Let's see your modified Manco Thunderbirds

danford1

danford1

#127
#127
Newman110 said:
Great looking bike, woild you happen to know where I can get a front rim 8 inch for a manco ?
thanks
Newman
Click to expand...

I have a TBird I'm modifying. I needed a front tire also. I was in Tractor Supply and got an 8" wheel barrow tire with a knobby pattern. It was only $16. It has a grey rim but that can be painted easily. Sure it isn't meant for high speed travel but it should be good for a minibike. I had to change the wheel bearings. It came with cheapy bearings with a 3/4" ID. I put in regular flanged minibike bearings with the 5/8" ID.

I also added a band brake to the clutch. WOW, it will lock the rear tire with the slightest touch. I have to get used to that...
I left the scrub brake on for emergency's in case the chain comes off :)
I'm putting on a different front fork set up, removing the gas tank bracket as I'll use a Briggs with a tank under the carb. I want to put a different seat on it and relocated the shocks to the back of the seat rather than the center of the seat. I'll also use a much better pivot design on the front edge. I don't like all the side to side play in the original seat set up, it sways around way to much. It will be more like the Cat MX Duster seat and shock design that I had recently. I may have to relocate the rear axle further back to prevent all the wheelies... I had a 5hp Briggs on it for a couple days and it was hard to control with the front end in the air all the time... A 4hp Tecumseh was better but would still wheelie when you didn't want it to. A 3hp Briggs does fine as it won't wheelie with it.
I got some universal front and rear chrome fenders that I'll need to fab brackets for. I made my own full length clutch and chain cover.
Plus I'll do some more stuff to make it my own bike. This is a an ongoing project. I change things, ride it a bit, change things, rinse and repeat. Once I get it changed up I'll give it a paint job this winter. I'll keep the frame red but will go with a white engine, white wheels, black handle bars, black seat and black clutch/chain cover. It will be red, white, black and chrome.

Pics will be posted when I take more. It is pretty ratty looking right now...

Danford1

Here are a couple pics of the way I got it from the swap meet. It was a roller with a wasted front tire. Manco TBird roller 1.jpeg Manco TBird roller 2.jpeg
 
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danford1

danford1

#128
#128
Here are a couple pics of it with the 5 hp Briggs. I could only ride it for a few minutes at a time because the front tire wouldn't hold air. It leaked through the sidewall. I replaced that tire assembly already.
It was tough to ride as the throttle was more like an on/off switch and it would wheelie a lot.
The rear axle needs to go back past the seat to help prevent that.

I'll post pics thru the weeks as I update things and paint it.

Danford1

File_001 (13).jpeg File_000 (24).jpeg
 
S

scorpius

New Member
#129
#129
Hi Guys I am new to the forum

here is a picture of my old Manco Thunderbird

I grew up with lotds of Rupps , Scramblers , Roadsters , etc

bought this years ago as it looked similer to a Rupp

anyone know the history of these bikes?

here is a picture of the bike

vintage mini bike.jpg
 
danford1

danford1

#130
#130
I don't know the history of them but I had a couple. One had a few engines on it but I settled on a great running 4 hp Briggs. The other one had a Predator. I had to put a smaller rear sprocket on that one to help keep the front end down. The Pred and big sprocket was a handful to ride. I reinforced the engine mount plate of both of them because the stock set up would flex under hard acceleration and throw a chain. Once fixed, no problem.
They were good minibikes. I'd own another one :)

Danford1


 
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scorpius

New Member
#133
#133
[QUOTE danford1 I don't know the history of them but I had a couple. One had a few engines on it but I settled on a great running 4 hp Briggs. The other one had a Predator. I had to put a smaller rear sprocket on that one to help keep the front end down. The Pred and big sprocket was a handful to ride. I reinforced the engine mount plate of both of them because the stock set up would flex under hard acceleration and throw a chain. Once fixed, no problem.
They were good minibikes. I'd own another one :)



I could not find anything online about them like websites etc

They look so much like the old Rupps I wonder if there is a connection
 
danford1

danford1

#134
#134
I could not find anything online about them like websites etc

They look so much like the old Rupps I wonder if there is a connection[/QUOTE]

I Highly doubt there was any connections between Rupp and Manco. At least none I'm aware of.

Danford1

Here is some reading material for you to ponder on.

http://www.bmikarts.com/Manco-Thunderbird-Mini-Bike--DISCONTINUED_p_2622.html

http://www.gokartsusa.com/browseproducts/Manco-594B-Thunderbird-GL-Minibike.HTML

< Southern Comfort - Cowboy's Journal >: #4 - Manco Thunderbird Mini Bike


 
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zummerp

New Member
#136
#136
I know this is an old thread, but could anyone scan the Thunderbird logo on the face plate? I want to recreate the graphic to have some printed for a planned restoration! Thanks in advance.
 
Clielder

Clielder

New Member
#137
#137
This is mine, bought it a week ago. It has a 6.5HP Predator 212cc swap(which is still completely unmodified, except for different gas tank, which previous owner did), and a huge rear sprocket. Not sure what I'm going to do to it yet. It also likes to never have the front tire on the ground, so you gotta ease your way up to speed, then you can be a bit more aggressive, even then, it can still occasionally do a little wheelie.

Mancosideview.jpg
 
Kyminibiker

Kyminibiker

#139
#139
Clielder said:
This is mine, bought it a week ago. It has a 6.5HP Predator 212cc swap(which is still completely unmodified, except for different gas tank, which previous owner did), and a huge rear sprocket. Not sure what I'm going to do to it yet. It also likes to never have the front tire on the ground, so you gotta ease your way up to speed, then you can be a bit more aggressive, even then, it can still occasionally do a little wheelie.

View attachment 107437
Click to expand...

thats the original gas tank to that bike. if you don't like that style, i can swap you the later model style or buy yours.
 
kayde

kayde

Well-Known Member
#140
#140
New addition too a old thread.

This is a friends bike that i installed a tav, built the exhaust, welded up a rear caliper mount and threw a tec carb on the briggs too get it up and running.

I did the work in trade for the original 3.5 tec that was only ever ran 3 times an still looks new.

Oh yhea, sorry its not a thunderbird though, but its twin a bushwacker.

The 6.750 hp ohv briggs came from a gen. I pulled the gov out, with the tav and that huge sprocket it sure is a wheelie machine.

Once he gets some time he has some chopper forks and some huge crazy azz chopped and sectioned hd fenders for it.
 

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