First mini build: 60's cat 250x

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undertheradar

New Member
#1
#1
Hey gang...love the site. A friend of mine inspired me to pick up a bike to build for my kids to screw around on. I've built restored my own bikes before, so I figured this would be a fun/cheap endeavor.

Found this old Cat 250x roller on CL for $100. Plan is to strip and paint, fab/stitch up a new seat, and pick up a 79cc Predator. I want to go with the Predator for two reasons: one is to keep the speeds slow and safe for the little ones, and to avoid any gas cap fit issues I've read about with the bigger motor. Gonna keep the scrub brake as well for simplicities sake.

Anyways, here are some pics before I start. If anyone can narrow down a model year based on serial # 9040650 I'd appreciate it!




Some pictures of it out of the car:




 
U

undertheradar

New Member
#4
#4
Made a little bit of progress this week. Stripped the frame and forks down and got them painted. Was going to powdercoat, but that didnt pan out. Used the same Duplicolor bedliner I used on my big bike project. Love the stuff...tough and you don't have to worry about having the metal in perfect shape.

Waiting on a big order from OldMiniBikes that has some Azusalites, sprocket, tires, tubes, chain, throttle, and clutch. Will be picking up the Predator before months end, and ordered a custom seat from an ebay seller.





Seat. Same style, but slightly smaller and with red stitching.
 
RobertC

RobertC

#9
#9
Hey UnderTheRadar,

Thats going to be a nice looking mini !

Question about the custom seats...good looking by the way...how do they know what seat 'bolt' pattern you have so as to have properly mounted the hardware in the seat base for you to attach to your frame ?

Thank you,

Robert
 
U

undertheradar

New Member
#10
#10
I assume you could give them that info if you wanted to. I plan on installing my own threadnuts once I get the seat since I'm not yet sure exactly where I want it to sit on the frame.
 
RobertC

RobertC

#11
#11
undertheradar said:
I assume you could give them that info if you wanted to. I plan on installing my own threadnuts once I get the seat since I'm not yet sure exactly where I want it to sit on the frame.
Click to expand...
I hear ya'

Tell me this..i rebuilt a seat a while back because the wood was rotten...the threadnuts i mounted on the 'inside' of the wood, (to match my bolt pattern) so when you tightened them down, the wood prevented the threadnut from pulling out as it was pulling against the wood, and could not come out.

If you mount the threadnuts on the outside of the wood, and tighten your seat down good, do you ever have any issue with the threadnut backing out of the wood ?

Thank you,

Robert
 
H

Havasu Dave

Moderator
#13
#13
RobertC said:
If you mount the threadnuts on the outside of the wood, and tighten your seat down good, do you ever have any issue with the threadnut backing out of the wood ?

Thank you,

Robert
Click to expand...
Yes, they will pull out. It's fairly straight forward to remove a bit of upholstery and re drill and re set if that's the issue.
 
J

jeff4298

Member
#14
#14
I actually drilled a bigger 2" hole in the center of my bolt pattern and was able to slip the T nuts inside the seat without removing any seat material. Some tape or a piece of metal to hold the cut out wood back in place. Quick and easy. Putting the t nut on the outside they will just pull out no matter how heavy duty they are.
 
U

undertheradar

New Member
#16
#16
Little update:
She's a roller. Got the seat and a bunch or parts. Put a hole in the front tube putting it together, so I need a new one...and I need to get some spacers for the axles to line everything up, but she's pretty much ready for the motor. Seat turned out awesome too.







 
U

undertheradar

New Member
#18
#18
After realizing the Predator was just too big and powerful for this little bike (took me crashing it during a test ride and ruining the new seat I had made) I decided to go with something smaller. A fantastic member here (Slow Greg) traded me for a restored 2 1/2 horse B&S. A friend of mine took a couple pics of it while I was re-welding a peg.

 
RobertC

RobertC

#19
#19
Sorry to hear you crashed it.

Good idea on the 2.5 B&S...I think that it is at least more of a 'period' piece like the frame...and I think that is a good looking motor, and is going to look 'just right' !
 
Stangrcr1

Stangrcr1

New Member
#20
#20
That Briggs is about the same power so........

You crashed a 97cc predator and I crashed a GX390 drag bike. Happens to us all.

Minibikes are evil. The devil I say...
 
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