In 1959, in Alhambra California, the STEEN'S Chemical company had started Specializing in Synthetic oil (possibly the first all synthetic oil, not to be confused with Ersatz oils) and 2 stroke oil. From there STEEN'S moved into selling parts and supplies for Midgets, Motorcycles and Go-Karts. The Go-Kart hobby was growing so fast that Go-Kart companies were popping up all over the country and STEEN'S had become one of the countries largest Go-Kart suppliers offering most all of these companies parts for sale all in one catalog.
Of course, the Go-Kart Manufacturing company was one of several Go-Karts and parts STEEN'S sold in their catalog. This was the first company to mass-produce these vehicles and actually named the "Go-Kart". The Go-Kart Manufacturing company started in 1957 and was the leader of the hobby. In 1958 The Go-Kart Manufacturing company had introduced the Go-Kart Cycle and they offered two different models. The Enduro with a Clinton A400; 2 Stroke; 2 1/2hp engine and the Scrambler with a West Bend 580; 2 Stroke, 4hp engine. This was truly the first Mini Bike, but it would not be classified as one until Rod and Custom would name the Mini Bike in the Nov. 1960 issue. STEEN'S only offered the Go-Kart Manufacturing Mini Bike in their catalog. Not that there were many mini bikes to chose from at the time, but the demand was almost as great for the Mini Bike as it was the Go-Kart at the time. The STEEN'S Chemical company knew this very well from their Mini Bike orders. By 1962 the Go-Kart Manufacturing company had gone bankrupt. The company had grown so fast in the five years it existed that it financially over-extended itself into bankruptcy.
In 1962 in Los Angeles California, the Flexo Products company, a newer and much smaller catalog like STEEN'S, purchased The Go Kart ManufacturingCompany’s patents, tool and dies for all their Go-Karts and Mini Bikes. The STEEN'S Chemical company now decided it was time for them to manufacture their own Mini Bike. STEEN'S based their decision on the large number of orders they had received for Mini Bikes. Everyone was crazy about Go-Karts and there were hundreds of companies competing for the Go-Kart market, but not that many Mini Bike companies yet.
In the 1963 STEEN'S Chemical company catalog #4, STEEN'S introduced the Series 1
Mini Bike. Just one original design frame model to choose from, but there were various engines, shocks, and rim opinions. A very similar package to the Go-Kart company’s Enduro and Scrambler Mini Bikes. STEEN'S would eventually go on to produce 10 different Mini Bike models. Mini Bikes were so popular that Japanese motorcycle companies Honda and Kawasaki would copy two models. Honda would copy the
with the Z50 and Kawasaki would first copy the
and 
wth the Coyote and then the with the MT1. Unfortunately, with the onslaught of these new mini trail bikes(not mini bikes) and the Go Kart hobby slowing down STEEN'S would close in the late 1970’s and, just like the Muscle Cars, this was the end of an era.
Mini Bike History