That chunk you speak off was never there.. All the heads are Iike that.



One thing to be aware of these bike were running on leaded fuel, you might need to sort the valves and seats on the head.

 

Oh goodie, I am glad to here it was never there.



I am completely oblivious when it comes to small engines, so I have a lot to learn. Thanks for the info though! What do you mean by "sort"? Replace?



Any other quirks with these little bikes? Or things I should look out for?

 

Your a lucky dude! Merry Christmas, bike looks good.

 

Yeah, i think i pestered her enough about a mini that she felt it was the only way to get me to shut up.

Your life will never be the same!

Hahahaha, im finding that out already. Its quite an addiction... And i havnt really even got started!

 

Your life will never be the same!

 

Congrats & welcome! The guys here are a great source of information.

 

By painting everything "orange" black, are you talking about rust or the whole bike as in tank, frame and fenders or maybe even motor? I mean, I know the bike is red but I have a buddy who is color blind. It's a real treat doing wiring with him and all and I'm not trying to be insensitive, but you do know the bike is red and not orange right? I guess my point is I'm not sure if your fenders are metal or plastic. Plastic can be painted, but it is hard and very susceptible to chipping so that's something you will need to be aware of. Also if you're talking about painting the motor, black isn't my thing in regards to that, but to each his own. You can buff these motors and parts out to a chrome like shine which I like a lot, but again whatever may be your preference.



Also, if you used to race motorcycles when you were younger, you will probably get bored with the 50cc motor pretty quick. I think I topped mine out at 28 mph, which is pretty good, but not real peppy. There are a ton of options out there from build up kits to complete motor trade outs. It sounds like you want to keep it on the cheap side or stay on a budget, so plan things out. Ask a lot of questions which many of us will be happy to answer, and buy once from any vendor you choose to use so you save on shipping. It seriously sucks to think you have everything you need only to spend an extra 5 bucks on shipping from a vendor you bought from before.



The last thing I would recommend would be to be prepared to spend some cash even though you don't think you will or will want to. The more you build it up, the faster it will suck you in. Many of us here refer to building these bikes as an addiction with good reason....it is. Oh and refer to these forums a lot. Your questions have probably been answered before so you can search out answers without having to ask and there are a lot of good build threads you can refer to for ideas on what to do with your bike.



Other than that, welcome....Merry Christmas....good luck....and keep us updated on your build.

 

Thanks for the response Dan-o.



Yeah, I would like everything that is the color red (I really wanna say orange here) to be black. Basically the frame, swing arm, forks, tank and both fenders. And the wheels as well. All the other chrome/silver parts I would like to clean up and make look as good as possible. I am a perfectionist, so I would like it to turn out very nice... not just spray a dusting of rattle can black over it and calling it good. I don't want it to look like some kid just sprayed EVERYTHING black. I plan on pulling all the parts so they can be properly prepped and painted. Depending on cost, I may consider having them powder-coated. The only thing I am not sure on is the fenders, being plastic and all. I will have to do some research on this. I would even probably consider the earlier chrome fenders, but I'm not sure if they bolt up.



After a sickening month of googling pictures of Z50's I came across a look that is very close to what I am after (aside from the taller stance and no number plates). It is a very short one page write up of a buildup on this site (which is how I found this site)...

I would be tickled pink if I could get it to this state by next summer.



(If anyone may be interested in the page for that bike, here it is http://planetminis.com/community/topic/76390-mxdad185-z50r/ )







As far as the stock motor goes, yeah it ain't no ball of fire. While I would love to have a little more oompf, right now I just want to concentrate on getting it looking good and making it more ridable in stock form. I know enough to know that when a bigger power plant comes into play, so should some suspension upgrades (more-so for safety then comfort). But, I simply cannot get away with spending that kind of money on this thing at the moment. Just getting it looking good is gonna be pushing me into a divorce LOL.



Right now, I just want to basically clean the bike up and make it look/feel like my own. Our son will be 3 next summer, so I am shooting for having it done by then... not for him, but for me. The plan is to get him a PW50, as they are much smaller than these and he will be able to fit it better. Then, him and dad can go tear up the yard as a team.



Well, thats the plan. At least I have a plan hahaha.

 

Oh yeah. Is there a designated place for looking at buildups on this site, or do you have to rummage through the Z50 section as a whole? Some of the truck forums I visit have a buildup section, but I am not finding such a thing here.



Sorry in advance for any newbie questions I ask that have been answered a halfazillion times. I am not one to necessarily do that, but I am sure it will happen from time to time. I have always been one to research stuff rather than jump on a thread start asking questions.

 

Check out the top of this section. There is a thread titled lets see everyone's Z50, monkey bike . There are 42 pages of finished builds on there.



-HFM

 

Yeah I did see that, I will have to check it out. What I was hoping for, though, was to have a gander at the progress through several different buildups, to get a feel for what I will be up against.

 

I see. It's not a competition though- just do what you like.



-HFM

 

Oh trust me, I'm not here for the competition. Its all a learning experience for me right now.

 

Oh it's a slippery slope now...first one mini...then two....then scanning the classisfieds.....craiglist....Fleabay.....people's backyards....the addiction grows......you skip lunch with friends to check a lead on a mini.......late from work because you saw a mini at a yard sale........the lies .......the secret mini fund in the mason jar in the garage......miss kids school play......forget the Wife's birthday.....When does it stop! Never. Welcome to the club! Enjoy. Happy New Year!

 

Hahahahahahahaha, for some reason I can see a large portion of the above mentioned easily occurring in my near future. The mason jar, now that might be the soonest of them all. What a good idea...

 

X2 on the mason jar.... So sad

 

The Plan (so far):



- Disassemble the bike

- Tack a new fork stop on the frame

- Paint the frame, forks, and wheels black

- Paint the fenders black, or buy black ones if they are available

- Get a front number plate and mount

- New tank (black) with original yellow Honda logo

- New seat

- New tires

- New handlebar grips





The upper nut on the fork assembly is missing so I will need to get that. Is there a bearing kit I should consider/purchase as well? The forks wiggle back and forth a small amount, hopefully due to the nut missing. The owner had know idea it was missing (duh), or how long it has been gone... I sure hope it didn't oblong anything on the frame. Is that even a possibility?



I am considering up-sizing the tires to 4.00x8, the ones that look just like the stockers. Is this a bad idea with the stock motor? I'm just a little worried about robbing any additional power from the not so powerful motor. If up-sizing the tires slightly is going to be a huge power thief I will not even consider it.



The previous owner said he replaced the chain and sprockets at some point in time. But I will look those over when I take it apart. He also said he only remembers replacing the spark plug once, so I may consider one of those. I will look the air filter over too. He also claimed he changed the bearings in one of the wheels.... I cant remember which one.



Any thoughts? What else should I be looking at while I get it torn apart? Are there certain points on the frame that are susceptible to bending/cracking that I should evaluate? I just simply don't know much about these little things (yet). Back to the search function I go!

 

Taper roller bearings are the way to go in the steering stem:



http://www.ebay.com/itm/Steering-St...9-94-/170714016246?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item27bf5929f6



I'd just replace the plug as a matter of course - they're so cheap.



Places to look for frame bends: Headstock & the rear shock mount can bend if its been landed hard.

 

Taper roller bearings are the way to go in the steering stem:



http://www.ebay.com/...=item27bf5929f6



I'd just replace the plug as a matter of course - they're so cheap.



Places to look for frame bends: Headstock & the rear shock mount can bend if its been landed hard.

Thanks for the link and info!

 

Well, finally started the project. After a hour of tinkering this morning this is what I have...

When I removed the exhaust I noticed this. Is this chunk supposed to be missing? The bike is quiet as hell.

 

Yes, that piece is "missing" in every head.

 

Well sweet, I am glad to hear that!

 

Got a little farther this morning. I would have pulled the motor but one of the side cover screws is rounded off

 

Got a little farther this morning. I would have pulled the motor but one of the side cover screws is rounded off

Just one? Lucky you. Every single one on my '80 zed was rounded!

 

I am contemplating upgrading the suspension SLIGHTLY. Basically just stiffer springs, maybe a little longer, but stock forks and swing arm (on a budget here). I have seen many sets of stiffer rear shocks from stock length up to several inches longer, as well as stiffer front springs (from fast 50's) that gain approximately 1" of height. Is there any real issue with installing the 1" longer rear shocks on the stock swing arm? It seems like they would work well with 1" longer springs in the forks.

 

Not great pics, but here's how my '80 sits on Fast 50s fork springs & 280mm (eye to eye) rear shocks:

305mm shocks would work well:



http://www.monkeybike.co.uk/acatalog/MBUK_Special_Chrome_Shocks_305mm_for_Monkey.html

 

That looks perfect to me. Still has the stock look, yet is probably much better riding for an adult. How does that setup ride?



Isn't the 280mm shocks longer than stock already? I dont think I would go with the 305's.

 

olyelr,

Here is my 80 model it has one inch longer springs on the front and 280mm shocks in the rear. It does have a aluminum swingarm, but I am pretty sure the shock mounts are in the stock location. The bike rides great and I am about 215lbs.

Carlo

 

+1" forks and 280mm shocks on a stock swingarm.

 

+1" forks and 280mm shocks on a stock swingarm.

Dan,

You ever consider putting the 1 size smaller front tire on your bike? I think it would look great with it. The smaller front tire and a factory looking swing arm about two inches longer that would center the rear tire in the fender and that bike would be awesome in my opinion. Please don't get me wrong it is a really nice bike now, I would love to have it.



Carlo

 

Thanks for the pics fellas.



Carlos, glad to hear it rides good. Its not like I'm looking for a super plush suspension that will handle mega air, but I would like it to be a little more adult friendly.

 

Well I got the wheels apart. What a chore. I think it may have been worth the money to just buy new ones. I'm still not even fully sure if these are really worth reusing yet. I have to clean them up to really see how much the rust has deteriorated them. If they are not too bad, I will just clean them up and paint them.





I did learn one thing today... rubber can weld itself to metal...

 

Nice progress. Tyre (or should that be tire) removal can be a real ballache, especially if they haven't been off the rims for a few years. With regards the wheels, i'm fairly sure the silver painted rims are NLA from Honda - have a feeling that the later '88> white painted rims are still available. So, you would have to paint them, but at least they'd be true & rust free!



I think all Z50Rs have 3 bolt hubs - '79> '99. There are a lot of after market rims available but are mostly 4 bolt!

 

The 79 has the 4 bolt hub

 

Yes, I believe you are correct.

Nice progress. Tyre (or should that be tire) removal can be a real ballache, especially if they haven't been off the rims for a few years. With regards the wheels, i'm fairly sure the silver painted rims are NLA from Honda - have a feeling that the later '88> white painted rims are still available. So, you would have to paint them, but at least they'd be true & rust free!



I think all Z50Rs have 3 bolt hubs - '79> '99. There are a lot of after market rims available but are mostly 4 bolt!

Yep, I have found that the 4 bolt rims are quite easy to come across, and are cheaper than the 3 bolt. And yes, the only 3 bolt ones I found were white.

 

If you do decide to reuse these rims make sure you didn't accidentally bend them when you were prying them apart. Even a small imperfection on one half will create a nasty wobble at speed. I am speaking from experience- lol



-HFM

 

Hahahaha, well the back rim already had a few bends in it before I started (a small one on each side, right across each other). There wasn't much of any wobble that I noticed, but then again with a stock motor its probably hard to get going fast enough. I did do a little bending when prying the tires off (or should I say tyres LOL), but nothing too major. A few little taps with a hammer and they are pretty close to flat again. What I don't like is that the part where the hub bolts up and the two sides bolt together are not very flat.



I really should just buy new wheels, but I'm trying like hell to keep from spending much money on this project...

 

I am surprised the bike ran as good as it did with the air filter being so dirty. I tried to wipe some dirt/grime off it with a paper towel when I pulled it out of the filter box and it just fell apart...

Is there any issue with running those open air filters that I see most people using? Does water ever get in them?

 

If you don't ride through water it will be fine, or you could go with a foam uni filter for a bit more protection than cotton/gauze.



-HFM

 

Well, I surely wont be driving through water that is deep enough to submerge it, but I'm sure I will be caught out in the rain once in a while.



The only reason why I am contemplating getting rid of the stock filter housing is because it has been cracked and caulked around the fitting that connects to the carb. Its pretty well sealed, but it looks like hell and who knows when it may just let loose. And, when I saw the price of a new factory housing, the aftermarket open air filter really started appealing to me.