end. I had my six year old sitting on it last night to measure up for handlebars and we had a great time making fake engine noises.

Sorry, no close up weld pics as yet, remember I'm really a cabinetmaker not a welder (or?). I had to cut a couple of pieces apart to rework them and I pretty sure its going to hold up OK, though.

Harley

[cope]

Re: Mini Bike project

Originally posted by Suburban_Guy
I'm almost ashamed to post this after looking at the Iris Gate (did I mention I like it ) but what the heck I'm having fun.

This is my first welding project other than doing a few miles of hardfacing on the excavator and backhoe buckets. I started with the wheels from my minibike when I was little (can't figure out where the rest of it went) and built the frame using 1/2" pipe and a conduit bender.

I'm waiting for shocks and a few other parts to show up from the U.S. so that I can work out the dimensions for the forks and finish that end. I had my six year old sitting on it last night to measure up for handlebars and we had a great time making fake engine noises.

Sorry, no close up weld pics as yet, remember I'm really a cabinetmaker not a welder (or?). I had to cut a couple of pieces apart to rework them and I pretty sure its going to hold up OK, though.

Harley

In yourcase I think its weldor. Nice job, keep the pics coming.

[stever]

Good job! Wish I could do that.

You are going to show off the finished bike aren't you?

[Suburban_Guy]

I sure will send some more pictures later, I'm kinda stalled right now waiting on parts. I'm pretty sure my boy isn't going to be patient much longer although I figure he needs to grow 3 inches yet. He figures on doing wheelies and jumps as soon as he gets on, you gotta love confidence like that!

[Guest]

Originally posted by Suburban_Guy
....He figures on doing wheelies and jumps as soon as he gets on, you gotta love confidence like that!

Then you better beef up every joint with gussets.

The frame looks too wimpy for that kind of stress.

[bjdenommee]

Nice work, how did you create the bends? they look good.

Be nice finished and painted

Good Luck

Bernie

[Suburban_Guy]

Rocky D - If I remember right from the one I rode as a kid, these things were way too heavy with a 4HP motor to do much jumping anyways, they just sort of fall over and land on you. You can't really see it in the picture but there is already a gusset where the upper shock mount attaches to the tubes under the seat. Here's a different view. When I look at how I attached it now I see it's not the strongest way to do it, but for positioning with the swing arm I thought that's where it should be.

Bernie - I did the bends with an EMT conduit bender. The bender was mounted in a big vise on a big bench and we used a big cheater to pull the pipe into the appropriate radius. I used pipe instead of tubing because tubing is hard to get in Southern Alberta for some reason.

[bjdenommee]

Boy ill tell you for a back yard way of doing a bend it sure looks good, wish I could obtain the same results.

Nice Bernie.

[Bob]

You might want actual fenders on a dirt machine, but some sheet metal in front and back of the engine might keep the mud/dirt from fouling the engine.

Looks like fun!

Bob

[Hobart Expert Rock]

SUBURBAN GUY........... I SEEN A NEIGHBOR KID ONE TIME HIT A SMALL TREE WITH HIS AND TORE THE SPROKET GUARD OFF FOR THE CHAIN DRIVE............... BUT HE KEPT RIDING IT FOR ABOUT 1 WEEK UNTIL HIS PANTS GOT STUCK IN THE SPROCKET......... IT WAS NOT A PRETTY SITE.............. I KNOW I CUT HIM OUT OF IT... A 3 HOUR OPERATION ON THE KNEE AND SKIN GRAPHS..... 13 YEARS LATER HE GOT KILLED ON A STREET BIKE.......... THAT ONE WAS NOT HIS FAULT.......... AND BELIEVE ME MY KIDS WENT THRU THE MINI BIKE CRAZE AND SOME OF THOSE BABY'S FLY MUCH FASTER THAN YOU THINK...................... BE SAFE....SOMETIMES WE HALFT TO THINK FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE..............ROCK....
[email protected]

[Suburban_Guy]

Roger that, Rock. We'll keep the throttle cable pretty loose for a while. I've got to say though, he is one safety concious little kid. He's been around heavy equipment and the antique tractors since day one and the other day he flipped out when he saw someone on TV standing under the arm of an excavator with an operator in the cab. I've always been pretty happy with how observant our kids are about safety, I figure you can't tell them much when they are a little older, so they better learn now.

Harley

[Jerry]

Awesome project you have going there. I have three boys ages 6, 9 and 13. Therefor I have stretched two minbike frames to accomodate 5 hp motors and built one go cart with 8 hp.

The mini bikes I have various geared sprockets for them. One will go actually quite fast top end wise but slower for around the house you know, while the other I use to ride my 6 year old around and the older boy uses, this one has a larger sprocket and gives us great power for going in the field out back, and it better if its taking me at 220 and the kid at say 40.

I like using a # 40 chain, this big chain has some forgivness in sprocket alignments and just holds up great.

Anyhow good luck your bike looks great and I'm sure you'll all have a great time.

[Suburban_Guy]

Thanks Jerry, I just got the parts I was waiting for but this weekend I've got to run down to Oregon so I won't get much done. Things are kind of ready to go together if I can a get in a day at it so I'll post more pics. Glad you like it.

Harley