With the chain-driven, centrifugal clutch transmission removed, I opened the engine and located the black plastic gear that restricts top speed. First, I removed the speed governor, which requires cracking open the engine case. A box from showed up the next morning, and I got to work with coffee in hand. With everything unboxed in my garage, I set aside the front end, removed the camouflaged bodywork, and called it a night. The Coleman comes half assembled in a big-ass box that requires a truck or van or a back seat as spacious as a Maybach’s. The Coleman I raced in the Mini Moto Enduro, the CT200U, had a completely rigid frame, but my mini-bike, the EX model, has a standard front fork, which will surely be appreciated by my genitals. The clock started after I picked up my Coleman CT200U-EX. For me, the whole build would have to be completed in less than 72 hours. Fortunately, labor isn’t intensive and monetary investment is minimal, so it’s up to you to decide how much time you’re willing to commit to the project. Mini-bikes are fun, simple, silly machines, and putting too much time or money into one is dumb. To repay such kindnesses I wanted to build an enviable mini-bike, but I felt conflicted about that. My short-but-sweet parts list included a torque converter kit, an intake, and an exhaust, which I planned to buy for about $500 from, but mini-bike people are the nicest people in the world, and the crew at sent me everything at no cost. A few weeks later the folks at Coleman read my story about the event, enjoyed it well enough, and decided to give me a $600 Coleman CT200U-EX, available at your local Tractor Supply Co. I needed a Coleman CT200U after racing one at the 100-mile Gambler Mini Moto Enduro I had so much fun that I immediately started researching parts for my yet-to-exist mini-bike. If you need a reminder, ride a mini-bike. A cold shower on hot day, finding exact change in your pocket, a cat playing in an empty box. WORDS Chris Nelson IMAGES Chris Nelson & Embry Rucker

Coleman mini bike kit