New (to me) Baja Warrior - Fixing Previous Owner problems

BTD

New Member
#1
Hi all,

Picked up this Baja Warrior today form an old collector. Frame and such is in decent enough shape but the drivetrain is a bit of a mess. Pictures first:

Baja Warrior 1.jpg

Baja Warrior 2.jpg


Let's focus on the driveline. It has a 6.5hp Subaru/Robin engine on it. Previous owner said the carb "is bad", and it doesn't have a filter element on it anyway. I don't know anything about the engine otherwise - it looks to be in OK shape but I have no way of confirming. Is it worth trying to replace just the carb? My first bit of research leads me to think that just swapping in a Predator may be the simpler way to go, but if the engine I have is worth saving, I'm open to it.

Next question: It's (obviously) been converted to direct drive, removing the jackshaft setup that should have been on it stock (again, that's based off my limited research). I have not had a chance to count the teeth yet, but it's a fairly big chain so I would expect a 10 tooth clutch. I have to imagine that with tires this large and a bike this heavy, it will be a dog set up as-is. Is it easier/cheaper to go back to a jackshaft setup or to move to a torque converter? Is one a better option than another?

Riders will be 150-230lbs, mostly adults. Not much hill riding but would like to have it be usable across a variety of conditions (dirt, pavement, etc). Will primarily be a pit bike for the racetrack and a general toy, nothing serious.

I'd love any advice y'all have to give. It needs some love, but should be a quick and easy fix-up.
 
#2
Yes swap it out for a Predator or clone carb....ethanol gas setting in them for years or months....kills them. I have a Warrior with no jack shaft and tried running a 12 tooth clutch on it ....it would take off and had pretty good speed also, but it super heated the clutch in a matter of minutes. I would buy a jack shaft for it if it was me.
 

ditz

New Member
#3
OND .... How does the jackshaft eliminate the clutch. I am new to this minibike thing but I would think that a TQ would be needed to eliminate the clutch. Just my ignorance maybe.
 
#4
Jackshaft doesn't eliminate the clutch. It goes between the clutch and rear to change the gear ratio without having to have ridiculously sized gears. Helps get the engine in its power band and keep from burning up the clutch. Who wants a 14 inch diameter final gear on a tire that is 12 inches diameter?


A TC will eliminate the need for a jack shaft more often than not.
 
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#5
With no air filter there's a good chance it's just dirt clogging up the carb. First thing is to is take the carb apart and look at the jets and give everything a good once over. This could save a bunch of $$.. just use the brake kleen on the shelf in the back there. Head over the OldMiniBikes warehouse and pick up a new uni filter and adaptor. With the money you saved from not buying a new engine you should also consider re-jetting and adding a header. The bike will run ok after adding the filter but it will be a pain to start.
As for Tc vs jackshaft - I don't any experience with either but if I was in your shoes I would go with the TC. Simple bolt on component. no messing with welding or fabrications and it eliminates the clutch.
 
#7
Put a torque converter on it out of the box. The rear sprocket is a 50-tooth #420 chain or #41 chain. With a 10-tooth on the converter and a 50-tooth on the rear=5.00-1 ratio. with the overdrive of the torque converter=4.50-1 ratio. With a 19" tire @3600 rpm=45mph.
 
#8
Given what I know today, after owning a warrior for a year and doing all kinds of stuff, I'd get a predator (new) and a TC (also new) put it all together, leave the engine alone, and have an easy to start reliable bike. Maybe put on a 60T rear for a little extra climbing power, but that's about it.
I'll tell you now from my own experience, 45 mph on one of these is about as fast as I'd ever want to go. 45 tends to feel like about 80.
 
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