Help identify this bike? Also a few questions.

[junker]

This bike was given to me by a teenager who likes to kill machines. It was tossed in the woods behind his garage. He damaged it by ramping it off a huge pile of gravel. If someone could identify it that would be great. I have disassembled the front forks and am going to straighten them on a press. Also, I have a few questions.

1. ENGINE: This has a tecumseh H50 engine. I have a coleman generator in my bone yard with an H50 that is in good running condition. Any reason I couldn't swap the motors, prob keep the bikes carb though? The kid said this one is about shot. I toyed with it anyways, couldn't get spark, cleaned/spaced the points, etc. Maybe the coil. He said it was smoking really bad the last time it ran. He also ran it without a muffler, that's why I'm thinking of swapping the motors. Although, if I recall the H50 from the generator has the coil on the outside/above of the flywheel(i think), the one on the bike is inside the flywheel.

2. Is this supposed to have multiple clutches? It only has the one on the engine shaft, then the one on the rear shaft is bolted solid.

3. How do you clean a rusty gas tank?

[theruppman]

What you have is a 1969 Rupp Goat. They were equipped with the Tecumseh H50 engine, a 2-speed clutch(2 chains from engine clutch to the jackshaft), no lights, and only a rear brake. It's a shame that the forks and handlebars were bent by your neighbor(Evel Kneivel), but you can occasionally find a used set of forks and/or handlebars on eBay or you can contact ruppparts.com or blackwidowmotorsports.com which are advertised on the home page of this site. As for the engine, the '69 Rupps had a point ignition and the engine that you have on your generator sounds like an electronic ignition motor(newer style). As long as the crankshaft on the replacement engine is 3/4" diameter and has a keyway, you should be able to swap the engines and use the original flywheel shroud/pullstarter as it has the throttle control mechanism needed to operate properly. I would suggest a rebuild on the original engine instead, as it is a rare beast and is best kept original. Good luck on your project!

[junker]

Thanks for that info. Is it really worth anything? I was going to do some non restorative repairs to make it functional for me & my kids to play with. I already pulled the forks apart so I can straighten the rods, haven't decided against heating them with the torches and bending them or doing it cold in the hydraulic press. I was thinking heating them might weaken them.

Aside from motor related needs it doesn't actually seem too bad. The rear wheel has a large 3" chip in the edge of the rim which I have devised a way I think I can repair it (not pretty, but should be functional)

So, if I were to retain the original motor are there rebuild kits for these? With the coil or whatever it preventing me from getting spark?

Thanks again!

[theruppman]

I wouldn't advise heating the fork struts to straighten them. Chrome-Moly has a tendency to weaken and/or become brittle with the amount of heat that you would need to bend them back. You'll still want to be very careful even if using a press. The engine parts are still readily available from a Tecumseh dealer and you can usually buy all the necessary parts to rebuild for under $200.00. If it was smoking last time it ran and no spark now, it will need at least rings, a valve job, points, condenser, and probably a coil. Again, all are readily available. Good luck with the project, but if you decide that it's more than you wanted to get into, let me know. I'm always looking for project bikes and/or engines. Email me at [e-mail]