Woot Woot!!! I'm an official member now! I picked up my first mini bike today from craigslist. It's either a Sears Drover or Bird Duck, I can't tell which. Seems like I read a post a while back about the front seat attachment being the way to tell for sure. I'll post pics later this afternoon (I'm on babysitting duty right now).
First mini bike-Drover or Bird Duck
- Thread starter o2jmpr
- Start date
- Tags bike-drover bird duck mini
Here she is. Hopefully, one of you can see the seat attachment and tell me which bike I have. I have only two concerns about the bike. One is that the suspension doesn't move. I'm not sure if they're frozen or wore out or what, but my svelte 265lbs can't budge em. I took one off and can compress the spring individually, but not move the shock assembly itself. The other issue is that both front and rear wheels have a great amount of lateral play in them I'm assuming between the wheels bearings and axle. Maybe the previous owner/s used the wrong size axles???? Anyway, it's enough play that they seem quite unsafe, I'd guess about a 1/4 to 3/8 of lateral wobble exists.
Hey great! Thanks Yankee-bears!
I've been messing with the engine carb and cereal boxes trying to get things running again and haven't torn the wheels apart yet. I did look at the open side of the rear wheel while shaking the tire laterally and noticed there is definitely slop under the bearing so it sure appears a bushing is in order. This MB has newish 6" wheels. I doubt they are factory but I could be wrong since I'm still learning but I'm assuming someone put new wheels on at some point and there was a mismatch like you say. I hope there's no axle damage.
I've been messing with the engine carb and cereal boxes trying to get things running again and haven't torn the wheels apart yet. I did look at the open side of the rear wheel while shaking the tire laterally and noticed there is definitely slop under the bearing so it sure appears a bushing is in order. This MB has newish 6" wheels. I doubt they are factory but I could be wrong since I'm still learning but I'm assuming someone put new wheels on at some point and there was a mismatch like you say. I hope there's no axle damage.
It's not an "original" drover......might be a later version like in the catalog photo someone posted here.....but it's likely a derivative....one of the many copies that existed. If it were an actual Sears Drover, It would have had a tall metal support for the front of the chainguard welded to the frame. Also, the rear chainguard support tab would have been on the inside of the frame tube.....not the outside. I had an original Drover when I was 13 or 14, and I have one of the copies identical to yours now.