Need help with identifying my vintage fat tire mini bike

Addicted 2 Minis

Well-Known Member
#6
I'm guessing it's something a bicycle manufacturer made to get into the trail machine market. What makes me think this is, it uses a bicycle steering tube, the front forks resemble that of a bicycle of it's era, the fenders are supported with what appears to be bicycle supports. The way the top frame tubes are rolled inward towards the steering stem leads me to believe that it wasn't homemade along with the way the lower tube is tapered and closed leading to the rear axle hanger. These were all typical things bicycle manufacturers did making bicycles in the 50's. The engine plate also bends down in the front for added strength, not something the average shmo would do while building a homemade trail machine, to me it's just too cleanly done to be homemade.
 

Addicted 2 Minis

Well-Known Member
#8
I’m trying to identify it because if it’s factory made, I want to do a full restoration with the bike.
The axle dropouts remind me of boat oars, something a clever outdoors equipment company would do to subconsciously make you think of hunting and fishing ( I did ). I would research some of the old snow machine companies from the 40's-50's to see if they ventured into the trail machine market. Also, measure the steering tube diameter, certain diameters were used during specific periods of bicycle manufacturing.
 

GustoGuy

Well-Known Member
#12
The axle dropouts remind me of boat oars, something a clever outdoors equipment company would do to subconsciously make you think of hunting and fishing ( I did ). I would research some of the old snow machine companies from the 40's-50's to see if they ventured into the trail machine market. Also, measure the steering tube diameter, certain diameters were used during specific periods of bicycle manufacturing.
Typical bicycle headsets are 1 1/8 inch. Some are 1 inch. Shims are available to increase the size from 1 inch to 1 1/8 th inch. Either way it looks like a sturdy minibike. I would do a restoration rather than leave it rusty. As to engines modern Honda clones run great and can be purchased for about $100. I have Predator 212cc on 2 of my minibikes and they run great.
 

Addicted 2 Minis

Well-Known Member
#13
I was looking through a thread dedicated to older trail machines when I came across this "Ground Hog" trail bike. Look at the front axle dropouts, they are very similar to your bike. The likelihood of another company using this same style dropout would be unlikely, maybe your bike is an earlier model of the "Ground Hog"?.

Ground_Hog.jpg
 
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