So I Bought a Mini Bike Today...

microflitedude Sat Mar 29, 2014 6:32 pm

It's a Manco Thunderbird, circa 2000. Saw the Craigslist ad last night, called the guy this morning, offered him less, and picked it up this afternoon.

The seller was great - straightforward, completely honest, and gave us a tie down strap. He said the clutch was locked up, but that turned out not be an issue. Fuel is leaking from the carb bowl which I am guessing is a stuck/gummed float and a bad set of gaskets.

When I got home I pulled the clutch off and cleaned out a vine that had wrapped around the sprocket. Rolls fine now. I like the external tank; makes sense and looks cool. Subaru Robin 4HP. The last Subaru engine I had ran incredibly well until you put a load on it and discovered the compression was shot, hoping that won't be an issue here. I have a 5HP Briggs flathead I can rebuild if it doesn't work out. Also don't like the scrub brakes, as they are useless when wet and prematurely wear the tire.

I paid $150 for it. Seeing as these are $750+ new, I think I did alright. I have wanted one of these since I was 8, can't wait to strip the motor down and get it running again. Screw Xboxes, this is where it's at. Very Happy

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 2014-013

roddie Sat Mar 29, 2014 6:49 pm

WAY COOL!!! Thumbs Up

I think it needs a larger rear sprocket... Affraid or WOW!

That thing should climb like a monkey!

crankbndr Sat Mar 29, 2014 7:00 pm

Wow nice, a mini bike and a go cart, take photos and keep us posted on progress. All of my small engines with carbs have been damaged by ethanol gas (E-10) in the last five years.
It eats the rubber in the carbs and fuel lines, it costs more and is hard to find but I get real gas for them now.

microflitedude Sat Mar 29, 2014 7:34 pm

crankbndr wrote:Wow nice, a mini bike and a go cart, take photos and keep us posted on progress. All of my small engines with carbs have been damaged by ethanol gas (E-10) in the last five years.
It eats the rubber in the carbs and fuel lines, it costs more and is hard to find but I get real gas for them now.

I'll do that.

Yeah, it frustrates me to no end. It's especially hard on older engines and small 2 strokes with fabric diaphragms. We can't find any good stuff locally so we use an additive that's supposed to get rid of the alcohol.

crankbndr Sat Mar 29, 2014 7:47 pm

I found this site to find real gas, click your state and city

http://pure-gas.org

**Cribbs74** Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:28 pm

Nice bike Matt, looks like fun.

We have a lot of non-ethanol here in OKC. Probably due to all the rural areas and farmers needing it for old farm equipment.

Ron

roddie Sat Mar 29, 2014 10:07 pm

This is good stuff... it's worth the extra $$$ http://mystarbrite.com/startron/

microflitedude Sat Mar 29, 2014 10:26 pm

roddie wrote:This is good stuff... it's worth the extra $$$ http://mystarbrite.com/startron/

That's the exact stuff we have. I haven't had to "service" any of our lawn equipment since we started using it - only takes a couple drops in the tank.

**Cribbs74** Sat Mar 29, 2014 10:30 pm

Matt,

If it's just been sitting up for a while then I would just go through the carb, flush the tank, change the oil, plug and fire it off. Unless you just want to rebuild the engine for fun.

Ron

Cryhavoc Sun Mar 30, 2014 2:50 am

microflitedude wrote:It's a Manco Thunderbird, circa 2000. Saw the Craigslist ad last night, called the guy this morning, offered him less, and picked it up this afternoon.

Sweet! Now you can build a freeflight! Thumbs Up

Mike

microflitedude Mon Mar 31, 2014 10:44 am

Pulled the carb off last night. The float was free, but had a good bit of floatsam and some corrosion in the bowl. Blasted everything out with cleaner - so far, so good. I noticed the butterfly was gummed up dry, so no fuel ever got that far - must have been leaking from the first "packing" seal.

After 2 hours of searching, I was able to find all three gaskets needed. They should come in this week.

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 2014-015

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 2014-015

roddie Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:09 pm

Hey Matt, Back in the day... (1972-73?) I acquired a well used "Toyoco" mini-bike. Neither my Dad or I were mechanically inclined back then (I was around 12 years old) and the bike had a worn-out centrifugal clutch housing... so bad; that it would throw the chain on a regular basis. When I think now of how easy it would have been to fix... it kills me. My buddy's Rupp Scrambler was brand new... and had a torque converter style drive (like a snowmobiles') and he could run circles around me.

These two bikes in the photos, are exactly like the one's we had... same color and all.

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 46f30a10

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 46f30a10

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... Img_0210

microflitedude Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:27 pm

Very cool. I'm guessing the bike isn't around anymore?

roddie Mon Mar 31, 2014 2:18 pm

microflitedude wrote:Very cool. I'm guessing the bike isn't around anymore?

Correct.. it's been 40+ years since I've seen it. We used to live in a very rural area when I was a kid. I loved it... but my Mom was always scared, because my Dad was out 3-4 nights a week with his Barbershop singing buddies. We were burgled several times back then. I believe the mini-bike was one of the things that was stolen... along with a big Wheelhorse lawn tractor and a 10' x 20' cabin tent. We woke up one morning to see a patch of dead grass. An extension cord leading to the tent was cut... the tent and everything in it had been dragged off through the woods. None of the items were ever recovered... although we had a pretty good idea who the perpetrators were.

microflitedude Tue Apr 01, 2014 10:58 am

Picked up some goodies from the tractor supply store today.

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 2014-016

SuperDave Tue Apr 01, 2014 12:01 pm

Since the shown mini-bike is NOT street-legal it may not be ridden on a public roadway in ANY state of the US. (fact)

Don't kid yourself.

SD

microflitedude Tue Apr 01, 2014 12:28 pm

Dave, I am aware this is not a registered vehicle. I've spent a lot of time looking at what was street legal when looking into buying a moped, and have read the DMV manual through. It's well above the 49cc moped limit and falls hopelessly short of SC motorcycle regulations.

I am taking this bike to Joe Nall 2014, to get around the (private) property quickly. I think I have told you guys about the event, but if I haven't, check it out. Smile

http://www.tripletreeaerodrome.com/joe-nall-week.php

roddie Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:36 pm

Wow Matt! I just checked out the web link. I wish I could go.. it looks like a blast!!! The video at the bottom of the page is amazing!!

deanthree5 Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:51 pm

I to love a minibike... I just got an old MTD put together to ride for me and my sons last year.url=https://servimg.com/view/17454900/24] So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 000_0410

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 000_0410

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microflitedude Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:52 pm

roddie wrote:Wow Matt! I just checked out the web link. I wish I could go.. it looks like a blast!!! The video at the bottom of the page is amazing!!

If you ever get a chance, jump on it. The videos simply don't do it justice. Guys fly over from Germany with their models just for this event. This will be my 5th straight attendance.

getback Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:31 pm

man you lucky just have not said ... I seen a guy with a Junker truck with an old one on it , solid body and I didn't turn around he was leafing the gas station going to DH Griffin salvage yard for money I am sure , STUPID me was in a hurry to get home >>> getback<<< Head Bang

microflitedude Wed Apr 02, 2014 2:29 pm

Gaskets came in today.

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 2014-017

Mark Boesen Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:34 pm

We got the bike running, new rear sprocket, tooling around the cul-de-sac tonight.
So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 10245110

So I Bought a Mini Bike Today... 10172810

**Cribbs74** Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:49 pm

Cool Mark,

I like the DT 250's I had a '77 that I rode daily to work for about a year. I bought it for $50 as the owner said it was a parts only bike. Some paint and a few hundred dollars in parts later it was ready to go.

While tuning the engine I had the wise idea of cranking the kick starter by hand. It backfired...literally and put the kickstarter into my palm. Of course I get weak and go into shock when I see my own blood and my wife was getting her hair done. I managed to make my way into the house and had my then 6yr old daughter call her mom to take me to the hospital. It was her birthday that day and I was supposed to drive her to a party. Well my wife shows up 15 mins later and I am sitting on the floor with my hand in a blood soaked towel. She had foil still in her hair.

Let's just say I ticked off two girls in that episode. Docs checked for nerve damage and then sewed me up.

So the moral of the story is it's called a "kickstarter" for a reason.

Ron

Mark Boesen Wed Apr 02, 2014 11:15 pm

...sound like the time I rode into barbwire, the wire sprang across my face ripping my bottom lip almost off, blood all over bike, lost my glasses to boot, lucky I was only 1/2 mile from town, drove over to buddy's house (close) his wife freeked, I knew I was messed up adrenalin keep me going till I looked in mirror and about passed out, they drove me to hospital and family doc stitched me up (he was also a veterinarian and rancher) I was pretty darn lucky, only a scar and with a beard (hank jr.) you can't really notice.

....so let's get my kid on a bike, lol?

ok, now heres a dumb question, we've only had it fired up a couple times, it starts pretty good...and I know its not really a choke, but on cold starts, is the lever up or down on the mukuni carb?

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