Model 765 Barrel Spring Eagle made from 1950 to 1954Posted on 08/31/2012 2:08:33 PM PDT by djone
Cushman was one of the few manufacturers of motorized vehicles permitted to continue civilian production during World War II, as its products were considered "energy savers" for those needing transportation to and from work. During this time, and on into the postwar years, many a motorcycle enthusiast cut their riding teeth on a Cushman.
Model 765 Barrel Spring Eagle made from 1950 to 1954
(Excerpt) Read more at auto.howstuffworks.com ...
Thanks Western Phil, I didn’t know this : ......”The Easy Manufacturing Company, owned by father and son John and Charles Ammon, merged with Cushman in 1934. The firm made farm implements in Lincoln and had previously purchased castings from Cushman.
In 1935 a youngster in search of spare parts brought a scooter to the Cushman plant. Powered by an old Cushman washing machine motor, the scooter intrigued owner Charles Ammon, who thought it might make an ideal product. The first Cushman motor scooter came out in 1936, and sales boomed.
I wouldn’t mind one for puttering around the neighbourhood.
LOL / Fair enough. — I've been talking with my grandpa and he was telling me about how he was astounded when he moved to Idaho because of the high gasoline prices: $0.35/Gal [IIRC].
Personally I had a Whizzer but a friend of mine took a mustang and put a Harley engine in it, it was one hot machine!
I had the same model w/o the sidecar during highschool, had a slipping clutch, no shifting, was great.
I too lusted for a Cushman back then. But my parents said: “No, far too expensive. You can walk or use your paper route money to buy a bike.” I settled for a hard-earned Schwinn.
Mine had a 2 speed gearbox.
My parents were dirt poor when I was growing up and a Cushman Eagle was the only vehicle we had. It was the early sixties and I remember riding on the gas tank as a toddler. Mom rode on the back. No helmets for anyone. I remember being afraid of the spinning flywheel when getting on it and making Dad kill the engine before I would get near it. It got stolen several times. Once the police woke us up at three in the morning to tell us they had recovered it and we didn’t even know it had been stolen. This was in Nashville Tn. and it gets cold in the winter.
I had a friend that put a Triumph 650 engine in a Mustang.
The early Hondas are still around, though given the number that were produced, you would think there would be more out and about. I rode a Honda 50 through most of high school (mid ‘60’s) and had two Trail 90’s that I was going to restore but ending up selling several months ago. Parts are plentiful. Runnning 50’s and 90’s can be had for under $1000.00. Still fun bikes!!
Cushman, Mustang, doodlebug, and Whizzer was some old school stuff. By 1965, Honda had put all 4 in the grave, if not sooner. My first ride was a 1964 Honda sport 50 (49cc).
http://www.mopedarmy.com/photos/brand/22/540/
Here’s the 62 version and this is closer to what mine looked like:
http://www.cmsnl.com/community/vehicles/Honda/CA110_SPORT_50_US/1962/4590.html
A couple years later(1964) Honda began producing the S65(65cc) and the S90(90cc). These were fantastic bikes far far superior to anything ever built before in that class. The S90 would do 65MPH and get nearly 100MPG and simply did NOT break down. The sport 50 would do 45+MPH and get something between 100 and 200MPG. The American scooters just did not have a chance.
I remember back in HS there were 4 or 5 Cushman Eagles
parked over at the edge of the parking lot.A buddy of
mine did the same thing,pulling the wire and putting
in his pocket
What was those things about 8hp
That was the only bike I never desired
When Honda came out with their bikes I bought
models from the 160 to two Gold Wings
The early Hondas are still around, though given the number that were produced, you would think there would be more out and about. I rode a Honda 50 through most of high school (mid ‘60’s) and had two Trail 90’s that I was going to restore but ending up selling several months ago. Parts are plentiful. Runnning 50’s and 90’s can be had for under $1000.00. Still fun bikes!!
Actually China is 6% car ownership and moving up fast, because they are building twice what the US does. I think the Chinese have a very different economic plan than Cuba.
“Cushman, Mustang, doodlebug, and Whizzer was some old school stuff.”
In 1945 a Whizzer was pretty hot stuff for an 8 year old to do my paper route on!!!
There is an Eagle that I see at shows around here that has a HD 883 running gear that looks like it came that way.
I did my paper route, at age 10, on a honda sport 50. Mustangs were impressive for their day, especially the 4 speed models...but they had a substantially larger displacement. 300-400 cc. Cushman had pretty good power but only had a 2 speed transmission, tiny wheels, and were quite heavy for what they were.
When I was driving in the late 1950s in Dallas (in high school), gas was 17 cents a gallon. Later in 1968-69, I had a ‘68 VW Beetle and gas was then up to 27-29 cents a gallon.
When about 10 y/o, a neighbor two houses up my block had what was probably a late 1940s-1950 Cushman Eagle. It was one of those with the broad rear that covered the gas tank and had a small storage space (I think). ....Anyway, it was near July 4th and fireworks weren’t sold in our part of town. He was the oldest of four kids and had taught me to ride a bike, play baseball, hunt in nearby woods, etc., so when he asked me to ride with him about 5 miles across the river to buy firecrackers I said yes!
We bought so many firecrackers and fireworks that the ride home was a little scary, because I had to hold the big bag and hang on to him, while not burning my leg on the exhaust... but it is a good memory. .....Thanks for stirring up my old memory cells!! ......I’d like to find one of those Eagles in good working condition NOW.
What is it about these wheels that makes me keep coming back to look at your pics? I’ve been looking at vids on youtube also. Vids of modern small displacement bikes that I would like have...especially if I was 10 years old again.
If I was to buy a set of wheels for a 10 year old today, it would be this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iStvQflJYE&feature=related
But I think everyone on this thread needs to check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMob7BqMDu0&feature=related
CALIFORNIA SCOOTER COMPANY...it looks like a modern incarnation of a classic mustang! I can’t wait to tell all my motorcycle buddies!
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