Growing up in a lawnmower and bicycle shop, on Christmas Eve, I always remember the time that my dad sold minibikes especially at Christmas. We also sold bicycles and go carts and even chainsaws and garden tillers for Christmas. The time frame was about 1967 to 1974. We sold items for Christmas on the lay-away plan and Christmas Eve was one of the busiest days of the year. A couple of those years in October, my dad went in with two other dealers and purchased a semi-trailer load of Lil Indian minibikes from Michrinas Brothers in Michigan. We would spend nights and weekends after that painting and assembling Lil Indians. In about 1969 dad took on the Rupp line of minibikes. We always worried that we had enough minibikes, go-carts, and bicycles and other items that had been placed on lay-away for all the customers that came to pick them up on Christmas Eve. I remember tying minibikes and bicycles on the top of station wagons. We always bought up a bunch of extra replacement clutch's because the day after Christmas, half of everything we sold would come back because the clutch was burned up. After the minibike boom, the go-carts still sold reasonably well at Christmas for a few more years. By then Honda and all the other motorcycle manufacturers had basically taken over the minibike market. But it was a fun time to be a 12 year old kid growing up with all those minibikes and go-carts around. Hope you all have a happy holidays. Thanks!!!
Christmas Mini Bike Memories
My memory is from when I was about 9 or 10. I bugged my step dad for a mini bike. He was a biker and we lived in Philly. I thought he was the coolest person back then. He used to take me on runs with him and even bought me a leather jacket. I would sit in the tattoo parlor while he was getting ink done and the lady's would put the outlines on me so I thought I had tats. I bugged him a year for a mini bike. Finally Christmas morning came and there it was under the tree. Well beside it. Brand new mini bike. I thought I was the coolest thing since sliced bread. I rode that thing all day long that Christmas. For the life of me I can remember what kind it was. I'm only 32 now so it was only 22 years ago. I doubt it was anything vintage. I have my mother on the search for a pic of it or me on it. What ever she can find. She asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year and I told her a pic of my first mini bike framed. Hopefully she comes through.
Merry Christmas mini bikers.
Merry Christmas mini bikers.
Thanks guys! Yes I have some more minibike related pics from back in the day. I'll try to get them scanned and posted soon! Also I plan to enter the 2015 buildoff and redo my first Lil Indian 5000. Been planning on doing that for quite awhile but being in the buildoff will give me more motivation to get started on it. Got to get it ready for the grand kids now that it has served both my son and I growing up. Thanks!!!