Tom Thumb Mini Bike

THOUGH It will never challenge its big-
ger, more powerful commercially pro-

duced cousins, this shop-built micromini-bike
will get you where you want to go for pea-
nuts. Putting along—powered by its 3/4-hp
powerplant—the rig hits a racy 11 mph when
flat out—more than enough to get you out on
that backwoods jaunt or—with modification
for street use—to class, football practice or
part-time job with time to spare.
I used a 3/4-hp Olson and Rice engine (now
manufactured as O&R) mounted on an 1/8-in.
sheet of aluminum. The aluminum sheet in
turn is attached to the frame with four 4-1/4"
. U-bolts. (The bolts permit quick adjust-
ment of the chain tension.) Depending upon
the rider's bulk, the little bike may or may
not take a steep hill. On occasion I've had to
dismount and tote her up a hill under my
arm.
The beauty of the bike is the practicality
of its size. It gives me comfortable, efficient
commutation to and from school, and there's
no parking problem. I simply chain it to a
parking meter or telephone pole. TO ILLUSTRATE SMALL SIZE, bike-builder Schatz-
To make it, you'll need at least 12 to 15 ft. lein is shown parking his mini-bike in school locker
of 5/8-in. thinwall tubing- for the framed
Build the frame in two sections and, for
strength, join them with 5/8-in. steel pins
inserted in the tubing at the joints. Where
the pins cannot be used, wrap steel bands
around the frame and braze for added
strength.
The brackets which support the rear
wheel are bent into a U-shape, slipped into
the frame and brazed. The handlebars are
two pieces of the thinwall tubing joined
in the middle with two pieces of metal 1/8
x 1-1/2" x 5". spaced 3-1/4". apart. The latter
are drilled out at center to receive the 5/8
x 4-1/2", bolt which serves as the turning
spindle. To receive the front axle, the ends
of the forks are flattened and drilled. To BIKE IS EASILY HEFTED into Volkswagen trunk for
complete the front fork, bend the upper hauling to Sunday meet of local mini-bike enthusiasts
portions to form the handlebars. For leg
clearance, bend forks slightly forward.
I used a Fairbanks-Morse centrifugal
clutch with an inside diameter of 1/2".
Thus, I had to use a 5/8". adapter to in-
stall the clutch on the engine.
The drive is provided by a No. 35 link
chain. The engine sprocket has 11 teeth
geared to the large sprocket on the 36-
tooth jackshaft. Turning on the other end
of the jackshaft is a 10-tooth sprocket
geared to the 60-tooth sprocket on the
rear wheel. This setup makes up a 20-to-l
gear ratio.
The baby-carriage-size wheels are four-
inchers fitted with pneumatic tires and 1/2"
bearings. Mount the gas tank on the
frame stiffener—the piece of 1/2". flat-
iron across the frame just behind the seat
Use two 3-1/2". stainless steel hose clamps
to hold it secure. The seat on the bike
shown was bought ready-made and fas-
tened to the frame with four screws
turned up through the metal bike-frame
into its wooden base. The throttle control TURNING SPINDLE is a 5/8 x 4'/2-in. machine bolt
through frame, on which two-piece handlebars turn
(and the cable) were fabricated from
SPROCKETS ARE SET up to provido 20 to 1 gear ratio. FITTINGS THAT HOLD REAR AXLE are bent into U-
All parts for the bike shown were purchased locally shape, then brazed onto frame for added strength
FRAME DETAILS
MICRO MINI-BIKE
a bicycle hand-brake control
With the bike fully assem-
bled, use a file and emery
cloth to smooth all brazed parts
before painting. The bike
shown was primed and finished
with spray lacquer.
Happily, there is no hunting
for materials. All parts for my
bike were purchased locally
from a lawnmower and mini-
bike shop.
Keep in mind that this ve-
hicle is designed basically for
backyard (on your property)
fun. It has no brakes, lights or
horn. Should you want to build
a version for on-the-street use,
you are well-advised to take
the construction drawings to
your local Motor Vehicle Bu-
reau to check out state re-
quirements for licensing. Li-
cense plates and insurance
both are necessary if you
would like to use this
bike in traffic. V.F.P.
.Spacer To Fit
FRONT FORK DETAILS

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THOUGH It will never challenge its big-

ger, more powerful commercially pro-

FRONT FORK DETAILS

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