Mini Bike Camping

robert

Expedition Leader
With all due respects, Coleman mini-bikes are utter utter crap. And as others have pointed out, they're not even street legal, which is required even in a lot of off-road places.

I don't know how else to put it- If you can't afford better motorcycles, then you simply can't afford motorcycles. I don't know how to put it in context- the pair of tires that I go through in one track day alone, have a manufacturer's list price higher than what you paid for each of those motorcycles. Given how little you paid for those motorcycles, I would be concerned about what your safety gear looks like- my helmet alone, cost more than both of those motorcycles put together. It would be tough to buy decent bicycles for what you paid for those motorcycles.

PLEASE take one GIANT step back, before approaching motorcycles again. There are so many WONDERFUL motorcycles out there. Even something as crude and impotent as the TW200 would be a MASSIVE improvement over where you are now.


Congratulations, you've completely missed the point of the thread with your braggadocios reply. (y)
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
Congratulations, you've completely missed the point of the thread with your braggadocios reply. (y)

But......we should all remember we could get a very bad scrapped knee or strained back when we fall off or have to carry the entire bike and gear over an obstacle......lol
 

givemethewillys

Jonathan Chouinard
Congratulations, you've completely missed the point of the thread with your braggadocios reply. (y)
While MTVR may have gone a bit overboard on his cost analysis (there are definitely bikes out there for every budget), I think he had a good point regarding the suitability of the coleman mini bike vs. something street legal. The Coleman is a toy, if you know that going in, you'll be ok.
 

IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
Hi guys, this might be of some interest....

One of my little side projects has been a SSR140TR (big wheel) moto build.
Its a bring-with-us moto, that will store inside the crossbody box on our truck camper setup.

140cc, 4-speed, real suspension, real brakes, and weighs in right at 150lbs

I'm making it street legal, added a real Mikuni carb, aluminum swing arm, extended the seat for running 2-up, added a rear rack, quick release bars for hauling it, etc
Still a bit to do, finish the seat, bit of wiring, and sort out buddy pegs.

I fabbed some simple clamp on aluminum peg extenders today to test a theory (shown in the photos), I think they have potential.

Should be a fun, light, capable little exploration or sip into town when camped bike once done ?


49766129376_12ba81673e_b.jpg


49765553468_9d83a81b7d_b.jpg


49765551533_5479d576ce_b.jpg
 

GHI

Adventurer
Hi guys, this might be of some interest....

One of my little side projects has been a SSR140TR (big wheel) moto build.
Its a bring-with-us moto, that will store inside the crossbody box on our truck camper setup.

140cc, 4-speed, real suspension, real brakes, and weighs in right at 150lbs

I'm making it street legal, added a real Mikuni carb, aluminum swing arm, extended the seat for running 2-up, added a rear rack, quick release bars for hauling it, etc
Still a bit to do, finish the seat, bit of wiring, and sort out buddy pegs.

I fabbed some simple clamp on aluminum peg extenders today to test a theory (shown in the photos), I think they have potential.

Should be a fun, light, capable little exploration or sip into town when camped bike once done ?


49766129376_12ba81673e_b.jpg


49765553468_9d83a81b7d_b.jpg


49765551533_5479d576ce_b.jpg
That is coming along nicely. I prefer the original center stand you had though. It had much more panache.
 

IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
You mean the baltic birch stand I built using scraps that FAR exceed the cost of a proper aluminum stand?
Yes, better than the ice chest.....

:ROFLMAO:
 

dwh

Tail-End Charlie
The Coleman is a toy, if you know that going in, you'll be ok.

All mini bikes are toys. It's kind of the whole point of a mini bike.

When I was a kid, I had a Honda 50 frame with a Honda 90 engine in it, built by the local Hells Angels.

Safe? Not at all. Street legal? Get real...it's a toy. But it would climb a tree.

My only problem was getting those big hairy pirates to stop taking turns zooming up and down the street on it so I could use it.
 

MTVR

Well-known member
When I was a kid, I had a Honda 50 frame with a Honda 90 engine in it, built by the local Hells Angels.

My only problem was getting those big hairy pirates to stop taking turns zooming up and down the street on it so I could use it.

 

rnArmy

Adventurer
I bought my little Mini Baja minibike after my first tour to Iraq - 2005. It is pretty much the same thing as the Coleman minibikes mentioned previously. I replaced the centrifugal clutch with a torque converter set-up (an early version of the CVT transmissions currently popular in cars). It is one of the best modifications you can make to these little minibikes. It'll do a little over 40mph now - way too fast but oh so fun. Since the engine powers a headlight, I wired a little red running light on the back fender to act like a tail light.

It still puts a big grin on my face when I'm out buzzing around in it. And I'm 59 yrs old, 6'1" and 215 lbs.

Minibike.2.jpg
 

dwh

Tail-End Charlie

Funny. But those guys are way too clean to be working on their own bikes.

There's a much better, and far more realistic, scene in some other movie. Don't remember right offhand which movie...might have been The Born Losers. Two outlaws actually kissing - tongue and all. Right up your...alley.
 

MTVR

Well-known member
Funny. But those guys are way too clean to be working on their own bikes.

There's a much better, and far more realistic, scene in some other movie. Don't remember right offhand which movie...might have been The Born Losers. Two outlaws actually kissing - tongue and all. Right up your...alley.

No thanks- I'm not into Harleys...
 

rnArmy

Adventurer
This is the main place I get parts for for my mini baja minibike. I guess I've had it now for about 15 years. I did the torque conversion fairly soon after getting it. I think the only things I've replace are the tires, and the carb (sat too long not being run and ruined it).


I put a different air cleaner on it, and swapped out the decorative metal gas tank for one that allows you to use for storage.

I just noticed in these pictures the little minibike in the background I bought for my daughter when she was younger. We'd go out riding together; it was fun.
Minibike gas tank.3.jpg

Minibike gas tank.2.jpg
 

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