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Son's mini bike

4Waters

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This is how it started for most of us.

My son (11) has been asking for a mini bike or go-kart to build for a year now. I didn't really want to get a new frame kit from azusa, I wanted him to start with something that is a little rough as he will learn more and appreciate it more when it's done.

I hit @bonesfab up about one of those mini bike frames that he picked up today and he said come get it.
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My son was excited to get something to work on so a quick run out to Jim's house to pick it up and take a look at Jim's new toys.

Took it over to pops house and started taking it apart

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He learned a little about the air ratchet and how quickly it smashes your hand🤣

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Little shit smashed my thumb with a hammer 🤬🤣🤣
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Not sure if my eyes welled up because it hurt or it's a cool father son moment/project 🤣 the latter


Down to the frame

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I have had a 2.5hp Briggs set aside for 15yrs for this project, it runs but he is going to take it apart so he can learn how it works as well.


Pops is gonna do some cleaning this week in the shop now that the Model A is gone.
 

monkeyswrench

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We just got two thrown together in the past couple weeks. 14 and 16yo love them. They aren't "old", and have chinesium motors, but the boys are getting training on twist throttles, gravel and "racing" each other.
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C_J_J_C

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15 years ago my brother bought my kids a cheap Chinese go-cart. Intried it and it was slow as hell so I thought now way can they hurt themselves.
I forgot to factor the 150+ pound weight difference. That thing was faster than I could run at this kid is going to kill himself speed.
Good times.
 

Shlbyntro

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Message me a price we have a pit bike track that pisses the neighbors off maybe we need to have a dirt track next @Shlbyntro 😂
🤣 oh man.... your like 30 days too late, the track was just plowed over and turned into a paintball course....
 

Mike K

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Perfect set up.
A great place to work on the bike.
“real” tools to use … including pneumatic !
my dad wasn’t into anything that was mechanical … so we scrounged tools anywhere so could get them.
But the most important thing ? “ your support” . 🍻
 

4Waters

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It turns out this is a 1967-71 Keystone Mini Bike, it was originally a 2 stroke with a manual clutch🤘

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I figure very few of these engines survived as most kids did what I would do, twist the throttle wide open and let the clutch go at 6500rpm🤣🤣
 

JUSTWANNARACE

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whiteworks

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I spotted this outlaw mini bike gang on a ride a few weeks back. Looks like they do some long rides, total hood rat shit spilling over from LA county. I tried to follow them but they are fast and also don’t stop at stop lights. Cops just looked the other way as obviously they don’t want to do the paper work when they can look the other way for a minute and then go on about their day LOL.
 

monkeyswrench

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I spotted this outlaw mini bike gang on a ride a few weeks back. Looks like they do some long rides, total hood rat shit spilling over from LA county. I tried to follow them but they are fast and also don’t stop at stop lights. Cops just looked the other way as obviously they don’t want to do the paper work when they can look the other way for a minute and then go on about their day LOL.
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Was that on Foothill?
 

Wave Hi

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Looks like a gang from the Wizard of Oz. !!!
 

lbhsbz

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Did some maintenance on the blast cabinet and put new media in it.

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You're spoiling him....hand him a wire brush (with a handle...not one that goes in a drill) and a bunch of small pieces of somewhat used sandpaper....lol....like our dad's did. I was gonna comment when I saw him armed with an angle grinder. At his age, that's cheating. lol
 

4Waters

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You're spoiling him....hand him a wire brush (with a handle...not one that goes in a drill) and a bunch of small pieces of somewhat used sandpaper....lol....like our dad's did. I was gonna comment when I saw him armed with an angle grinder. At his age, that's cheating. lol
I did it the other way because I didn't have access to any of these tools
 

lbhsbz

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My kid wanted to build a bike jump the other night....I thought I'd show him how he can use "all that stuff he'll never need to use" that they teach him in school, so we got the length of the top sorted out, height...and he had to determine the other dimension using the pathogorean theorem.....that worked out OK with a bit of walking him through it. Then I told him to wake up Chief Soh Cah Toa and figure out the angles.....I guess his geometry class hasn't gotten that far yet, and I sure as fuck wasn't gonna go re-learn it....so we propped a few things and I showed him how to trace things with a pencil. lol.
 

4Waters

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My kid wanted to build a bike jump the other night....I thought I'd show him how he can use "all that stuff he'll never need to use" that they teach him in school, so we got the length of the top sorted out, height...and he had to determine the other dimension using the pathogorean theorem.....that worked out OK with a bit of walking him through it. Then I told him to wake up Chief Soh Cah Toa and figure out the angles.....I guess his geometry class hasn't gotten that far yet, and I sure as fuck wasn't gonna go re-learn it....so we propped a few things and I showed him how to trace things with a pencil. lol.
This thing has dark gray primer, pink, red, silver, light blue and dark blue paint on it and they are all good quality paint. We are gonna kill the air compressor so we are going to do some sanding followed by paint stripper and then detail the welds and corners in the blast cabinet.
 

4Waters

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Put a ghost motor in it!!
I already have a briggs that we took apart and he is learning how an engine works and will pit it back together and get it running
 

monkeyswrench

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I already have a briggs that we took apart and he is learning how an engine works and will pit it back together and get it running
Jere Jobe owned a business called "Vintage Carburetion Technology". Bad ass old man, hot rodder from the early days, then worked at JPL...also hot rodding, moon rover. Retired and played with old car stuff. F'n genius though.

Jere had a Briggs motor with a big flywheel, and a clear acrylic cylinder head. The big flywheel was to slow the motor down, and the acrylic head was to show events, and even flame front. He said it was a perfect setup for showing V8 club members and Model A guys the way things worked in there.
 

4Waters

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Jere Jobe owned a business called "Vintage Carburetion Technology". Bad ass old man, hot rodder from the early days, then worked at JPL...also hot rodding, moon rover. Retired and played with old car stuff. F'n genius though.

Jere had a Briggs motor with a big flywheel, and a clear acrylic cylinder head. The big flywheel was to slow the motor down, and the acrylic head was to show events, and even flame front. He said it was a perfect setup for showing V8 club members and Model A guys the way things worked in there.
Love to see that
 

monkeyswrench

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Love to see that
When I met Jere, he was probably about 70. This was around 97 or so. He sold his home in Orange...10 car "barn" with dyno cell to another car guy. He "retired" again in about 2004 and moved to the Flathead Lake area...which I joked was the perfect place for an old Ford guy. He was still tinkering as of 2012 or so as a business, he wouldn't slow down. I haven't spoken with him in probably 5 or 6 years :(
 

4Waters

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When I met Jere, he was probably about 70. This was around 97 or so. He sold his home in Orange...10 car "barn" with dyno cell to another car guy. He "retired" again in about 2004 and moved to the Flathead Lake area...which I joked was the perfect place for an old Ford guy. He was still tinkering as of 2012 or so as a business, he wouldn't slow down. I haven't spoken with him in probably 5 or 6 years :(
Sounds like you need to make a phone call
 

monkeyswrench

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Sounds like you need to make a phone call
I tried a year or so ago. When I couldn't make contact, I was a little disheartened, maybe a little scared? I've since talked with a few car guys that have made contact, and it appears that he's slowed down on answering phones and such. I think you just have to try and catch him at just the right time? Weather reports from Bully look like it's warmed up up there, maybe I'll try calling this week.
 

4Waters

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Back on it now, Saturday's are track meets and Sundays are working on cool shit days.

He cut the engine plate and vertical bar off since it wasn't going to work with a Briggs and Stratton. The original engine mounted to the vertical bar and we can't find an original engine.

I had to get the torch out and braise in some brass to fill some low spots and now he is rounding it to match the frame.

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We already have a new plate to be welded in later. He will use the old plate to learn and practice welding on.
 

Backlash

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Back on it now, Saturday's are track meets and Sundays are working on cool shit days.

He cut the engine plate and vertical bar off since it wasn't going to work with a Briggs and Stratton. The original engine mounted to the vertical bar and we can't find an original engine.

I had to get the torch out and braise in some brass to fill some low spots and now he is rounding it to match the frame.

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We already have a new plate to be welded in later. He will use the old plate to learn and practice welding on.
Nicely done!! You're a good man for teaching him "Man skills!" I can't wait to see what you guys do next!! 👍
 

4Waters

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Introduction to welding.

Learning how to puddle. This is how I started and it is how everyone should learn.

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Butt welding with a puddle

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Butt welding with brazing rod. I couldn't get him off his knees, first time a piece of slag rolls under his knee he will get off of his knees🤣

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MIG welding. He actually slowed down pretty quickly, he is still moving a little too fast but I was surprised how much he slowed down after just a couple of talks.

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Just keep working at it. He pretty stoked he was able to do all 3 today, while not pretty they are infact welded together. He will get better with time.

We have an ARC welder as well, next time.
 

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coolchange

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I learned to gas weld about his age.👍
Explaining the metallurgy of solder, braze and weld? Getting scale? Right on!
 

4Waters

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I learned to gas weld about his age.👍
Explaining the metallurgy of solder, braze and weld? Getting scale? Right on!
Gas welding is becoming a lost art. I had some bad pitting on my boat trailer steps, I used the torch to heat up the metal and while still hot I used a wire wheel to clean the rust out of the pits. I then used brazing rod to fill in the pitting, ground it flat prime and paint. Can't even tell now.
 
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