1970 Fox Minibike Part 10- It’s Alive!

As the tires on the pit bike were worn out, a choice had to be made as to what would replace them.  The little 2.50x 10 size is available in many styles and brands.

I ordered a pair of Michelin Starcross tires as they had an aggressive knobby pattern.  It was also a chance to remove the wheel bearings from the hubs and put new ones in.  One of them was a bit loose in the bore, so a prick punch was gently hit in several places to raise the surface the bearing sat in.  

I couldn’t find new wheels at reasonable prices, so a good rubbing with Autosol made them shine as much as possible.  The new small tires were tough to install, as the bead is stiff.  Dish soap and patience prevailed!

Well, after three months of working on the bike project, the day came to fire it up and take it for a spin.  I changed the oil and put a new drain plug gasket on, not knowing when or if ever the oil had been changed.  I used the Honda 10-40 Motorcycle oil they recommend for the new 50-110cc bikes.  After several kicks, it didn’t want to fire.  I pulled the spark plug and checked for spark; barely visible.  I rechecked all connections and they seemed fine.  I then removed the flywheel cover and saw the ignition pickup was quite dirty.  I had the cover off while working on the bike, so it’s possible that could have caused the no start.  

Also, the little bump on the flywheel that signals the pickup was rusty.  I cleaned it too and replaced the cover.  I let it down off the lift and it started first kick.  I rolled it outside to warm up and set the idle.  

Here are a couple video clips of Pete, Mike and John test riding it.

It sounds great, runs well and overall I’m happy with how it turned out.  The suspension is a little soft, so at least with the new rear spring/shock setup, I can adjust the preload.  The other thing is the brakes are terrible!  I’ll have to look into getting new shoes for it.  Now it all comes apart for paint, seat and adjustments.