Glutton for Punishment.... Baja Heat project.

#1
I Picked this thing up for dirt cheap. It was hour away or so so I bought it and stripped it in their driveway and stuffed it into my car. I wanted a bigger mini bike with cushy tires for my wife and I to cruise our land with and this came up so I snagged it.

Has had the stock engine plate hacked off and had a cobbled up Briggs Intek 5hp literally wedged into the frame opening with big aluminum bars sandwiching it into the frame from underneath . Super crazy shoddy work. But the bones are good and the tires are almost new. I have a new engine mounting plate floating around here somewhere I'll use that on it.. The engine runs great and I have it already sold so it paid half the price of the bike already.

The stock fake tank is damaged and cut up really bad, like ragged ass tin snips bad. I haven't decided if I going to replace it. The seat base is broken and I'll probably have to replace it. Bars are rusty but were spray painted to hide it.

I have several mild built Harbor freight grey hounds and I may try and fit one in there. Or I may just put one of the old Wisconsion robins I have in it with a cvt. Both steel fenders are good and the frame looks ok other than the botched base plate job.

Brake is not functional. I'll have to figure that out.

Need to find me a place for replacement parts for sure. I have worked on and rebuilt much worse. Shouldn't be too terribly bad. Good times..
 

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Harquebus

Well-Known Member
#3
Sounds and looks better than most of the rust covered junk that follows me home, especially with the bike as complete as it is.

Oldminibikes dot com seems to be the place for spares.

You'll do fine.
 
#4
Got it tore down to bare frame.

I will say this....These frame are not as robust as I used to think they were. Pretty thin walled tubing and Horrible welds nearly everywhere and the frame tubes were welded cattywampus. I'm used to Old Minibikes and for the most part all of my ancient frames were pretty solid with good fitment.


Anyhow. On with the work.

I hope to have the frame sandblasted tomorrow along with the fenders. Probably just paint this one after the welds on the bottom are redone and I put a new engine plate on it. I found a z50 clone tank I had laying around and it seems to fit it really well.

I'll try and attach some pics of the 2 engines I am thinking about using. I guess this will be my build thread of sorts.
 
#5
First pic with Massive Wisconsin Robin. These things are super nice and weird lookin. Forged steel crank, Forged connecting rod.

Second pic. Nasty frame fitment and welding.

3rd Other side of Wisconsin Robin.

4th 9hp Briggs. This things been through hell and back. Its a runner though.

Probably have to set up a jack shaft to run either of the engines. Good times.
 

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#6
You think your frame is bad....... I have several new frames still in the wrappers and one new one that wasn't wrapped. I found out why it wasn't wrapped.... It had been swapped out under warranty. I think the worker was drinking the day it was built.... everything on it is crooked. I will have to drag it out and take some pics if I don't forget about it... Yours looks fabulous by comparison.

They are not over built that is for sure but as long as you keep everything tight you wont have any problems. The worse damage pictures I have seen is from the engine plate having loose bolts. :shrug: I have not encountered a bad frame yet. I have encountered broken and ugly welds...

Doug
 
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