Many thanks. I sure do like the black wheels. They "were" offset wheels, until I put the narrow halves together for the front tire and the wide halves together for the rear as BigJim had suggested, which as far as I can tell for now without a sprocket and brake assembly, worked out great. Cant wait to get everything in for it and get it painted and running. Might not be the only mini bike in Santa Rosa county but will easily be the meanest when I get done.:thumbsup:
Cheeftah Rear Drum Brake
The old Cheeftah rear drum brake just needed a little cleaning up, a new cable, and a new return spring-still has the original brake shoes with plenty of meat left on them and stops GREAT when you are going under 40 mph!! Over that speed it would be nice to have a front brake too!!
The old Cheeftah rear drum brake just needed a little cleaning up, a new cable, and a new return spring-still has the original brake shoes with plenty of meat left on them and stops GREAT when you are going under 40 mph!! Over that speed it would be nice to have a front brake too!!
Wheels
It's getting there! The wheels look GREAT! I finally found my original Cheeftah front wheel! That meant taking the rear off, taking them all apart and cleaning/polishing them, getting new chrome bolts & nuts, and painting an orange pinstripe in the wheel indentations! Take a look and tell me how they look at: https://picasaweb.google.com/114834351319502904260/December102011?authkey=Gv1sRgCL7pyMWAsbvupAE
It's getting there! The wheels look GREAT! I finally found my original Cheeftah front wheel! That meant taking the rear off, taking them all apart and cleaning/polishing them, getting new chrome bolts & nuts, and painting an orange pinstripe in the wheel indentations! Take a look and tell me how they look at: https://picasaweb.google.com/114834351319502904260/December102011?authkey=Gv1sRgCL7pyMWAsbvupAE
Very nice touch. So thats what wheels came on the cheeftah's new? Ive never seen what the originals looked like. I didnt realize till i looked closer at your pics that you had to cut out part of the plate at the back of the frame that holds the rear tire to make room for your TAV. What size jets did you use on your carb? I definetly want to re-jet mine when I get the air filter setup in.
Wheels & details!
Yes, those are the original Cheeftah wheels. Cheeftah was the only mini that had these 6 spoke 6" diameter wheels that I know of. Yes, I did have to cut out part of that plate to clear the Torq-A-Verter backplate...I saved the piece I cut out...WHY?....I don't know...I'll never put it back!!!! When you get the air cleaner & exhaust header setup you will HAVE TO re-jet!! I wound up with a #91.5 main jet which is .036" diameter-You can use a #64 @ .036" NUMBERED DRILL BIT if you do it carefully or just buy the jet-approx. $6.00. You will nee a #77 drill to open up the idle jet. For details see: http://www.oldminibikes.com/forum/honda-clone-predator-engines/42480-diy-re-jetting-6-5-a.html cjtmini did a great job showing this in detail!!!
Yes, those are the original Cheeftah wheels. Cheeftah was the only mini that had these 6 spoke 6" diameter wheels that I know of. Yes, I did have to cut out part of that plate to clear the Torq-A-Verter backplate...I saved the piece I cut out...WHY?....I don't know...I'll never put it back!!!! When you get the air cleaner & exhaust header setup you will HAVE TO re-jet!! I wound up with a #91.5 main jet which is .036" diameter-You can use a #64 @ .036" NUMBERED DRILL BIT if you do it carefully or just buy the jet-approx. $6.00. You will nee a #77 drill to open up the idle jet. For details see: http://www.oldminibikes.com/forum/honda-clone-predator-engines/42480-diy-re-jetting-6-5-a.html cjtmini did a great job showing this in detail!!!
Wheels & Brakes
They are RARE! People that have them still don't want to part with them. Every now and then I'll see one pop up on ebay but they do go for the buck! Your wheels look GREAT and remember they don't make it run any better! I saw a minibike supply house that had some new complete old stock brake setups cheap on ebay: Item number: 370595375169. I might just buy a set for spares for the price! I'll snap some detail pics of my rear brake today and post them for you later today.
They are RARE! People that have them still don't want to part with them. Every now and then I'll see one pop up on ebay but they do go for the buck! Your wheels look GREAT and remember they don't make it run any better! I saw a minibike supply house that had some new complete old stock brake setups cheap on ebay: Item number: 370595375169. I might just buy a set for spares for the price! I'll snap some detail pics of my rear brake today and post them for you later today.
Believe me-it will be worth it! You can't put a price on the fun & excitement it will provide you with every time you ride it. You will be like a little kid again!!
Your Cheeftah looks EXCELLENT!!
I would suggest mounting the motor with isolators-they really eliminate motor & drive vibration & they are cheap (about $3.35). They are listed as Rubber Grommet Kit under Fuel Accessories as SKU: AZ1883 on OldMiniBikes warehouse. Another suggestion would be exhaust (SKU: KPHNFS $35.95). That stock muffler is way to restrictive & cumbersome! And don't forget to re-jet! The isolators along with some thick washers will also help raise the motor up (which you will have to space up) to help clear the frame & bottom rear of the "Torq-A-Verter" if you are still going to install one-Which I highly recommend! I'm looking forward to seeing your progress on your Cheeftah!!!
Your Cheeftah looks EXCELLENT!!
I would suggest mounting the motor with isolators-they really eliminate motor & drive vibration & they are cheap (about $3.35). They are listed as Rubber Grommet Kit under Fuel Accessories as SKU: AZ1883 on OldMiniBikes warehouse. Another suggestion would be exhaust (SKU: KPHNFS $35.95). That stock muffler is way to restrictive & cumbersome! And don't forget to re-jet! The isolators along with some thick washers will also help raise the motor up (which you will have to space up) to help clear the frame & bottom rear of the "Torq-A-Verter" if you are still going to install one-Which I highly recommend! I'm looking forward to seeing your progress on your Cheeftah!!!
I forgot to mention a kick stand! This is a must!!!
Universal Kickstand with Weldable Bracket SKU: AZ1727 -This is the best $6.00 you will ever spend on your Cheeftah! Mine had a factory kick stand bolted through a hole in the motor mounting plate LH side toward the front (the hole is still there) but I lost the kick stand about 30+ years ago so I installed one of these instead! I could not be without 1 of these-I use this ALL the time!
Universal Kickstand with Weldable Bracket SKU: AZ1727 -This is the best $6.00 you will ever spend on your Cheeftah! Mine had a factory kick stand bolted through a hole in the motor mounting plate LH side toward the front (the hole is still there) but I lost the kick stand about 30+ years ago so I installed one of these instead! I could not be without 1 of these-I use this ALL the time!
Another thought-concerning the "Torq-A-Verter" : I mentioned spacing the engine up for frame clearance (your gas tank top should be about 7/16" from bottom of frame tube) and as you noticed from my pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/114834351319502904260/December102011?authkey=Gv1sRgCL7pyMWAsbvupAE , I did cut a 2 & 3/8" wide (from back) X 1 & 1/4" Tall (from top) piece out of the brake/jack-shaft tab on drive side. I also cut a small section of the Torq-A-Verter aluminum back plate mount at the bottom to clear the frame/motor mount plate (you can see detail in 1 of my pictures. With your air cleaner & an exhaust header you will have plenty of clearance when finished! Hope this helps you!
Could i get you to snap a couple more pics of your air cleaner intake and details on how you installed it all. It looks really good and I have a Cheeftah I am planning on doing this summer.
I am pretty sure these wheels are magnesium, this thing is SUPER light. The wheels have no oxidation on them at all they are just a dull grey.
I love this mini!
I am pretty sure these wheels are magnesium, this thing is SUPER light. The wheels have no oxidation on them at all they are just a dull grey.
I love this mini!
Air Cleaner & Wheels
parts of a/c assembly from OldMiniBikes warehouse:
(1) GX200/Clone Air Filter Kit SKU: ARC-AIRKIT $24.00
(2) 2" PVC 90 degree street elbow Home Depot $2.00
(3) 4x #8-32 X 1/4" long allen head set screws Local Hdw. Store $1.25
(4) 1 pc of 3/8" steel fuel line 4" long autoparts store $?
I machined the female end of PVC 90 to fit snugly over A/C adapter & drilled & tapped 4 holes for the 4 set screws to secure it to A/C adapter. When you tighten the set screws be careful to just snug them equally or you will crack the plastic! Also, I put a 2" "O" ring inside at the back of the female end of the 90 taper to make a positive seal. I drilled a 3/8" hole in the angled A/C rubber mount to install the 3/8" valve cover vent tube into(I custom bent with tubing bender). I connected it to the rubber vent tube from the valve cover. I made a bracket to secure the tube to the carb linkage bracket. I painted the PVC 90 elbow with a pewter metallic color enamel & polished the steel tube with mothers polish (looks like chrome)! I then installed the angled A/C
As for the Cheeftah wheels-They are cast aluminum and polish up nicely! These are really rare-Cool to see that you still have them! After I cleaned & polished mine I went to the hardware store & bought new chrome bolts & acorn nuts. It really makes them look new!
Go to https://picasaweb.google.com/114834351319502904260/December102011?authkey=Gv1sRgCL7pyMWAsbvupAE for detail pics. Keep us posted with pictures of your progress on your Cheeftah. Hope this helps!
Could i get you to snap a couple more pics of your air cleaner intake and details on how you installed it all. It looks really good and I have a Cheeftah I am planning on doing this summer.
I am pretty sure these wheels are magnesium, this thing is SUPER light. The wheels have no oxidation on them at all they are just a dull grey.
I love this mini!
I am pretty sure these wheels are magnesium, this thing is SUPER light. The wheels have no oxidation on them at all they are just a dull grey.
I love this mini!
(1) GX200/Clone Air Filter Kit SKU: ARC-AIRKIT $24.00
(2) 2" PVC 90 degree street elbow Home Depot $2.00
(3) 4x #8-32 X 1/4" long allen head set screws Local Hdw. Store $1.25
(4) 1 pc of 3/8" steel fuel line 4" long autoparts store $?
I machined the female end of PVC 90 to fit snugly over A/C adapter & drilled & tapped 4 holes for the 4 set screws to secure it to A/C adapter. When you tighten the set screws be careful to just snug them equally or you will crack the plastic! Also, I put a 2" "O" ring inside at the back of the female end of the 90 taper to make a positive seal. I drilled a 3/8" hole in the angled A/C rubber mount to install the 3/8" valve cover vent tube into(I custom bent with tubing bender). I connected it to the rubber vent tube from the valve cover. I made a bracket to secure the tube to the carb linkage bracket. I painted the PVC 90 elbow with a pewter metallic color enamel & polished the steel tube with mothers polish (looks like chrome)! I then installed the angled A/C
As for the Cheeftah wheels-They are cast aluminum and polish up nicely! These are really rare-Cool to see that you still have them! After I cleaned & polished mine I went to the hardware store & bought new chrome bolts & acorn nuts. It really makes them look new!
Go to https://picasaweb.google.com/114834351319502904260/December102011?authkey=Gv1sRgCL7pyMWAsbvupAE for detail pics. Keep us posted with pictures of your progress on your Cheeftah. Hope this helps!
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All I lack in having everything to put this thing together and bringing her back to life is a seat, exhaust, and the TAV. Everything else is either here in a box waiting or on its way here. Started doing a little sand blasting on the side to fund this project. Trying not to half-a$$ anything on it. Thanks for the help higeye..
James, You have come a long way in a short time and have taken the time to do things right the first time! This is all going to pay off in enjoyment a million times over! Whatever you do, don't rush things at this point, you are too close now! Besides, a lot of the enjoyment comes from working to get it together-at least it was for me! Next, I'm about to start reworking my son's old Manco mini bike. He's 26 now and teaching science in high school. When ever he drops by he always takes mine for a spin and comes back smiling! I told him to start riding his old Manco instead of my Cheeftah! Keep the pictures coming as you progress!
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I'm trying not to rush it, but its hard, lol. I'm 26 to and have a 2yr old daughter thats going to be buring up the neighborhood with me once its done. Guess i'll have to unhook the NOS button with her on it... J/K of course! I've posted some new pics if you havent already seen them in my photo album. Hey I was wondering how you advanced the timing on your predator motor?
You can advance your timing 2 ways:
(1) The stock flywheel key can be filed to advance timing. Every 0.006" you file off is equal to 1* advance. Example: remove 0.048" for an 8* advanced timing key.
(2) You can purchase Advanced timing key. Replace your stock timing key with this key to advance your timing. Choose between the 4 degree or 8 degree key. $10.00 Code: HON13331* from:
affordablegokarts: CRANKS & FLYWHEELS
Hope this helps, Ken.
(1) The stock flywheel key can be filed to advance timing. Every 0.006" you file off is equal to 1* advance. Example: remove 0.048" for an 8* advanced timing key.
(2) You can purchase Advanced timing key. Replace your stock timing key with this key to advance your timing. Choose between the 4 degree or 8 degree key. $10.00 Code: HON13331* from:
affordablegokarts: CRANKS & FLYWHEELS
Hope this helps, Ken.
Good luck!!!
Good luck with that! I don't think hemigremmy's going to part with those wheels!! That's 1 of the neatest things about his Cheeftah -It's all there! Frame untouched, original wheels (in great shape), original hand grips, original rear brake/sprocket, original foot peg rubbers, original handbrake lever,I even noticed the original kill switch (I took mine off & saved it & installed a handlebar button & put a drink holder in it's place-priorities you know!), etc. What a way to start out! :thumbsup:
Good luck with that! I don't think hemigremmy's going to part with those wheels!! That's 1 of the neatest things about his Cheeftah -It's all there! Frame untouched, original wheels (in great shape), original hand grips, original rear brake/sprocket, original foot peg rubbers, original handbrake lever,I even noticed the original kill switch (I took mine off & saved it & installed a handlebar button & put a drink holder in it's place-priorities you know!), etc. What a way to start out! :thumbsup:
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