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scubadoo79 · RSS feed for topic

OK, so here's the story...

I bought a Mini Champion Frame Set(#00045) to build a while back! I want to build it up with all Champion Parts, and have acquired the Champion Bars, Champion Seatpost, Champion Decals, and NOS Champion Pads!!!
So, I'm all set, right??? Well, not quite!

See, I get my Champion Seatpost, and wouldn't you know, it doesn't fit the Mini Champion Seattube!!! The Seatpost is 7/8", but my Mini Champion Seattube needs a 13/16" Seatpost!

I take a closer look, and the Seattube also has a hole in it toward the top...what could this be for?
>Initially, I was told it was for a centerpull brake to go through! Then, I found a '90's Mini Frame that showed a Bolt going through the Seattube/Seatpost to hold it on rather than a Seatclamp, so I thought that might be what the hole is for!
>But, this '90's Frame with the Bolt doesn't have a slit running to the top of the Seattube like most bikes that use Seatclamps(because it doesn't use a Seatclamp)...but my Mini Champion has that slit running to the top of the Seattube, like it takes a Seatclamp!
>So, maybe the hole is for a Brake Cable? Any ideas???

I posted pics below--actually, I compiled all of my pics into 2 compilation pics(and labeled them--which you may have to enlarge to read the text)--I did this so I didn't have to post a dozen random pics for everyone to sort through!

Well, either way, it appears that I need to find a Seatpost with a hole(or holes) running through it to fit my Mini Champion! And, it has to be 13/16" instead of the normal 7/8" Champion Seatpost!

Now, I can't imagine Champion made this Mini Frame with the weird Seattube without making a Seatpost that fits it! I wouldn't think they'd assume you could find some other Seatpost with holes in it for their Frame, so I'm hunting for a MINI CHAMPION SEATPOST!!!
Has anybody even seen a Seatpost matching this description(Champion or Not)?????

OK, so the story continues...

I find another Mini Champion Frame Set(#G700095), and it has a Uni Seat in it, and I can tell it has a 7/8" Seattube, and it does NOT have the holes in the Seattube, so I buy it!!! I think, great, now I can build a Mini Champion and use my Champion Seatpost!!! I get it, and I was right, I can use my Champion Seatpost in it, but this Mini Champion Frame is much larger than my other one and has much bigger tubes(see comparison pic below)!!! I still want to build my first one, not this new one, so that is why I'm still needing to find the 13/16" Holed Mini Champion Seatpost!

Actually, this larger Mini Champion Frame doesn't just have the serial number stamped under the BB, but also says "Champion RT THD", which I'm not sure if "Champion" is stamped on other Champions, but it isn't stamped on either of the other Minis! And, I don't know what "RT THD" means, do you? I thought maybe Right Thread, but it is along the left edge of the underside of the BB! On the other side of the underside of the BB, it says "RIDER 50 LB MAX"! It is pretty obvious what this means, but I'm wondering if this is the Max Weight for the Mini with the larger tubing, what is the Max Weight for the ones with smaller tubing(especially #00027 without any Gusset)!???

As you can see in the pics I posted, every one of the 3 Mini Champion Frames I've seen are different!
I listed the features of each one below...
The lone NOS Mini Champion Frame is #00027:
>Smaller tubing
>hole in the Seattube
>NO Gusset
My first Mini Champion Frame Set is #00045:
>Smaller tubing
>hole in the Seattube
>Gusset!
Then, my second Mini Champion Frame Set is #G700095(which I think is the same as #00095):
>Larger tubing
>NO hole in the Seattube
>NO Gusset!

I think maybe the G7 in the serial# came into play when they finally settled on a design!

So anyway, I NEED to find this 13/16" Holed Mini Champion Seatpost...PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!

Also, I have the Mini Champion Forks that came with my 2 Frames, but I also have a set of Mini Champion Forks that have different Dropouts on them! Even though mine came with the Mini Forks with the standard Champion Dropouts, I'd rather use the ones with the Unique Dropouts! Do you think this would be wrong to do? I was told by a very knowledgeable collector that he thought the Mini Forks with the Unique Dropouts came on the very earliest Mini Champion Frames, meaning they had to come before #00045! So, I'm torn between which Mini Champion Fork to use on my build--the one I want to use, or the one that would be more correct for the build!!!

In the pic with the 4 Frame Sets at the top, I show both types of Mini Champion Forks(the Unique Dropouts are on the Black Forks), and how the Mini Champion looks with each Fork!
I also have a Standard Champion Fork beside them(the rare 4" Headtube version), and as you can see, the Mini Champion Forks that came with the Frame have the same Dropouts as the Standard Champion Forks! Just for fun I also took a pic of the larger-tube Mini Champion Frame(#G700095) with the Standard 4" Champion Forks just to see how it would look! I don't like it! lol!

I'm hoping that I can find the 13/16" Holed Mini Champion Seatpost, build the Gusseted #00045 Mini Champion, and then sell the other Mini Champion and possibly even the Champion Seatpost(which I kind of have someone interested in it already, but I couldn't sell it to him in case I decided to build the larger Mini)! I could also sell the Champion Forks with the 4" Headtube since I don't exactly have a plan for them at the moment, but would rather trade them for something I need!

Actually, I'd also love to find the Smaller Champion Bars to use on the Mini rather than the Champion Pro Bars I have now! If anyone knows where I can get the Smaller Champion Bars(ones that are actually stamped "Champion"), I'd love to buy them!

***Anyway, if anyone has any Mini Champion Pics at all, or any pics of a Seatpost meeting the description of the 13/16" Holed Seatpost I mentioned above, I'd love to see them!***

THANKS EVERYONE For Your Help!!!!!
Randy

squirrelsmith · 2009-11-04 3:37pm

the hole in the post might be from the chroming process

TuRBo Todd · 2009-11-04 3:37pm

my guess is they didn't make the post you need. They assume everyone's going to run a uni-seat and drill a hole in it where they need to. That's how my Titan micro mini was.

scubadoo79 · 2009-11-04 3:43pm

The Hole runs through both sides evenly, so I don't think it was for the Chroming Process

scubadoo79 · 2009-11-04 3:44pm

I really hope you're wrong Todd, but am afraid that you might be right!!!
This post is a desperate attempt to find one!

scubadoo79 · 2009-11-05 5:12am

Anyone have any old Mini Champion Pics or any pics of any Seatposts matching this description?
It might really help me!

bmxerpete · 2009-11-05 5:37am

I'm not knowledgeable on Champion stuff at all, but here's a thought...are the edges of that hole chromed or raw? I know it was quite common for euro-mechanics (dads) to drill a hole to run a nut and bolt setup and avoid using a seatpost clamp. We used to do it on a lot of our team minis. If it is chromed then I think Todd is right, Champion figured the builder would drill out a Uni to whatever height they wanted.
Cool bikes by the way.

scubadoo79 · 2009-11-05 6:02am

There is also a hole going through the Seattube on the NOS #00027 Mini Champion Frame, so this is not a home job! Thanks for the input though!

Z. · 2009-11-05 7:11am

Looking into it..

Z. · 2009-11-05 7:24am

Maybe champion drilled the holes because back in the day, minis wore uni's all the time and they are 13/16 and uni's are 13/16..

so the uni wont wobble around with that bolt in it.

Last edited by Z. (2009-11-05 7:24am)

Brian P · 2009-11-05 7:33am

i have seen mini's with both the slit and bolt. also have seen just bolt through ones and just slit ones.

i guess champion also decided to use the bolt through idea as well as the slit for a bit more versatility as to seat positioning or something.

with a bolt through, you cant raise and lower easily (unless you have holses drilled everywhere in the seatpost thus making it weaker) with a seatclamp you can adjust the height if needed...

smart thinking

blindfaith420 · 2009-11-05 7:40am

I had a Titan Mini that was the same way. Came with a UNI seat/post that was also drilled and was held in place with a titanium bolt/nut. So... A UNI

scubadoo79 · 2009-11-05 8:04am

So, I should give up my idea of building the smaller Mini, since I won't be able to find a Champion Seatpost for it(since they most likely didn't make one); and build the larger Mini and use my Champion Seatpost?! Maybe this is what I'm going to have to do!
It is such a bummer, and the only thing that really makes building this larger Mini Frame Set neater than a Standard Champion is that rare Black Mini Champion Fork with the no-hole dropouts...and that Mini Champion Fork isn't even the one that came with the larger Mini--the Mini Forks with holed dropouts did!
Maybe I should just forget building a Mini Champion, and build a Standard 20" Champion instead? I have all of the correct parts for it already! Like I said, the only thing really keeping me wanting to build the Mini if I have to use the larger Mini Frame is the Black Mini Fork! Well, I guess the Minis are more rare than the Standards too, so that's an appealing reason to build it too, but I do like the Standards better than I like the larger of the Minis!
What do you guys think?
It seems like it is pretty unanimous that Champion didn't make a 13/16" Seatpost with holes in it for the Mini Frame, huh?!
Thanks Again Everybody!!!

Z. · 2009-11-05 8:22am

find a mini uni seat and mark it for the height that you want, drill a hole in the post and stick a bolt in it and be done..

Brian P · 2009-11-05 12:04pm

just make a kickin display of the f/f's and the parts you have.... dont build any of them

and yes, majority of mini's ran uni's

scubadoo79 · 2009-11-05 2:54pm

Believe me Z, if I could do that, I would, but I've got this perfectionism thing that gets in the way, and I've got to use as many coordinating parts as possible! It's a curse! lol.

You know Brian, I was actually considering doing that! I'm already working on a similar display for 2 different companies' bikes though; and am seriously considering doing it with another set of bikes I have too, so that is why I was wanting to do the build if at all possible! It's werid, but I have a few companies' bikes that I collect, and have a few bikes belonging to each of these specific companies, and then am not spread out with any random single bikes from other companies! For instance, not only do I have all of this Champion/Mini stuff, I've also got 3 of the earliest CBR's; 6 of the earliest Webcos; 3 of the earliest SE's; a bunch of NOS Schwinn Sting stuff; and then from left field I've got a whole gaggle of mid '80's Schwinn Predators that I'm trying to whittle down to only about half a dozen of only NOS & MINT Predators and I've got all kinds of NOS Predator Memorabilia, Jerseys, Posters, Parts, etc. to work into a huge Predator display! However, I don't have a single Hutch, JMC, GT, Redline, or many of the major companies' bikes that most collectors as into vintage bmx as I am have! This Champion is about as off-on-a-tangent as my collection gets from the few main categories! Actually, I don't even have a single part belonging to any of these companies--not even Redline Cranks! Wait, I take that back, I do have a NOS Redline Double-Clamp Stem, but that's it! So it seems like I could do a display like this with every bike I collect, as not only do I seem to collect in categories, but I even do single builds in categories(like wanting to have all Champion parts on my Mini Champion Build)! Now I'm hoping to someday build a couple of bikes like a MotoPro Superstar w/Superstar Mags and a couple of other similar-era bikes--bikes that don't reside in my main few categories...I just had to throw that out there so you don't think I'm a complete freak! lol. I do feel you on the Champion display, and it isn't off the table, but hopefully I can figure something else out so I don't turn my entire collection into displays! And, at least there are now some comparison pics posted out there on these forums for collectors to see the different Mini Champion parts I've learned about while trying to do this build!

Thanks Again Guys, and I'd still love any other info/pics if anyone has any! There has to be a Mini Champion in a BMX Magazine you'd think, right? I think they're from '82-'84 or so! If anyone has these years of Magazines, and you can find a pic, I'd be incredibly grateful!!!

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