What year and model is my Bonanza mini bike

[johnnycat500]

I bought this mini bike around 1975, it’s has Hodaka 90 and 4 speed. I know the factory one had Hodaka 100 and 5 speed, I think this was originally a Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh. I have tried to find Frame numbers but have had no luck. Would anybody know what year this is and what model it was from the serial number. Thank you

 

[BC1300]

I'll guess and say it's the BC1300S (ACE 90), 1967-68 vintage.

 

[johnnycat500]

Thank you so much for the info. I did not know that they had ace 90's from the factory, so I'm guessing that is the original engine. I just bought the cycle guide mag from ebay for close up pics.

 

[Moderator]

That second set of foot pegs is interesting. I wonder if that was a factory mod on the early Hodaka bikes.

 

[johnnycat500]

I turned it upside down to take a look at the pegs. The front pegs are painted the factory blue but the rear pegs have no paint on them. I’ve owned this for 47 years and I can’t remember way back when I bought it if the 4 pegs were on it or I added them. If it is a factory ace 90 mini bike it doesn’t make sense that it would front pegs only. You need the rear pegs to shift it. That’s why I was thinking it wasn’t factory with a Hodaka engine. The serial number for the frame is 82008. I have tried to find serial numbers for Bonanza mini bikes, to find exactly what it is. Does info on the numbers exist?

 

[BC1300]

I recall the front pegs were removed, and rubber covers installed over the protruding round stock. The engine mount incorporated a mid-style foot peg arrangement, and the Cycle Guide test shows that... somewhat.

 

[johnnycat500]

I crawled up in the attic to find the ACE 90 because I wanted to look at the motor mounts. I still think this minibike originally had a lawnmower engine in it. The ace 90 motor mounts don’t look like the factory ones and they’re just made out of 1/4”angle iron. What do you guys think?

 

[slywilliez]

They are not original ace 90 mounts.