picked up this basket case today. I think its a 400x was originaly red with a tec i believe but the guy tossed it and the seat and one shock :doah:. Came with a running briggs. Not bad for 25$ 
They remind me of riding my 400x when I was a kid while trying to "catch some air" over a small bump in the trail, snapping the two bolts holding the "removeable" handle bars on.
I do recall that riding a mini-bike with a set of detached handle bars in your hands is very exciting.....
hmy:
Weld...yes, the best solution....but then they wouldn’t be "removable" as boasted in the H.P.E Cat catalog and ads.
Why was that a feature to boast about? Maybe so you could fit the bike in the trunk of a car to transport to riding grounds?? I don't know. The cost of having chrome handlebars was certainly reduced as no need to chrome entire forks to achieve that end.
Mine did have a 3-4" long single bead weld across the front but that obviously wasn't enough. Does anyone know if this weld was factory as I'm thinking maybe others experienced the detached handle bar adrenaline rush and perhaps Cat started adding a weld across the front?
Last night I transformed the old 400X (yes the same one) from pieces in boxes to an actual rolling mini-bike (no engine) loosely bolted together to prevent parts loss, keeping the thing together until I can get back to finishing the resto work I started 15 years ago.
When I went to bolt on the handle bars I went to my supply of new bolts, naturally grabbing a couple of 3/8 bolts, and to my surprise the holes are only big enough to accommodate 5/16 bolts. How wimpy is that?
Short of welding, a minimum upgrade would be drilling out to 3/8, or better yet; 7/16 bolts. You would have to use socket-head bolts, as the plate the Cat sticker is on would present a clearance issue with standard hex-head bolts.
Why was that a feature to boast about? Maybe so you could fit the bike in the trunk of a car to transport to riding grounds?? I don't know. The cost of having chrome handlebars was certainly reduced as no need to chrome entire forks to achieve that end.
Mine did have a 3-4" long single bead weld across the front but that obviously wasn't enough. Does anyone know if this weld was factory as I'm thinking maybe others experienced the detached handle bar adrenaline rush and perhaps Cat started adding a weld across the front?
Last night I transformed the old 400X (yes the same one) from pieces in boxes to an actual rolling mini-bike (no engine) loosely bolted together to prevent parts loss, keeping the thing together until I can get back to finishing the resto work I started 15 years ago.
When I went to bolt on the handle bars I went to my supply of new bolts, naturally grabbing a couple of 3/8 bolts, and to my surprise the holes are only big enough to accommodate 5/16 bolts. How wimpy is that?
Short of welding, a minimum upgrade would be drilling out to 3/8, or better yet; 7/16 bolts. You would have to use socket-head bolts, as the plate the Cat sticker is on would present a clearance issue with standard hex-head bolts.
yeah im not sure i think your probably right about being able to put it in your car, i wouldnt weld mine now because they are not made anymore and ive never had a problem with them coming off, ive had the bolts come lose but lock washers fixed that. but had i been around then when they were a dime a dozen i would have welded it in a heartbeat
i havnt had a problem with them on my other cat. The ones on the brown bike were horribly messed up though. the base plate was so bent up i had to cut the bars off to flatten it out and since the reinforcement plate across the front was gone i made a new one and their strong as an ox now and look great. I suspect the modification came at the same time as the high speed stability package. Which is next on the list
Here is my Cat I think It's a 200x?
There is some good custom work like the custom fenders and the scrub brake made into a drum operated system. The fenders look absolute factory The rear one wraps under the motor plate and is very cleanly welded.as well as the scrub mod (besides the caliper rod). It is filthy as heck cause I ride it daily. The front wheel is off my cat duster project because I gots a flat lol.. I love this bike.
There is some good custom work like the custom fenders and the scrub brake made into a drum operated system. The fenders look absolute factory The rear one wraps under the motor plate and is very cleanly welded.as well as the scrub mod (besides the caliper rod). It is filthy as heck cause I ride it daily. The front wheel is off my cat duster project because I gots a flat lol.. I love this bike.
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