Help identify frame I’ve had this mini bike since I was my sons age and we are going to restore it
- Thread starter Shane5684
- Start date
Looks like a 1965/66 lil Indian frame. They were shorter than later ones and had more of an angle on the frame downtubes and those were the first years for disc brake. They did switch sometime in those years to a 5/8" axle on the rear from a 3/4" so that can maybe help as well as the numbers if visible (would be stamped on the right rear axle strap outside upper. Did you add the reaf fender bracket or was that always there/fashioned like that.
That # should actually put it in the 1967 timeframe if that. Another members old bike pictured below Is a great example from that year Yours still has that shorter look to me but it may just be the way its sitting the photos, Toms old bike below was a 500 model, the lesser version 400 and 450 had no fenders and a flat rectangular seat. A tell if it is the shorter frame woud be the space between engine and top top tube.....earlier frame will be tighter than the bike below.
The posting above from another member has the correct info reguarding the differences between the 2.25 HP and the 3.hp internally is the stroke. From there there were tons of different versions regarding PTO configurations. your looks like the correct PTO/sidecover setup that lil indian used which were 80212 for the 3hp versions. If you dont have a blower/recoil shroud with the numbers and are looking to do a restoration I still have a couple NOS replacement shrouds stashed for that era that are clocked correctly. They are numbers free........which is better than the wrong numbers
They are located here in the classifieds section Briggs shrouds I think I have a set of NOS block pattern grips left as well for the 1967 and up. That version grip was introduced that year. previous years used a Hunt Wilde grip mainly. good luck with it.
The posting above from another member has the correct info reguarding the differences between the 2.25 HP and the 3.hp internally is the stroke. From there there were tons of different versions regarding PTO configurations. your looks like the correct PTO/sidecover setup that lil indian used which were 80212 for the 3hp versions. If you dont have a blower/recoil shroud with the numbers and are looking to do a restoration I still have a couple NOS replacement shrouds stashed for that era that are clocked correctly. They are numbers free........which is better than the wrong numbers
They are located here in the classifieds section Briggs shrouds I think I have a set of NOS block pattern grips left as well for the 1967 and up. That version grip was introduced that year. previous years used a Hunt Wilde grip mainly. good luck with it.
If you really want to go down the rabbit hole regarding cranks, check this out. You can find the exact measurements and drawings for almost any old crank.
https://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/html/engine-specs/briggs-engine-specs.html
https://www.smallenginesuppliers.com/html/engine-specs/briggs-engine-specs.html