Any thoughts on why there are no Rupp Clones?

[Orson_Yancey]

I would really like to see some manufacturers producing brand new Rupp clones.

I read that in 1998, the Honda patents on the mini trails expired. It was not long afterward, several Chinese companies starting producing clones of the famous Honda mini trails.

Does anyone have thoughts on why we are not seeing clones of the famous Rupp mini bikes of the early 1970's? Good condition and restorations of Rupp mini bikes sell for astronomical prices. I would think someone could make some money building clones of the famous Rupp mini bikes of the 1970's.

I would like to have a Rupp rolling chassis that I could bolt on an American flat head or OHV 4-cycle engine. I believe the minimum requirements for a mini bike for trail riding and riding of back roads are:

Front and rear suspension,
Front and rear brakes,
12" spoke wheels or larger,
Torque converter,
Standard engine plate to bolt-on an American small engine. (I prefer not to
use any of the Chinese motorcycle/scooter engines 50 cc to 110 cc that come on the mini trail clones.)
Street legal and lights (States in the Northeast such as New York will give you a hard time if they catch you riding on the back roads with an unlicensed vehicle.)

I wish Baja, Lifan, or some company would start building a Rupp Roadster, Black Widow, Scrambler, Hustler, Enduro, or TT-500 clones.

If I could find a mini bike like that, I would be in mini bike Heaven.

 

[GTO]

I can think of a lot of other brands to bring back first!

Never cared for the motorcycle wannabe bikes but if we are wishing,,, how about they start small by cloning Tav 2's and 30's! and selling them for $50

 

[george3]

I will take two of those :chinese: tavs 50.00 a pop.

 

[Ruppster81]

I beleive reproducing rupp parts would drive the prices down since the parts would spread quickly and it would probably be hard to tell whats original and whats not. There are already tons of repro parts out there and rolling frames can be had for very little money. I think mrgasket bought the rupp name but they arent doing anything with it from what I've heard. I've seen a few of those honda/rupp clone jobbers and I wasnt the least bit interested in those.

 

[jimh]

If anyone ever clones Rupps, I hope it's the 6" wheeled ones. The minibikes. The big wheeled ones are minicycles. I have more respect for the companies that went out of the minibike business, rather than attempting to mimmick the Japanese manufacturers, as a last ditch effort to stay in business.ut: Just me.

 

[Modding_out]

I can think of a lot of other brands to bring back first!

Never cared for the motorcycle wannabe bikes but if we are wishing,,, how about they start small by cloning Tav 2's and 30's! and selling them for $50

You just jogged my memory, I'm pretty sue there are tav2 clones some were around here.....I'll have to find them.

 

[minibikedude]

I do not think a China made Rupp will ever be made as Long as Mick Rupp is still alive. He the one that put a stop to the CT70 and Z50 clones using the Rupp logos on the bikes that came out in 2003. He does not like foreign made products with his company's logo on them. Also Arctic Cat was the last company that had ownership of the Rupp name but did not stop anyone from the using it so far. Mick Rupp got a lawyer and stop the clone company from using the Rupp name on there bikes.

 

[Orson_Yancey]

Yes, it would be nice if we could persude Mike Rupp and Mr. Gasket to make Rupp minibikes. I wonder if Mike Rupp and Mr. Gasket have noticed the high interest and high selling prices of the vintage Rupp minibikes.

 

[mybiz]

I dont think anyone needs to clone any vintage minibikes for 1 they would be built like a pop can disposable death traps! and if they were put back in production I think you would see the prices of the vintage rupps drop. the word vintage was name "VINTAGE" for a reasonanyhow if you havent noticed most people call anything with two wheels "Rupp":doah::stupid:

 

[Ruppster81]

I don't know where I read or heard but last I knew about Mick's whereabouts was in florida doing some big fishing stuff? I'd rather see Certified parts corp bring back the original H and HSXX blocks than see new rupps being made (if that was even possible) Used rebuilt engines are getting so high priced now and they are hitting the $900-$1300 mark, will it end there?

The bikes were quality made hence why there are so many out there yet. Plus new engines would be benificial to more minibike brands other than rupp as well.

 

[minibikedude]

Mick Rupp moved back to Mansfeild ,Ohio last year. He has several bikes restored by Brandt.

 

[Ruppster81]

That is really cool to hear. I bet it'd be neat to meet him in person, maybe some year he'll attend the minibike reunion at windber lol, probably already did?

 

[minibikedude]

It would be cool to have him at Windber. Brandt has ask him for years to come to the show. Brandt says he does not like crowds that much and I would guess a lot of guys would be asking all sorts of question to him all day long and that would get old. I now a guy who into Rupp go carts and he was running it at Mid Ohio track in the last year and Mick Rupp showed up and watched him run one of his old carts. He got to met Mick after running his cart.