Snarley Bill Posted February 5, 2011 Share #1 Posted February 5, 2011 for all you old timers that are somewhat mechanically inclined looking for a great hobby. try a cushman scooter out for size. i've been reliving my childhood memories for quite a few years building and restoring cushmans. i started riding cushmans back in the 50's and have never lost my love for them. there are some very neat and fast cushmans out there that will easily top 100 mph and blow the doors off alot of motorcycles. you ain't lived till you put a harley in the weeds on a motor scooter. been there done that. i'm building a sleeper now with a very warmed over harbor freight motor and cvt drive. it should top out around 85 mph. it is a 1958 pacemaker, a model i wanted since i was a kid. check out some of the cushman sights for more info. just punch in cushman scooter and have a ball reliving the old days. there is a meet in portland indiana, in july, every year, with thousands of antique scooters and motor bikes for sale, at the fairgrounds. if you need any info on meets or cushmans just give me a holler. us old timers are slowly dying off and we, (the cushman folks), want to keep the interest alive. bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted February 5, 2011 Share #2 Posted February 5, 2011 Yea yea yea....and where are the pictures of the one you've been working on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreezyRider Posted February 5, 2011 Share #3 Posted February 5, 2011 Hey Bill, are you coming to the Portland meet this year? It's only 25 miles from me, I'll plan on meeting you there if you're coming. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvester Posted February 5, 2011 Share #4 Posted February 5, 2011 I cut my teeth on two Cushmans. One was a step through model with the stick on the left. It was too sissy for me so I did some swapping and wound up with a motorcycle style Cushman with wind screen and jocky shift. Had a lot of fun on that one but I don't remember what models they were. I know the second was not a Silver Eagle, but it may have been an Eagle. This was all in the late 50's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldgoat Posted February 5, 2011 Share #5 Posted February 5, 2011 can you just see the look on a persons face if a meter maid caught up to you doing say 70mph with a cushman scooter? i would trade in my pontiac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted February 5, 2011 Share #6 Posted February 5, 2011 If I had the $ back then, it would have been a Salsbury. As a step-through scooter I think they were the slickest thing on the road. Had a (farmer) friend that had the cash to afford one, man that thing was fast. Unfortunately my budget in the early to mid fifties was lucky to handle a used Schwinn! Finally got my 1st car in '56, a '47 Chevy, paid $75 for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hummingbird Posted February 5, 2011 Share #7 Posted February 5, 2011 My first was a Whizzer motor bike then graduated to a Cushman. What a ride !! trying to remember - I think I was about 12 or 13 years old. didn't know anything about license, nobody cared Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubber Posted February 6, 2011 Share #8 Posted February 6, 2011 My first was a Whizzer motor bike then graduated to a Cushman. What a ride !! trying to remember - I think I was about 12 or 13 years old. didn't know anything about license, nobody cared Just how the heck old are you ? LMAO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarley Bill Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted February 6, 2011 Yea yea yea....and where are the pictures of the one you've been working on? don, you know what a computer wizard i ain't. i have a load of pic's but not on my computer. maybe the neighbor lady will help me load them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarley Bill Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted February 6, 2011 Hey Bill, are you coming to the Portland meet this year? It's only 25 miles from me, I'll plan on meeting you there if you're coming. Joe hey joe, my buddy and i are planning on going to portland again this year. i need to do a little shopping for another project for next winter. linda says take your choice retire again or do another project. retirement seems to be winning out. the toys may have to take a side line. lol see you at portland buddy. i will give you a date and a meeting place when it gets closer. bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarley Bill Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share #11 Posted February 6, 2011 If I had the $ back then, it would have been a Salsbury. As a step-through scooter I think they were the slickest thing on the road. Had a (farmer) friend that had the cash to afford one, man that thing was fast. Unfortunately my budget in the early to mid fifties was lucky to handle a used Schwinn! Finally got my 1st car in '56, a '47 Chevy, paid $75 for it. the salsbury was way ahead of it's time in styling so was not very popular. they are fairly rare compared to cushmans and demand a high price now. they had the first cvt drive which salsbury invented. they sold the patent rights for the drive to comet industries who inturn built the comet clutch, which is used on golf carts, and in many industrial applications. us cushman guys use alot of comet clutches on our scooters. usually with a briggs v-twin vanguard in the eagles. i have built several and am using a comet clutch in my latest project using a 13 hp harbor freight honda clone engine. i have built the engine using many honda aftermarket race parts, billet rod, cam, springs, ported and milled head, and a mikuni flat slide carb, etc.. it should put out about 25 hp. plenty of power to keep a 250 pound scoot up to highway cruising speed. also have the added luxury of an electric starter. it was like packing a 10lb bag of crap in a 5lb. bag. from the outside it will look almost original. when i started the project i just wanted a cheap rider. as usual i got carried away and i think it tops any project i have ever done. lots of engineering, metal fabricating, and machining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorty Posted April 28, 2014 Share #12 Posted April 28, 2014 I know this is an old posting but since I sold my 88 VR I bought a 1949 Cushman Pacemaker and am looking for an modern engine to put in it and stumbled across this posting. I told my family that I'd stop riding motorcycles when I turned 70, the next day I sold the Venture. You can't believe how hard it was for me to do that. Anyway I also told them that I wanted to end my 2 wheel motorized riding on a 1946 Cushman like the one I started with in 1959; this 1949 will do the trick, and looks just like the other one but in rough shape. And no Bubber I'm not too old to ride but a promise is a promise. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddy Posted April 28, 2014 Share #13 Posted April 28, 2014 Thks Tom for this post as it brings back a big smile ! As you stated your looking info for your new hobby and hot rod I can tell You Bill's Chusman dint look like a Chusman but when he was done Lord it was Beautiful I was afraid to sit on it look showroom new! Get with Bill I bet he knows what you need last I talked to Bill he was still doing the Chusman meets mater of fact Peg & I will be seeing him & Linda next month Oh by the way his Chusman is a sleeper !!!! Buddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowpuc Posted April 28, 2014 Share #14 Posted April 28, 2014 Wow!!! Thanks Shorty for opening another can of memories for me!!! I too have always LOVED Cushmans.. I can also relate to your feelings about stopping the riding of the motorcycles.. After just shy of 40 years of Motocrossing/Harescrambling/Enduro riding, Cross Country single tracking, Ice Racing, and just flat LOVING dirtbikes I had to give them up on a promise I made.. My Neuro Surgeon made me promise I would if he put my back back together after a bad car accident.. He fixed my back, I am able to walk again and, Like you, though very difficult, I have kept that promise!! Shifting gears like you have done is not easy and I commend you for it!! Here are a couple pics of a Cushman look alike I finished up a few years ago.. Although it didnt have the little "lift and kick" kicker or a tank shift or make the really cool grumbly sound (thats how I described them as a kid) as the real deal, thing came out cool and was a blast to ride!!! The Cushman world is HUGE, highly collectable and a LOT of fun.. Not cheap though,, I have seen em go for a lot more than some very nice modern day touring bikes!!! About a motor,, I too have used Harbor Freight stuff, Vanguard twins are cool too.. I personally have always wanted to play with a little Diesel tied to a seperate tranny on a Cushman platform (some pretty neat lil diesel motors that ran generators in semi's - wink wink)... Good luck in your endeavor how ever you decide to approach it!!! Puc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwrmcusn Posted April 28, 2014 Share #15 Posted April 28, 2014 My first taste of biking was on a Cushman. It was red and I was pretty sure I was the cat's meow on that thing! On really steep hills I had to give it a little leg power assistance sometime. That little scooter was the beginning of a lifelong love of bikes and trikes for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubber Posted April 28, 2014 Share #16 Posted April 28, 2014 I know this is an old posting but since I sold my 88 VR I bought a 1949 Cushman Pacemaker and am looking for an modern engine to put in it and stumbled across this posting. I told my family that I'd stop riding motorcycles when I turned 70, the next day I sold the Venture. You can't believe how hard it was for me to do that. Anyway I also told them that I wanted to end my 2 wheel motorized riding on a 1946 Cushman like the one I started with in 1959; this 1949 will do the trick, and looks just like the other one but in rough shape. And no Bubber I'm not too old to ride but a promise is a promise. Tom Hey Tom, Your never to old to enjoy what you love. A promise is a promise but who makes you give up what you love? Best of all to you Tom. Make sure we see the final project when your done. Hope to see you at Pork in the Pines again or Iowa. Respectfully Bubber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarley Bill Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share #17 Posted April 28, 2014 I know this is an old posting but since I sold my 88 VR I bought a 1949 Cushman Pacemaker and am looking for an modern engine to put in it and stumbled across this posting. I told my family that I'd stop riding motorcycles when I turned 70, the next day I sold the Venture. You can't believe how hard it was for me to do that. Anyway I also told them that I wanted to end my 2 wheel motorized riding on a 1946 Cushman like the one I started with in 1959; this 1949 will do the trick, and looks just like the other one but in rough shape. And no Bubber I'm not too old to ride but a promise is a promise. Tom thats like the first cushman i had 60 years ago. gave $15.00 for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorty Posted April 29, 2014 Share #18 Posted April 29, 2014 Pork in the Pines............ that's 300 miles away @ 35 mph... let's see.. 9 hours New Hampton Ia............ that's 70 miles away @ 35 mph..... it's only 2 hours away:cool10: I haven't given up the idea of getting a Bergman which will go 110 mph:whistling: I wonder what my family would think of that? Bubber... my old Venture was sold to a Preacher NE of Anoka just off of hwy 47, maybe you'll see it sometime. buddy...... his Cushman is a sleeper.... tell me more about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syscrusher Posted April 29, 2014 Share #19 Posted April 29, 2014 A friend of mine back in the day had a Cushman that looked kind of like a little Harley with a go-kart engine on it. Two speed, he would start up normally and then shift at around 20mph and he was gone. It always made me feel bad that he was able to do that to me no matter what I was riding. Never took it to the highway with him and I realize that I was letting him get the jump on me every time but the snap into high gear seemed amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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