Question:

I am restoring a Keystone minibike for nostalgia reasons. They were sold here in Canada in the early 70's and featured a TAS Tanaka two stroke engine. Any info or parts sources appreciated.

Answers:

From our Friends at Tanaka ISM:
Tanaka produced engines for the Keystone mini-bikes in the late sixties. Keystone was based in Richmond, BC and marketed the bikes primarily through auto part stores in Western Canada. There were approximately 13,500 bikes built, and there were two variants - the 6000 and the 6500. Both engines were identical however. The bikes have somewhat of a cult following and many are being restored for display in dens and offices.

The engine was unique to Keystone, and when production ceased, the tooling was delivered to Keystone and no spares were produced beyond that. The only relief is that some of the top end parts are common to a generator that Tanaka produced well into the seventies. It was Tanaka model DEG-600, and common to the mini-bike engine were; starter assembly, piston, piston rings, piston pin, piston pin circlips, cylinder base gasket, and cylinder. Many of these are out of production now as well (cylinders for example), and there is continued demand from Keystone customers. Crankcase parts are no longer available from Tanaka, and Tanaka was never involved in the chassis parts, and therefore we are not a resource for frames, fenders, exhaust pipes, etc.