Looking to buy an Indian 50cc

newmexico
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newmexico
Edited Date/Time 1/21/2021 3:49pm
Been looking for about a year, just fishing to see if anyone has a lead on an Indian 50cc.
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project racer 8/13/2016 4:01am
8/13/2016 4:01am
What year and model ? I just finished my 1969 Boy Racer. This was my second bike ever. Lucky to still have it.

Not for sale.













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newmann
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newmann 8/13/2016 6:50am
8/13/2016 6:50am
The motocross version? Good luck, even finding a photo is hard. Trick little bikes!



Italjet had a trick one too.



project racer 8/13/2016 9:02am
8/13/2016 9:02am Edited Date/Time 8/13/2016 9:03am
One of the rarest of the rare Indian mini's. This is a 1969 Indian Boy Racer with the Minarelli full auto transmission. If you have a 1970 or earlier Indian mini, those are the last of the Floyd Clymer Italian Indians.

After 1971, Indian mini's were Taiwanese.


1

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newmexico
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newmexico 8/13/2016 1:15pm
8/13/2016 1:15pm
RandyS wrote:
$7200
That is the exact bike!! I'd gladly pay Chumbly $7200 today!!
RandyS
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RandyS 8/13/2016 1:20pm
8/13/2016 1:20pm
RandyS wrote:
$7200
newmexico wrote:
That is the exact bike!! I'd gladly pay Chumbly $7200 today!!
About 4 or 5 times what it's worth. I see them on Ebay every once in a while. Someone here had a restored one that I'm sure they'd gladly sell you for $6995.
project racer 8/13/2016 3:28pm
8/13/2016 3:28pm
The Pawn Star guys over paid for their bike, as well as the restoration cost, IMO. They artificially increased the market value for anyone owning one of those bikes or anyone wanting to buy one.

The deals are not on ebay, but by attending the m/c swap meets around the country, you will see one here and there.

Those were made after the Clymer bikes, for Alan Newman ,who had the factory in Taiwan pumping out a few thousand of them during his time of Indian brand ownership. He was Clymer's attorney who took over after Floyd's death in 1970.

Just like a lot of mini's ,most were thoroughly thrashed, used up, and scrapped. But I have seen at least a handful of the Boy Racers for sale in the last year, and a few Mini Mini's as well. None of them went for over $2000, in fact quite a bit less.
F150Motocrosser 8/13/2016 4:07pm
8/13/2016 4:07pm
Looking for the Bambino?? I'd love to get my hands on one..

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/mcy/5692607291.html

https://columbia.craigslist.org/mcy/5695624094.html

JX50 motocrosser: http://newjersey.craigslist.org/mcy/5691888443.html

http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/5723747233.html

Good site for reference: http://www.indiandirtbikeparts.com/indianlineup.html



project racer 8/13/2016 5:25pm
8/13/2016 5:25pm Edited Date/Time 8/13/2016 5:28pm
http://www.indiandirtbikeparts.com/indianlineup.html

Gary Baker is a good source for parts. His communication to his customers is non existent ,though. I spent quite a bit of money with him restoring my Boy Racer. The last purchase I made , a wrong item was shipped to me , not at all what I ordered.

No amount of emails, calls to his business could get him to respond. It was like ,tough shit, dude.

Found it rather interesting when I opened a case with Paypal and they froze his account, how fast he responded and made a refund.

All over a $25 cable. It was more of a principle matter than the dollar amount. Last purchase I will ever make from him.

All I wanted was the correct part I ordered. Could not even get to the communication level with him.

It's all good until you need some customer service from Gary.
F150Motocrosser 8/13/2016 5:34pm
8/13/2016 5:34pm
Good info... Amazing to think anyone would run any business that way, let alone an internet based one where word of bad customer experiences can spread quick. By the way, absolutely gorgeous Boy Racer! The fact you've owned it all these years doubles the cool factor. Great work!
DanDunes818
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DanDunes818 8/13/2016 6:38pm
8/13/2016 6:38pm
My first bike ever was Indian 50 and I would give anything to find it. Not sure what year, but I had it in '75.. I just wish I could find a side view pic. My pops had it painted to look just like his Husqvarna. Had the little chrome plate on the tank.



TommyLee93
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TommyLee93 8/13/2016 7:06pm
8/13/2016 7:06pm Edited Date/Time 8/13/2016 8:43pm


I found this one at a swap meet in Georgia about 5 years ago. Still searching for a few parts and then I will do a full rebuild.
1
TommyLee93
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TommyLee93 8/13/2016 7:11pm
8/13/2016 7:11pm


Got one on my 3rd birthday, looked for 20+ years for another one.

Pit Row

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project racer 8/13/2016 7:58pm
8/13/2016 7:58pm Edited Date/Time 8/13/2016 8:28pm
MM5 Italjet and Indian Mini Mini both used a Morini manufactured engine. The engine in my Boy Racer is a Jawa Type 23, that was originally used in the Jawa Mustang and Golden Sport 50cc street bikes from 1968 to 1981.

Italjet made many of the parts for the Mustang and Sport in early production years. They were rebadged for the German and Czech market.

The first KTM 50's and Husky Boy 50 also used Morini engines until about 2000-2001.

I had to send to Germany for the engine rebuild parts on my Boy Racer. Nothing at all state side for the engine.

Funny to see the craigslist ad from Bakersfield, as that's where I was born, grew up, and where my Indian was purchased new from Cycles Unlimited, Tom McCollum, in 1969.

It still had Bakersfield dirt on it when I started the resto in 2014.
Crisp BRAAAP! 8/13/2016 8:11pm
8/13/2016 8:11pm
My first bike. I think mine was a '74, the silver one. I am pretty sure my dad still has it in a box somewhere at his house. He thought he'd restore it for my son when he's old enough but that didn't happen. Maybe he'd be interested in parting with it. I think it's in decent shape since it's been stored inside.
F150Motocrosser 8/13/2016 8:12pm
8/13/2016 8:12pm
Good call, project... The morini came in the LEM kids motocross bikes too I believe. So after the Italian/Morini motor, were the Taiwanese motors Fuji's?
cali11
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cali11 8/14/2016 12:30am
8/14/2016 12:30am
project racer wrote:
MM5 Italjet and Indian Mini Mini both used a Morini manufactured engine. The engine in my Boy Racer is a Jawa Type 23, that was originally...
MM5 Italjet and Indian Mini Mini both used a Morini manufactured engine. The engine in my Boy Racer is a Jawa Type 23, that was originally used in the Jawa Mustang and Golden Sport 50cc street bikes from 1968 to 1981.

Italjet made many of the parts for the Mustang and Sport in early production years. They were rebadged for the German and Czech market.

The first KTM 50's and Husky Boy 50 also used Morini engines until about 2000-2001.

I had to send to Germany for the engine rebuild parts on my Boy Racer. Nothing at all state side for the engine.

Funny to see the craigslist ad from Bakersfield, as that's where I was born, grew up, and where my Indian was purchased new from Cycles Unlimited, Tom McCollum, in 1969.

It still had Bakersfield dirt on it when I started the resto in 2014.
Where do you live now, if you don't mind me asking? I'm also from Bakersfield.
project racer 8/14/2016 8:13am
8/14/2016 8:13am Edited Date/Time 8/14/2016 8:33am
F150Motocrosser wrote:
Good call, project... The morini came in the LEM kids motocross bikes too I believe. So after the Italian/Morini motor, were the Taiwanese motors Fuji's?
F150, it is a bit of a challenge to document the chronological order of the various engines / bikes / origins of the 1968-1977 Indians.

The first 50cc Indian Papoose used a Minarelli engine. They used a Minarelli for the rare automatic Boy Racer, and Jawa for the standard , three speed Boy Racer.

The first of the Mini Mini Indians used the Morini engine , I believe, although Clymer was heavily involved with Italjet, so the Mini Mini's were supposedly rebranded Italjets.

After Clymers death, the Mini Mini lasted a few more years, before being imported as the Italjet branded model of the bike.

Most of the 70cc and larger models from '72 on were Fuji engine bikes. Alan Newman had the stand alone Fuji plant in Taiwan producing these bikes. But there was also a bit of the early Italjet / Morini / Minarelli stuff mixed in there, especially in the early 1970-71 model lineup, that was coming out of the Fuji / Newman operation.

This is not all 100% factual info, but as close as I can piece it together. A friend of mine is a real Indian mini fanatic, and could explain in great detail, most of the history / timelines of Clymer - Newman era Indian production.

The friend is also the person who created the tooling / molds for the fenders, number plates, seat, and many other missing parts on my Boy Racer.

Jeff is very crafty when it comes to the small Indians. If you are restoring one, he is the man for any obsolete , non available parts reproduction.
agn5009
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agn5009 8/14/2016 8:25am
8/14/2016 8:25am
project racer wrote:
What year and model ? I just finished my 1969 Boy Racer. This was my second bike ever. Lucky to still have it. Not for sale...
What year and model ? I just finished my 1969 Boy Racer. This was my second bike ever. Lucky to still have it.

Not for sale.













Oh. My. God.
project racer 8/14/2016 8:29am
8/14/2016 8:29am
cali11 wrote:
Where do you live now, if you don't mind me asking? I'm also from Bakersfield.
I lived right off of Niles , near Hort elementary in Bakersfield. Miles of foothill riding , just outside the garage door.

About as far from Bakersfield as you can get now. I am in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

I still have family in Bakersfield, Arcadia, Goleta, Santa Barbara.

You ever make it to Sprockets Park ? Ever ride at Outlaw ? I loved the Bakersfield area back in the late 60's early 70's.

Here is a shot of my older brother at Sprockets in 1970. He is on a 1970 Kawasaki G31M Centurion ( Greenstreak).

This bike was purchased the same day, from the same shop as my Indian. Long gone now. He has a very complete, original 1971 G31M, that I would love to get my hands on, and give a proper clean up.

I just recently found the Premier helmet that I got along with the Indian way back. It is rough, but I am going to straighten it up as best I can.


F150Motocrosser 8/14/2016 9:25am
8/14/2016 9:25am Edited Date/Time 8/14/2016 9:34am
Very good call, Project. I can appreciate your scrappy desire to learn every nugget of info you can about the history of the bikes. Really hope to get one in my collection some day. Is the Mini Mini the same as the Bambino? Also, is "mm5a" an Italjet specific term, or more so to the Morini motor version of Italjet/Indian clone models?

Very cool restoration build photos here: https://revivalcycles.com/pages/1972-indian-bambino-50

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