Random ATVs

Trailer was sold out from under me. When I offered $300, over the phone, he said "sure, I just got to get rid of it". 4 days later cash in hand, someone gave him full price, before I could get there.

So with $300 burning a hole in my pocket, I drove half way to McMurry to Wandering River, where ATVs are a requirement for a 14 year old boy.  This boy had nothing that worked, saving for a new quad, he was selling his Honda 250cc project quad, $300. Lifan 125cc dirtbike, $100. Geo 110cc quad $50. And 2 pocket bikes for $30. Nothing worked. I was thinking the suspension off the 250 would be nice on our 110 buggy, the rest of the toys seemed like easy fixes.  I did end up giving him $250 for everything, 2 quads n 3 bikes.   Seemed like a fair price for the eavenings entertainment.

Sunday we got into things.  the gas pocket bike was easy. I welded a foot peg on, a little bead butter on the rim to make the tire seat and seal, and it ran.  We had some fun driving that around the yard, cause its so difficult to drive.  It is like driving your weed wacker literally.

Then the 125 dirt bike.  I woke up having dreamed how to fix that.  The cast aluminum erection that holds the magneto pick up was broken off.  Being unweldable, I thought I would drill through it all and screw it in.  When I looked at it there isn't enough aluminum anywhere to drill.  I ended up crazy gluing it, then glue gunning the crap out of the pick up coil, so there really isn't anywhere it can go now.  The engine may get hot enough to terminate my efforts, but then we just replace the hot melt glue w epoxy.  That was the big problem, but then after a rip on it, it had no brakes (brake pads will fix that), handle bars are bent, muffler fell off, engine casting is slightly broken at the exhaust header, fuel tank leaked, forks were misaligned, and the back tire is worn down to the threads.  Funny how I didn't see all that, focusing on the difficult problem.  I beleived the boy, "weld that pick up back on and the bike'll rip."

Then the other pocket bike is a neeto 18v electric.  We tried charging it w a laptop charger, no go, so its the reg or the battery.  I was kinda stressing thinking I might just run it on 24v and potentially wreck something, cause you know I'm not buying an 18v battery for it.  Then it hit me, rite now at my desk typing this, and plugging my 18v drill battery in, duh.  That little bike will run on drill batteries, I have 7 charged 18v drill batteries in my van at all times.

And the 110 quad I got all the tires back on the rims, w bead butter, and they at least held air today.  It has some gas tank, and starter battery issues still, for another day.

The 250 quad, I don't even want to talk about.  I can't believe the stuff people put value on sometimes.  I might acctually go and pay money for a starter motor for it from Honda tomorrow.  If its more than $100 I will have to take the engine appart to see that it isn't seized first.  Thats why the kid took the starter out, and lost it, the bike wouldn't turn over, said it was the starter for sure.