Bought a frame with wheels/tires for $10, then built the rest last week for a X-Mas gift for my son. (He picked out the colors) Found the engine in my dads shed, and made the fenders out of an old spare tire cover.
Dude, you scored big time - that's about a '69 Frijole....the holy grail of minibikedom. Be careful not to damage it. They weren't the strongest bikes ever built, but very desirable. I have these 2 - the red one is a 1965 model built between '65 and '68, the purple one is the '69 and later model like yours:
You may want to look around at these places for more pics and info: http://tacominibikes2.ecommerce-checkout.com/ http://www.steenstacominibikes.com/Index_Home.html
Cool- thanks. They had a garage sale and had a few gokarts & minibikes hiding in the back. I picked this thing up on a Saturday, and went back out on Sunday to pick up one of the go-karts, but the place was deserted. Sucks because he had a kart that looked like a mini jeep that he said his dad bought back in the early fifties. Looked like a King Midget, but smaller. Still trying to find him.
Makes me wonder what other rare bikes he may have had. Those Frijoles are the envy of anyone into Tacos.
Ok, I posted on this thread before about my little bro being "Dumb and Dumber" on his Rupp for Halloween. Here's a pic (hopefully) remember he's 6'8"!
Here is my '69 Taco 100 that is scheduled for a frame off restoration this year: ...and a couple of shots of my '64 Skat Kitty:
my dad and bro are fixing up a mini bike he got the frame for $30 engine $30 wheels fork handlebars ? he also recently got a simplex servi cycle frame at a swap meet for $100 (frame only). he gave me a 58 cushman eagle frame and im gonna start to work on it building it cheap gonna put a 5, 6.5, or even 8 hp engine, know where to get front fork and handlebar off of a 46-50 cushman, gas tank from harley sportster, wheels/tires from honda 70
heres a pic. of my little petro still in search of chain gaurd to finish the small bike off ,the bike has a 1 hp o&r engine on it and was only given away on the howdy doody show in 1960 these bike are very hard to find ,I only know of 6 around
I found a 70's ct70 at the dump one day someone had dropped off for trash, really needs a engine, and some other stuff but it was pretty complete and free.
I still want one for my son. He got this cart from Santa. Not as cool as a mini bike but he loves it.
Mini-Bike Drag races coming up in August at the Symco Shakedown. 150' clay track. $10,000,000 to win (if we get 50,000 entries). More info coming soon...
This is just like the one I had when I was a kid only mine was dark green with a black seat with white piping. I'd LOVE to find another one just like it if anyone knows of one.
I just came across this little guy on New Year's Day...not that I was looking for one but I just had to have it. It came from the grandson of the original owner and runs like a raped ape (or monkey in this case). Now I have to figure out what I want to do with it.
Here's a ton of mini bikes pics from last years races: http://flickr.com/photos/17534977@N00/sets/72157603752325643/
You can buy a brand new china made copy that is 110cc with a clutch. Bolts right in, looks the same, and I've heard they scream. A little pricey, but since the bike was free you really wouldn'nt have nearly what it's worth into once done.
Hurry up man! The kid ain't getting any younger. Listen to all us guys talking about the minibike leading to cars. These are actauuly something they can get their hands into. First they got to learn to put the chain back on, then the gotta learn to take the side cover off to fix the pullstart, etc. Just be careful - they multiply.
Sure it was exactly this bike? Some Rupps and others look real close. Wheels help give it away. The one you posted is a Lil Indian. (Not Indian dirtbike)
You could either putt around on it occasionally, or you can just display it. It's a very nice survivor.
Early 70's Keystone Father and son project.Started with a five dollar frame and rear wheel. We even covered the seat ourselves. What a gas start to finish!!
Here's my latest minibike project, like I don't have enough project's already, anyway it's a mini taco 22 reproduction frame with a west bend 580 series engine. The engine is vintage NOS, making engine mounts & figuring out the jack shaft. Should be able to tear a couple knee cap's off with this one. Here's a few pics: Later, Billy
Cool. I have a project one. It's a 7000 series with front and rear discs originally. All those parts are long gone though.
been avoiding this thread....had a home built belt drive, my mom bought me for $10 from the neighbor...it couldn't make it across the front horse pasture without burning the belt off ....started a garden the next spring, 3 tomatoes for a quarter.,,mom said if i earned some money towards one i could buy it...( my step dad was vp of frischs resturants, had to earn everything, unlike my lil brothers and sister)..they had 3 at the old checkers or maybe K mart...1 had a rigid frame but no fenders, one with rear springs and fenders...then there was the DELUXE!!!!!.....i had to have IT...purple with white seat, chrome front and rear fenders and rear shocks..it had a tube type front forks that lower went into the upper and had 2 big springs inside between them...the farm i grow up on had a straight up driveway 840' of hill...at the top that year we hadn't poured the crete yet, so was a good place to pop a wheelie and ride it on the sloope till hill got really steep...showing off, i musta done 30+ wheelies for some of the out of town family friends....till the front tire and forks dropped out of the thing.....there i go, head over ass holding on to the mini bike like it was a saving life ring,,,when all it was doing was making me flip further and further down the hill...i had road rash for 3 months to finish off my summer,,,no more back yard pool, mini biking ect...next summer all of my 3 buddies, ( was in country, remember??) had their dads buy them mini's...we road them on the road so far and wide open on the street that we was putting new rods in the teuchusme engines several times a week..they was like $6 for the rods and gaskets at the local lawmower shop.i do remember it being a Manco, and that none of my buddies dads bought the hi end bikes like mine...they said if i could sell 3 tomatoes for a quarter to earn ALL of the $169 for mine, they had to settle for the cheaper rides for being so damn lazy.... so i'ld be up for another MANCO DELUXE........but no wheelies!!!!!!!!
Originally that's where it came from, I got it & the engine in trade for some machine work, haden't seen Joe's version with the westbend, very nice. Later, Billy
anybody who is into this thread know anything about the aurathetic electric ones? were made in 72 and 73 i think. made in Cali. they were actually street legal, i have a 72 but searching some missing parts to restore it.
The Jalopy Journal
