Minibike Stories

[STIHLBOLTS]

The neighbors kids had the little square framed mini bikes. I went all out and bought a solders Bultaco 250 with a 2nd motor and trailer for my 1st dirt bike. He got transfered to Germany and sold it to me for $500 with the motor and trailer. When my mom found out what I had done, all heck broke loose. But I had lots of fun in the sand pits. :thumbsup: They don't make them like that anymore. :smt009

 

[Chris R]

re: Can Am - a friend of mine had one of those back in the early-mid 70's, a 250 I think, and it was powerful and fast. Fun bike to ride! That and the RM250 it was easy pulling wheelies at any point they had such a broad powerband.

-VtSeaRay

I raced one of the first (250) in my area. They had several more horsepower on all the other makes for a short while. I remember if I had difficulty getting around some other competitor in the tight corners I would patiently bide my time until the next straight. I would go past them like they were on their brakes. It was really that much faster - for a while anyway

 

[Groucho]

When my brother was in the Navy stationed in Long Beach CA. he brought me home (1965) a true mini bike. It was a LITTLE PETRO. not sure how many cc's but it was about 1 hp. the size of a chain saw engine. I rode it around the lawn and driveway till it blew up.

 

[dpmulvey]

A childhood friend's grandfather (yes grandfather) had a Fox Trail Bug. It had a 5HP B&S engine and was geared down so far it could climb a tree.

We were riding on a (defunct) golf course one night and my friend pulled a jump and 30 foot wheelie on landing.

The bike went spastic and fell down. We ran to the bike and screamed to my friend, "Are you OK? What a great jump." We could not find him and got very scared. We found him in a sand trap flat on his back laughing his arse off. It seems the bike had more power than he realized and when he accelerated up the far side of the trap, he got thrown. The beautiful jump and wheelie were all on auto pilot!

God those were easier times.

Thanks for the memories.

 

[Uplate]

My first was a new Honda Mini Trail 70 at the age of 13. I had bugged my parents for years and fearing for my safety they had refused until 2 of my friends (brothers whose parents had a Lazy Days houseboat at the marina next to our Chris Craft) each got a Honda Mini Trail 50 for Christmas.

It was great having the extra 20 cc's :grin:.
.

I also had a Honda Mini Trail 50cc. I took the engine out and bored it out and put it up to the 70cc displacement in my High School mechanics class. Was a great experience in learning engines...but I do no remember it lasting long after the rebuild..

 

[billandamy]

y zinger baby! 80cc's of raw power.

I had this for around 5 years until I outgrew, and it basically no longer ran very well from being left outside numerous times.

After that it was only quads, as they were more fun.

 

[Hampton]

When my mom found out what I had done, all heck broke loose. . :smt009

I just remembered that I snuck off to buy my 400. I was a Junior in college, but I was still getting some money from the folks. They came to visit me my Senior year, and my car was in the shop. My Dad had to ride my motorcycle out to get coffee. That's when they figured out that it was mine.

 

[STIHLBOLTS]

Yea, that finding out part is always like a polish fire drill, lots of running around, fussing and carrying on, pots banging...oh yea my mom went off the deep end. Then I took her for a ride up and down the street to show her I could ride it she eased up a bit. :lol:

 

[CKL]

The neighbors kids had the little square framed mini bikes. I went all out and bought a solders Bultaco 250 with a 2nd motor and trailer for my 1st dirt bike. He got transfered to Germany and sold it to me for $500 with the motor and trailer. When my mom found out what I had done, all heck broke loose. But I had lots of fun in the sand pits. :thumbsup: They don't make them like that anymore. :smt009

Bultaco's were great. After the Honda was a Suzuki 90 and then a Bultaco 250 Matador (the ISDT bike with the enclosed chain), my friends/brothers each got a Bultaco 250 Alpina.

 

[STIHLBOLTS]

I ran with some real nuts back then. There was one guy who took a street 350 Honda, yea the kind with streight pipes and cut them and the fender wells of and rode in the dirt with us. That was one heavy bike back in the day, flat leather seat, head light, the works. We spent way too much time pulling him out of the mud! :smt043 We had a great place to ride and there were all kinds, mini bikes, three wheelers had just arrived on the sceen, half a dozen bettle bugs, Saturdays were always a great day in the dirt. :thumbsup: God am I glad I don't do that anymore, my body would never hold up. :smt043

 

[VTSeaRay]

:thumbsup: God am I glad I don't do that anymore, my body would never hold up. :smt043

Yeah, in those days, if I took a spill it was nothing. I can remember once, riding in the early morning with heavy dew about 20-30 mph across a field, and I hit a fence pole that had fallen down yrs ago, and was covered with wet grass at about a 15-20% angle to my path.... the bike tires followed that, and I kept going straight.... over the handlebars, and did a slide through the grass. I got up, dug the grass out of the chin part of my full-face, hobbled a bit back to the bike, picked it up (I think it was still running) and took off again. None the worse for wear. If I did that today... I'd probably be aching for a week, and I'm not sure I'd be able to get back on the bike.

It sucks getting old.

-VtSeaRay

 

[Chris R]

Bultaco's were great. After the Honda was a Suzuki 90 and then a Bultaco 250 Matador (the ISDT bike with the enclosed chain), my friends/brothers each got a Bultaco 250 Alpina.

Never owned a Matador- I had 4-5 various Pursangs. In the late 80's I bought a 73 Sherpa T 350 (Trials) and rebuilt it back to factory new. The Sherpa's were works of art back in the 70's.

Speaking of ISDT (International 6 Days Trials), I always wanted a Penton.

 

[CKL]

Never owned a Matador- I had 4-5 various Pursangs. In the late 80's I bought a 73 Sherpa T 350 (Trials) and rebuilt it back to factory new. The Sherpa's were works of art back in the 70's.

Speaking of ISDT and the 6 Days Trials, I always wanted a Penton.

I liked Pentons also. Though did not see many around here.

It appears you experienced the extremes of the sport from motocross (real fast) to trials (real slow).

I did play around some on a friends Honda TL 125 and a MAR 250 Ossa.

Always liked Spanish bikes.

 

[jakebrake]

1972 halrey davidson 65cc "shortster" built by aermacchi for harley. noisy as hell, and a lot of fun.

i just wish i could find one for my daughter.

 

[Chris R]

I liked Pentons also. Though did not see many around here.

It appears you experienced the extremes of the sport from motocross (real fast) to trials (real slow).

I did play around some on a friends Honda TL 125 and a MAR 250 Ossa.

Always liked Spanish bikes.

Like Ossa's - awesome enduro competition bikes. I also like CZ's and Maico's. The CZ four speed tranny made it kind of slow. The Maico's were simply mean looking and very fast in the right hands.

 

[Stray Cat]

My Bronco was a 2 stroke without oil injection. The owners manual said to mix 2/5 of a pint to a gallon. I'd never heard of a ratio-rite, probably wasn't even invented yet! So I took a glass pint fruit jar, and made 5 equal graduations with a magic marker. I used 2 stroke oil that dad had for his chain saws. Mixed it up with a gallon of gas and poured her in....damn did it smoke. The next gallon I figured out how many ounces I needed with a little help from dad and converting fractions.

I went to high school with a guy that was into competitive moto x. He had a Maico (sp) 250...he got run over a lot riding that one. I never had the nerve for that hair pin turn when the gate dropped. Hillclimbing was my thing, I'll never forget the feeling when I topped the crest of the first hill, I was hooked.

 

[bone354]

The good old days

1978 Gemini 5 hp Fold down handle bars. It had a white pearl gas tank and when the sun hit it it would look like it was pink Took a lot of ball breaking on that but still loved it.

1972 Harley shortster bought that from a neighbor It had a bad shift linkage and no kick start Had to bump start and kick the linkage on top of engine to shift killed that thing in a couple of weeks.

Go Kart had 5hp briggs broke rear axel on first jump. Father was pissed. Me and friend tried welding it back together no good.

1980 Honda XR80 Great bike Beat the Crap out of that thing and it kept running. I had to get the loud DG pipe. All that did was make it louder and the police would hear me coming and I would try to out run them but would have to cut through police station to get home since it was 100' from my house. Man I thought I was smarter them.

1982 or 83 Suzuki ALT 125 Trike Balloon tires no suspension. I cracked frame in eight spots. It turned out to be a great shop project and I learned a little about different strength bolts. After I striped the lugs with a Visegrip My favorite tool when growing up. My neighbor who was a mechanic use call the Visegrip the Richie named after me.I put some reg bolts in and the rear wheel snapped off as I was showing Mom what a donut was.

1984 Honda ATC 200x Trike Mag wheels full suspension Awesome. I cant believe I am still alive after some the sand pit hills I would climb and jump off. I wonder how many miles I put on this thing. I rode it everywhere to school,store friends house's and beach.
Beach Whats that Orange thing zipping around making all this noise jumping waves, chicks I need one of those.

1987 Kawasaki JS 550 so much fun but it needs to be faster. Pipe, Head, bore and hone the pump. Man that thing use to fly.It would always start in the driveway but I would get it to the ramp and it would never start and you where always out there by yourself.

1990 fourwinns 221 Liberator I talked my sister to going half with and I would wash and wax her car every week for a year if she would put the down payment down and split the payments. I cant believe she backed out on me after one summer. Seems the boat was always full with my friends. I kept it for 10 years Great boat but getting kind of tight.

1990 280 Sea Ray Sundancer I lived on this boat every weekend at Flynns Fire Island for eight years. Took two summers to learn how to dock without stressing about hitting anybody in that tight marina. I loved this boat it was forsale for two years. I couldnt seem to sell it since i didnt have any signs on it.

2000 340 Sea Ray Sundancer I came a long way and cant believe I own such a beautiful boat. Just got it late summer 09. I finally put sign on the 280 and sold it.
Summers over cant wait till next spring. I should be good for a while with this boat.

But The 06 380 Sea ray Sundancer has a private forward berth, nice wrap around rear seating. Those cool looking side windows. Its going to be a long Winter.