Family friend was Howard Forest who was the chief engineer for Mustang. Thank they were called Gladden Industries or something like that. Brought back memories.
They weren't marketed as a mini bike. I turned 14 in 63 and it was pretty much the last hurrah of the Cushman and Mustang for us kids. We all wanted the new Honda. Actually, the old mustang took an adult to start it on a cold morning. In most states, you could start riding at 14 but there was usually a horsepower limit of 5-8 hp. Since nobody actually knew what the horsepower numbers were, if it was small and had only one cylinder, you could get away with it.
In 62 I had a Cushman Eagle, which was a pretty good bike, but I was really envious of the Mustangs, there were only a small handful in town and nobody going to high school had one. As far as Honda, I had never even seen a Honda till about 63 when someone brought one in for some kind of service at the local motorcycle shop, it was quite an object of curiosity with its dramatically flared plastic fenders and stamped frame. I had heard the name Honda mentioned but never actually seen one before that. A few years later I bought my first Honda, an S90, the old motorcycle shop now sold Honda's in place of Cushman and Jawa.
I'm 76 but really familiar with these. In 1968 I scratch built a suspension minibike tight around a 350cc Jawa motorcycle engine with 2 cylinders and 4 speed tranny, added lights and licensed it with a Cushman scooter title. Love the stereo sound of a minibike with dual exhausts/home made mufflers... and what seemed like unlimited power... neighbor kids laughed at my pop riveted together mufflers... but later they came from the factory that way on motorcycles!
That is gorgeous! I wanted one when I was going to school,really bad! But,my parents didn't have the extra money to buy me one,but i still would love to have one,regardless of my age now!
We had one with a 25 hp 500cc NSU Konsul II engine in it. Indian Warrior 18" Rear wheel 16" Ducati 125 Front Wheel Chrome peanut tank from CZ or somewhere... Pillion Seat Meant to be a speedway racer.... Named: UGONDA It was U-gone-dous... Wheelie KING! Actually handled NICE on smooth pavement.. Two up was fine... GOT LOOKS at our Sebring 12 Hours, 1968.... AS A ONE OF! Thump thump thump 86mph at The Tampa DragWay 16.3 sec. 103 mph flying quarter... Out on our Eight Mile Dead end.. SR.579... 5500 rpm flat out.... My cousin Oscar R. sold the thing for $25 recently... Computer illiterate... FOOL! J.C.
What a good looking bike, wish it was mine.
Family friend was Howard Forest who was the chief engineer for Mustang. Thank they were called Gladden Industries or something like that. Brought back memories.
They weren't marketed as a mini bike. I turned 14 in 63 and it was pretty much the last hurrah of the Cushman and Mustang for us kids. We all wanted the new Honda. Actually, the old mustang took an adult to start it on a cold morning. In most states, you could start riding at 14 but there was usually a horsepower limit of 5-8 hp. Since nobody actually knew what the horsepower numbers were, if it was small and had only one cylinder, you could get away with it.
In 62 I had a Cushman Eagle, which was a pretty good bike, but I was really envious of the Mustangs, there were only a small handful in town and nobody going to high school had one. As far as Honda, I had never even seen a Honda till about 63 when someone brought one in for some kind of service at the local motorcycle shop, it was quite an object of curiosity with its dramatically flared plastic fenders and stamped frame. I had heard the name Honda mentioned but never actually seen one before that. A few years later I bought my first Honda, an S90, the old motorcycle shop now sold Honda's in place of Cushman and Jawa.
I'm 76 but really familiar with these. In 1968 I scratch built a suspension minibike tight around a 350cc Jawa motorcycle engine with 2 cylinders and 4 speed tranny, added lights and licensed it with a Cushman scooter title. Love the stereo sound of a minibike with dual exhausts/home made mufflers... and what seemed like unlimited power... neighbor kids laughed at my pop riveted together mufflers... but later they came from the factory that way on motorcycles!
That is gorgeous! I wanted one when I was going to school,really bad! But,my parents didn't have the extra money to buy me one,but i still would love to have one,regardless of my age now!
Nice Model 8!
very nice.. tiny bit of tuning and it's first rate !
We had one with a 25 hp 500cc NSU Konsul II engine in it.
Indian Warrior 18" Rear wheel
16" Ducati 125 Front Wheel
Chrome peanut tank from CZ or somewhere...
Pillion Seat
Meant to be a speedway racer....
Named:
UGONDA
It was U-gone-dous...
Wheelie KING!
Actually handled NICE on smooth pavement..
Two up was fine...
GOT LOOKS at our Sebring 12 Hours, 1968....
AS A ONE OF!
Thump thump thump
86mph at The Tampa DragWay 16.3 sec.
103 mph flying quarter...
Out on our Eight Mile Dead end..
SR.579...
5500 rpm flat out....
My cousin Oscar R. sold the thing for $25 recently...
Computer illiterate... FOOL!
J.C.
Probably still cold. He had just started it.
why is the idle set at 2500 RPM ?? seems to have a problem with the carburetion; the engine doesn't pull cleanly from down low.
might be 900 sure isn't 2500 !
Back in the day when the government didn't have their boot on are throat all the time
Go lard ass goooo...