Years ago, (1969) I obtained a used Lil Indian with a Briggs & Sratton flathead on it that looked to be the same physical size aluminum block engine that the standard 3 hp was. It had no sticker on the blower housing, was recoil start and looked like a period 1965-1970 3hp flathead. Had the large gas tank and Pulsa Jet carb, with a canister type round air filter about 3 1/2" - 4" tall.
The mini-bike was used so I tore it down and painted and opened up the engine, all looked fine.
The thing was stock as far as I know, but it would blow the doors off of any 3hp I ever saw. Never measured the bore and stroke and have always wondered what it may have been.
Gearing was stock on what was probably a model 500 Lil Indian. With that frame, gearing and a stock 3hp B&S engine they all pretty much ran almost exactly 40 mph with our 14 year old butts on them.
This one, went 45 mph. I know that's darn close because I shut down plenty of 3hp bikes, Briggs, Techumseh, Clinton, whatever. One afternoon riding back home from the nearby lawn & garden shop on a parts run, I was hauling down a canal bank that ran adjacent to a boulevard with a 40 mph speed limit and was going faster than the traffic which was normal. 1/2 mile straight between signal lights.
I would slow down and hop off the seat to traverse the intersections at the cross streets and stoplights, then hop back on on the other side and hammer the throttle.
Engine had governor pulled and ~8" straight pipe on it.
I had just crossed the last intersection on the way home and I hear a siren. A Fresno PD Black and White car pulled me over on the ditch bank. He pulled off the pavement onto the dirt. I got a lecture about making "John Wayne" hops on and off the seat crossing the cross streets and he also exclaimed I was going 45 mph and should slow it down. Of course, I figured "Awe, blow it our yourass" and didn't slow down a bit. :wink:
Can anyone tell me what other configurations were housed in the standard 3hp block. If memory serves me correctly the 3hp flathead was 125 cc and the 5hp flathead in the larger block was 200cc.
I know B&S made a 3.5hp and 4hp engine. This one ran more like it would have been a 4hp. Just not sure if the 4hp came in the little package in the horizontal shaft versions.
The mini-bike was used so I tore it down and painted and opened up the engine, all looked fine.
The thing was stock as far as I know, but it would blow the doors off of any 3hp I ever saw. Never measured the bore and stroke and have always wondered what it may have been.
Gearing was stock on what was probably a model 500 Lil Indian. With that frame, gearing and a stock 3hp B&S engine they all pretty much ran almost exactly 40 mph with our 14 year old butts on them.
This one, went 45 mph. I know that's darn close because I shut down plenty of 3hp bikes, Briggs, Techumseh, Clinton, whatever. One afternoon riding back home from the nearby lawn & garden shop on a parts run, I was hauling down a canal bank that ran adjacent to a boulevard with a 40 mph speed limit and was going faster than the traffic which was normal. 1/2 mile straight between signal lights.
I would slow down and hop off the seat to traverse the intersections at the cross streets and stoplights, then hop back on on the other side and hammer the throttle.
Engine had governor pulled and ~8" straight pipe on it.
I had just crossed the last intersection on the way home and I hear a siren. A Fresno PD Black and White car pulled me over on the ditch bank. He pulled off the pavement onto the dirt. I got a lecture about making "John Wayne" hops on and off the seat crossing the cross streets and he also exclaimed I was going 45 mph and should slow it down. Of course, I figured "Awe, blow it our yourass" and didn't slow down a bit. :wink:
Can anyone tell me what other configurations were housed in the standard 3hp block. If memory serves me correctly the 3hp flathead was 125 cc and the 5hp flathead in the larger block was 200cc.
I know B&S made a 3.5hp and 4hp engine. This one ran more like it would have been a 4hp. Just not sure if the 4hp came in the little package in the horizontal shaft versions.
Last edited:
