1970 Steens

[wyody]

1970 Steens with a Hodaka 100cc motor, this was restored a long time ago by a guy who owns a big custom motorcycle shop in Cincinnati, Ohio for his son who never started it, And so I bought it off ebay from him for my son who did not show interest so it stayed apart as it came when shipped. Custom flamed painted tank never had gas in it sitting in my house on display,new forks, new shocks, custom chrome bars with chrome levers attached to them, custom chrome rims and spokes are even chromed, new seat never sat on, new motor never started, nice vintage expansion chamber, new tires recently purchased, vintage red plastic oval # plates, vintage black plastic fenders,vintage plastic throttle and new air filter.
Too nice for me to ride so its up for sale as is, parts in one small box, frame wrap up, wheels wrap up, and tank on top shelf in living room for $1300.00 or if I put it together $1500.00 obo. try to find a Steens this custom and clean any where? very rare!.

 

[Neck]

Nice!:thumbsup: I wanted one of those BAD when I was 14. Good luck with your sale Rodney.

 

[wyody]

Thanks!

I wanted one too, but my dad was working hard to put three daughters and I through Catholic school, so I got second hand bikes that we had fun fixing up and tricking out instead which meant more to me any ways!

 

[Neck]

I can see we're both from the same situation! I ended up with a 1969 Suzuki 120 with a stamped sheet metal frame, that I rode as often as possible. I still liked my z50 better though!

 

[wyody]

vintage minicycles

Neck do you have any vintage minicycles pre-1975 right now? because I am getting a vintage minicycle class going to race with different vintage motocross clubs and some flat track. so far a bigger response then the vintage minibikes(even though we,ll still be running the vintage minibikes also!) I guess there were more people that had raced minicycles back in the day so it sounds like it could very interesting and fun! I even had guys from out of state email about this new class and how to get it started by them. one guy lives in arizona but travels down here to visit and wants to try racing with us and his two sons. they have two xr75's and a steens 100cc.
So far I have guys who want to join in with yamaha mini enduro 60cc,yz80's,lots of xr75's,a very nicely tricked out honda sl70, a very rare 1974 "Barnt 100cc" hodaka powered, another rare hodaka powered "El Gator", a gimini 80cc and one guy emailed if it would be okay to put small wheels on his 1971 penton 100cc!

 

[Neck]

I do have a 71 SL70. That could be fun!

 

[wyody]

sl70

I love those sl70's! since that was the first ever minicycle I had ever ridden, this very cute tomboy girl in my neighborhood had one with a bassani megaphone pipe and came over to our local field track to ride, and I was ridding my kawasaki 75 my dad had bought used and fixed up abit. her sl70 was bigger and way faster, so I asked to try it and then I fell in love, with the sl70 not the girl. but I got a basket case yamaha mini enduro instead that my dad put a 100cc motor in.

Yeah it could be lots of fun! we are trying to get every one together early at the first race and talk about the bikes, next events and if we need classes or not?
We will still be riding the minibikes also so bring one of those out too.
I,ll keep you informed if you like and maybe post it here? please try to get others interested also?
Thanks Neck

 

[Neck]

:thumbsup: I'm game!

 

[wyody]

vintage minicycles

More cool looking vintage minicycles. and a racer from back in the day who was very fast on a Honda sl70/110cc.

 

[MiniBike Paul]

It was 70's minicycles that killed minibikes, I was there!!

Are they appropriate subject material here?? I for one would hate to see OldMiniBikes.com go in that direction, I know Mac agrees, wonder if Hent cares??

I participated in the minibike murder 40 years ago, this time around I want to freeze things at about 1972 & American made! There must be a website for early Japanesse motorcycle folks!

 

[Jeff Clark]

:shrug:

 

[Toycartony]

Here we go again???:no:

 

[Jeff Clark]

Amazing the things found in Utah.. :laugh:

 

[wyody]

killed minibikes?

Oh dont get me started Paul! whats up with that?

Minicycles killed minibikes? Minicycles were made in the beginning by the manufactures of minibikes--Bonanza, Steens, Alsport, Gimini and the list goes on!
And why you ask did they build the bigger type of minibike aka minicycle?
Because of demand since most young minibike riders were growing the manufactures said lets make bigger minibikes for these growing kids to keep them buying from us!
Some manufactures even made motorcycles(and you cant call them minicycyle killers because minicycles are still being made) to keep up with the growing buyer!
No body "Killed" minibikes they just faded out like allot of COOL things from the 1960's and 1970's!
Like nonelectric games for kids aka board games, Sting rays, plastic skateboards,icecream trucks, go-karts and "minibikes!
So please dont blame vintage minicycles for such a thing JUST because you did not get to experience the joy of a shifting minibike!
Minicycles did kill any thing back then and will not do it now, its just adds to the " Fun Factor" collecting vintage minibikes and vintage minicycles!
Expand your mind and just enjoy life its too short to miss out on the little things!
Rodney

 

[wyody]

And another thing P

 

[wyody]

OOPS slip of the button1

But what I was saying its just all fun!
just because one person gave the thumbs up and says he,ll be there does not mean he's giving up on minibikes!
It just means he's open minded and wants to enjoy his other collectable so mellow big guy its all okay.

 

[MiniBike Paul]

Rodney, I hope I did not offend you or make you mad!

I did get to enjoy all this stuff the first time around! in the fifties I had 2 Wizzers and a few Cushmans and then a string of minibikes!. I had 2 Honda 50's and then the worst bike ever out of Japan, the Honda 250 Scrambler, and on and on!

The fact is that the early Hondas and the other Japanesse bikes killed off minibikes, period. Back then we wanted more and they delivered it on many levels. Here, at OldMiniBikes.com we are about minibikes; that is, lawnmower engines and centrifical clutches. Other toys are great but not appropriate here, IMHO!

 

[steven Durham]

I of course will say that I saw both sides of that coin. When the kids came through my stores door they went straight to the Mini Cycles even when there were new Taco and Rupp mini cycles there too. The Indian SE-74 and the Rupp RMT-80 and RMT-100 and the Steen's 100 . So it was what the kids wanted and just ask them and so many wanted a HONDA it was hard for small shops to survive in 1973 and 1974 the die was set there was no going back.
Steve

 

[wyody]

minicycles

Thats still only your opinion! and not others!
Because I have received many other opinion already by pm's or emails about this subject.
U.S.A. manufactured minibikes killed them selves. Because of labor cost to build them was beat by oversea manufactures,who also built minibikes for a while but saw the market going towards minibikes that had motorcycle motors instead! Its called evolution! not minibike killing. and full size Honda 50cc's were around way before minibikes and were the best selling motorized two wheeler ever! and you cant blame them for killing minibikes!
Fact is minicycles did not kill minibikes peoples decisions did!
Just like this site YES it is a minibike site but let those people decide on what they like to talk about!
Oh yeah what about the three wheelers, dunecycles and other vintage atv's we all talk about on this :minibike site"?
How much difference are they? allot different but still there is interest JUST like there is interest in vintage minicycles!
So Paul don't hate what you don't like or understand! its all in the name of fun!!!! There's enough dictators in this world already!
Wyody out

 

[Jeff Clark]

For me and im sure alot also, taking up the hobby of mini bikes brings back a memory of my (our) youth and has also made alot of friends for me as well along the way, im sure it's the same and applies to alot here, but as most here also in my youth you evolved into motor cycles and part of that path was graduating to a mini cycle learning to shift and having that feeling of moving up to a new level and some day a actual motor cycle, I have a JT1 a LT2 and a Steens I love these bikes as much as my minis, I do not think the mini cycle killed the mini bike it was just a change in technology and a era we all grow and that is what makes our original bikes and our memory so special, a idle conversation about a Steens bike, that to me has alot of spirit in what we do will not hurt a damn thing......