HPE Muskin Cat minibike factory and tooling.

[Tabby Cat]

Has any member determined whether Cat minibike factories filmed their manufacturing production. And has anyone working at the California and other factories been identified and queried on the production.
What happened to the parts stock from their warehouse?

I need the exact length and angles for my Cat 400x. I know the tube is 7/8.

 

[FunWithStuff]

Has any member determined whether Cat minibike factories filmed their manufacturing production. And has anyone working at the California and other factories been identified and queried on the production.
What happened to the parts stock from their warehouse?

I need the exact length and angles for my Cat 400x. I know the tube is 7/8.

I'd assume you're wanting to know the exact dimensions of every part on your Cat 400X or just the frame? I don't know any of those dimensions nor how HPE Muskin manufactured them almost no information is available about their manufacturing processes.

A few years back I was able to contact a former draftsman + engineer's assistant of HPE Muskin. His name was Bob Carlisle. He couldn't remember much details on how things were made but he could tell me some models & parts that he remembered helping design.

Realize HPE Muskin stopped producing mini bikes and shut down those manufacturing facilities almost 50 years ago. I think the company is still around producing pool equipment but it might be hard to find any employees who remember anything about making the mini bikes. If any of the ones involved in the manufacturing are still alive today.

As for stock parts from the warehouse I would assume whatever could be sold was sold and the rest were just destroyed since they weren't profitable.

 

[sparkwizard]

Your best bet might be to measure the one you have.

 

[Tabby Cat]

I'd assume you're wanting to know the exact dimensions of every part on your Cat 400X or just the frame? I don't know any of those dimensions nor how HPE Muskin manufactured them almost no information is available about their manufacturing processes.

A few years back I was able to contact a former draftsman + engineer's assistant of HPE Muskin. His name was Bob Carlisle. He couldn't remember much details on how things were made but he could tell me some models & parts that he remembered helping design.

Realize HPE Muskin stopped producing mini bikes and shut down those manufacturing facilities almost 50 years ago. I think the company is still around producing pool equipment but it might be hard to find any employees who remember anything about making the mini bikes. If any of the ones involved in the manufacturing are still alive today.

As for stock parts from the warehouse I would assume whatever could be sold was sold and the rest were just destroyed since they weren't profitable.

I have components except the handle bars for the 400X. Anybody with 400X handlebars, please measure the length from the plate up straight, degree forward, outward where the grips are. I have two stainless steel 7/8 tubes to bend in the correct configuration.

By the way my 1970 Cat 400X serial number stamped on the engine plate reads: 70100027. Anybody with serial number expertise, please clarify the serial number. Does it represent 1970 -71 27th made, or 1970 one hundred thousand twenty-seven production. Mine is Candy apple red.

I could not locate any information on the United States Patent Office for Cat Minibikes or HPE Muskin.

Thank you,

 

[45t]

Your cat 400X is a 1970 model similar to mine. I haven’t seen a completely deciphered serial number yet on these cat bikes, but it is known that the first one or two numbers in the sequence designates the year.

 

[Tabby Cat]

Your cat 400X is a 1970 model similar to mine. I haven’t seen a completely deciphered serial number yet on these cat bikes, but it is known that the first one or two numbers in the sequence designates the year.

View attachment 309694

Thank you for the information. We will wait for future deciphering of serial numbers.

 

[Steve73]

I have a 400x from 1970 I think. Love that bike!

 

[FunWithStuff]

I have components except the handle bars for the 400X.

Mine is Candy apple red.

Candy apple red is the original color of the 400X so you have an original paint color. Could you share some photos of your bike? Would really like to see what you have!

I could not locate any information on the United States Patent Office for Cat Minibikes or HPE Muskin.

If any patents still exist for Cat minibikes I'm sure they're long forgotten about and would probably require a tedious search to find. Wouldn't surprise me if patents didn't even exist for most of these mini bike parts from the early-mid 70's though because mini bike manufacturers were all using similar parts for the most part they were just designed slightly differently and I don't know of any disputes between companies about using similar designs.

 

[Tabby Cat]

I have a 400x from 1970 I think. Love that bike! View attachment 309739

Where did you acquire the rear shocks and what is the shock length?

 

[KMC1]

Where did you acquire the rear shocks and what is the shock length?

Do you realize what you're asking? You're going to have to scour for parts just like everyone else looking for these rare parts are doing. Nobody has a magic wand here. Find the big Cat bike collectors that have parts for sale. A lot of this went up for sale from the original collectors from 20 or so years ago.

 

[Steve73]

Where did you acquire the rear shocks and what is the shock length?

The shocks are the original ones that I took apart and restored. Not sure the length. I keep the bike in a storage facility.

 

[KMC1]

I have a 400x from 1970 I think. Love that bike! View attachment 309739

Have you looked at the Serial # to determine the dom?

 

[Steve73]

Have you looked at the Serial # to determine the dom?

Never thought about it actually.

 

[45t]

The 400X came with a Sebac 12” shock

 

[FunWithStuff]

Never thought about it actually.
View attachment 309975

The first digit(s) indicate the year of your Cat. A "9" means your bike is a 1969 Cat 400X, the first year the were sold.

 

[KMC1]

Never thought about it actually.
View attachment 309975

There you go. 1969, first year offered, as FWS states. I believe I mentioned that when you first posted the pics in your build thread. Very nice build Steve.

 

[SGDB]

The first digit(s) indicate the year of your Cat. A "9" means your bike is a 1969 Cat 400X, the first year the were sold.

This is correct. 70 is when they went to double digit year...As you know, 69' was gold, 70', 71',72' were Candy Apple Red.. 72 also being the year they went over to the 4 digit model designation

 

[slow greg]

there was a Cat factory in Colton Ca......some of the chain guards like 5 big boxes found there way to a local Taco mini bike and lawn mower shop and sat in a attic for years ....we were using them on all bikes till someone figured out they were Cat enduros and the small guard with tail that could be added to or cut off .....after seeing the bidding on ebay wow!

 

[Tabby Cat]

I have components except the handle bars for the 400X. Anybody with 400X handlebars, please measure the length from the plate up straight, degree forward, outward where the grips are. I have two stainless steel 7/8 tubes to bend in the correct configuration.

By the way my 1970 Cat 400X serial number stamped on the engine plate reads: 70100027. Anybody with serial number expertise, please clarify the serial number. Does it represent 1970 -71 27th made, or 1970 one hundred thousand twenty-seven production. Mine is Candy apple red.

I could not locate any information on the United States Patent Office for Cat Minibikes or HPE Muskin.

Thank you,

The Cat 400x was made in 1970, month of January, 27th production number sequence.

 

[Spyder4speed]

Howdy all, I know its a long shot here, I am searching for a straight set of handlebars for my 1970 400x, patina ok, any help would be welcomed!

Kind regards,

Patrick