Hello!

Thanks to all of those who post here and on other forums regarding these mini quads! LT80 has been a HUGE HELP to me and I have never even spoken to the guy, not sure he is still around? It has been a few years since I saw a response from him on one of these LT80's

Anyways here's the deal
I build custom off road vehicles, mainly Ford Ranger based trucks, RZR, Snowmobiles, atv etc.
My family is also very heavy into UTV and ATV's and anything that has to do with outdoors, camping, etc.
My son is now 7! Woohoo! and he has taken an interest in kids ATV's (THANK GOODNESS, DREAM COME TRUE)
I also have a 4 year old granddaughter and a 7 year old grandson, they are both also way into the atv's!!

So I have gotten into these mini quads a great deal over the last few months., rebuilding them fixing them up, etc.
We started with resurrecting some Chinese quads that had gathered next to my shed last few years (Yard sales)
Then I bought my son a 85 Yami Moto4 80 that would not start. The no start condition led to a basic full rebuild/refurbish. New top end, brakes, bearings, upgrades (blue Badger in pics)
After loving the YMF80 4 stroke setup I bought another 1988 Moto4 80 and did a complete rebuild on it (CL find) This one is now for sale (red moto4 in pics)
Finally time to move up to a suspension bike and 2 stroke!! Which brings me here, my 1990 Suzuki LT80 $250 Craigslist find!!
This bike was posted for PARTS, but complete (all there)

I brought it home and took it apart, about a month ago. This sucker was rough. Case was full of water/gas/oil mix, Clutches, starter and CVT case has a water line in it and was rusted solid.
Likely the petcock malfunctioned, filled case with gas, okay no biggie. Bike looked like it sat half in a puddle, flooded, mud, dirt debris, then sat outside for many years. Was purchased by a bike re builder along with another LT80, he grabbed what he wanted for his project and sold me the remainder.

I am posting this because yesterday for the first time it fired right up and works perfectly. This is after many many hours of research here on these forums (thanks again LT80) and many many hours of sandblasting, and work.
NO sense in making a build thread if the bike doesn't run!
So now that she runs and the clutches/final drive are all working I was able to justify purchasing some more new parts and fabrication to finish my build.

First off 1990 LT80 flood victim:
















































Bike taken to frame and rebuilt, tuns out to be a very low mile machine underneath all that rust!!

New:
top end, standard bore (Piston, rings, gaskets)
Case was not split, no need. Crank and bearings are good. Case was soaked in ATF for over a week, flushed and filled many many times. Crank bearing seals removed, bearings cleaned and seals replaced.
Boysen reeds
Carb rebuild kit
Banshee petcock
Drive clutch refurbished with sandblasting, new rollers (2 removed)
New drive belt (missing from day 1)
Driven clutch refurbished with sandblasting, weights lightened to 178 grams (missed the 180 mark on one so had to remove more material from other 2) Driven clutch needed new bearings, stock springs.
Oil injection removed (custom cover being made)
Stator/magneto refurbished
New NGK plug and plug wire





BIKE STARTED FIRST BUMP of the button! I had to bypass start relay (Missing), no choke needed. VERY GOOD NEWS. Clutches working perfectly.

So now onto the fun stuff:
Rear axle plates removed and lengthened 1.25" in house (cut and weld)
front wheel spacers, home made for now +1.5" per side
LT160 front shocks
4 new tires on their way, 19x8x8 rear, 19x7x8 front.
I will be flipping wheels around, drilling new holes for air and welding back of wheel closed
rear axle rebuilt, needed nothing but a good cleaning
front spindles/steering stem rebuilt, needed nothing but cleaning and lube
Foot peg assembly cut in half

Now I am onto paint and bodywork, rehab the ductwork/intake. I will refinish the gas tank (wet sand)
Bike came with good white plastics and a decent blue seat.
To date I have $720 total invested that includes the new 4 tires and battery on their way.

I am hoping my 7 year old will want to sell his blue Badger 80 and move into this. He is only +/-50# rider and still in only 1st gear on his Badger, so we will see. Bike will be used to run around our property and on mild trails, no jumping or hard stuff yet (Very aware of factory case breakage issues, especially with the extended rear) but my rider is barely heavy enough to compress the shocks so we should be okay....

Today I am on the hunt for a new rear shock (12.5") and a new 520 chain for my extended rear arm setup, maybe a home brew tensioner.....

I am also refurbishing (CRAIGSLIST FINDS!) a 2005 Predator 90 2 stroke (next), a Suzuki 230s (for me to ride), Baja wilderness 50cc (for my 4 year old granddaughter to learn on), and parting out a 1983 Suzuki 125 (first 4 wheeler ever!). For sale are the two badgers and the wilderness 50.
Really looking forward to tearing into this 2 stroke predator 90 with reverse!!!

If anyone has a line on some JT LT80 front extenders please let me know!

I am considering building my own lower control arms. If my son likes this bike we may do a ex300 dual a arm? Not sure

 

Here is where she is at today 07/28
IT RUNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PERFECTLY!!!!!!!!!!

Waiting on new tires, starter relay and one front brake cable

 

Some of the other projects around here

 

Lots of work...but starting to come together! Jack is most certainly still around and is building/shipping my motor as I type...


Check out my album...we are taking similar paths (but I may be a notch or 2 nuttier )

 

Thank you Dirtdevil101! I have been watching your daughters bike build. I am just about to get into shock mounting I love your lowering brackets....first I have to finish my back plates and measure for a shock. Ebay has some nice options in 12.5" long clevis mount shocks

I have been watching your LT80 before I even brought mine home!!

I researched the crap out of these machines before I made the drive to snag this one. Glad to see I am not alone. They are such solid simple machines I really enjoy building these.
Their size has allowed us to even have a small atv track here at home (Colorado)
SO MUCH FUN BEEN WAITING 7 YEARS FOR THIS!!

I think pitbikes/mini's will always be a part of our stables. I really like this LT80 and Suzuki for that matter! The more I work on Suz the more I like them. NO surprise there my daily driver is a V8 Bronco II long travel with lockers on 35's probably the biggest underdog of a 4x4 Ford ever produced...so Suzuki fits that bill nicely vs Honda Yami and Kawi, kind of the "underdog" but lots of innovation in atv from Suzuki I am happy to learn


I have owned in order:
1988 Honda 210 3 wheeler rigid (I was 12)
1993 Polaris 250 2 stroke 4x4 (I was 35)
2000 Polaris 500 4x4 pos
2001 Honda 200 ex (x 2ea)
2009 rzr S
2009 Rzr le
2005 Kawi Brute force 650 (monster)

Now have:
2005 Polaris IQR 900 159 (now 162, totally custom)
2005 Polaris IQR 900 159 (guest/wife's sled)
2014 Ace 325 on tracks (love this machine)
2014 XP1000 on tracks (my toy)
2015 XP10004 on tracks (wifes)
1989 Suzuki Quadsport 230s ($400 craigs find, my next build)
1984 Moto4 YMF80 (kids current atv, refurbished)
1989 Moto4 YMF80 (grandkid "guest ride, just finished frame off)
1990 LT80 This guy (kids next bike)
2005 Predator 90 (next kids build, guest bike)
2003 Honda 300ex (stepsons bike)
2002 Polaris Pheonix 200 (rear axle being rebuilt, stepsons wife bike)


a "few" china quads

I design elevators for the worlds tallest buildings. I have been building ranger based trucks for 20 years now, off road is a way of life for us

Thanks for all the help guys that have come before me. ITS ALL ABOUT THE KIDS


Budget is a big factor here since I have brought home about 5 quads and not sold one yet, Whoops! Justify $$$$ spent to the wife would be alot easier if one would sell! Not likely this late in the season.

I plan to go a little bit more crazy with the predator 90, likely years before any of these kids can ride it that aggressively!! Well maybe my 4 year old granddaughter, shes catching the 7 year old boys QUICK
I just learned about Kasea quads in the last few months.... very likely many of these mini bikes will be replaced with those as time goes

MUAHAHAHAHAA

 

12.5" clevis...for the rear? Will your carrier extension have a new shock mount? And if so why stay clevis?


You won't be able to fit the 12.5" in the stock location, at least not without some frame modifications...the engine bottoms out on the frame...

 

You are correct sir
I just finished the extended plate for other side and trial mounted the rear diff.
Looking at shock, skidplate, chain, and exhaust mounting/fab options

Measured the bike
at full droop I have 11-1/4" eye to eye at full stuff 6-3/4", these are extreme dimensions I do not want my shock to be the limiting factor? Do I?

So I need somewhere around a 10" rear shock if I retain the clevis mount on the rear diff, or I can get a 10.5-11" shock and make my own lower mount.
First to go see what I have laying around

I plan to run wheel spacers on the front for now and turn the back wheels around. (weld and drill)

Couple of questions:
1. Plug gap for LT80?
2. spring upgrades for driven clutch?
3. Is my Kawasaki belt on correctly?
(can read words, engine counterclockwise) I did not pay attention to engine rotation yesterday when I test fired.

 

There are a few routes to go down with the rear shock...but only a few. I stayed stock length but cut off the clevis mount on the carrier and welded in a support for a lower eye. I wanted a good, adjustable rear shock...the only thing I could find was the Fox Float MXR...just happens to be the right length, but needs an eye on the bottom.


A fella said he found a direct replacement for the rear...I asked where he got it & the brand...never replied so I'm skeptical it exists...


Since you extended the rear, you could fab a mount to get a slightly longer shock in there...but longer doesn't equal better...I'll take 3" of fox float stroke over 4" of anything else all day long...


To go even longer & get a decent quality shock in there, you'd need to extend the frame under the motor...there are a couple threads, but no real guidance here...I think you can extend the down-tube (spine) 3/4" and that will yield 1.5" of additional room...add that to the extended bracket and you may be in decent shape to get a 14" shock in there...that's still small by today's standards so maybe a Works or something...still expensive anyway you look at it.


Plug gap is .024 - .031
Secondary spring upgrade - not sure on that one...send Jack (LT80) a message
Belt - I don't think it really matters, but service manual shows the belt with arrows showing direction...usually if you can read it then you're good


One thing you may want to consider is bracing the engine/swing-arm...adding that length could put additional stress on those cases...I have pics/thread on placement...just a thought

 

Absolutely!
I have been losing sleep over this for weeks now
Designing an engine cradle in my sleep, something to strengthen the case or at least take the strain off of it. I cannot believe nobody has built some sort of engine cradle?

Bolting the lt80 back together it makes you think WOW thats alot of junk hanging off the back of the aluminum case. I have been trying things to make it lighter (maybe more holes/dimple dies in skid plate, remove un needed brackets, rear disc conversion?)

So was it your engine case I saw not too long ago with the aluminum chunks welded on?

I wish I could weld aluminum in my shop...something that is getting more and more needed

As I work with the LT80 I keep thinking of ways to make a support for that poor engine
The skidplate could act as the rear of the support with a couple of "arms" that reach under the front of the engine and attach to the pivot points? Anyone ever built something like this and shared with us on the intrawebz?

Heck what about a metal web that goes over the engine case and side cover, using factory attaching points to make sort of a exoskeleton around the case?

In all my searching I have heard many talk about something like this (basically a metal swing arm that supports the engine) but have not seen it done
Probably because I could just take my case to a local welder and have him brace it with some aluminum like you did...right?

 

Here is where I left the bike last night

First off the engine does indeed rotate counter clockwise, belt is correct

Rear plates are fabbed. Im using stock 1990 exhaust pipe, so I modified the rearmost mount to retain the exhaust support
I did some reading and found the Polaris predator 90 rear shock is a decent stock unit. Measures 10.25" eye to eye, I have one here to look at.
Also china mini quads (4 stroke 110 Roken) use similar 10.25" eye to eye. I have a 110cc china bike for parts so I used its rear shock for FAB. Used predator 90 shock is on its way to me now as well as 13T and 16T 428 gears, 40# chain (thanks again LT80 for all your advice on these forums!)





rear shock mount fabbed (look familiar? logical solution is usually the best)
exhaust mount in place
skid plate drilled for extended plates, new front mounts fabbed to pickup front two support bolts.

shock length is 10.25" eye to eye, 2" of travel total at shock mounts from full droop to full stuff (1/4" from case hitting frame in both directions)

Getting closer!! Looking for some more advice from Dirtdevil on how he welded his case supports.. Im down to try that here in my shop, need to learn to weld the aluminum now is the time