Had a green Rupp about 100 years ago when I was a kid. Never wanted to be without at least a few motorcycles in the stable ever since then. Still wish I had that Rupp.
My first set of wheels was a new 1969 Wards mini. A 5hp Tecumseh with a jackshaft and a rear swingarm. Wasn't long before I had ported and relieved the block and valves, filed a bit off the cylinder head and installed the 2-speed automatic jackshaft shown in one of the pictures. Rode the hell outta that thing! Hasn't run in about 40 years, but I still got it and hope to restore it someday.
We had a J c Penny Auto center and I remember seeing those Benelli mini cycles on display next to the tires in the early 1970's. I also remember those very small Bird Engineering adds in the back of Hot Rod magazine.
I had no idea there were so many manufacturer's. In my area the big name was Rupp but in most cases kids generally built their own. Nowadays kids don't even have the faintest idea of how to build one nor are the old style lawnmower engines the same.
Cool, I had a Sears Mini Bike with the 3.5hp Tecumseh. Went through several engines under warranty. Good engines, but we would wire the governor and wrap the rpms past stock. There were several in the neighborhood. We didn't go home until someone was bleeding ):-)
once i got my mini in 69 i never stop riding at 64 still riding great seeing all these classic names that where around in the mini bike era kids dont know what they are missing today
Mine was the Penneys 2 1/2 horsepower. El Tigre was one size bigger. Loved my mini bike! The Holy Grail came out in '68 as Honda's Mini Trail 50 and it was awesome!
This was a blast from the past, I had a Rupp mini bike and I rode that thing everywhere. I wish I still had it, I guess the child in us really never die's. I moved on to motorcycles and in my late 40s my older brother got killed on his , he was hit by a drunk driver. Seeing mother cry kneeling at my brothers casket was enough for me to stop riding, but I miss it I'm 64 now but my wife would never go for it......Oh well.
Me too! I had a Rupp Roadster with lights. I rode it everywhere until I killed the Tecumseh engine. Then I put a Briggs & Stratton engine in it and rode it for about 10 more years, until it was stolen.
Ahh, the old days. Dreams for alot of us kids. A couple parents went and got them for their kids, but most of our folks considered them a waste of money, or didn't want the family squabbles over them because it was meant for whichever brother and the others were too big or small to ride them.. And that Frantic Fanatic would've been AWESOME!!
@@allaboutminibikes I REMEMBER MY DAD BACK IN 68 RIDING MY RUPP MINI BIKE AROUND THE BLOCK ON CHRISTMAS MORNING. THINK HE BOUGHT IT ON SALE FOR LIKE 119.00 AT WESTERN AUTO
In the mid 60s we had a fox mini bike with a 5 hp engine lots of fun but that thing would vibrate you to pieces ! I shake thinking about it. Lol we finally got a Honda mini trail it was like heaven compared to the fox. I think I was 9 at the time. I also owned the bronko 50, it was junk.
Currently have vintage mini bike with a jack shaft and a westbend 820, like looking at it as much as I like riding it. Takes me back to a simpler time.
When I was 10 my dad took me to Maywood Honda in CA to look at mini bikes-the Honda Mini trail 50 was $150 and the base model Taco was $115-he put the Taco on lay away at $5 a week to be paid by Christmas-I had never actually ridden one and was both scared and excited at the same time-after a while it always broke down in one way or another but I learned real fast in order to ride you gotta be able to fix them and I sure did-
My first bike was a Fox Sprite kit-the cheapest model-my Dad took me to get it-I was so excited-of course I had to save up for the clutch and chain-and paint(it was bare metal)-but it was awesome-thanks Dad!
1970 chopper minibike under the Christmas tree, I was only 10 yrs. old. 4 hp. Briggs and Stratton engine and beautiful chrome forks. The neighbor kids all had 3 hp in their regular style minibikes. I was the leader of the pack no one would even race me. I have pictures of my dad driving it down the hallway inside of our house that Christmas.
The frame is now powder-coated, all the chrome pieces re-chromed, new bearings, new Coker tires on the way(hopefully), new seat, cables and the only thing left is to bead-blast and paint the original engine for my '69 Rupp Roadster. This was my personal "dream bike " back in the day when Rupp advertised in the back pages of "Boys' Life" and "Popular Mechanics" magazines.
Back in mid 70's I had a Heath Kit with a 5hp Briggs/centrifugal clutch. My buddy had a Carl Heald Super Bronc with 5hp Tecumseh/torque converter setup which smoked mine !
Never realized how deep the Broncco line was with a 3 wheel chopper even. I had a Broncco, though evidently it was the base model because some of their top of the line were exotic really,
I had a 1970 SSS Cat 1 ST and my brother had a 1971 Prowler. We worked and saved every penny for a year and a half to get them. We had so much fun on those Cats!
There were ads in back pages of Boy's Life magazine, in the 60s. The mini bikes were called "Big Bear Scramblers". Complete bike kit...you assembled. No engine. $69.00. My neighbor freind, and I each got one for our combination, birthday and Christmas presents. Another of our neighbor Dad's, worked for McCulloch motors. He got each of us a deal on 2 "Mac 9's". A 90 cc, 2 stroke, go kart engine. Wwe paid $ 99.00 for each engine, which included a centrifugal clutch, and an exhaust pipe. We did odd jobs around to get the scratch for the engines. So, we put these thing together and headed for "the hills". We were 8 and 9 years old, and knew nothing of riding, other than bicycles. In hindsight...59 years later...and have been riding and racing dirt bikes, even now. Those mini bikes, with those engines, were by far, the most dangerous bikes that I have owned!!! LMAO. Great times...ignorance is bliss.
Good video, bringing back great memories. Parents bought me a new Fox in 72. 5HP, torque converter, lights, frt and rr drum brakes, spoke wheels, shocks frt and rear. Black. Can't find a pic of it. Got hit by a car, and busted a leg. Bike held up OK. Thanks for posting.
The frame is slow in process because the weldments have to be made exact. Was supposed to have a new set Saturday but did not get completed. Hopefully this week and I'll make a video showing the stage of build we are in. Thanks for watching & commenting. Dan and Sarah!
Boy, does this bring back memories! I was surprised that I did not see anything made by Staller Industries from Plainview Long Island New York. I had one of their "Go Karts". They made nice karts and mini bikes back then. The way I heard it, they were shut down due to EPA problems. Anyone have info on Stellar Ind?
My CAT is at 🏍5:33, A Birth Day gift March 29 1969, my 11th 199.99 a At EJ Korvettes in Nanuet NY Best birthday Gift I can remember. That I ever got. Just Awesome. BLOWN AWAY My dad had the guy take it down from the display. 54 years ago today my Sister and her Boyfriend were riding it at the Woodstock Music festival. they'd invited me but then decided I was too young, then ask they me if they could take it🏍 to Woodstock with them. 🙃 i was so happy when the got back they still had it🏍. Thanks Pop, miss you Dearly
I read alot of these ads a thousand years ago. And Byrd go-kart and minibike kits. When you sent away for info you would get a pack of post cards with pictures of the kits, and a couple of kids assembling them and all the terms of payment. You could pay in full by check, or do a time payment plan. So much down. So much per month. By check or money order. No credit cards. I loved those days!!
Good times back then looking at all those bikes i was lucky enough to have a few when growing up .....still ride today I had a JcPenney 2.5 hp Foremost Then bought a put together kit bike a Heald Super Bronc fat floatation tires & 8hp fun as heck in the snow !!
Back in the 70's I had at two different times an Alexander Reynolds chopper in green like the one shown in the color purple with the bicycle front tire .But without the bicycle tire ,I had a regular tire on front.I believe it had a 3.5 tecumseh engine.After years of remembrance I was able or my daughter found for me on Facebook market .The same bike with the regular tire in front but in the color purple. Which I haven't to this day rode.
The memories - When you could go to McDonald's and get a big Mac and a order of frys and a coke !! And get change back from a dollar !! We enjoyed our selves all day on our mini bikes for about 30 cents worth of gas .. 👍
Always been too many rules and regulations here. I've always said, if kids could ride these here, instead of the pit bikes and motocross, and ride them anywhere, it might solve some of societies problems.
I had 3 different mini bikes back in the day. First one was a typical solid frame (no suspension) model with a 3HP B&S engine. Second bike was a Honda 5Occ mini trail. That was a great bike except that it was really slow. So my last mini bike was a Bonanza with a 100cc Honda (4:00)stroke motor cycle engine (3:22) and full suspension. That thing was a hoot..
Raced a Speedway Silver Shadow for Barrow Sports in Burton Michigan back in 1970 and 1971 . Eagle Park in Novi and a track up to Roscommon . Grat days rode with 4 other guys out of that shop and we smoked the veteran kids at both tracks , we were in 5 different classes and top three every weekend even raced Jeff Ward at world finals and he beat me .
This video was randomly suggested on my feed. Weird coincedence. I have a 1967 Wards catalog. Absolutely no joke at all, I was looking at it literally 45 minutes ago and I stopped on the mini-bike and go-cart page. I noticed the go-carts were "capable of a zippy 12mph". I had to laugh, because when I run a 5K footrace, my average speed is 11mph. Any shorter distance at all, and I would be able to outrun a go-cart.
The Jawa at the bottom right was great motorbikes and they made great trials bikes . The was in many competitions . The other bike that was great was the MZ bikes . The pic I am talking about is at 0:59 .
First gas powered two wheeler - the lime green cat 3001 at 6:16 - either 69 or 70? $139.00 bucks from a local department store. Rode it for about a year till I bought a hodaka ace 100 used. Mom made me sell it to a neighbor. She said I couldn't have two. Huge mistake. The hodaka was a pain in the rear. I should never have sold the cat. After decades of owning all kinds of bikes, (dirt, race, tour),..the cat mini-bike was my favorite of all of them. I've thought about it many times over the years. Something about the simplicity of an old school mini-bike. They don't attempt to be space-age or high tech. They just want to make you smile on a warm day riding through a field somewhere. Cheers.
I was an excited youth wanting anything with a motor, and was really considering some lame options, until my pop bought me a Suzuki RM 80 &125, and I never had another boring day !
Don't remember the name of the mini-bike I had in the mid-60s but it looked a lot like the Wren by Bird Engineering. I do remember it had a 2.5 HP Tecumseh engine. Over time the engine quit running and it sat in our barn for many years until my dad took the wheels off of it and made a hand truck. Don't know what happened to the frame but I still have the handtruck and it's still rolling on those mini bike wheels and tires.
I bought a couple Benelli’s in the early 1970s the one was street legal, I built an expansion chamber for it in 10th grade. I was riding through the woods, guy thought it was a Husqvarna the way it sounded, 65 cc engine two stroke 😂
I had a Bonanza that Dad bought at an abandoned vehicle auction for $35.00 , the kid kept riding it on the street and after it being impounded for the third time , his dad stopped bailing it out to teach jr. a lesson . Would love to have it back . Mine actually had an Indiana title on it and was street legal until they changed the law and required brakes on all wheels .
1/2024..........I just turned 70!....Oh how I wanted a "mini-bike", so badly.....I saved all my chore earnings: (mowing lawns, raking leaves, cleaning out the garage) and begged my Mom and Pop, every day to buy me a mini bike for my birthday. It took 2 whole years of begging, and educating my folks about them. None of my chums had one, so it was an even harder "sell", to convince my folks. I began asking for one in 1968. By 1969 I was 16, and still in Junior High. It was already "the Summer of Love",...the Summer that the Woodstock concert was held upstate New York . I was living in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio., where I was born. I was successful at wearing my Mom down, and while reluctant, she was coming around. My Pop,..well he was dead-set against me getting one. He was all business, a serious person who sucked all the fun out of every one of my ideas. He lectured me often, about all the reasons why he thought they were too dangerous. "They were too low to the ground, and didn't have safety lights, and perhaps I was too young, and it would need a costly license tag,...and I would be too young to get insurance". ( All practical things, that drained all the fun out if for me.) I promised to only ride it in our front and back yards, and just around the two streets, surrounding our house. He never agreed to letting me get one. However, I finally convinced my Mom, to buy me one in the Summer of 1969. It was a really basic model. With a 2 &1/2 Horse power, gas engine, with a drum brake in the front, and a friction brake upon the rear tire. Basically a rope pull, lawn mower engine. It had a dark maroon, steel tubular frame. And a tufted black vinyl, long seat. I added two mirrors, to the front handlebars. To see behind me on either side. It turned out, licensing & insurance, and even wearing a helmet was not required. The top speed, was barely 25 mph. There was no speedometer, so there was no way of knowing, how fast it could go. Sitting that low to the ground on it, it felt fast. I enjoyed it the rest of my Summer and into the Fall. I let my two best buddy's, Jay and Ian, ride it too. In late August of 1970, it got stolen from our locked, suburban garage. (Where there had never been any such thievery, like that before.) I was heart broken,...Our local Police department couldn't find it.( I'm sure my Pop was secretly pleased) (though he was nice enough to not RUB it in too much). Although he seemed to enjoy that his prediction, that "no good would come from it") He reminded me, that in another 6 months, I would be learning to drive, and I would be learning with his work car, and I would eventually have driving privileges..
@@allaboutminibikesThanks! I enjoyed sharing that memory, so much so that I am going to share your video with my story on my Face Book page. A couple of my oldest friends, from my childhood are still alive. We never communicated much, since those days. I was never an avid Face Book user. A minimal user actually, because other's warned me not to. Telling me there are too many trolls and other bad people out there, just waiting to exploit my personal stories. I took them at their word. I still have photos of me and friends, from 1969, enjoying my mini bike at my family's home.
Never saw Rupp or SPEEDWAY. which I have one I'm putting together. Bought a frame not knowing who the manufacturer was. Finally figured out it was SPEEDWAY. So I can make a widow maker etc. Came up with 2 new hubs 18 spokes so it will get the 19 inch rims. Built a predator engine 6.5 hp hemi to ho on it. Billit rod and flywheel. Ported the head, SS valves ,heavy springs and keepers true Mikuni 22 mm if I remember correctly ,long tube intake to get more low end grunt along with a "Mod 2" cam with stock #'s but longer duration to get more fuel in and more exhaust out. If I ever find all the pieces it should be a nice trail bike. Also have a Commet torque converter which is far superior to the stock Franklin ( not sure that was the name but think I'm close.
@@allaboutminibikes maybe so, but I bought my son a mini bike a few years ago that is a dead match for one of these. It was a Coleman, although the engine was made in China, it was $400 brand new. That would be like $50 back then. Not 230. And with the widespread use of CNC machines and other computer-aided Manufacturing, I would argue these are much better value than what you could have gotten 50 or 60 years ago.
@richardbullwood5941 I don't own a Coleman. What I will say is that the metals being used on the motors nowadays seem to be flimsy and of a cheaper grade. Hey, time marches on, times change, and we always long for quality of product, price, and performance 👍
As far as inflation goes, my Amigo 125cc China bike was about $2000 in December 2023 plan to build that back better definitely. Too bad about all the CARB Approved keeps me driv8ng my car every day.
Prices ranged from 139 to 300 for these cheap mini bikes . Japan made a lot better mini bikes as other countries . Honda Mini trail 50 or what some of us called the Monkey Bike cost 320 bucks . The SL70 was much better and the start of a good true motorcycle that cost 349.00 .
This is a compilation of ads from magazines, many of them commercial big store brands. Taco was mostly advertised in mini bike magazines and such. I'll include them in the future. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍 Dan and Sarah!
the good old days police chasing me around on all the back streets never caught me i could go through a school yard they couldn't ......HA...HA....coppers hope your reading this........
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Had a green Rupp about 100 years ago when I was a kid. Never wanted to be without at least a few motorcycles in the stable ever since then. Still wish I had that Rupp.
-I,m in tears.
My first set of wheels was a new 1969 Wards mini. A 5hp Tecumseh with a jackshaft and a rear swingarm. Wasn't long before I had ported and relieved the block and valves, filed a bit off the cylinder head and installed the 2-speed automatic jackshaft shown in one of the pictures. Rode the hell outta that thing! Hasn't run in about 40 years, but I still got it and hope to restore it someday.
Really cool!
I had the Sears 3.5 HP go cart in red back in 1975. That was so fun
My older sister worked at Montgomery Wards, and my brother worked for Sears and boy do I remember seeing them in the stores back in the day.
We had a J c Penny Auto center and I remember seeing those Benelli mini cycles on display next to the tires in the early 1970's. I also remember those very small Bird Engineering adds in the back of Hot Rod magazine.
As a kid I dreamed of having a mini bike and I can't express how thrilled I was when my folks bought me a Taco 22! I rode the wheels off that thing!
I had no idea there were so many manufacturer's. In my area the big name was Rupp but in most cases kids generally built their own. Nowadays kids don't even have the faintest idea of how to build one nor are the old style lawnmower engines the same.
Cool, I had a Sears Mini Bike with the 3.5hp Tecumseh. Went through several engines under warranty. Good engines, but we would wire the governor and wrap the rpms past stock. There were several in the neighborhood. We didn't go home until someone was bleeding ):-)
once i got my mini in 69 i never stop riding at 64 still riding great seeing all these classic names that where around in the mini bike era kids dont know what they are missing today
Mine was the Penneys 2 1/2 horsepower. El Tigre was one size bigger. Loved my mini bike! The Holy Grail came out in '68 as Honda's Mini Trail 50 and it was awesome!
This was a blast from the past, I had a Rupp mini bike and I rode that thing everywhere. I wish I still had it, I guess the child in us really never die's. I moved on to motorcycles and in my late 40s my older brother got killed on his , he was hit by a drunk driver. Seeing mother cry kneeling at my brothers casket was enough for me to stop riding, but I miss it I'm 64 now but my wife would never go for it......Oh well.
Sorry for your loss. 😔
May the lord bless you and your family!
Had a Montgomery Wards 5hp mini bike. Me, my brother and dad all had fun riding it.
Lots of great old ads. I had a RUPP mini bike but I didn't see any ads for those.
Me too! I had a Rupp Roadster with lights. I rode it everywhere until I killed the Tecumseh engine. Then I put a Briggs & Stratton engine in it and rode it for about 10 more years, until it was stolen.
@@danielcortez8309Man, those Rupps were awesome with the larger spoked wheels and torque converter. They hauled ass- Great memories!
Ahh, the old days. Dreams for alot of us kids. A couple parents went and got them for their kids, but most of our folks considered them a waste of money, or didn't want the family squabbles over them because it was meant for whichever brother and the others were too big or small to ride them.. And that Frantic Fanatic would've been AWESOME!!
Yes, mini bike stories are great. Many different childhood stories and memories. Thanks for watching & commenting. Dan & Sarah
@@allaboutminibikes I REMEMBER MY DAD BACK IN 68 RIDING MY RUPP MINI BIKE AROUND THE BLOCK ON CHRISTMAS MORNING. THINK HE BOUGHT IT ON SALE FOR LIKE 119.00 AT WESTERN AUTO
I still have my 1969 Rupp Sprint.
In the mid 60s we had a fox mini bike with a 5 hp engine lots of fun but that thing would vibrate you to pieces ! I shake thinking about it. Lol we finally got a Honda mini trail it was like heaven compared to the fox. I think I was 9 at the time. I also owned the bronko 50, it was junk.
Didn't see the Rupps or Hondas? I had a Rupp Roadster....TONS of fun!!!
Currently have vintage mini bike with a jack shaft and a westbend 820, like looking at it as much as I like riding it. Takes me back to a simpler time.
This is a great video! I grew up seeing these ads.
Thanks for watching & commenting! Dan & Sarah.
When I was 10 my dad took me to Maywood Honda in CA to look at mini bikes-the Honda Mini trail 50 was $150 and the base model Taco was $115-he put the Taco on lay away at $5 a week to be paid by Christmas-I had never actually ridden one and was both scared and excited at the same time-after a while it always broke down in one way or another but I learned real fast in order to ride you gotta be able to fix them and I sure did-
I had a used Taco 44,I rode it every day.
Very cool my man!
My first bike was a Fox Sprite kit-the cheapest model-my Dad took me to get it-I was so excited-of course I had to save up for the clutch and chain-and paint(it was bare metal)-but it was awesome-thanks Dad!
Yup ; had jc penny el Tigre. Dang ; em we’re the days . Rode that thing everywhere - 😁
there used to be lots and lots of these manafacted in the USA
In the beginning, all of them were made in the USA.
1970 chopper minibike under the Christmas tree, I was only 10 yrs. old. 4 hp. Briggs and Stratton engine and beautiful chrome forks. The neighbor kids all had 3 hp in their regular style minibikes. I was the leader of the pack no one would even race me. I have pictures of my dad driving it down the hallway inside of our house that Christmas.
Those old Benelli mini bikes were pretty fast. A neighbor had one when we were kids.
The frame is now powder-coated, all the chrome pieces re-chromed, new bearings, new Coker tires on the way(hopefully), new seat, cables and the only thing left is to bead-blast and paint the original engine for my '69 Rupp Roadster. This was my personal "dream bike " back in the day when Rupp advertised in the back pages of "Boys' Life" and "Popular Mechanics" magazines.
Back in mid 70's I had a Heath Kit with a 5hp Briggs/centrifugal clutch. My buddy had a Carl Heald Super Bronc with 5hp Tecumseh/torque converter setup which smoked mine !
Never realized how deep the Broncco line was with a 3 wheel chopper even. I had a Broncco, though evidently it was the base model because some of their top of the line were exotic really,
I had a 1970 SSS Cat 1 ST and my brother had a 1971 Prowler. We worked and saved every penny for a year and a half to get them. We had so much fun on those Cats!
Yes, those are great memories. Working hard for something you really want. Had to earn it👍
My first mini-bike from JOCEA PENYAAA WAS $99.99! 😱👍😁🤪🤣👍👍🇺🇸
One cannot overestimate the feverish lust with which these ads were viewed and reviewed and fantasized over...
Yes!
There were ads in back pages of Boy's Life magazine, in the 60s.
The mini bikes were called "Big Bear Scramblers".
Complete bike kit...you assembled.
No engine.
$69.00.
My neighbor freind, and I each got one for our combination, birthday and Christmas presents.
Another of our neighbor Dad's, worked for McCulloch motors.
He got each of us a deal on 2 "Mac 9's".
A 90 cc, 2 stroke, go kart engine.
Wwe paid $ 99.00 for each engine, which included a centrifugal clutch, and an exhaust pipe.
We did odd jobs around to get the scratch for the engines.
So, we put these thing together and headed for "the hills".
We were 8 and 9 years old, and knew nothing of riding, other than bicycles.
In hindsight...59 years later...and have been riding and racing dirt bikes, even now.
Those mini bikes, with those engines, were by far, the most dangerous bikes that I have owned!!!
LMAO.
Great times...ignorance is bliss.
Wow, what a great story. Thanks for sharing 👍 Dan and Sarah.
Oh the days when you could get an American built bike for the price of a China engine now.
Good video, bringing back great memories. Parents bought me a new Fox in 72. 5HP, torque converter, lights, frt and rr drum brakes, spoke wheels, shocks frt and rear. Black. Can't find a pic of it. Got hit by a car, and busted a leg. Bike held up OK. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍 Dan and Sarah.
That was Awesome I remember a lot of these ads back in the early 70s Thanks! How is your new frame coming along
The frame is slow in process because the weldments have to be made exact. Was supposed to have a new set Saturday but did not get completed. Hopefully this week and I'll make a video showing the stage of build we are in. Thanks for watching & commenting. Dan and Sarah!
I wanted one of these so bad when I was a kid but never got one.
Boy, does this bring back memories! I was surprised that I did not see anything made by Staller Industries from Plainview Long Island New York. I had one of their "Go Karts". They made nice karts and mini bikes back then. The way I heard it, they were shut down due to EPA problems. Anyone have info on Stellar Ind?
My CAT is at 🏍5:33, A Birth Day gift March 29 1969, my 11th
199.99 a At EJ Korvettes in Nanuet NY Best birthday Gift I can remember.
That I ever got. Just Awesome. BLOWN AWAY My dad had the guy take it down from the display.
54 years ago today my Sister and her Boyfriend were riding it at the Woodstock Music festival.
they'd invited me but then decided I was too young, then ask they me if they could take it🏍 to Woodstock with them. 🙃 i was so happy when the got back they still had it🏍. Thanks Pop, miss you Dearly
I read alot of these ads a thousand years ago. And Byrd go-kart and minibike kits. When you sent away for info you would get a pack of post cards with pictures of the kits, and a couple of kids assembling them and all the terms of payment. You could pay in full by check, or do a time payment plan. So much down. So much per month. By check or money order. No credit cards.
I loved those days!!
Me too!
Cool video
Good times back then looking at all those bikes i was lucky enough to have a few when growing up .....still ride today I had a JcPenney 2.5 hp Foremost Then bought a put together kit bike a Heald Super Bronc fat floatation tires & 8hp fun as heck in the snow !!
Tecumseh 5 HP on a red frame, black seat and raised bars.
Great times.
Back in the 70's I had at two different times an Alexander Reynolds chopper in green like the one shown in the color purple with the bicycle front tire .But without the bicycle tire ,I had a regular tire on front.I believe it had a 3.5 tecumseh engine.After years of remembrance I was able or my daughter found for me on Facebook market .The same bike with the regular tire in front but in the color purple. Which I haven't to this day rode.
Good story, but....GO Riding😀
The memories - When you could go to McDonald's and get a big Mac and a order of frys and a coke !! And get change back from a dollar !! We enjoyed our selves all day on our mini bikes for about 30 cents worth of gas .. 👍
Had a Lil Indian, w/ 2 speed jack shaft setup. What a little hot rod.
Remember the Lil Indian? Nice. I used to drool as a 1960s kid
Wow.we never had things like that in the uk. I didn't realise you had so much choice
Always been too many rules and regulations here. I've always said, if kids could ride these here, instead of the pit bikes and motocross, and ride them anywhere, it might solve some of societies problems.
I had 3 different mini bikes back in the day. First one was a typical solid frame (no suspension) model with a 3HP B&S engine. Second bike was a Honda 5Occ mini trail. That was a great bike except that it was really slow. So my last mini bike was a Bonanza with a 100cc Honda (4:00)stroke motor cycle engine (3:22) and full suspension. That thing was a hoot..
Good memories, thanks for sharing 👍 Dan and Sarah.
Great job on this video !
Thanks 👍
Just the name of the channel " All about mini-bikes" gets an automatic subscribe and thumbs up!!!!😍👍
Raced a Speedway Silver Shadow for Barrow Sports in Burton Michigan back in 1970 and 1971 . Eagle Park in Novi and a track up to Roscommon . Grat days rode with 4 other guys out of that shop and we smoked the veteran kids at both tracks , we were in 5 different classes and top three every weekend even raced Jeff Ward at world finals and he beat me .
Maybe I missed it, but I do not think I saw an add for Western Auto, they sold Wizard and Western Flyer mini bikes.
May not be in this video
This video was randomly suggested on my feed. Weird coincedence. I have a 1967 Wards catalog. Absolutely no joke at all, I was looking at it literally 45 minutes ago and I stopped on the mini-bike and go-cart page. I noticed the go-carts were "capable of a zippy 12mph". I had to laugh, because when I run a 5K footrace, my average speed is 11mph. Any shorter distance at all, and I would be able to outrun a go-cart.
That is funny. Thanks for sharing. Dan and Sarah.
The Jawa at the bottom right was great motorbikes and they made great trials bikes . The was in many competitions . The other bike that was great was the MZ bikes . The pic I am talking about is at 0:59 .
First gas powered two wheeler - the lime green cat 3001 at 6:16 - either 69 or 70? $139.00 bucks from a local department store. Rode it for about a year till I bought a hodaka ace 100 used. Mom made me sell it to a neighbor. She said I couldn't have two. Huge mistake. The hodaka was a pain in the rear. I should never have sold the cat. After decades of owning all kinds of bikes, (dirt, race, tour),..the cat mini-bike was my favorite of all of them. I've thought about it many times over the years. Something about the simplicity of an old school mini-bike. They don't attempt to be space-age or high tech. They just want to make you smile on a warm day riding through a field somewhere. Cheers.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, simple is the best! Dan and Sarah
I was an excited youth wanting anything with a motor, and was really considering some lame options, until my pop bought me a Suzuki RM 80 &125, and I never had another boring day !
Don't remember the name of the mini-bike I had in the mid-60s but it looked a lot like the Wren by Bird Engineering. I do remember it had a 2.5 HP Tecumseh engine. Over time the engine quit running and it sat in our barn for many years until my dad took the wheels off of it and made a hand truck. Don't know what happened to the frame but I still have the handtruck and it's still rolling on those mini bike wheels and tires.
Cool story!
Lil'Indian 5 hp Briggs &Stratton 2 Speed automatic centrifugal clutches jackshaft and ourran everything!
I enjoy your video 📸 thank you for the video 📸📸📸📸❤❤😊😊
You are welcome, thanks for watching and commenting 👍 Dan.
I bought a couple Benelli’s in the early 1970s the one was street legal, I built an expansion chamber for it in 10th grade. I was riding through the woods, guy thought it was a Husqvarna the way it sounded, 65 cc engine two stroke 😂
The age when things were built, to last
I had a Bonanza that Dad bought at an abandoned vehicle auction for $35.00 , the kid kept riding it on the street and after it being impounded for the third time , his dad stopped bailing it out to teach jr. a lesson . Would love to have it back . Mine actually had an Indiana title on it and was street legal until they changed the law and required brakes on all wheels .
i wanna be a kid again on summer vacation
have a continental custom/ 1964..... its mint ....i painted the frame gold!!!!
I had a minibike as a kid loved to trail the neighbor girl on the back
That was alot of money back then.
I got a sears mini bike in 1967, thought i was cool! Haaaaaa
Same here!
The mini bike didn’t make the man…the man made the mini bike. You are cool
No tule tropper?
I don't have every ad that was ever made, at least not in this video. Sorry. Dan
@@allaboutminibikes tule tropper was cool.
1/2024..........I just turned 70!....Oh how I wanted a "mini-bike", so badly.....I saved all my chore earnings: (mowing lawns, raking leaves, cleaning out the garage) and begged my Mom and Pop, every day to buy me a mini bike for my birthday. It took 2 whole years of begging, and educating my folks about them. None of my chums had one, so it was an even harder "sell", to convince my folks. I began asking for one in 1968. By 1969 I was 16, and still in Junior High. It was already "the Summer of Love",...the Summer that the Woodstock concert was held upstate New York . I was living in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio., where I was born.
I was successful at wearing my Mom down, and while reluctant, she was coming around. My Pop,..well he was dead-set against me getting one. He was all business, a serious person who sucked all the fun out of every one of my ideas. He lectured me often, about all the reasons why he thought they were too dangerous. "They were too low to the ground, and didn't have safety lights, and perhaps I was too young, and it would need a costly license tag,...and I would be too young to get insurance". ( All practical things, that drained all the fun out if for me.)
I promised to only ride it in our front and back yards, and just around the two streets, surrounding our house. He never agreed to letting me get one. However, I finally convinced my Mom, to buy me one in the Summer of 1969. It was a really basic model. With a 2 &1/2 Horse power, gas engine, with a drum brake in the front, and a friction brake upon the rear tire. Basically a rope pull, lawn mower engine. It had a dark maroon, steel tubular frame. And a tufted black vinyl, long seat. I added two mirrors, to the front handlebars. To see behind me on either side. It turned out, licensing & insurance, and even wearing a helmet was not required. The top speed, was barely 25 mph. There was no speedometer, so there was no way of knowing, how fast it could go. Sitting that low to the ground on it, it felt fast. I enjoyed it the rest of my Summer and into the Fall. I let my two best buddy's, Jay and Ian, ride it too.
In late August of 1970, it got stolen from our locked, suburban garage. (Where there had never been any such thievery, like that before.) I was heart broken,...Our local Police department couldn't find it.( I'm sure my Pop was secretly pleased) (though he was nice enough to not RUB it in too much). Although he seemed to enjoy that his prediction, that "no good would come from it") He reminded me, that in another 6 months, I would be learning to drive, and I would be learning with his work car, and I would eventually have driving privileges..
What a great story, ups, and downs of childhood. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍 Dan
@@allaboutminibikesThanks! I enjoyed sharing that memory, so much so that I am going to share your video with my story on my Face Book page. A couple of my oldest friends, from my childhood are still alive. We never communicated much, since those days. I was never an avid Face Book user. A minimal user actually, because other's warned me not to. Telling me there are too many trolls and other bad people out there, just waiting to exploit my personal stories. I took them at their word. I still have photos of me and friends, from 1969, enjoying my mini bike at my family's home.
I was hoping to see all the Rupp models in here. No Heathkit either.
Not at every show.
I took my mini bike on my paper route
I tried to do the same. Didn't work out. The bags were just too heavy and big for the little handle bars. I tried.
nice .
Thank you, Dan and Sarah
Thank you. Dan and Sarah
relive your youth with a $5000 125cc yamaha zuma.
That's how it used to be.
Until Honda came along
and changed everything
with the mini trail.
Particularly the Z50A 👍
Don't forget rupp.
Never saw Rupp or SPEEDWAY.
which I have one I'm putting together. Bought a frame not knowing who the manufacturer was. Finally figured out it was SPEEDWAY.
So I can make a widow maker etc.
Came up with 2 new hubs 18 spokes so it will get the 19 inch rims.
Built a predator engine 6.5 hp hemi to ho on it. Billit rod and flywheel. Ported the head, SS valves ,heavy springs and keepers true Mikuni 22 mm if I remember correctly ,long tube intake to get more low end grunt along with a "Mod 2" cam with stock #'s but longer duration to get more fuel in and more exhaust out.
If I ever find all the pieces it should be a nice trail bike.
Also have a Commet torque converter which is far superior to the stock Franklin ( not sure that was the name but think I'm close.
That's going to be a great bike. Thanks for sharing 👍
230 bucks back then would be like $1,000 now. If not more. We live in the Golden Age of cheap stuff.
Cheap in more ways than one!
@@allaboutminibikes maybe so, but I bought my son a mini bike a few years ago that is a dead match for one of these. It was a Coleman, although the engine was made in China, it was $400 brand new. That would be like $50 back then. Not 230. And with the widespread use of CNC machines and other computer-aided Manufacturing, I would argue these are much better value than what you could have gotten 50 or 60 years ago.
@richardbullwood5941 I don't own a Coleman. What I will say is that the metals being used on the motors nowadays seem to be flimsy and of a cheaper grade. Hey, time marches on, times change, and we always long for quality of product, price, and performance 👍
Saw mine bikes at Sears an k mart on sale now I wish I bought mad in USA back then my mom thought were trashey 😢
No Rupp, Steen, or Lil' Indian?
Video was not inclusive of all mini bike ads ever made. We have them in other videos on our channel. Just search. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
.....Warning ....This minibike goes over 114mph...........
What is price in India
For what item? Do you want a price?
Rupp ?
Not in every video. Some shows had them, others not.
As far as inflation goes, my Amigo 125cc China bike was about $2000 in December 2023 plan to build that back better definitely. Too bad about all the CARB Approved keeps me driv8ng my car every day.
Prices ranged from 139 to 300 for these cheap mini bikes . Japan made a lot better mini bikes as other countries . Honda Mini trail 50 or what some of us called the Monkey Bike cost 320 bucks . The SL70 was much better and the start of a good true motorcycle that cost 349.00 .
Where is the best Mini bike ever "Taco"
This is a compilation of ads from magazines, many of them commercial big store brands. Taco was mostly advertised in mini bike magazines and such. I'll include them in the future. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍 Dan and Sarah!
super bronc ii >> monkey wards mini bikes sum total
i remeber when the cops would chase us on them and impound them i out ran them tearing thru a few back yards good old days
Mom would bring me to wards I would sit on the mini bikes with my please please please face. Didn’t work. Freaking mom.
Oh yeah 🤣
the good old days police chasing me around on all the back streets never caught me i could go through a school yard they couldn't ......HA...HA....coppers hope your reading this........
I had to turn off the video because of the music.
Soothing music for memories
Agreed ! Otherwise, great video. I wish guys wouldn't put music on their videos.
That beat is absolute crap. The music is straight 4/4 but the drums are trying to swing. It really is awful.
🤣😅
to bad American had to be a sell out
Cheap labor in Japan, then China after WWII. Now India will be the place for cheap labor. Yes, too bad.
man this was done a year ago and just now seeing this! lol 🤷♂️🤔🤪👍
Centrifugal clutchs just don't cut it . Variable speed clutch makes a incredible improvement.