Diversification has always been a key ingredient of business. More than ever in this economy…So, Pro-One Performance, one of the leaders in supplying quality billet accessories for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, SUV and trucks is about to launch “California Scooter Company”, a line of top quality Scooters with attitude. inspired by the 1954 Mustang Scooter. I like very much the preview I got. Soon in my Blog – Orange County Chopper’s Paul Teutul Senior is working on producing the “Toyota Prius” of Choppers. He signed a deal with Schneider Electric to conceive an eco-friendly motorcycle using a parallel hybrid powertrain working under the same principle than a Prius model. The technology is provided by APC (American Power Conversion) a company specializing in “uninterruptible power supply” that Schneider Electric bought in 2007.
15 Responses to “Fast Motorcycle Industry News”
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“Scooters with attitude. inspired by the 1954 Mustang Scooter.”
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Now THAT would be a kit we all could live with. 🙂 Fits ages 14 to 104.
Of course I’m projecting that the scooter will look exactly like a Mustang (low rpm) 12hp “Stallion” with the artful two-piece tank and s/s center strip, rakish frame, smooth external flywheel, mello-tone barrel muffler (low or upswept), and smooth-shifting Burman 4-spd transmission.
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So, I’m expecting your “Mustang” inspired creation to look more like a Ridley® and I’ve prepared myself for it. I won’t knock your scooter and effort to get kids on one.
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My only regret would be that your new scooter won;t have a separate transmission from the motor. That trans/motor alignment requirement with the old Mustangs, made kids in the neighborhood have to think between themselves as to how best to adjust the Mustang to make them run smoothly. That knowledge was passed on to others in the parking lot of all Houston Jr. High Schools.
(see page 292 of Vol. 1.) Dennis Schoenfelt aligned his Berman to a Wisconsin pump motor he bought from a neighbor for 50 bucks (1957 $50.00 bucks 🙂
That build – allowed his dad to work Dennis in his roofing business, and the rest of the time Dennis threw a paper route with the rest of us, and he had to build that Wistang from mis-matched parts. Scooters kept kids out of trouble. Focused their little “troubles” on keeping their ride running. Didn’t hang out with the troublemakers.
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I’m sure your new scooter won’t have a kick-starter either, but that’s okay too.
In my early years of high school I owned a 1958 Mustang M-8 with all of about 13-14HP ….. I loved that bike! Later (while still in High School) I also owned a Cushman Eagle (don’t remember the year model of it just now – old age sucks!), I loved that bike as well! Hopefully Pro-One will keep these great memories alive and not build a Ridley Look-A-like! That would be very disappointing and an insult to Mustang!
Over & Out,
Jeff
It’s got possibilities.
Let’s pull in on that motor and trans…… have a closer look. Muffler might need to be change to more of the stock shape. It’s the first place your eyes go to, if you know the Bronco.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/California-Scooter-Company/114098438079
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2318271&id=114098438079
Here’s a better shot still. Change the seat to an OEM (Corbin® will probably make one). At least they painted the motor black out of respect for Glendale, CA.
Hey…wait a minute…. is that the guys “shoeless brake” thing on the front?
That rotary brake found another home?? 🙂
Kirk,
I think that’s a speedo drive, but not sure…
Yep, modern disc brake front and back.
RE:
“… inspired by the 1954 Mustang …”
Well, if they were “inspired” the same way VW inspired the new beetle or Ford inspired the new T-bird, then forget it………!
-nicker-
I agree. As the 3rd Charter once told me, “You have the original of anything…… and then you have a cheap copy. That’s it.”
Well, V-Twin® makes a pretty nice set of replica Knuckleheads, so we all know, with enough money and r&d you can re-create anything.
So, given the small amount of individual parts in an entire 1957 Mustang- wire wheeled “Stallion” only amount to what???? (52 total?) – [you can get the OEM Spare Parts catalog through the Mustang Club].
So, we know China makes nice crankcases (the oil fill riser on a Mustang case is a 3/4 x 2″ plumbing pipe nipple.) 🙂
They can cast magnetized flywheels and California Scooters® can add a True-Replica model to their line. They’ll have the model we’re looking at, [for kids whose parents are going to fast track them off to college and don’t want to learn from the in-line design of the old Mustangs].
A CalScoot replica model (from China parts) will retail for about 12K [for the kids who are going to learn a hands-on trade and work close to home for the rest of their lives].
Offer the Replica in a kit too – for less. Those (52 individual parts) are found within about (15) big parts that you’d need to assemble.
There’s people like Nace who know the same mfgrs. in China that V-Twin® hires.
Thank you for your interest in our new little scooter! It’s great to meet others who know and appreciate the original Mustang Scooter. We were inspired to not just restore the old Mustang, but build the scooter Mustang would have built if it stayed in business today. We were lucky enough to have our good friend, Jim “Jimbo” Cavanaugh – original production manager for Mustang Scooter in Glendale, CA – be our mentor every step of the way.
All of our bikes have solid steel construction, stainless steel brake rotors, braided stainless steel brake lines, billet aluminum front triple tree, hard chrome telescopic front suspension, 150 cc engine, 4-stroke single cylinder, both electric & kick start and are EPA/DOT/CARB approved. None of our parts are off the shelf. From the frames to the wheels to the front end – everything has been developed with new tooling for over a year and a half exclusively for California Scooter. All parts from oversees come from factories in Taiwan that we’ve done business with for over 25 years. These parts are shipped to the U.S. for final assembly in our factory in Pomona, CA. Our scooter will retail for under $5000 and be back by a 1 year parts replacement warranty.
The only thing more fun than building these bikes is hearing from people like you. Drop us a line at calscooterco@aol.com. If you’re in the Southern California area, stop by anytime & say HI! Jimbo will be here Tuesday (Sept 22nd)- meet the original Mustang production manager and take a test drive! Woohoo!
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“These parts are shipped to the U.S. for final assembly in our factory in Pomona, CA. Our scooter will retail for under $5000 and be back by a 1 year parts replacement warranty.”
Why can’t you have Taiwan pack them partially assembled in export quality boxes and don’t open the boxes when they arrive in Glendale – just shelve them and send them out like kits, not for California, with no assembly warranty.
Bad parts from the boxes get returned to you and you send qualified dud-parts back to Taiwan. (We operate like that with retrun books to Regent® in China, except we’ve never had a misprint from them. Only better than USA quality for what you pay for here.
[i.e; The facts from the the new world economy. It’s working just fine too. More of it.)
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“We were lucky enough to have our good friend, Jim “Jimbo” Cavanaugh – original production manager for Mustang Scooter in Glendale, CA – be our mentor every step of the way.”
Isn’t that the same as having William Harley today that you can actually talk to? How rare is that? Think about it.
With that in mind, please ask Jim how much it would cost your suppliers in Taiwan to re-create every single part (including the Burman transmission case and hardened gears) of a 1957 spoke-Stallion? (How many gears are in there anyway? (6 or 7) ? 🙂
Not as many as a ’36-64 Big Twin 4-speed box, that’s for sure. And their always in stock.
We as former Mustang owners, would like an estimated retail price, for the Stallion as fully assembled and a kit (both not to be sold in California).
The Mustang® belongs right next to the 1936 Knucklehead in American “thrift-of-chassis & internal parts” Design. There should be a Mustang in the Smithsonian.
I’d like to have a 1957 totally replica 1957 Stallion (solid or wire) 12hp steed in THIS life. 🙂
Hey Scooter Pros,
Great to see brand expansion in action.
You all got balls going after a totally untapped sector of our business.
Cheering for your success.
P.S. Can Harley-Davidson be far behind with their own scooter?
All the best.
BikerMarc
Holy Shit ! You got to be Joking ! $5,000 Dollars you mean US Dollars, not NTD’s Taiwan Dollars ! Good Luck Caloifonia Scooter Company, but either You are Paying Top Dollar for your Chinese Replicas. I know that when China ran Repoduction of the Famous “Honda Mini Trail 50cc and it was a Great Repoduction it was $1500 -$1800 and if your Price Point is more than $3,000 your are DONE! I mean Stick a Fork in it, done ! Doods, what are you thinking?? Bad enough the Terrible Economy, but $5G’s in America Sssssssshhhhiiiiittttt Man, you need to be in Dubai .