Hello everyone, STRANGE MINI BIKE here is it British?

#2
Welcome. This is a great site. What a neat machine. Can you post a photo of the label on front of the sidecar, please. And while you're at it, maybe take a step of two back from the bike so that we can see the whole thing in pics from each side. Thanks.
 
#3
Welcome. This is a great site. What a neat machine. Can you post a photo of the label on front of the sidecar, please. And while you're at it, maybe take a step of two back from the bike so that we can see the whole thing in pics from each side. Thanks.
I will get that [ic when I go to my storage, but there are no markinngs on the bike except a sticker that says LA paving compnay those are the guys who gave it to James B Duffy , that was the person who had it in his private collection and from what I know of him, he was an article writer for many car magazines and he had a big private collection of John Deere tractors. but thats al I got from searching.
 
#5
Earles forks? My one friend said those are call springer front end. I am not sure how that works yet. The motor turned a little when I pulled the chord slowly, but it became very hard to pull I figure I would dtop berfore any damage was done, but how do you unseize a motor sitting for 40 years without removing the head.
 
#7
Earles forks? My one friend said those are call springer front end. I am not sure how that works yet. The motor turned a little when I pulled the chord slowly, but it became very hard to pull I figure I would dtop berfore any damage was done, but how do you unseize a motor sitting for 40 years without removing the head.
I read electrathon’s handmade old school mini in the 2019 Build-off competition a while back. He referenced the fork design he was building as an Earles fork. So that was an immediate homework assignment for me. That led to the story of Ernest Earles and his fork design. Now it’s on my list to build some day.
Again, cool machine.
I would have to do some searching to clarify the term “Springer”, it seems to have broad usage. If a fork design has springs up near the triple tree, it probably referred to as a “Springer”. Beyond that idk.
 
#8
Earles forks? My one friend said those are call springer front end. I am not sure how that works yet. The motor turned a little when I pulled the chord slowly, but it became very hard to pull I figure I would dtop berfore any damage was done, but how do you unseize a motor sitting for 40 years without removing the head.
There are a bunch of really good folks here that can give you information on how to proceed with the powerplant. Maybe start another thread in the sub- forum here that matches the engine manufacturer.
Hopefully the previous owner applied fogging oil to the engine internals prior to storage and or display.
 

Itype2slo

Well-Known Member
#13
It's a leading link suspension, but technically not an Earles; the pivot point of an Earles is behind the front tire. Whatever you may choose to call it, it's interesting and cool to see on a minibike, especially being OEM; the only other ones I remember seeing are the Taco forks (OEM and an aftermarket one).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_fork
Are Earles the same as trail tamers?
 
#14
Yes. The original trail tamers were an Earles design.

There is no way to "safely" unstick and engine without removing the head.

Yes, I agree it's a Rogue, and not the close relation Cheyenne. Good job Pat.

I don't know what's been done to this bike, but from what little I can see, it's the cleanest Rogue I've seen. There were quite a few of them made by the way, and not strange, or rare. They came along later in the mini bike evolution, and the production run wasn't that long. So Cal. That side car is intriguing. It almost looks production. We need more and better photos. Someone did a lot of work here, including the engine. If you were down the road, I'd get the engine sorted. Shipping kills. Great score if you bought it.
 
#15
OMG thanks everyone I knew you guys would pin it down, its a rogue.....I have more pictures for you guys to look at, I thought it was really odd when I saw it and just had to work a deal out for it. So yeah its mine, but it has never been ridden and I do not want to ruin something so well preserved..... and at the same time I kinda want to go Hilling with it. Hmm not sure what to do.
 
#17
Wow I just looked up the rogue and I think this is a 1971 rogue which is the year I was born....I have to be honest and say that I want to keep this but I have to pay some workers we did work on this persons Estate and the previous owner James B Duffy who I read is a serious car and tractor enthusiast in-fact he used to display I think 9 tractors on his front lawn and in the street over in LA near Beverly Hills. Big Ole John Deere's. I want this to go to a good home. When I looked up the company that is on the front I could not find anything except Louisiana Paving Company..maybe this came from there . Oh I know that the person who owned this before me was an enthusiast of mini bike sidecar racing, but I never knew they were on the left side. This site is pretty cool, I have now been keeping an eye out for old mini bikes in neighborhoods that might be rescuable. I think I found an old trail 70 laying in a chicken coup. in my friends yard.
 
#18
There are a bunch of really good folks here that can give you information on how to proceed with the powerplant. Maybe start another thread in the sub- forum here that matches the engine manufacturer.
Hopefully the previous owner applied fogging oil to the engine internals prior to storage and or display.
I think he did but it has been sitting upside down hanging from beams it still has oil in it and will turn, I think I am on the compression stroke, but Iam afraid to tryit because it is so old and original. I might end up yanking the pull cord off or scratching the cylinder walls, what about like breaking oil or mystery oil in the spark plug chamber then let it sit after a couple of slow pulls .. let it sit and soak in.Would that work?
 
#19
It's a leading link suspension, but technically not an Earles; the pivot point of an Earles is behind the front tire. Whatever you may choose to call it, it's interesting and cool to see on a minibike, especially being OEM; the only other ones I remember seeing are the Taco forks (OEM and an aftermarket one).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_fork
Yeah that threw me off when I saw the forks and the suspension. I thought it was a taco at first.
 
#20
when my fr
I read electrathon’s handmade old school mini in the 2019 Build-off competition a while back. He referenced the fork design he was building as an Earles fork. So that was an immediate homework assignment for me. That led to the story of Ernest Earles and his fork design. Now it’s on my list to build some day.
Again, cool machine.
I would have to do some searching to clarify the term “Springer”, it seems to have broad usage. If a fork design has springs up near the triple tree, it probably referred to as a “Springer”. Beyond that idk.
iend wsaid springer he was talking about the springs on the front forks, but not the lower forks. I did not know there are so many people into minibikes.
 
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