1968 Vintage Mini-Bike
Posted: 17 Feb 2017 16:29
In 1968 my brother cut a deal with our Dad to buy him a mini bike and he would work to pay it off. Brand new it cost 149.00 CDN. My brother worked his ass off haying and harvesting chickens at a poultry farm, gathering them and throwing them into the cages in the trucks. He was 13 at the time.
The Mini bike got used all around Fort Langley, with was pretty sleepy town Canada in 1968. They then moved to Northern Vancouver Island and the bike finally got parked and languished in my brothers shed till I saw it in late 80's. I dragged it home and over a few winters rebuilt it at Specialty, with Tracey painting the frame for me at the same time they sprayed Brian Bergs's GT-3 Mazda RX3.
My kids then rode it up and down the back alleys of WhiteRock and it came camping with us a few times and as they got older it got parked again in the back of my basement.
Jump to last year as I am trying to downsize from all the stuff I have amassed over 39 year in this place, I drag the bike out and try to fire it. No go. Take the motor out and drop it off at Brigg's & Stratton guy, he gets it running and puts this cool electronic ignition on it. I put the motor back in and it dies. Long story short...too much rust in the tank...carb and pickup plugged. Bike sits till last month, time to get it running.
Thanks to John who brings in the rust killer and James who does some cleaning on the tank and carb, we get it running again. I put it some Avgas so that puppy just fired right up. We did a nice test ride out in the parking lot, first time it has run since Knox Mountain Hillclimb in the 90's, where the kids rode it last.
This thing has now been our our family for 49 years now...I think I will keep it a bit longer......DAMN......
The Mini bike got used all around Fort Langley, with was pretty sleepy town Canada in 1968. They then moved to Northern Vancouver Island and the bike finally got parked and languished in my brothers shed till I saw it in late 80's. I dragged it home and over a few winters rebuilt it at Specialty, with Tracey painting the frame for me at the same time they sprayed Brian Bergs's GT-3 Mazda RX3.
My kids then rode it up and down the back alleys of WhiteRock and it came camping with us a few times and as they got older it got parked again in the back of my basement.
Jump to last year as I am trying to downsize from all the stuff I have amassed over 39 year in this place, I drag the bike out and try to fire it. No go. Take the motor out and drop it off at Brigg's & Stratton guy, he gets it running and puts this cool electronic ignition on it. I put the motor back in and it dies. Long story short...too much rust in the tank...carb and pickup plugged. Bike sits till last month, time to get it running.
Thanks to John who brings in the rust killer and James who does some cleaning on the tank and carb, we get it running again. I put it some Avgas so that puppy just fired right up. We did a nice test ride out in the parking lot, first time it has run since Knox Mountain Hillclimb in the 90's, where the kids rode it last.
This thing has now been our our family for 49 years now...I think I will keep it a bit longer......DAMN......