Childhood Bonanza BC1100

D

dwarfbike

Active Member
#1
#1
As a kid growing up with a father who's interests were street rods and hot rods I found myself in the garage with my father more time then not. We alway had cool father son projects going on whether we were building a Vintage Bonanza Mini Bike or Vintage Go Kart. Are two goals back then were to get a finished working product as cheap as possible.

My father and I built this Vintage Bonanza BC 1100 when I was in the 1st grade back in 1990. We had the frame and forks given to us of course it came with no wheels, tires, sprocket, fenders, motor, throttle or grips and badges. We got a free set of mismatched wheels with used tires, him and I rolled a set of fenders in the slip roll and got a 3.5 Hp Briggs and Stratton Motor that we had laying around running. Now it was time to build my first Mini Bike. The Mini Bike went together well and ran great for many years putting a smile on my face every time I got the opportunity to ride it as a kid and young adult. As I get older and still share the same interests with my father of street rods, hot rods, rat rods, vintage mini bikes, vintage go karts, vintage jet skis and vintage bicycles it has become time for this Bonanza to start a new life.

I have started to collect the parts that I need to build a nice stock Bonanza BC1100 that my father and I can carry to car shows around the Bay Area in our hot rod trucks to try and drum up interest up here in Vintage Mini Bikes again. Nothing's better then a stock piece of history!

Parts that I bought and am waiting for:
1. Badges
2. Go Powers Wheels, Sprocket & Hardware
3. Bonanza Fenders

Parts I still need to order:
1. Jack shaft (not sure what one to get or where to get it any advise would be helpful)
2. Grips & Throttle (not sure what would best fit a stock Bonanza build or where to get it any advise and tips will be helpful)
3. Tires (I have been think about getting these CARLISLE 410-6 (410 X 350 X 6) STUD / 2 PLY TUBELESS TIRE.)
4. Gas Tank Mounting. Bracket (not sure how to mount or where to buy the bracket any advise or tips will be helpful)

I will post pictures of the Bonanza BC1100 that we are start with soon. I hope you enjoy this build thread and advise and tips are more then welcome.:scooter:
 
buckeye

buckeye

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
Sounds like a great deal. Cool to do it again with your Dad.

There are a few Bonanza Hoarders here. Try a parts wanted ad for what ya need.:thumbsup:
 
D

dwarfbike

Active Member
#4
#4
buckeye said:
Sounds like a great deal. Cool to do it again with your Dad.

There are a few Bonanza Hoarders here. Try a parts wanted ad for what ya need.:thumbsup:
Click to expand...
ScooterBoy is hooking me up with the Fenders, Go Power Wheels & Badges. The other stuff such as jack shaft, tires and throttle setup I figured I would buy new.
 
D

dwarfbike

Active Member
#6
#6
I was finally able to receive my Bonanza parts that I had bought from ScooterBoy yesterday. Everything looks awesome and I was very excited to start the process. So I took the whole bike apart last night.

Here is a picture of the bike before I took it apart:



Mini Bike Stripped Down:



Once I got the frame stripped I found a couple of items on the frame that I am unclear if they are stock frame items. I am not sure if these two bracket are stock on the Bonanza BC-1100 or not, please see below.



My scrub brake on this bike had a return springs attached to this center bar, please see picture below. I am unclear if this center bar is stock or if it was added after the fact. My father and I had built a bracket that mounted to the motor which is where the other end of the return springs mounted. We actually were running two return springs on the scrub brake. If this center bar is not stock how did the scrub brakes return? Please see picture below.



Are these two (2) hole on either side of the handle bars stock BC-1100 Holes? Please see below.



I have some chain wear from not running a jackshaft as a kid and running a chain that was to long for the bike. My hope is that I can weld it up and grid it smooth so no can tell it was ever there. Is that what you guys do? Please see below picture.



Also it appears that one of my foot peg mounts had been bent from many years of use as a kid. What would be the best method to straighten out the foot peg mount? Please see below picture.



I am excited to get this project rolling and built for my father for Christmas time. Any tips and advice would be helpful. Thanks for reading my thread. I am looking forward to keeping all of you updated as I make progress on this project.
 
Last edited:
D

dwarfbike

Active Member
#8
#8
Where's the Bonanza Brotherhood at? I know this site has a lot of knowledge on these old Bonanza Mini Bikes. Help a first time builder out. I am starting to thing that the brackets shown in the above pictures #3 are stock bracket that might hold the brake cable if you are going to run a lever brake on the mini bike. I am still unclear on the other questions still listed above. Any advice and tips would be helpful.


Thank you
 
6doggie3

6doggie3

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
Have you tried the Search window? just type in "bonanza " then whatever item you want ! Fork repair ,jack shaft, brakes etc etc etc. The window is in General mini bike talk
 
slywilliez

slywilliez

#11
#11
The first picture.
Top bracket is correct. This is use for holding the brake cable adjustment. The lower tab is incorrect.
The second picture, The scrub brake is not stock and it should use a 5" internal brake. I know the BC 500/ 1000 had scrub brakes but I never heard of a BC1100 having one.
Third picture
The upper hole is correct, these hold the lower forks and springs in place.
forth picture
The motor plate can be fixed, I have fixed worse.
fifth picture
Hard to tell from the picture but, if the foot peg is bent down you can add a little metal to the foot peg with it bottoms out on the frame.

I hope this helps, The best thing is try to find other bonanza bike pictures and you can get a better idea of what is stock and what has been added. Enjoy you restoration.
 
S

ScooterBoy

#13
#13
Sly answered several questions.... here's more.

dwarfbike said:
Parts I still need to order:
1. Jack shaft (not sure what one to get or where to get it any advise would be helpful)
2. Grips & Throttle (not sure what would best fit a stock Bonanza build or where to get it any advise and tips will be helpful)
3. Tires (I have been think about getting these CARLISLE 410-6 (410 X 350 X 6) STUD / 2 PLY TUBELESS TIRE.)
4. Gas Tank Mounting. Bracket (not sure how to mount or where to buy the bracket any advise or tips will be helpful)
Click to expand...
1 can be bought at OldMiniBikes Bonanza Jack Shaft Replacement

2 .... Get throttle grips, lever for 1" bars. OMBW or ebay.

3.... Those are fine. I personally like the bigger 5.30/4.50-6 (especially with your 72T sprocket).

4..... Here's the mount for the underseat tank set-up and a picture of one being used. UnderSeat Gas Tank Mount - Zinc - Fits Bonanza



dwarfbike said:
Also any advice or tips on how to get the front fork apart would be awesome.
Click to expand...
Call me when you get a chance and I'll explain a process.
 
D

dwarfbike

Active Member
#14
#14
Thanks ScooterBoy, Sly & 6doggie3 for the information and pictures. They are very helpful. It appears that I am going to have to remove the lower bracket in picture #3, weld up the lower holes on both sides of the handle bars in picture #5. It looks like I might have a problem on the inside of the forks, if the top hole is the one that should be holding the spring and lower fork in place. It appears that my mini bike is setup with the lower hole that should not be there doing this task. I wonder what is going on inside these forks? Also I learned that Bonanza BC-1100 never came with a scrub brake, so that is going to have to be removed and I am going to have to find the part for the drum brake setup. I am hoping the sprocket that I got from ScooterBoy will work with a drum brake system.
 
D

dwarfbike

Active Member
#17
#17
Now that I have two Bonanzas it is easier to try and figure out what is stock and what is not on each frame. I found another piece that I have questions about on my Middle Peg Bonanza BC-1100. It has a bracket that is under the Head Tube that appears to triangulate it. This piece is not on my BC-1300 and I am not sure that I have seen another Bonanza with this piece. Please see below.





Any advise or tips would be helpful on if this is a stock Bonanza bracket or not.

Thanks in advance.
 
D

dwarfbike

Active Member
#19
#19
ScooterBoy said:
That looks like the gusset they put on the MB or Scout series of bikes. More pictures?
Click to expand...
What kind of picture do you want those are the only two I ,took last night. I will hopefully be calling you tonight is you are available. Work has been crazy, I am surprised I found the time to go pick up that BC-1300.
 
S

ScooterBoy

#20
#20
Ok... I just looked through some old pictures and I see that gusset on 2 different BC bikes that I have had. Both were the 1400/1500 bikes.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top