I have built 5 minibikes since 2004- pretty much spend most of my free time doing this. ( I rent so my land lady does all the home stuff- she gives me free reign of her workshop to boot!!) Anyway I have built a mini for every daughter, neice and nephew that I can. Now I want to build one for the purpose of selling and hopefully make a LITTLE profit. Id use mostly brand new parts. I cannot build one cheaper than what we can buy the MiniBaja from TSC but the Baja is a large bike and I plan to do a 3-4hp bike. I have been looking at the smaller Baja motorsports frame, fork w/wheels and tires on ebay. Like $150 shipped. I need to hit the yard sales in the countryside as a $5 frame would be oh so sweet. I like to cut off the non adj handle bars and install motorcycle clamps and handle bars. I mount the engines and handle bar clamps on bailer belt rubber as it dampens vibration SIGNIFICANTLY. ($5 /sq foot at TSC-tire sidewall will work too) I believe I could sell it just by putting it in my front yard. If not Id list it on SleazeBay. Small Eng Warehouse has a 3.1hp Kawasaki Flathead for $170 Id love to try. The also have a 3.5 Briggs I/C that works great-$190. I used a JiangDong on my daughters bike. It runs excellent but I would not recomend one to someone who cannot do any work themselves. When I went to use the accessory holes around the crank the threads just crumbled and pulled out- all 4! I had to drill and re tap. (This is a metallurgy issue that China is notorious for) I have a nice 1971 Dodge Demon. I am aquiring the parts to build up the 360 but paying $180/week in child support makes a car hobby non feasable. The minis are a hobby I can afford! I have thought out loud enough-sorry for the ramblings. Mike
I think I gonna build a mini strictly to sell
- Thread starter mharrington
- Start date
Hey Mike, sounds like a good plan, but I think unless you ride it for a while and get some use, the profit margin will be small, if any at all. All the parts + time will add up really quickly...
Unless of course you get a super cheap frame and have a lot of the parts laying around from previous projects...
Unless of course you get a super cheap frame and have a lot of the parts laying around from previous projects...
Yea but Id still be satisfied to break even. When I ride with my girls out here I get alot of parents asking questions beacause their kids run up to them going nuts about our bikes. I should rephrase my goal- A profit would be nice but is not mandatory. Its enjoyable to build them. I found a site called Pats small engines. I have been posting how I want a NEW engine for my El Burro big tire bike. Pats has a 12hp Briggs Intek Snow engine with 3/4' shaft for $261 and $6 flat rate shipping. I got my tax money friday. I may have to go with this engine for my bike.
Hey Mike...
Please feel free to think out loud/ramble all you want...especially if you're going to include good tips like how you rubber-mount engines and handlebars.
I don't think you'll have too much trouble selling a bike if you let your daughters do the talking next time you guys are riding and some other kids see how much fun you're having...they can really put the guilt-trip screws to their parents about how much money adult-orientated hobbies like building cars can cost, and how relatively inexpensive minibikes really are...
I never set out to sell one of my minibikes, but I'll take them to a bike night or car night that's family-oriented, and then let the kids 'go to work' on their parents...it's hard for dad to say no to his son as they're standing next to dad's really expensive toy.
Sure, I'll take a check...thanks, enjoy the bike...see you next weekend.
Please feel free to think out loud/ramble all you want...especially if you're going to include good tips like how you rubber-mount engines and handlebars.
I don't think you'll have too much trouble selling a bike if you let your daughters do the talking next time you guys are riding and some other kids see how much fun you're having...they can really put the guilt-trip screws to their parents about how much money adult-orientated hobbies like building cars can cost, and how relatively inexpensive minibikes really are...
I never set out to sell one of my minibikes, but I'll take them to a bike night or car night that's family-oriented, and then let the kids 'go to work' on their parents...it's hard for dad to say no to his son as they're standing next to dad's really expensive toy.
Sure, I'll take a check...thanks, enjoy the bike...see you next weekend.
Jesse I am interested in what you have. Send me a more detailed email at overisel@charter.net. Hey yellowhand actually I went one step further than simply rubber mounting on 3 bikes now. I buy an engine mounting plate- BMI has a 9"x11" plate. I then drill 4 holes thru the 9x11 plate to mount that plate on the bike frame surface itself. I place some rubber donut/absorbers (BORROWED from work..he he) over the 4 holes I drilled into the frame plate. Then on top of the donuts I lay the 9x11 plate. For bolts to mount the eng to the 9x11 I buy carriage bolts. The square area just under the head of the carriage bolt fits into the mounting slots. They slide fwd and bwd. (May gave to file bolt or hole SLIGHTLY). Place the bolts in the 9x11s eng mount holes. Then place the 9x11 plate with carrige bolts on the frame mount plate. Snug the bolts and compress the rubber slightly. Set engine onto 9x11- bolts are now like studs, postion them thru the engine mount holes. You can put the washers and nuts on now and the sqrare part of the carriage bolt is nicely fit into the slots-they wont turn. Run the engine forward and just snug the chain. With thick rubber donuts I leave the chain basically loose. Tighten the engine mount bolts appropriately. NOW tighten the bolts that mount the 9x11 to the frame plate. As the rubber compresses the chain tightens. Actually when tightening the rear bolts the chain slackens and when tightening the fron t the chain tightens. If you have enough space it dampens vibration soooo nice. It looks good too. You do not need industrial rubber donuts- Car tire sidewall will work as well as several layers of bailer belt. I use nylock nuts on the eng and everything so they RARELY need re tightening. In my album you can see what I did with my restified ElBurro. Like so many I struggle to post pics in the forum. I use the 9x11 because of the extra area outside of where the engine must be allows the bolts for mounting.
If anyone is interested in adding to this topic...
I'm just surfing around the posts and photos...looking for ideas for my next project, but...
I did a business plan and cost survey for small-scale production of high-quality minibikes using American-made parts a couple years ago...
My family has a history of starting side businesses while we were all working at Cushman...a good thing, since the company eventually went bankrupt, but we are all experienced in designing and building vehicles with small engines, and the manufacturing processes involved...
Long story short, the bike would have been a chromoly tube dual-suspension frame made in-house, with a Tecumseh Powersport engine (designed for minibike use, therefore not a warranty violation) and mostly Azusa and Comet components...all top of the line...alloy wheels, drum brake, torque converter...
Retail would have been right at $2000 to show any profit, building just a few hundred units a year with a half-dozen employees making $8.50/hr, but having some health benefits.
Not a viable business, since the Baja Motorsports units retail for a fraction of that amount, using Chinese-made components...
I'm just surfing around the posts and photos...looking for ideas for my next project, but...
I did a business plan and cost survey for small-scale production of high-quality minibikes using American-made parts a couple years ago...
My family has a history of starting side businesses while we were all working at Cushman...a good thing, since the company eventually went bankrupt, but we are all experienced in designing and building vehicles with small engines, and the manufacturing processes involved...
Long story short, the bike would have been a chromoly tube dual-suspension frame made in-house, with a Tecumseh Powersport engine (designed for minibike use, therefore not a warranty violation) and mostly Azusa and Comet components...all top of the line...alloy wheels, drum brake, torque converter...
Retail would have been right at $2000 to show any profit, building just a few hundred units a year with a half-dozen employees making $8.50/hr, but having some health benefits.
Not a viable business, since the Baja Motorsports units retail for a fraction of that amount, using Chinese-made components...
Hey Yellowhand
Nice idea. Its to bad that the overseas crap has floodedthe market. If you can figure out a way to make it happen let me know i would be in!
Hey Mike
Ive built and sold a few minibikes. The only way to show a profit is if you dont count labor. If you do figure about $3 an hour. And you have to find real good deals on parts. The way i justify it is, I just like to build them. So i count it as fun time. Not work time. Go for it though. Its cool to take a junky pc of crap and turn it into a cool, running, fun minibike.
Josh
Nice idea. Its to bad that the overseas crap has floodedthe market. If you can figure out a way to make it happen let me know i would be in!
Hey Mike
Ive built and sold a few minibikes. The only way to show a profit is if you dont count labor. If you do figure about $3 an hour. And you have to find real good deals on parts. The way i justify it is, I just like to build them. So i count it as fun time. Not work time. Go for it though. Its cool to take a junky pc of crap and turn it into a cool, running, fun minibike.
Josh
That is a good point- I do not count my time into the numbers. But Its fun to do and as long as the bikes are small traditional 3-4hp models the costs are reasonable. When I built my nephews mini I had my sis give me a check for $600. That bike was built from all new components and most of them Amercan made. Azusa frame, seat, briggs 3.5hp I/C engine ect. I see Mitsubishi and Homelite have sold permission to JiangDong to put their names on engines. The latest chinese minis have engines labeled as such. A little off topic here but the chinese are lousy at 2 things: Metallurgy and clearances/tolerances. There metal is always too brittle or too soft- mostly brittle. I have seen injection mold tools made there and the tools are galled up from too tight a fit right off the plane. The automotive parts are a good example- intake manifols that are extra porous and dont fit - rocker arms that disintigrate and put debri into your engine. The MiniBaja is worth the price of $500 but riding it will reveal its weak links in time. Beware when you go to remove bolts its common for the bolt to break or the threads get pulled out. Some of the chinese made stuff is good. Proform is an aftermarket high performace supplier of auto parts. They are chinese made but with serious oversight. Their Holley carb-like carbs are good as well as their rocker arms, fuel pumps and other things. Boy when that 100% chinese made car becomes available our roads will be littered with them broken down.
Hey Mike
It must have been cool to pick put all new parts to build a new minibike top to bottom. I bet it is nice! Im cheep so i buy other peoples junk and build it from there. I end up using lots of new parts but the frame is always old and rusty. Ive also never bought a new engine. I always buy used non running engines for cheep. Its a gamble sometimes but i get them cheep so i just use them for parts. Most of the time i get old snow blower engines. 75 percent of the time they just dont have spark, and all i have to do is a basic tune up plug, points, condencer, oil change and thats it. It also keeps the cost down when building one to sell.
I never messed with the china engines. And dont plan on it! I love my old snow blower engines! But people keep buying them up, its so cheep they cant resist. The china made engines are just like the tools its just cheep throw away crap! But maybe i should learn to work on them, i could make a good buck fixing them.
Josh
It must have been cool to pick put all new parts to build a new minibike top to bottom. I bet it is nice! Im cheep so i buy other peoples junk and build it from there. I end up using lots of new parts but the frame is always old and rusty. Ive also never bought a new engine. I always buy used non running engines for cheep. Its a gamble sometimes but i get them cheep so i just use them for parts. Most of the time i get old snow blower engines. 75 percent of the time they just dont have spark, and all i have to do is a basic tune up plug, points, condencer, oil change and thats it. It also keeps the cost down when building one to sell.
I never messed with the china engines. And dont plan on it! I love my old snow blower engines! But people keep buying them up, its so cheep they cant resist. The china made engines are just like the tools its just cheep throw away crap! But maybe i should learn to work on them, i could make a good buck fixing them.
Josh
I would try this ....
advertise a class on minibike building and get a few father sons .
that way you can sell parts to them and make some cash and also charge for the class.
also when you start buying more than 1 or 2 things at a time manufactures start giving price breaks.
all said and done you get cheaper parts and maybe 4 or 5 new guys into these classic bikes .... people that can fix them as they built them.
I did a thing like this a few years back with rc cars and it was great .
we got 7 people that paid $250 and they got to learn and build there cars .
they also got to take them home.
these bikes are a cheap and easy way to have fun .... put that in the ad??
shayne
advertise a class on minibike building and get a few father sons .
that way you can sell parts to them and make some cash and also charge for the class.
also when you start buying more than 1 or 2 things at a time manufactures start giving price breaks.
all said and done you get cheaper parts and maybe 4 or 5 new guys into these classic bikes .... people that can fix them as they built them.
I did a thing like this a few years back with rc cars and it was great .
we got 7 people that paid $250 and they got to learn and build there cars .
they also got to take them home.
these bikes are a cheap and easy way to have fun .... put that in the ad??
shayne
My sister is very well off so it was fun to have her give me the money and I bought ALL brand new parts for her sons minibike. I chese the Briggs and Stratton engine for that one because EVERYONE has heard of Briggs and EVERYONE knows how to repair one. My stuff? If its usable I use it. With small 3-5hp engines the prices new are relatively- inexpensive its nice to be able to use them! I have a rebuilt Briggs 2hp and a 3hp in my basement. Ill build something they will come in handy on. When building a kids mini its not too pricey using all new stuff. Azusa and Acme have nice new frames. Tires and wheels under 6" are cheap. Like I said- cant be built cheaper than a MiniBaja but that is too big for a youngun. I am dying to try a new Linemar 5.5hp OHV Industrial motor. It is $195 free shipping. Id like to build a bigger mini for my nephew but he has been misbehaving and his mom says NO! Id like her to hand me the cash and I buy the Bad Daug bigger frame with 8" wheels and beefy tires. I have tried 2 Honda GC RESIDENTIAL motors- 4 and 5 hp. Nice over head cam engines but emissions carb falls on its face right upon acceleration/load. The Briggs Intek 6.5 was the same way. Emmisions carbs will not even let you adjust FLOAT LEVELS!!! From now on if I have carb related emission issues Im gonna use the "Small Block Chevy of carbs"- Mikuni.
I never intended to build minibikes, go-karts, hot rods or choppers as a business, but they are so much fun to build (and ride) that I'm still doing it 31 years later, although just as a side line in the evenings and weekends. I only sell them because it wouldn't be feasible to keep/store all the stuff I build.
I've never built anything for the purpose of selling it, but someone always makes me an offer I (eventually) can't refuse, because I like to go to shows and gatherings with other enthusiasts, and nothing seems to peak the interest of people as much as a little 'not for sale' sign on something. They always ask, and my response is "Because I'd probably lose money on the deal", considering the number of hours each of us puts into building our bikes, but we can't seem to get paid for...
So, I eventually do sell it, and get paid for my effort, but if anyone wants to do the same thing, I recommend doing two things first...
Incorporate as a business...it's not expensive, and allows you to keep your 'hobby business' separate from your main source of income...it can also allow you to buy materials at wholesale and tax-free.
Get some liability insurance...especially if you make the majority of your components yourself. I make frames, so if one of them breaks and injures the rider, they get compensated without me losing my house.
Prepare yourself for the shock you'll get when contacting your insurance agent to tell them you want liability insurance coverage to make a motorized vehicle that won't be sold to a child, but will probably be ridden by one.
The premiums will also insure that you never really make a dime building and selling minibikes, but at least you won't end up homeless.
I've never built anything for the purpose of selling it, but someone always makes me an offer I (eventually) can't refuse, because I like to go to shows and gatherings with other enthusiasts, and nothing seems to peak the interest of people as much as a little 'not for sale' sign on something. They always ask, and my response is "Because I'd probably lose money on the deal", considering the number of hours each of us puts into building our bikes, but we can't seem to get paid for...
So, I eventually do sell it, and get paid for my effort, but if anyone wants to do the same thing, I recommend doing two things first...
Incorporate as a business...it's not expensive, and allows you to keep your 'hobby business' separate from your main source of income...it can also allow you to buy materials at wholesale and tax-free.
Get some liability insurance...especially if you make the majority of your components yourself. I make frames, so if one of them breaks and injures the rider, they get compensated without me losing my house.
Prepare yourself for the shock you'll get when contacting your insurance agent to tell them you want liability insurance coverage to make a motorized vehicle that won't be sold to a child, but will probably be ridden by one.
The premiums will also insure that you never really make a dime building and selling minibikes, but at least you won't end up homeless.
Y'ellow all,
Building minis are fun. Built a few myself. Building and selling for a profit is difficult. Not all Chineese stuff is bad quality. You just got to know what to buy. Then again you also have to watch out for someone to copy it. But if your in for the pleasure of just building for the kids, thumbs up.
Building minis are fun. Built a few myself. Building and selling for a profit is difficult. Not all Chineese stuff is bad quality. You just got to know what to buy. Then again you also have to watch out for someone to copy it. But if your in for the pleasure of just building for the kids, thumbs up.