9 bike 1 tryke build

[dave dickson]

I've been sitting back here all winter, really enjoying all the projects going on, showing all my friends some of the really kool stuff you guys and gals are into. I want you all to know that this web site has given me a new direction in life, instead of worrying about what job I'm going to do next, or who will I work for tommarrow, I've decided to kind of chill out, and let my talents that I've picked up over the past 50 some years guide me, I started working on these little critters when I was 8, no, I wasn't allowed to ride them and I didn't get my own mini bike until I was 12, but my neighbor, he taught me all about small engines, Lawn mowers to be specific, but there really is no difference, except where the out-put shaft is, but we all know that, right?
Today was a really nice day outside, one of the first nice days so far this spring, so I got started pulling out parts that I've been cleaning, sanding. wire brushing, just kind of stockpileing in the basement, I took before pics today of the ones that I thought that I'd get painted, the tryke i showed before, but I wanted to give it a fresh coat of paint, before I put it back together, I will be consentrateing on the tryke as a number 1 project as I have all the parts for it now, and as soon as I get it back together, and find a good crash dummy to ride it, to make sure it functions properly, I'll be looking to sell or trade it off for something better, infact all of these bikes will be for sale or trade as soon as they are done, so if you see something that you like, say something, everything has a price tag, or I know what I'll want out of each piece, OH yea, the Bonanzas aren't for sale or trade, regretably I won't Be able to attend any of the neat functions you guys got going on from the last week in april, til sometime after memorial day, that time of the year I'm very busy with the flowers, and probably won't even have time to log in, if you see me here, i'll be checking out what you guys are doing, but that's down the road, for the next few weeks, I'm going to do my best to finish these 10 projects, I hope I don;t run short of cash!
dave

 

[kbs8ball]

better get busy man...

 

[dave dickson]

Thanks Kenny!
I've been busy this week, had family the first part of the week, got a little done on the tryke, installing the axel/differential, and trying to figure out where all the little pieces go inside the gear box, I took some pics but will need some time to post them, in the spare time I'm also hunting parts to the first 3 bikes that I already got painted and have sat for a few days to cure, I was hoping to paint; orange and blue today at least but it's looking a little cloudy, ( darn it DICK said it was soppose to be nice today, lol), by the way 8-ball, my first 2 mini builds will will be female, lol, well female inspired lets say cause i want to get my female friends and family involved in what i'm trying to get started here, not to say I don't have any male friends, they already understand the fun instore, any way I went to the Goodwill store down here in Akron, I was on a parts run and just happened to think that I was going to need seats for these first 2 bikes, I'm in the good will store looking at this leather lazyboy that they wanted 35 bucks for, alittle more than i wanted to spend for something that i wanted to cut up for the leather, anyway, I was thinking of maybe a coach purse, or something that would really stand out, well it was out of the question for me to buy that ugly a$$ purse, just couldn't bring myself to do it, so I looked at some really nice leather coats 6 bucks each, only had a 20 on me at the time, so i picked out 6 really nice leather ones and then chose 2 out of them 6, I can't tell you how it made me feel the whole time I was doing all that thinking, but as I sit back and reflect, I find it very funny, I wonder what the clerk would of thought if I'd bought a couple of purses, anyway maybe I'll attempt to make a seat or 2, today
dave

 

[dave dickson]

Bike 7

I didn't know that we had a total of 5 photos per entry, so this will be number seven, 8 and 9 the pics didn't show right so I'll retake them before i paint the frames here in a day or 2.
This will be the first frame that I will bring back from Mini bike Hell, the scrap heap! I'm thinking one of them 6.5 harbor freight motors, new clutch, new twist grip, some brake work, and a new seat, I spent alittle more than I wanted to for it, but it seems to be a nice frame, I hope no one gets mad at me but this one and one more I'll be building for a female, so if it looks a little dainty, well it was made that way, by me!
dave

 

[dave dickson]

First Inspection!!

Well passed my first inspection!!!, the only gripe that this inspector had was that it wasn't done!
dave

 

[kbs8ball]

Good luck Dave...just DONT wrap it like a friggen present !!!:thefinger:

 

[dave dickson]

She said it felt good on her butt!!

Back again with some bad news! I thought I got a prize when I went to the local Goodwill store the other day, a sewing machine for $15.00,now I could do those corners on my seats, I thought, wrong, It seams the thingy that acts as a gas pedal, was missing darn, I really wanted to get some seats done. Well I was looking at one of those coats I bought the other day from the Goodwill store and the way I cut it, well heck it really didn't need too much, so I stapled here, and tugged there, then stapled there, and tugged here,I came up with the seats below, and here's a sneak peak at what it will be sitting on, and then one Quick progress pic again of the tryke. Will be posting more later, but for right now I got to go ckeck out a great deal!
dave

 

[dave dickson]

Oops!!! I lost the last 2 pics, sorry but got to go!
dave

 

[dave dickson]

Some more pics of the tryke!

Ok sorry, pushed the wrong button, not sure, so here goes again; The first one is the axel, and those new rear tires, 2nd is a pic of the drive axel, and
3rd is of the fiberglass mock, still got to figure a way to hook up the twist grip cable, I'll get it up off the floor for that, cause I have nothing as far as parts go for the linkage from where the cable ends, to where the cable goes on the motor, and the cable i have is just a little short, I've got what my wife calls a junkyard on the side yard, I tell her that nothing out there is junk, heck there's 4 or 5 riding mowers lawnmowers, bycycles, a moped, a couple more mini frames, (although as I see some of their value I've found a place for most of these in the garage or the basement, 4 go-cart frames that I remember, all sorts of good stuff that can be used for something else! This stuff was moved from my old house on the south side of akron, I paid for over a year of storage on it then moved it to a small rental house that had a garage, then moved it to the place where I'm at now, and after 2 years I'm finially taking time to go through it all and make something out of it, so tomarrow I'll take a little time and go out there a see if I can find something that will complete this little tryke, mean while here's a shot of one of my choppers that I'll be reassembeling this coming week along with the 2 pink bikes, I still have 2 more bikes to go to make the 9, I want to keep those 2 spots open right now because I actually have 5 canidates to pick from but I'm not sure which ones I'll pick due to the availability of the parts for them, I have enuff to keep me bust right now, still waiting for the right day to paint a couple of more frames, seems like winter just don't want to let go, Well I do have those old school briggs to go through, I have 6- 5hp Briggs motors and 3 3 hp motors, all of them will be undergoing major surgery, and then cosmetics,lol, anyway I'll post some good pics of the operation, I'm starting to get the hang of it!
dave

 

[dave dickson]

Ok here they are!

The seats look pretty good there on my pink beauty's, and that's one of the motors I bought on line, after i figured out paypal, and the magic of the debit card, love the way that works, got a little carried away though when i was looking at other parts, oh well I know I can use the parts some where, That picture of the Home depot jacket, I just had to throw that in, see my buddy left it at my house the other night, he doesn't know that i've found a new way of making seats, I really like Home depot, and I think the gallon of orange paint that i picked up the other day at my favorite paint store kind of matches that coat, I wondered if he'd mind if I found a new use for his coat?
dave

 

[dave dickson]

1st pink bike almost done

Boy it's been a long 2 days, yesterday I decided to work on the rear wheel, just a little more difficult than I thought, the piece that the calipar mounts to had these holes that were way too big for the bolts that came with the calipar the hole measured about 1/2 inch and the bolts are like 5/16 inch, and looking at another frame that I was lucky enuff to get the calipar with, I noticed that there's a small bushing pressed into that bracket that reduces the hole down to size, checked the hardware store, didn't have it that big, so then I called a more technical store, a bearing store, Akron Bearing Company, 1965 South Arlington Rd. Akron, Ohio 44306 ph 330 773 6855 to be exact, They sold me a bronze oil impregnated bushing for $2.69 each, I bought 4, cause I know I'm going to have another bike that has the same problem, now when I get back home, the biggest drill bit I've got that's close to size must of been just a little shy of 1/2 inch, cause after I reamed out the holes, the bushing didn't fit, I'm not lucky enuff to have a metal lathe in my shop, just starting out, here, so I took that bushing and locked it between 2 lock washers on a long bolt, chucked it in cordless drill, spun the drill while fileing down the bushing, it took a couple of times to break it down to see if I got small enuff, and after about try 6, it was still a tight fit, so I took it over to the bench grinder and rounded off the head, still a tight fit I took a flat washer on a bolt, lined up the bushing to the hole and used a flat washer on the back, as I tightened the nut, the bushing was pressed into the calipar mount, Now this calipar was bought on line, from I believe BMI, and as it comes It says made in china, but I found that the castings were thicker than my other bike's, and the back half wanted to rub on the tire,I really want to get this bike going, so I think MODIFY, and stepped over to the belt grinder, and very soon I'd removed enuff material to solve the tire problem, 2 days picking that buggar, the inspector stopped by again, he was haveing a ball until his mom come and got him for his nap, I mean, company authorized break,lol, he loves checking out my bright toys, I just hope he's attracted to one of them that's not pink, lol.
I had a friend bring by this cart the other day, needs a new drive tire set up, brake band all twisted up, it's got a briggs 5 on it, it has the upper part of the seat still, says BMI on it so I'm assuming that's where it came from, and as I look at it, I'm thinking that the one I bought a few years back, that someone's grandpa built, was put together a heck of a lot better! All they did to make a rear axel, was to weld a big bolt to a square piece of stock, As I look at it, knowing what people pay for these things, I'm not seeing $1,000.00 in material, I guess what I'm trying to say, if you feel that you can build something, don't be discouraged by price, come up with a plan, do research, then see what you have at your disposal, and it's not always what you can buy off the shelf, I hate to have to go out and buy new stuff, I know sometimes it's all you can do to complete something, but to totaly buy new stuff to do a project, can't see it, would rather start at the recycle station, (Scrap-yard), then finish at the hardware store, or the parts store, for the stuff you just can't find.
The last pic is of the deal I spoke of the other day, NEW BRIGGS ON BOARD!!!! I went out to look at some welding tanks, don't really need them for myself but the deal was for the tanks, regulators, hoses, and a cutting torch, $50.00, well I wasn't interested, they was the kind of tanks you have to have a title to, to get filled, but on the way out I see this Big blue mass sitting there in the rain, what do you want for that? I asked, I get this, I don't want to sell it routine, well they know that I have at least $50.00 in my pocket, and instead of pushing the issue, I acted like I wasn't interested in anything else and was on my way to leave, it worked! the guy says, " How much you give me"? , told him all I came with was $50.00, ok I'll take it!!
"Salt" this will be one of the ones I send you later next month to get the shaft cut down, and have the key way milled , there might be 3 or 4 by then, well guys it's late and it's been a very challenging day so i'm going to clock out and watch some tv.
Tomarrow I hope to get some color on a couple more frames, maybe finish the 1st pink bike and get a start on the second, oh yea there should be a test run on that pink bike, but that will be short, I only want to test it to make sure it works right, accelerates, stops, then I will be bringing it back in to clean up, photograph, I'll show it on here but I want to list it on E-bay,, I can't believe what some of these bike are bringing there, Yea I got some I want to keep, but I can't keep them all !!!!
dave

 

[hot turkey]

I like to take a nap after a good long read....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[dave dickson]

Sorry forgot to post the pics!!!

These pics go with my previous post!
dave

 

[tractorman]

Dave;
Hurry up and get the flowers to grow. I really want to see a finished project tryke looks good so far . Keep up the good work. PINK now that is an interesting color.
Tractorman

 

[dave dickson]

Last bike selected!

Ok here it is bike 9, I spent the day with it and 5 other frames spraying them with that primer red stuff, was neatly staging them in the yard and was on the 2nd to the last frame, and it started to rain, well pics was the last thing on my mind, I had to get everything back downstairs, needless to say after all the trips up and down, well I'll take a pic of em all when i set up outside again in primer, then I'll shoot em with color, hopefully I'll be able to get a progress pic of all of them together so you can see them in their different stages, as the trike is done except for the throttle, stopping there on all of them, That way I can say No you can't ride it cause it ain't done, the first pink bike is done excect for the throttle, I hope to start on the 2nd pink bike tomarrow, it will be getting a new knock off motor like her sister, so that one will be basic frame rebuild, slap a motor to it, brakes, throttle, then move to the first chopper frame, now if there are any girls out there that like these 2 sisters, and think that they'd like them to come live with them for awhile, let me know, regretably, mom says she won't get on it and the other one was built for my "step daughter", but it turns out that she's pregnant, so she won't be riding for along time, by then I hope to be bending my own frames, and I'll just whip her up a nice chopper with a sidecar, lol.
Guys I got to tell ya all about the flowers cuz it's coming soon, and I mentioned in a few threads, and I'm getting feed back about it, now I ain't no tiny tim, no i don't get excited over tulips, This will be my 6th year of doing this flower thing, I look forward to it every year, it's hard work sometimes, but it is also fun, I drive a truck for a family that owns a masive greenhouse system, and talk about having a system down pat, this family has all their ducks in a row, Those flowers are growing right now, I have nothing to do with that, When I get there, the place is so beautiful, the flowers are prize winners, the smell as you walk from greenhouse to greenhouse is breath taking, my job, and the job of 2 other drivers is to totally empty those greenhouses, by Memorial day, we deliver all over Ohio, into Penn, and down into west va. I don't really do it for the money, last year I took home almost 4k, yea it helps out, but for just that month I feel like I'm doing something good, see when you that are out there, buying them flowers, for your wives, and girlfriends lawns and gardens, I may of had a hand in making your loved one smile, I might of been the one that brought those flowers to the place where you bought them!!!
dave

 

[dave dickson]

Just a quick update, I made good progress today, got all of the frames in color today!!! They're looking pretty good, was going to post pics but to tell the truth, I'm really tired, I really just want to make this short entry, so you guys don't think I've given up, Lol, Tomarrow while the paint is drying i will be starting on the motors, I have a good selection of briggs motors that I will be going thru, checking and cleaning carbs stuff like that, but for now with the fumes, and stuff I just think all I want to do is catch some ZZZZZZZZZZZs
dave

 

[dave dickson]

In Living Color!

Here they are, still sticky, can't really touch them with out leaving fingerprints in the paint, I'll leave them sit for a few days so the paint setts real good, will probably set them in the sun on nice days to aid in drying, I got some motor work to do and my buddy is wanting His go-cart back so I guess I'll let the mini's sit for a minute, and post my motor work pics in a day or 2, maybe I'll get to tear up the side yard with the go-cart, before my buddy comes back to get it, I hope i get to make a couple of laps, I think i have enuff room to make a nice oval, we'll see, cause after i'm done with this build I'm already selecting a couple more mini bike frames, i still have 1 tryke left and 8 or 9 different go-carts to rebuild, I believe they are all home made carts, too, should be back soon with some fresh pics.
dave

 

[hot turkey]

Great job! I thought I was busy!

 

[dave dickson]

The Trucks are there!

My buddy went by the greenhouse today, the Ryders are there he told me! That means The season is about to comence, now I'm not sure but i think that most of next week, around these parts anyway is supposed-to-be cold, so I figure I got at least,maybe one week, and I lost today cause I was busy cleaning out my garage, take a peek at what I found in there;
dave

 

[dave dickson]

Possible engine donors

I may find a new porpose for these engines of might;