What minibikes or karts came with a 4 HP Briggs?

creia

creia

#1
#1
You very seldom hear any discussion about these engines (much less ever see one in person), and it got me thinking...
Was the 4 HP Briggs used as original equipment on any minibikes or karts? Of course the use of the 3 HP and 5 Hp Briggs is legendary, but why not the 4 HP? My (preliminary) research is showing that they came on some of the Cat 400 minibikes. Does anybody know any other minis they came on?
Michael
 
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Docdc

Docdc

#5
#5
Here is what I have heard. Take it with a grain because I really don't know. Seems as though the 4s were predominantly found on edgers. Outside of minibikes that's where I have found them. I am sure there are other applications but I don't know them. Someone else may know better. Why only or mostly edgers...I'd love to know. And Cap is right, they are getting.to be a bear to find. I don't know is if this moves the conversation along, I just felt like rambling.

Doc
 
Studeman68

Studeman68

#6
#6
Docdc said:
Here is what I have heard. Take it with a grain because I really don't know. Seems as though the 4s were predominantly found on edgers. Outside of minibikes that's where I have found them. I am sure there are other applications but I don't know them. Someone else may know better. Why only or mostly edgers...I'd love to know. And Cap is right, they are getting.to be a bear to find. I don't know is if this moves the conversation along, I just felt like rambling.

Doc
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Doc, your ramblings are more like sermons to me! :bowdown::bowdown:
I have noticed the same on these engines... They seem to end up on yard type equipment and are hard to find... Edgers seem to be the norm...I got lucky and ended up picking up a NOS long block recently though.. Gonna keep it around for sure...
 
mini one

mini one

#7
#7
I found a couple orange 4HP's that were taken off Gilson (so I was told) snowblowers, they have the hinged covers that box the carb & muffler in over the tank. Bought them since my first mini bike had the same kind/size/color Briggs on it (not original I'm sure) and I wanted to make a "replica" lol. Now if I could just find that huge orange corduroy material for the seat cover... oh the seventies...
 
Tom S.

Tom S.

#9
#9
Docdc said:
Here is what I have heard. Take it with a grain because I really don't know. Seems as though the 4s were predominantly found on edgers. Outside of minibikes that's where I have found them. I am sure there are other applications but I don't know them. Someone else may know better. Why only or mostly edgers...I'd love to know...
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I saw an orange 4hp on an old rototiller at a garage sale four or five years ago. They wanted fifty dollars, but I passed because it didn't have a spark. That was a dumb mistake. Still wished I'd picked it up. I haven't seen another one since then. :oops:

Studeman68 said:
Here is my Tule Trooper with a 4 horse Briggs...
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Those are neat bikes. Is it pronounced "Tool" or perhaps Tooll-ee" or maybe "Tull" or "Tully"? I've always wondered.
 
jackeo21

jackeo21

Member
#11
#11
Whilst I don't know of any minibikes/karts the 4HP was offered with, they did make an appearance on some garden machinery down here in New Zealand. I've seen them powering Reel Type lawnmowers and I've seen multiple self drive rotary mowers with the vertical shaft 4HP (which would presumably be rarer!). I've also missed out on owning a tiller that was powered by a 4HP Briggs.

My Huffy Ranchero is supposed to be 4HP powered! I believe those little ride on mowers were quite a big deal back in the day. I found a 5HP to keep it alive, but I'm always on the lookout for the 4HP engine to make it completely original.

From the information in this thread, we can see that the 4HP Briggs came on: Lawnmowers (rotary and reel type), Ride On Lawnmowers, Edgers, Snowblowers, Tillers and a selection of minibikes. So it was used on all the equipment the 5HP was used on, but seemingly wasn't as popular.

The two 4HP engines I've been lucky enough to own were made in 1962 and 1965, if that's anything to go by.

I do wonder why the 4HP wasn't nearly as popular as said 5HP :shrug:
Apologies for not being able to answer the thread question! I thought I'd throw in my two cents on the garden equipment side of things. It seemed that there was a bigger demand for them when it came to garden tools, not minibikes or karts.

-Jack
 
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Studeman68

Studeman68

#12
#12
Tom S. said:
I saw an orange 4hp on an old rototiller at a garage sale four or five years ago. They wanted fifty dollars, but I passed because it didn't have a spark. That was a dumb mistake. Still wished I'd picked it up. I haven't seen another one since then. :oops:



Those are neat bikes. Is it pronounced "Tool" or perhaps Tooll-ee" or maybe "Tull" or "Tully"? I've always wondered.
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I belive they were pronounced Tule' (Toolay). Apparently it's french for some sort of ditch weeds lol.. I call it my ditch trooper sometimes :laugh: Great bike, fun to ride...
 
danford1

danford1

#14
#14
Last year I got a 4 hp Briggs that had a broken connecting rod for $20 from a used minibike place. It still looked new. The engine came from an edge/trimmer. It was fairly new like 2011.
I ordered up a rod, gaskets etc from a Briggs parts site. I put them in and it ran Great. I put the engine on a Manco Thunderbird minibike. It was a very good combo.

Danford1

 
markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#15
#15
delray said:
late 60's fox campus minibike came with a 4hp big block briggs.
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Early goKart cycle version ones as well

1962/63:



We have a 1962 nice OG paint 4hp engine-less tank carb that Looks great $50 east coast-$60 west coast shipped if anyone actually needs one




 
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