my Cat 400TS

bbiggs54

Active Member
#1
So I found this thread about the OldMiniBikes build off competition 2020. That's cool, maybe I'll post my build, I've found every one on this site helpful and pleasant, so here we go. Not many can say they have the minibike they purchased new as a kid but this is the one I purchased with my paper route money. Being from metro Detroit, back in the day, there were the Lil indians and the Ruttmans, maybe the rich kids had a few Rupps... So a customer on my route knows I have a Lil indian and tells me he's a rep for HPE Muskin Cat and would I like him to get me a mini bike at cost, wow! So Cats are a west coast thing and I'm the only kid on the block with one, a 2 speeder to boot, lot's of chrome. This is that very bike featured in this build. There is a reason I still have it and it's not because I liked it so much I kept it. About 6 months after I bought it, I was riding it out to a friends house on a path along a river called the Rouge River. It seems someone maliciously dug a hole in the trail to trip up an unlikely rider and I happened along. The story of the circumstances of my Cat ending up in the river and me lying in the field all day unconscious were relayed to me by my dad, he went back and retrieved the bike from the river. My parents were contacted by the Detroit News when I never showed up to pick up my papers. Fortunately not too long after, my parents were contacted by a homeowner nearby whose children found me laying in the field. I guess I woke up enough to tell them who I was. Any way it wasn't until many years later (after my dad had a friend try to make it rideable again) I even rode it again , by then I was a first gen Camaro freak. My kids rode it 20200126_181549.jpg and and my grandson has ridden it, so now I've decided it needs to return to it's former glory. Its been rather difficult to find all the missing and broken parts, but thanks to OldMiniBikes and great people, I have every thing I need. Thanks
 

bbiggs54

Active Member
#4
Yes it's in the title of the build "my Cat 400 TS" ;) Don't see many of these out there. Thanks for the reply! Here's a photo taken a few years ago, thats my son now 40 and my grandson now 12. 2 speed is long gone, sprocket was turned to the other side with a Ruttman clutch band brake. IMAG0898.jpg
 

45t

Well-Known Member
#8
Awesome bike for a build! My son has a rider quality 400TS sitting in the garage that we built a few years back. We have the same issue with the missing 2 speed set up.
 

bbiggs54

Active Member
#15
Thought I would put up something I did awhile back. For those who cat who own Cat 20200201_161750.jpg minis with rear fender straps. The originals are I think 22 gauge, I made some from 16 gauge metal. Seems like the originals stretch over time and fender slides down. I'm thinking maybe this might help
 

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bbiggs54

Active Member
#16
Scored an original 400 TS handle bar decal on ebay today! Thanks Justin! Sonerenos has the goods! Still looking for the correct chrome foil clutch cover decal. That is the last item to complete the build. thanks OldMiniBikes
 

45t

Well-Known Member
#18
Scored an original 400 TS handle bar decal on ebay today! Thanks Justin! Sonerenos has the goods! Still looking for the correct chrome foil clutch cover decal. That is the last item to complete the build. thanks OldMiniBikes
Cool, awesome score! I’ve been looking for one of those too.
 

bbiggs54

Active Member
#19
I decided to rework and polish the handle bars I purchased from Rafa at GTS hobbies in LA. He can make parts for Cat Mini bikes so I had him make, plate and ship me a set. The handle bars were pretty accurate in configuration, chroming was ok, not great but the problem I had was the bars weren't cut with center bolt secure hex but drilled with a hole for the triple tree bolt. It will work with the hole but that's not how Cat made them. So I had my chrome platter remove the chrome plate down to the nickel and I cut the correct bolt relief. I re-worked and polished the entire lower section, it's now ready to re-chrome plate. 20200205_190034.jpg 20200205_110013.jpg
 
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