First Scratch Built Bike

[jackeo21]

Hi all,

We have taken up the task of making our own mini bike from scratch. We purchased a bench mounted pipe bender the other week. I liked the look of the Taco Frijole so we decided to bend one up. It's our first attempt at making a bike so it won't be perfect, and we will run into issues but that's all part of it I guess :laugh:

Here is the frame as it sits.

The motor is a very low hours 1987 Briggs 3HP that runs really nicely. It has been on my bench for over half a year so I thought I'd dig it out and use it. I brought it with a stuck exhaust valve and comet clutch for $33US. I used the clutch on my other bike so this motor only cost around $16.50US :thumbsup:

Next up is the neck and forks, so they look kinda funny at the moment :hammer:

Everything is coming along nicely, what do you think?

-jackeo21

 

[2SlickNick]

I think it looks great so far, but looks like chain would hit the engine plate.

 

[jackeo21]

I think it looks great so far, but looks like chain would hit the engine plate.

You are right, it does. We will cut a corner section out of it to fix that. The whole engine plate will be moved fowards anyway.

 

[buckeye]

Nice work.

 

[mrpat]

I love the hand made projects. Great work! Rock on!

 

[OND]

Looks good jackeo ! :thumbsup:

 

[jackeo21]

We managed to mock-up the forks today. I found an inlet and exhaust valve off a Tecumseh mower for shocks :thumbsup:

Also, here is an engine that I finished today, could go on this bike but I think ill save it for the next. It is a 1961 Cast Iron sleeve 2hp with a 3hp crank, cam and rod :laugh:

Updates soon, waiting on a chain and bigger tyres!

 

[chipper]

Bravo !!

 

[jackeo21]

Update, we have welded the neck and forks together. The bike may look a bit odd with the rims at the moment, but I am getting larger tyres to make up for it :thumbsup:

 

[buckeye]

It doesn't look bad at all.
Looks great actually.
Nice job.

 

[Havasu Dave]

Looks pretty good! Has that Flexo Go Kart Cycle Frijole thing going on. One of the weak points of those bikes was that front down tube. They were notorious for breaking. Flexo ended up using larger 1" pipe on their later models for this reason. You may want to add a gusset on the top and bottom of that down tube.

But a good job for sure. That 2.5 Briggs would power it okay too. Just wouldn't win any races.

 

[jackeo21]

Thanks for the positive comments guys, means a lot :thumbsup: We have gussets made up ready to be welded on. I fired up the 3hp today for the 1st time in over half a year. Bit hard to get going but it works. I will upload a video sooner or later :laugh: We also moved the engine plate fowards and welded the frame properly.

 

[jackeo21]

Bit on an update.

I decided to sell the 3hp for funds and use the 2.5 horse instead. I think I have alright gearing, however. 38 tooth sprocket with a 10 tooth clutch. I think the 2.50 would give that bike a nicer retro look. We built the frame to better accommodate the 3hp, so the air cleaner did not fit in the frame :doah:

But I discovered a kitchen sink drain cover? and used the inside part of the original Briggs air cleaner and a piece of sponge and came up with a retro looking chrome air cleaner in about 5 minutes. What do you guys think of it? :laugh:

I also experimented with a 3/4 5hp muffler on the 2.5hp. It looks a bit different but sounds much deeper and is quieter than the straight pipe that was on it.

Still need to weld the gussets into the frame.

 

[jackeo21]

Here is a video of it running, taken before the air filter swap over.

[video=youtube;OLSp1j_r44E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLSp1j_r44E&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[jackeo21]

Apologies for the disappearing photos!

 

[chrisr]

Great idea on the air cleaner. Looks great.

Bit on an update.

I decided to sell the 3hp for funds and use the 2.5 horse instead. I think I have alright gearing, however. 38 tooth sprocket with a 10 tooth clutch. I think the 2.50 would give that bike a nicer retro look. We built the frame to better accommodate the 3hp, so the air cleaner did not fit in the frame :doah:

But I discovered a kitchen sink drain cover? and used the inside part of the original Briggs air cleaner and a piece of sponge and came up with a retro looking chrome air cleaner in about 5 minutes. What do you guys think of it? :laugh:

I also experimented with a 3/4 5hp muffler on the 2.5hp. It looks a bit different but sounds much deeper and is quieter than the straight pipe that was on it.

Still need to weld the gussets into the frame.

 

[jackeo21]

I think I will finish rebuilding the Tecumseh H35 for this bike. I would like to save the 2.1/2 for some other project. The problem is that the shaft is too small for a 3/4 clutch. Am I able to make a sleeve? The crank journals are mint and I'd like to use it. It will get new rings/gaskets/seals/decals. I found a really nice NOS tank on ebay to use. :thumbsup:

Vintage Antique Steel Round Gas or Fuel Tank Minibike Moped GoKart Scooter | eBay

Lemme know what you think, haven't updated the build thread for a while :laugh:

So many engine changes!

 

[jackeo21]

Here is a bit of an update. Got 2 new cheap tyres. Also picked up an aluminium throttle set from the same place. The Tecumseh is painted and I'm busy making an exhaust and waiting on new rings. :thumbsup:

 

[jackeo21]

Brought some things today. I got a new throttle cable, carb, air filter...

Got the carb hooked up and it looks great :thumbsup: I cannot assemble the motor until my parts get here from the states :doah:

 

[jackeo21]

Well I have changed my mind about engines, AGAIN. I picked up, what I thought was a clapped out good for parts 3hp Briggs for 15 bucks. After a mandatory teardown I found it was a low hours engine, so I resurrected an old tank and carb lounging around in the garage and put it together with the usual new gaskets and seals and BAM :laugh: It runs like a dream and looks great! The 2.5HP is being sold upwards of $150, because I have no use for it. Think I will pass on the tecu as well.

I swapped the air filter over today and replaced the destroyed handle. I also had one of my what can you improve in 10 minutes moments, leaving me with a short length of water pipe covered by a chrome plated bathroom towel rail for a sweet looking exhaust :thumbsup:

Seems this bike is half bathroom ut:

Im sorry if all these engine changes are annoying but I'm just testing things out, and finding what would be functional for me.

Also, I have a raptor linkage kit, I can make one of the needed linkages. Is setting it up similar to setting it up on the 5hp? It seems to bolt on in the same way.

-jackeo21