Cat frame repair

[Traydawgpimpin]

Yes, me too on voting for the vintage briggs

If I had a 5hp briggs I would for sure, but all my briggs are 3hp. Hopefully I find a good deal on a nice 5hp though

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

I’m going to go on record preferring a Tecumseh.

Surprisingly there harder to find now. I sold a really nice one a while back I should've kept it.

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

I didn't know we were allowed to vote outside the box ? !!! Lol.

If so, I'd have chosen tecumseh too - as that's what I recall most of them having on them (around our neighborhood anyway)

If I found a nice tecumseh for cheap I would but since this bike is not original I just want something cool and different. I would like a raptor motor or just a built briggs. Kind of a vintage but modified motor

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

good thing is you can always change motors later... a brand new predator with a few little hop-ups is pretty nice, and easy to get a project going but does lack old nostalgic look. but at the end of the day. your the cool guy with a running minibike making your neighbors annoyed/jealous. lol

I have a predator in the garage I'm leaning towards using.

 

[willyb]

I have a predator in the garage I'm leaning towards using.

i put a predator on my old trojan minibike, took out the governor put a cast alum flywheel slapped in some 18 pound valve springs, rejetted the stock carb. with a center exit exhaust pipe with a hot dog muff. and played around with the jackshaft sprockets and its right on the edge of too much fun. handles all the terrane i play on. its all about having a good time

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

i put a predator on my old trojan minibike, took out the governor put a cast alum flywheel slapped in some 18 pound valve springs, rejetted the stock carb. with a center exit exhaust pipe with a hot dog muff. and played around with the jackshaft sprockets and its right on the edge of too much fun. handles all the terrane i play on. its all about having a good time

I agree! I have a set of 18 lb Honda valve springs and a vm22 carb already. I might also try that cast aluminum flywheel because the billet version are expensive, just want a nice peppy street cruiser that will out run a dog if one breaks loose lol

 

[massacre]

Predator is a "me too" motor to me.
but that's just my dumb opinion. i love flatheads

 

[willyb]

So I got a question for you guys. I picked up this basically free cat mini bike and its your typical hack job special lol. Someone hacked up the engine mount holes along with drilling other random holes for who knows what lol. Also I'm sure someone added those pegs at some point. My question is how would you guys go about fixing the holes? It's not gonna be a show bike or anything just kinda want to clean up the cosmetics before painting it. Could I weld and redrill the engine plate holes? I would like to avoid cutting out the engine plate if possible. I'm an amateur welder but I want to do it myself to keep it a budget build.

did the bike come with other bits like wheels and brakes and such?

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

did the bike come with other bits like wheels and brakes and such?

Yeah it has the og wheels with the stars, no brakes though. I recently fabbed up some seat rails and bought a seat. Bike is mostly completely now besides brakes. I'm getting it ready for paint now so it should be a complete roller soon ready for an engine

So I got a question for you guys. I picked up this basically free cat mini bike and its your typical hack job special lol. Someone hacked up the engine mount holes along with drilling other random holes for who knows what lol. Also I'm sure someone added those pegs at some point. My question is how would you guys go about fixing the holes? It's not gonna be a show bike or anything just kinda want to clean up the cosmetics before painting it. Could I weld and redrill the engine plate holes? I would like to avoid cutting out the engine plate if possible. I'm an amateur welder but I want to do it myself to keep it a budget build.

New dilemma so

So I got a question for you guys. I picked up this basically free cat mini bike and its your typical hack job special lol. Someone hacked up the engine mount holes along with drilling other random holes for who knows what lol. Also I'm sure someone added those pegs at some point. My question is how would you guys go about fixing the holes? It's not gonna be a show bike or anything just kinda want to clean up the cosmetics before painting it. Could I weld and redrill the engine plate holes? I would like to avoid cutting out the engine plate if possible. I'm an amateur welder but I want to do it myself to keep it a budget build.

New dilemma! so now I'm stripping the paint off the frame and debating on taking off the factory tab. This is a cat dominator which originally came with a frame mounted gas tank. Those tanks are not easy to find and also expensive when you do, so I'm just gonna run a regular engine mounted tank. With that being said I know that tab is gonna annoy me with no purpose so I'm might cut it off the frame

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

Predator is a "me too" motor to me.
but that's just my dumb opinion. i love flatheads

Flatheads are cool but the predator motors is the equivalent to Ls swapping a car. Besides not being vintage they have alot more pros than the briggs, easy to get, inexpensive, huge aftermarket support, more power, easy to work on, more reliable etc. I do like briggs but modding them cost a small fortune and performance parts are hard to find for them. Maybe if someone start making vintage performance stuff for them they would be more popular

 

[Triley41395]

Flatheads are cool but the predator motors is the equivalent to Ls swapping a car. Besides not being vintage they have alot more pros than the briggs, easy to get, inexpensive, huge aftermarket support, more power, easy to work on, more reliable etc. I do like briggs but modding them cost a small fortune and performance parts are hard to find for them. Maybe if someone start making vintage performance stuff for them they would be more popular

Might interest you

https://oldminibikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/cat-coffin-tank.182465/

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

Might interest you

https://oldminibikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/cat-coffin-tank.182465/

Interesting!

 

[willyb]

Interesting!

that would be a sweet tank to keep that classic look

 

[massacre]

Flatheads are cool but the predator motors is the equivalent to Ls swapping a car. Besides not being vintage they have alot more pros than the briggs, easy to get, inexpensive, huge aftermarket support, more power, easy to work on, more reliable etc. I do like briggs but modding them cost a small fortune and performance parts are hard to find for them. Maybe if someone start making vintage performance stuff for them they would be more popular

LS swap is "me too" as well, just my opinion. Briggs 5hp were used in untold number of racing classes so pretty sure there is aftermarket support.
Nothing more simple and reliable as a flathead. And they can make plenty of power, too.
A Tecumseh is also a good option, billet rod, valve springs, retainers, cam and slide carb will make a great runner. Lighted flywheel too if you're into that.

it's your bike obviously and it will be great no matter which way you choose!

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

LS swap is "me too" as well, just my opinion. Briggs 5hp were used in untold number of racing classes so pretty sure there is aftermarket support.
Nothing more simple and reliable as a flathead. And they can make plenty of power, too.
A Tecumseh is also a good option, billet rod, valve springs, retainers, cam and slide carb will make a great runner. Lighted flywheel too if you're into that.

it's your bike obviously and it will be great no matter which way you choose!

I currently do have a few briggs motors which is how I know they don't have much of an aftermarket support now days. I get your point but I don't think its a me too thing, it's just some people like to make things simple. I would honestly prefer a built briggs just because it's not as common but a predator has such a huge aftermarket support. But hey may do both

 

[willyb]

thats cool you got the original wheels thats always a nice touch... i always thought of mini bikes as the purest form of hot rodding. if everyones bike was the same what fun would it be , and if every mini bike was a showpiece they would never get ridin. when im wrenchin and riding mini's i feel like im 10 years old again having the time of my life

 

[DaddyJohn]

Surprisingly there harder to find now. I sold a really nice one a while back I should've kept it.

Here, they’re a dime a dozen on old snow blowers. But availability on that kind of equipment definitely depends on where you live.

 

[willyb]

Here, they’re a dime a dozen on old snow blowers. But availability on that kind of equipment definitely depends on where you live.

here in california its getting harder to find small engines by the day. they put a small engine ban here you cant buy a new small engines now. all new yard equipment is electric or battery power. you can still use and operated you old small gas engines but people are just discarding them and buying electric stuff for insane amounts of money. im always looking for peoples unwanted small engines here

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

here in california its getting harder to find small engines by the day. they put a small engine ban here you cant buy a new small engines now. all new yard equipment is electric or battery power. you can still use and operated you old small gas engines but people are just discarding them and buying electric stuff for insane amounts of money. im always looking for peoples unwanted small engines here

Yeah I'm in California also so I understand. There's so many restrictions out here it's ridiculous, might have to just start buying stuff out of state and bring it back here

 

[Traydawgpimpin]

So I got a question for you guys. I picked up this basically free cat mini bike and its your typical hack job special lol. Someone hacked up the engine mount holes along with drilling other random holes for who knows what lol. Also I'm sure someone added those pegs at some point. My question is how would you guys go about fixing the holes? It's not gonna be a show bike or anything just kinda want to clean up the cosmetics before painting it. Could I weld and redrill the engine plate holes? I would like to avoid cutting out the engine plate if possible. I'm an amateur welder but I want to do it myself to keep it a budget build.

So I finally made it into a roller and fabbed up a seat. Previous owner put a regular seat removed the shocks and cut off the tabs. I welded on new ones , made seat rails and mounted some old shocks I already had for a mock up. Now I have to make wheel spacers and get a sprocket so I can test fit the motor. Still got quite a bit of work to do before I paint it but I'm sure it hasn't been a roller in years so that's a start. I'm gonna get new hardware for it also but I like to assemble things first so it's easier to know what parts to replace and make sure things fit right