What is it?
- Thread starter keith true
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Now that the pictures went through I'll give some details.It had a disc brake at one time,the original pegs toward the rear change from round stock where they mount on the frame to square a little bit out.The homemade brake is kind of funky,it is operated from either side.Both that and the added pegs are easily removable.The seat looks to be original and also looks like new.The wheels are aluminum and are the neatest part of the bike.Overall it is straight and not bent up anywhere.The add-ons would be easy to remove.This was in a cellar for years.Today was household junk pickup day in the next town over,this was out on the side of the road for pickup.One of the iron vultures picked it up and brought it over to me.
Just gave it a closer look before stashing it away in the shed.I thought it may have had a disc brake because of the holes in the rear axle mounting tab.Both sides have them,so I don't know.The sprocket looks to have a drum surface molded into it,but if the wheels are not original it would still be a guess.Both wheels are shimmed to fit,using nuts and a few washers.The fender mounts look high for those 5 inch wheels too.What struck me as different for a cheapo minibike is the frame pivot for the front fork.My old Rupp,Cat,and Charger just have a big bolt running through a tube.This thing actually has a set of bearings.The bottom one is missing all the balls,(rust)but the top one is whole.It is the same bearing used in the front wheels on my Wheel Horse tractor.Probably the same as used in the wheels on the bike.
those frames came a variety of ways, if it had a disk it would have had an L shaped bracket welded to the frame lower usually on the left a couple inches before the back. It looks like it had the 2nd mount plate at one time for a jackshaft or TC. Those wheels are not original. it would have came with either 2 piece steel wheels with 4 indentations in the flat center and drum brake or powerdyne mags which sort of resembled Manco "snowflake" wheels only with mount bolts up around the lip of the wheel (disc brake version).
heres a nice example of the same bike:
heres a nice example of the same bike:
I'll go out and check the rear wheel.The front is a 5 inch,the rear is the same design,but I didn't actually check the size.They actually look to be in real nice condition,The aluminum is dirty,but not white from corrosion.Are those wheels something special?It looks as if it did have a jackshaft on it,there are two weld beads about 2 inches long on the frame rails from the engine plate back.There is another one in the rear center of the engine plate,that would have supported the center of a mounting plate.I may have the fenders for it too.My friend the scrapper that brought me the bike said he also picked up a box of metal there too,and he found a couple of little fenders in it.
Both wheels are 5 inch.Tires are 3.50/4.10 X 5.The two halves of the wheels are held together with three allen head screws.The family that owned the bike had bunches of minis in the early 70's,and the boys were all tinkerers so who knows what part wound up on what bike over the years.I guess I'd better scope out what Go-Power wheels are.
I've been thinking about it,not sure what I want to do.I've had a lot of people contacting me with legit and honest offers since I posted trying to find out what it is.I've had a LOT more telling me the wheels are of no more value than any other kinds of wheels.$25.seems to be the value to them.Probably somebody is going to contact me with an offer for the whole thing that I can't refuse.Once I take the wheels off it then becomes another piece of iron that gets stashed in the GOOD iron pile.If it stays a roller it will stay in a shed as a future project that will never get done.I no longer ebay,when they started forcing sellers to take some form of electronic payment I quit selling there.I don't use paypal,credit cards,none of that.I sell a few Model A parts and take postal money orders only if not paid in person.