We found a vintage Thunderbird minibike and are using it as a base for a café racer-style minibike build. We love the slant-engine style of the frame and think this thing is going to look awesome and retain a lot of the vintage flair. In this video we are really bringing it all together with custom paint and a fully built engine! Thanks to Gopowersports for all the parts we used on this build, links are in the description below!
Thank y’all for watching and be sure to stay tuned for the next step of the build!
METALFABCREATIONS
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/metalfabcreations/?hl=en
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/metalfabcreations/
Pull Start Cage - https://www.metalfabcreations.com/product-page/pull-start-mount-cages
MUSIC
Music - Background and Montage Music Is From Endemic Sounds
https://www.epidemicsound.com/
Intro - Jimmi by Andrew Applepie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1zHz8pYfyQ&ab_channel=AndrewApplepie
MERCH
MERCHANDISE CUSTOM DESIGNED BY YOURS TRULY
https://teespring.com/stores/build-break-repeat
TOOLS
RogueFab Tubing Notcher
https://www.roguefab.com/product/versanotcher-universal-tubing-notcher/
Pro-tools Tubing Bender
https://pro-tools.com/collections/tube-and-pipe-benders
Optrel Crystal 2.0 Welding Mask
https://usa.optrel.com/en/eye_protection_helmets/products/show/crystal20/
Optrel Grinding Mask
https://usa.optrel.com/en/products/augenschutz/helme-zum-schleifen-schneiden/products/show/clearmaxx/
—————PARTS—————
Tillotson 212
https://www.gopowersports.com/212cc-tillotson-hemi-engine/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Grips
https://www.gopowersports.com/biltwell-torker-chocolate-grips/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Brake cable and lever
https://www.gopowersports.com/mega-mini-bike-brake-kit/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Twist grip (40 inch 90degree cable)
https://www.gopowersports.com/throttle-twist-grip-7-8/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Sprocket (50 tooth)
https://www.gopowersports.com/4-hole-mini-bike-sprocket/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Exhaust kit
https://www.gopowersports.com/header-pipe-build-your-own/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
RLV muffler
https://www.gopowersports.com/rlv-4100-1-exhaust-silencer-muffler-with-hd-ss-clamp/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
CAM (CM Grind)
https://www.gopowersports.com/265-camshaft-cm-grind-212cc-non-hemi-predator/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Billet Rod
https://www.gopowersports.com/billet-connecting-rod-tillitson-212/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Aluminum Flywheel
https://www.gopowersports.com/clone-pvl-flywheel/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Mikuni Carb
https://www.gopowersports.com/22mm-genuine-vm22-133-mikuni-carburetor/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Clutch
https://www.gopowersports.com/10t-3-4-bore-centrifugal-clutch-41-420/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Brake Band (don't forget pin)
https://www.gopowersports.com/4-manco-brake-band-with-clip/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Pull Start Cage
https://www.metalfabcreations.com/product-page/pull-start-mount-cages
Gas Tank
https://amzn.to/2A2lIiB
Café Racer Seat
https://amzn.to/2Xvyazh
Handle bar riser
https://amzn.to/2CqF1Dl
Thank y’all for watching and be sure to stay tuned for the next step of the build!
METALFABCREATIONS
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/metalfabcreations/?hl=en
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/metalfabcreations/
Pull Start Cage - https://www.metalfabcreations.com/product-page/pull-start-mount-cages
MUSIC
Music - Background and Montage Music Is From Endemic Sounds
https://www.epidemicsound.com/
Intro - Jimmi by Andrew Applepie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1zHz8pYfyQ&ab_channel=AndrewApplepie
MERCH
MERCHANDISE CUSTOM DESIGNED BY YOURS TRULY
https://teespring.com/stores/build-break-repeat
TOOLS
RogueFab Tubing Notcher
https://www.roguefab.com/product/versanotcher-universal-tubing-notcher/
Pro-tools Tubing Bender
https://pro-tools.com/collections/tube-and-pipe-benders
Optrel Crystal 2.0 Welding Mask
https://usa.optrel.com/en/eye_protection_helmets/products/show/crystal20/
Optrel Grinding Mask
https://usa.optrel.com/en/products/augenschutz/helme-zum-schleifen-schneiden/products/show/clearmaxx/
—————PARTS—————
Tillotson 212
https://www.gopowersports.com/212cc-tillotson-hemi-engine/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Grips
https://www.gopowersports.com/biltwell-torker-chocolate-grips/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Brake cable and lever
https://www.gopowersports.com/mega-mini-bike-brake-kit/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Twist grip (40 inch 90degree cable)
https://www.gopowersports.com/throttle-twist-grip-7-8/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Sprocket (50 tooth)
https://www.gopowersports.com/4-hole-mini-bike-sprocket/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Exhaust kit
https://www.gopowersports.com/header-pipe-build-your-own/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
RLV muffler
https://www.gopowersports.com/rlv-4100-1-exhaust-silencer-muffler-with-hd-ss-clamp/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
CAM (CM Grind)
https://www.gopowersports.com/265-camshaft-cm-grind-212cc-non-hemi-predator/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Billet Rod
https://www.gopowersports.com/billet-connecting-rod-tillitson-212/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Aluminum Flywheel
https://www.gopowersports.com/clone-pvl-flywheel/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Mikuni Carb
https://www.gopowersports.com/22mm-genuine-vm22-133-mikuni-carburetor/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Clutch
https://www.gopowersports.com/10t-3-4-bore-centrifugal-clutch-41-420/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Brake Band (don't forget pin)
https://www.gopowersports.com/4-manco-brake-band-with-clip/?utm_source=YOUTUBE&utm_campaign=Build_Break_Repeat&utm_medium=Video
Pull Start Cage
https://www.metalfabcreations.com/product-page/pull-start-mount-cages
Gas Tank
https://amzn.to/2A2lIiB
Café Racer Seat
https://amzn.to/2Xvyazh
Handle bar riser
https://amzn.to/2CqF1Dl
Sup everybody welcome to bill breaker Pete in the last video. We turn this minibike from a bone stock, thunderbird bike to what you see right now in this video. What we're gon na do is this engine needs to get built and this bike needs to get painted. So, let's just get started so for the tank.
It's gon na be that green color that we picked out and we're doing just a simple, scuff and paint on most of this stuff, and especially on this, because this powder coats really bad. It's just chipping off. So we're gon na sand down all those chips and get a nice surface to paint you the side panels will just be black again. It is the color for our fenders and tank.
It's called Matt pale sage between two, the undersides first, when we flip them over the nice tops. I didn't stick to anything, but I really love just going yeah it's a nice day, so we got this all sanded down low into 220. I think it turned out pretty smooth. I think it's going to look super nice.
So now, let's get this thing inside a house and get us, hang it all gray. Oh here's all the panels done up in green and what we need to do now is this. Is a matte hail sage color, and we want it to be pretty glossy to really go over. It was a clear coat and hopefully that'll make this thing shine up really nice.
Everything down here is a couple coats of paint on it and they said a few days to dry, so it's nice and sturdy, and it's time to get all this stuff back on this friend she's coming together in order to clean up the build. We got this headlight this from a 1976 to 79 CG 70 and it's pretty much the perfect size for these. So we'll do some side mounts for this and we'll get it bolted on, and it should really tie the look together so for our power plant. We got this Tillotson from go power sports and, if you remember, on the turbo cart, we've painted it black with engine enamel and then sanded down the fins to give it that shape in kind of hardly look so we're gon na.
Do the same thing on this. To give it a few days to cure before we start building the internals on this thing, so we're just going to start by stripping it down and just painting the block black. We have made quick work of carrying down this engine, and now we have to clean it up and then mask all the bolts and other things off all the little holes and then get to painting so we're using this engine enamel that we got just rust-oleum brand And engines all stripped down, so we can start laying some coats on all right, so that'll do it for paint we'll see you all in a couple days when the paint is all cured and we start sanding in the fins on this thing, we've got our engine Sit and dry for a couple days so that does not sticky to touch anymore and now we're gon na go and sand these fins to give it that shape in effect, which is not too hard. This is very time-consuming, so I'll see you in about 13 hours.
Okay, there's pretty much done sanded on the fins on the engine and just looking really killer all right now, it's time for our billet raw kind of start on the engine go to anyways for John, a RC billet rod here from go power sports. So now we got a fuse undo, these wrist pin clips, and then we can slide off time for the kaminer. So we got here is a CM grind cam from go power sports this thing goes into. Tillotson should make a run real nice I'll get a little B role of the cam specs, if you guys are really into that. But we don't really know too much about this stuff. We just kind of play around with them and see which ones we like and see which sounds. We like, I really like a mod to camp. Well, let's see how the CM does I'm not.
I never ran one before, but it should be pretty sweet. It's pretty tricked this is an authentic mikuni from go power sports a 22 mill, I believe so now, let's get her bolted up. This is very cool, see we've got our flywheel on or go Powersports aluminum top plate, which goes nice with our fins. We have our mikuni carburetor and now it's kind of the time of the build where we usually just kind of throw on a regular cover and cover up our nice pretty flywheel, but the good news is metal.
Fab creations came up with an awesome solution for that. This is basically a caged pull start cover that when you put it on, you can perfectly see all your awesome parts. So if you got money in your engine and you want to show it off, then go and even if you just like how this looks and you have a stock flywheel, it's no biggie anyways. So, thank you, metal, fab creations, be sure to check him out on Instagram and YouTube.
We're going to add some links right up in here, and there also be links in the description. We're gon na be doing something a little bit unique here, but we got our girl power sports clutch as well as this brake band, and the idea is we're. Gon na make a little thing that bolts off the side of the motor and you'll be able to put your brake band around the outside of your clutch. That way, your clutch would be spinning, and then you can pull it tight and stop the wheels so she'll be pretty cool.
I guess something to be weary of is if you're gon na run a setup like this. You should really try to make sure that your chain is um. You know it doesn't fall off a lot because it'd be a huge bummer if you're going super fast and brake, but your chain disconnects so then your your brake doesn't exist. See we got our little bolt right here and then our cable is gon na go through like this and kind of just clamp up.
So what we'll do is we'll pull this off, get it painted up, and then we can see how this motor looks on the bike. Alright, so this engine is in our kind of flat frame and dang. It looks super good yeah. So, while Dan's been building this engine, I've been working on our exhaust, so our plan is to do something: we've never done before we're gon na do kind of a dual dual exhaust setup.
So we got to build your own exhaust kits from go power sports. So we're just trying to make all the curves fit and make it off in the frame yeah check it out. So the plan is we're gon na go around the back here and it's going to have basically like a true dual exhaust. It's gon na be a super trick, but I'd be a little bit of a wide pipe, we're still kind of hanging stuff and just trying to figure out how it's all gon na fit, but we're excited for this first blood. Alright. So we got this thing all tacked up. The only thing left to do is just add the straight bar going back for a white pipe yeah, but let's weld all this up. Hopefully I can do a pretty good job, so this is kind of one of those perfect jobs for our rope had tubing, not sure we have it all set up, simply just putting your drill on it goes in any vice.
So if you got a vise, you cannot any tubing, you need so now. Let's just let the tool do the work. We try something different with this built. We like how the exhaust looks when it starts blowing after it gets really hot, but a lot of times it will rust later.
So we got is some high temp engine enamel, that's clear, so hopefully we'll get the nice bluing and we won't get any rust and then, for this part, we're just gon na paint it black and with this exhaust wrap it looks almost even better and this kind Of matches the cafe racer feel yeah we're gon na get this thing assembled whoa, looking good. That was amazing, so saw these grips. We've never used them before they're from go power sports, but it's pretty awesome. They were kind of like quilted, just like our seat and they match the color really nice heck yeah, so we're gon na end up using these on our foot pegs and on our handlebars yeah, filling her up and won't be able to hear these babies on.
So the z50 tank is pretty tall and the handlebars we have are pretty short, so some of y'all suggested getting some handlebar risers. So we ordered some chrome ones and all we have to do is drill two holes, and this will bolt right on the front. Forks and this will give it a lot of lift and kind of even it out. This thing has been quite the transformation.
It looks amazing, so we're pretty much done with it, but we still have a little bit more to do like the throttle break things like that, so stay tuned for next video. When we finish this thing up and ride it, we want to say a big thank you to metal fab creations to this whole stark agency right here, big thanks to go power, sport for all the parts of using this thing. All the links will be in the description make sure if you're not already to follow us on Instagram, so you can keep up with our future builds and our current builds thank you for watching make sure to subscribe catch you next time.
Am I the only one wondering if the slanted motor will make things wonky? Is the carb level? How about the oiling? The slant does look sweet, but not 100% sure about that other stuff.
Anyone know the exact brand of the paint? That colour combo is mint! Literally!
The wag be spray paints made me sick to my stomach try to add a little technique
I got a joe Biden add on this video and he he was talking all slow and keeps pausing. Not to mention the fact that six different clips to make it work. Kek
Great video as always looking forward to the rotary bike getting chrome.
hi you need to put that cooling couling on the motor wont cool properley use a better brake system i found that way the band around the clutch it got to hot
I watched the final vid in this series first and couldn't identify the brakes. So I had to watch the build to see how the brakes worked. Ive never seen brakes like that before. Is that a common setup on minibikes? Great job on the build btw. Looks pretty sweet.
I hate to tell you but you cannot have a true dual exhaust on a single cylinder engine LOL 😆😅😂🤣
Great job guys ! Just came across your channel and wanted to say its always awesome to see young dudes gettin down and building rides ! Beyond that its even cooler to see ya'll customizing them ! Ive been in the build/custom game for decades and have never looked back or gotten tired of creating. Im 47 now and have built everything from high end rc projects to a full size monster truck and everything in between . You guys are the future and from what Ive seen your on point ! TJ ~TMF~
please do not grind like that. waiting for accidents to happen like that. (the way you hold it, and the cable there)
I love that cafe racer look, Ducati scrambler & Triumph Thruxton are some of my faves. 😁
You know you'll lose your brakes if the chain slips off, right? Not trying to be a naysayer, but that's a serious safety concern.
That band on your clutch will eat ur clutch away I'd find something better
the pull start shroud acts as a guide to direct air over the cylinder and head for cooling. Without it you fun the change of overheating.
The problem with the cool starter standoff is that you just eliminated you're cooking air flow over the cylender and head not too bright dummy
nooooooo. the brake on the clutch drum does not work. it is a terrible idea. heat kills clutches and it will only stop your bowl not your wheels.
flip the front fender too? would look better shorter above the wheel. great build guys.
Way to string out the videos. Come on throttle and cable install?
Those Wheels tho look crazy. Like you got them off of a Amish wagon
that brake is a very bad idea. centrifugal clutches get hot! hot breaks equal no brakes. trying to stop that thing once the clutch drum heats up will be nearly impossible.
So about the flywheel cover. How will that effect the fan cooling down the head? It seams it wont have the proper air circulation?
I explained to my son that a true dual exhaust must have a 2 cylinder engine , one exhaust pipe for each of the two cylinders ……………
The old pull cover was there to direct air from the flywheel over the cooling fins on the engine,by getting rid of the original cover you are getting rid of the engines ability to cool itself.