Trail Rider Magazine

June 2025 35 Rupp machines included features that set them apart from similar products that would come along later. Those first Rupp's were offered with either a 2 ½ or three-horse motor and were equipped with front suspension and a drum brake. Also, na onal marke ng was key to Rupp's eventual, tremendous success, as Mickey began running ads in Cycle World magazine. Minibikes became an instant success. While go-carts were more suited for use on a prepared track, and as such required me, effort, and commitment to transport and u lize, mini-bikes could be stored in any corner of a garage, shed, or basement, and pulled out at a moment's no ce for riding around the yard, open fields, out on the trails – virtually anywhere except on roadways, as they were not street-legal. Plus, minibikes were incredibly simple, reliable, and easy to maintain. Their small, unin m- ida ng size, rela vely quiet exhaust note, and ease of opera on, thanks to the centrifugal clutch, meant that virtually everyone and anyone could climb aboard a minibike, twist the thro le, and enjoy the fun and exhilara on that a two-wheeler provides. As with the very first Dart Cycles, Mickey Rupp con nued to dis nguish his products from scores of cheap compe tors by equipping his line of mini- bikes with quality features. By 1964, the Rupp lineup included the Con nental model, which had front and rear suspension, six-inch wheels, a 3 ½ horse- power motor, and a first for any minibike – a head- light and taillight! With a tremendous sense of ever-greater opportu- ni es, in 1964 Mickey introduced his snowmobiles, the Snow Sport. And, as with Rupp-brand minibikes, right from the beginning, the snowmobile line was brimming with features, including electric start, and op ons such as speedometers and tachometers. Various engine op ons provided choices between 30, 40, and 50 horsepower on those early models. As with his minibikes, Mickey Rupp found instant success with Rupp snowmobiles, and by 1965, he was already producing and selling some 500 units per year. By the mid-1960s, mini-bikes were everywhere. They were sold in almost every corner store, and even the big retail chains, such as Sears, Penney's, and Montgomery Ward, prominently featured them. Everyone was riding mini-bikes. Remember, similar small lightweight motorcycles were coming on the scene at this point. Minibikes, by comparison, were cheap, easily accessible, and besides, everyone was riding them! In the mid-60s, compared to Rupp products, virtually every other line of mini-bikes was extremely rudimen- tary. Suspension was almost unheard of, small steel wheels were the order of the day, and brakes typically consisted of nothing more than a metal plate that rubbed against the rear re by pressing down on a brake pedal. Plus, typical mini-bikes did not par cu- larly emulate motorcycles, especially in one respect – their fuel tanks were mounted within the frame, down by the motor. Rupp's, by comparison, were among the first mini-bikes to feature a motorcycle-type gas tank, placed in the conven onal loca on – between the saddle and the steering stem. Mickey Rupp's minibikes set the standard. Rupp prod- ucts were quite literally head and shoulders above the compe on, as premium Rupp products featured a larger-than-standard frame, which meant these models were more of the size of a mini-cycle, rather than a mini-bike – an important dis nc on. This larger chassis meant that the rear sprocket no longer aligned with the narrow-layout side-sha motors u lized in minibikes. This meant that an extra feature had to be employed. Mounts and bearings suspend a horizontal jacksha on the frame behind the engine. With this arrangement, the primary sprocket drives one short chain to a sprocket mounted on the jacksha , which in turn spins another primary sprocket mounted further outboard on the sha , which in turn drives an- other chain, now in line with the final drive sprocket on the rear wheel. This intermediate drive system also enabled Rupp to incorporate a two-speed transmis- sion into select models. By the late 1960s, Rupp's offered conven onal, motor- cycle-type wire wheels, brakes front and rear – includ- ing disc brakes in 1968! Front and rear suspension, the aforemen oned lights, conven onal fuel tank loca- on, chrome fenders, and a full chromed exhaust sys- tem, among numerous features were unique to Rupp products. Also in '68, Tecumseh engines were intro- duced into all models. And, taking a cue from groovy 1960s style, Rupp's featured beau ful candy-apple colors, not seen on any other mini-bikes. Available colors included metallic red, blue, and gold. It cannot be overstated just how popular minibikes were at this me. They were virtually everywhere. It seemed just about every kid in America either owned

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