Quick update on the little Tohatsu bike.
First of all.... I GOT IT RUNNING!
I thought the engine was locked up, but ended up just being a little bit of corrosion on the gears. Cleaned those up, and motor turned over with good compression. Rest of the engine appeared to be in really good shape internally. The stator had a short, so I had to chase that down and re-solder some wires. Carb was amazingly clean already, but I went through it anyway to make sure the jets weren't plugged up. After that, it started up on the first kick and sounds very healthy.
I need to get new clutch / brake cables, recover the seat, and finish up some wiring, but otherwise it's a functional bike now.
This ended up being a really interesting little project. Did a LOT of research online, even reached out to Tohatsu headquarters in Japan to see if they could tell me anything. Still can't find much info on this, but appears to be manufactured in the late 50's early 60's. Did have a very old plastic tag on the number plate with the name "Grady Ely". I looked up the name, and there is a guy here in Northern Colorado. I did reach out to him to see if he knows anything about it, but haven't heard back.
Has a 6v battery and charging system, and electrical wiring is in place for a headlight and tail / brake lights.
Tank and handlebars look to be very similar to an early Honda Z50A, but not exact. The main portion of the frame is very similar to a Tohatsu Runpet, and all of the welds on the frame look high quality and consistent, so I don't think this is a custom job. I suspect it's an original factory Tohatsu model, but I could be wrong. I can't find much else beyond that.
So - I could use some advice on this guy. My intent was to bring it down to my property and let my kids ride around on it. BUT - it seems like it might be kind of a collector piece. I've not found many Tohatsu's here in the US, and nothing at all similar to this one. I know there are a lot of enthusiasts on the West Coast that might appreciate this more than I would.
Should I keep it, or pass it on and get something else for the kids to abuse?
First of all.... I GOT IT RUNNING!
I thought the engine was locked up, but ended up just being a little bit of corrosion on the gears. Cleaned those up, and motor turned over with good compression. Rest of the engine appeared to be in really good shape internally. The stator had a short, so I had to chase that down and re-solder some wires. Carb was amazingly clean already, but I went through it anyway to make sure the jets weren't plugged up. After that, it started up on the first kick and sounds very healthy.
I need to get new clutch / brake cables, recover the seat, and finish up some wiring, but otherwise it's a functional bike now.
This ended up being a really interesting little project. Did a LOT of research online, even reached out to Tohatsu headquarters in Japan to see if they could tell me anything. Still can't find much info on this, but appears to be manufactured in the late 50's early 60's. Did have a very old plastic tag on the number plate with the name "Grady Ely". I looked up the name, and there is a guy here in Northern Colorado. I did reach out to him to see if he knows anything about it, but haven't heard back.
Has a 6v battery and charging system, and electrical wiring is in place for a headlight and tail / brake lights.
Tank and handlebars look to be very similar to an early Honda Z50A, but not exact. The main portion of the frame is very similar to a Tohatsu Runpet, and all of the welds on the frame look high quality and consistent, so I don't think this is a custom job. I suspect it's an original factory Tohatsu model, but I could be wrong. I can't find much else beyond that.
So - I could use some advice on this guy. My intent was to bring it down to my property and let my kids ride around on it. BUT - it seems like it might be kind of a collector piece. I've not found many Tohatsu's here in the US, and nothing at all similar to this one. I know there are a lot of enthusiasts on the West Coast that might appreciate this more than I would.
Should I keep it, or pass it on and get something else for the kids to abuse?
