Well this was another one of those “I guess it was meant to be” purchases that seem to find me. This Western/Columbia/MTD/ or whatever the hell they're called got listed on Ebay couple weeks ago on a Friday night…Buy-it-now $200 or make an offer……it was a few hours away in PA. I always thought these bikes were kinda ugly with those “Wooly Mammoth” handlebars and hook-and-ladder frame…and the pics were kinda fuzzy…but after consulting with a few of my “go-to” guys :shifty: here on the OldMiniBikes I decided it might be worth a shot..
.....as TRK put it “hell the mini-bike hs40 with the crooked intake is worth that much!!!! :drool: ”
I didn’t really need another bike, but just for the heck of it I sent an offer of $150 bucks and went to bed…figured the guy would just ignore me. When I checked my mail the next morning the guy wrote back….said he’d take the $150…
hmy: that he was a musician and was playing a gig in NJ tomorrow and would deliver it for $175 cash.:facepalm:
Hell my pig Suburban would burn $60 in gas going to get it ….. how could I say no ??? Sure enough I met him up by the turnpike...in pulls a box van filled with guitars, drums, keyboards, amplifiers...and a mini-bike
Well here’s the bike:
All I did was give it a bath and change the grips. This friggin thing is beautiful. Looks like somebody pulled this bike down to nothing and did a ground up nut and bolt resto on it…and I don’t mean an "Earl Schieb" job with overspray everywhere, the deep metallic maroon/ purple was laid on by a pro. The pictures don’t even do it justice. Looks like Imron or something…it laughs at oil and gasoline….I spilled gas all over it and it just makes it shine more. All the chrome, hardware, etc is clean and shiny and was all properly installed after it was painted and re-assembled. Fenders are perfect (or maybe replaced ??) Beautiful brand new seat stitched on the original board. Carlisle double Indian Heads to boot :drool: :drool: Oh yeah, there's even one of those old chrome Taylor Spark Arrestors inside that chrome shield....:drool:
If I didn't know better I'd call it a survivor but it can't be........
I had my kid pull the carb down and do a complete rebuild on it….fired up on the 2nd pull and runs like a champ. Even the cool old gas gage gadget in the tank works perfect. The only down side is the oem TAV is gone…somebody put a Max-Torque clutch in with 40 series roller chain hooked to the jackshaft….. but this thing still flies.
Even though it’s a 6” wheel bike it feels and rides like a bigger bike. I think that big back tire helps…. I hate to say but this bike is really starting to grow on me..... it’s the best riding, most reliable bike I have right now. I had it out for 4 hours today and had a blast on it.. One of those bikes where you can just casually reach down and give the motor an easy half pull and it starts and idles..takes off and GOES!! ...Handles good, stops good....I think I'm in love with an "Ugly Betty": :facepalm:
I’m really not savvy on these bikes…any additional info, what looks right, what look wrong etc. would be appreciated but so far it’s the best $150 I ever spent on a mini-bike......
>>>>> If anybody has the oem correct TAV setup for one of these (V-Plex, Morse/Fairbanks ?) please PM me....
.....as TRK put it “hell the mini-bike hs40 with the crooked intake is worth that much!!!! :drool: ”
I didn’t really need another bike, but just for the heck of it I sent an offer of $150 bucks and went to bed…figured the guy would just ignore me. When I checked my mail the next morning the guy wrote back….said he’d take the $150…
hmy: that he was a musician and was playing a gig in NJ tomorrow and would deliver it for $175 cash.:facepalm:Hell my pig Suburban would burn $60 in gas going to get it ….. how could I say no ??? Sure enough I met him up by the turnpike...in pulls a box van filled with guitars, drums, keyboards, amplifiers...and a mini-bike
Well here’s the bike:
All I did was give it a bath and change the grips. This friggin thing is beautiful. Looks like somebody pulled this bike down to nothing and did a ground up nut and bolt resto on it…and I don’t mean an "Earl Schieb" job with overspray everywhere, the deep metallic maroon/ purple was laid on by a pro. The pictures don’t even do it justice. Looks like Imron or something…it laughs at oil and gasoline….I spilled gas all over it and it just makes it shine more. All the chrome, hardware, etc is clean and shiny and was all properly installed after it was painted and re-assembled. Fenders are perfect (or maybe replaced ??) Beautiful brand new seat stitched on the original board. Carlisle double Indian Heads to boot :drool: :drool: Oh yeah, there's even one of those old chrome Taylor Spark Arrestors inside that chrome shield....:drool:
If I didn't know better I'd call it a survivor but it can't be........
I had my kid pull the carb down and do a complete rebuild on it….fired up on the 2nd pull and runs like a champ. Even the cool old gas gage gadget in the tank works perfect. The only down side is the oem TAV is gone…somebody put a Max-Torque clutch in with 40 series roller chain hooked to the jackshaft….. but this thing still flies.
Even though it’s a 6” wheel bike it feels and rides like a bigger bike. I think that big back tire helps…. I hate to say but this bike is really starting to grow on me..... it’s the best riding, most reliable bike I have right now. I had it out for 4 hours today and had a blast on it.. One of those bikes where you can just casually reach down and give the motor an easy half pull and it starts and idles..takes off and GOES!! ...Handles good, stops good....I think I'm in love with an "Ugly Betty": :facepalm:
I’m really not savvy on these bikes…any additional info, what looks right, what look wrong etc. would be appreciated but so far it’s the best $150 I ever spent on a mini-bike......
>>>>> If anybody has the oem correct TAV setup for one of these (V-Plex, Morse/Fairbanks ?) please PM me....
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