HPE Muskin company, out of Colton, California, was said to be the biggest maker of mini bikes and other small recreational vehicles in the early 1970s, offering many pull-start mini bikes, along with three and four-wheel machines of various sizes and shapes. One of their most famous ones is the Muskin Dune Cat, as seen here on Barn Finds, but they also offered the Tri-Cat, seen here on Barn Finds, and many others. The seller has this HPE Muskin Cat Dominator mini bike listed as a 1971 model, and it’s posted here on craigslist in beautiful Mesa, Arizona, and they’re asking $2,500. Here is the original listing.
This is a rare one for all 3.7 of you who may possibly have even a slight interest in mini bikes. I know there are a few Barn Finds readers who have owned and who still own mini bikes, and aren’t afraid to ride them. Said to have been restored and then put on display and never started, this one needs work to be the gem it deserves to be, but the seller has done a nice job giving it a boost toward being that jewel. The first thing I notice, or one of them, is that the clutch and chain guard should be chrome, and it would be if I owned it. Here’s a catalog image of the R4002 Dominator.
The cool metallic gold vinyl on the sides of the high-back seat is a bit wrinkly, but my upholstery guy could fix that pretty easily. There should be a black vinyl or rubber mat on the engine platform, but again, all of these are pretty easy to fix if a person is interested in making it look like it just came out of a catalog. The wheels may take a bit more work as they should be chrome or polished metal on the edge, but the tires look new, so that’s good. The rear should be a 14-inch tire and the front a 12.5-inch tire. There would also be a chrome or “bright strip” around the bottom of the remote gas tank and CAT on the sides of the tank.
The Dominator bike from Muskin is a nice one, as only a handful of them had the coffin-shaped remote gas tank. Most of the Muskin Cat models have the tank attached to the engine inside the frame. I wrote about a similar but rough one four years ago here on Barn Finds, and this restored one is a steal in comparison.
The engine would have been a four-stroke, 4-hp Tecumseh single, and it appears to be the case here. The seller did a great job keeping the exhaust and carb/air cleaner setup original. I’d have to take this mini bike apart and redo parts of it so it’s nice enough to hang from the living room ceiling, next to the others that I have there. Just kidding, but if I had my way… Are any of you fans of 1970s mini bikes? If so, what did you have, or better yet, what do you have now?
This thing is like the ( Insert Cadillac, Lincoln, or Imperial, here) of mini bikes with that seat. It’s in great condition too. I’m thinking the chain guard being painted must have been a cost saving measure. ( Not that Scottys no stranger to chrome plating costs Ouch!!) Very nice mini bike.
Seller says they have never started it, or ridden it.
This is after we bolted lawnmower engines to wood frames and annoyed the neighborhood. This does look quite good considering the age and most were abused by young boys that only put gas in them. But steep asking price I think but hey there is always someone with the desire.
$2500 wow my son and I picked up a knockoff for 80 bucks he put a Suzuki 100 2 stroke in it and ‘sketchy’ is a understatement!
Glad i bought him dirtbikes instead of video games 😄
You can get a lot of motorcycle for $2500 this is grossly overpriced
This brings back so many memories. We were obsessed with mini bikes as kids and used to build them from scrap and old lawnmower engines. None of ours were as glamorous as this or other factory built bikes. So dangerous, but so fun. Great times.
Dominator! Whoa, THAT should be good for some sales alone. This has Rampart EMERGENCY all over it. Many found out, sitting so far back, while did wicked wheelies, made the front dangerously unresponsive. THEN,, that throttle cable, when you did hit the brush, it snagged on a branch causing full throttle, further complicating the situation. The folks knew the ER people by their 1st name, “Hi Fran? Just a heads up, junior is out on the mini-bike again”,,oh we took many a lump, but t’was all in good fun. I love the “idjit proof” on/off switch. I know, most gasp at the price, when these were made literally for nothing, and threw on the junkpile when the motor puked or a better bike was had, but make no mistake, mini-bikes were the foundation of many folks motorcycling, usually lasting a lifetime, and began right here. Great find, SG.
Quick trivia, what was the 1st thing to go off these? If you said the muffler, you were right. A piece of the old mans plumbing pipe screwed right in the head, and increased the HP to top fuel dragster levels,,,or at least it seemed,,,:)
Don’t forget about reaching down working the governor.
Only $2500 for a 4hp mini bike? The economy has recovered, I guess.
sadness! paid $2600 for my current 1974 Harley FXE in 91. still riding it. haven’t kicked it to life in five yrs. battery lasts three yrs? maybe i’ll put a pull starter on it?
Since my kids are younger than most of us older folks here. My kids started out on a Yamaha Big Wheels bought from a neighbor who’s kids were grown up and moved out. That thing went many years and provided countless hours of fun. Both kids grown now and have provided 1 grand child so far. Both kids still ride. The daughter rids a Zero (electric crotch rocket) and the son rides a BMW. They both blame me for their motorcycle habit.
Mini bike; Maxi price
I have 15 different mini bikes one mine one was A RUPP DID ANY ONE HAVE THAT
When the minibike-go-cart thing hit around 1964 every kid in the neighborhood was scrounging up old lawnmower engines to hang on rusty bicycle frames to blast up and down the block while trying to avoid attracting the cops. A few years later my brother was working at the local Sears and stole a Sears mini-bike. I took possession of it after he lost interest in it a few months later and went off to college. I kept it for another year and then sold it for $100. Afterward I was sorry I sold it. It was a good bike and a lot of fun.
I got a slightly used Honda Z50 for my birthday in ‘72. Restored it in 2019.will never sell it.