FL BMX COP
May 23 2006, 02:11 PM
I always thought the early Yellow and Gold SE days were the coolest, and was a big Stu Thomsen fan during that era. I even had a birthday cake from that time done with an early SE Stu picture on it. I've been working on collecting parts for this project for a while, and it still has a few imperfections that I am working on but here it is.
BMX Action pic June 1978:
My bike pic May 2006:
Color pic from same issue of BMX Action:
Color pic of my bike from today:
A few things that I'm still working on are recreating the NBA sticker in the upper corner of the plate, getting some more era correct SE stickers, and debating what to do about trying to find that brake lever that Stu seemed to have used for years (the one in the color pic). There are about 3 different versions of this bike in the same article, including one with Yellow Tuff 1's. All the number plate stickers (except the SE), and the PRO sticker on the top tube pad were all hand cut by me. Whatta ya think?
Greg
[ May 23, 2006, 04:12 PM: Message edited by: FL BMX COP ]
SANDER
May 23 2006, 02:15 PM
AMAZING! Incredible and with no doubt gooooood looking. I can help you perhaps with that lever if you want. Will take a look for you.
msalyers
May 23 2006, 02:16 PM
very impressive greg! you rock!
mike
Evan
May 23 2006, 02:20 PM
Nicely done! I seem to recall Stu saying that the lever was a motrocycle lever of some sort. Anyone else remember that?
bmxbuzz
May 23 2006, 02:23 PM
That is killer! What a cool bike to replicate. I hope Stu sees this. Great job!!! Is yours a "long" Mongoose as well?
DR. OLD SCHOOL BMX
May 23 2006, 02:26 PM
Awesome Greg!! I love the passion that you have. On a side note, WTF Sander is back!!!! Wow, I guess you can actually rise from the grave.
meatpie
May 23 2006, 02:42 PM
Now that's a nice looking SE errrr Mongoose!
Scott Loveless
May 23 2006, 02:59 PM
Wow! Incredible job! That is a REALLY cool bike. Nice work on the decals too!
As Evan stated above Stu used an old Honda CR-125 brake lever Kustom bent of course. Here's a link to a nice set on the Bay now.
Honda levers If you miss those there are always repros on ebay. You will have to find a CR-125 brake lever perch to mount the lever to.
AndyDiamond
May 23 2006, 03:01 PM
Very impressive, especially for the historical aspect.
FL BMX COP
May 23 2006, 03:42 PM
Here's the birthday cake from about 1978-1979 that was the inspiration for the build.
Greg
kdw 712
May 23 2006, 03:46 PM
wow that is so cool
really like that a lot
pk ripped
May 23 2006, 04:03 PM
One of the most impressive and original builds (the idea that is) that I have seen in a long time!! VERY cool Greg!! Just a killer build!! WOW!!
avalanchefan
May 23 2006, 05:21 PM
DANG ! ABSOLUTLY KILLER ! AWESOME CAKE ! WHAT A ROCKFORD CONTENDER THIS WOULD BE !
Code Blue
May 23 2006, 05:24 PM
SWEET! I LOVE IT!
JohnnyRingo
May 23 2006, 05:50 PM
Kudos to you my man. Very nice!
S.Brothers
May 23 2006, 06:19 PM
That's a great build... very cool motivation for it too!
Steve
Fergie
May 23 2006, 06:58 PM
Greg-
Your Stu-SE-'goose is totally BOSS!
You gotta find that lever! - I remember reading somewhere in was from an XR75, but if you look real close, I think it is mounted in an Weinmann or Shimano clamp housing. He seemed to use that lever clear thru the SE and some of the Red Line years...and I think Stu said on here at one point, that the last bike it was on was stolen ..
We must be from the same era/age, I remember staring at those same pics and I too have the Complete mag collection too(although I gave up on plus!).
I had a fetish for the 43 plate he used before that one and tried to duplicate my # of 53 in the same style. His was a Haro (orginal factory plate)Preston Petty Plate, I'm pretty sure..
There was another totally boss full-color earlier shot of him on that bike in BMXA with the Bel-Ray jersey and red B rims. It's a profile shot( I'm sure you know it). I think he had the Yellow "SE Racing Divisions" decal on the dwn tube.-Maybe Tim L might have a few more of those to auction??
Again-sweet build, Greg..
signed -Greg..
mayhem40
May 23 2006, 07:02 PM
That is one of the most original builds I've ever seen on here. I think the hand cut numbers and decals really show what can be done with a little hard work and ingenuity. I think my build for Rockford 2007 is going to require some of the same ingenuity. I hope you can bring it to Rockford this year.
jpbmxfool
May 23 2006, 07:17 PM
yo thats hella rad bike!!!
Spicoli
May 23 2006, 07:22 PM
awesome bike, I dig the cake too...
TIM
May 23 2006, 07:25 PM
scratch one off my build list... no point. that one is killer!
BMX2112
May 23 2006, 07:31 PM
very nice job!
Chris B
May 23 2006, 07:40 PM
Very Cool Greg! CB
FL BMX COP
May 23 2006, 08:00 PM
Thanks for all the compliments guys! This project has been in the works for about the last year and a half. Sorry, for taking one off of your list Tim. We must have similar taste in 70's builds! Trying to find the right seat was a biggie (it's a mid 70's Grand Prix). Fergie, that picture you are talking about is in the April issue. It looks like he has Redline (leading axle) forks, and a few more Mongoose stickers on the frame. That bike also has what appears to be a Haro cut number plate, but with more square numbers. Also in that issue is the ad that I took the cake picture from. I'm gonna post both of them tomorrow. Trust me, I looked at every configuration of that particular bike that I could find before starting this build. The version that I did looked the most "do-able" based on the photographs that I have seen.
Greg
Keep_It_Warm
May 23 2006, 08:11 PM
Greg....like I said in the Rockford ROLL CALL thread....you should REALLY try to get some of your bikes to Rockford. You've posted some AMAZING bikes that would make the Best 70's 20" class totally BLOW UP!
Evan
May 23 2006, 08:40 PM
quote:
There was another totally boss full-color earlier shot of him on that bike in BMXA with the Bel-Ray jersey and red B rims. It's a profile shot( I'm sure you know it).
Heard that!
I'm continually amazed that Stu ran an Addicks sprocket in this era. I mean, the man could lay down the power and those things were notoriously weak.
Jeff Utterback
May 23 2006, 09:05 PM
Alighnment and chain tension was the trick...
And swapping them out every race.
Who has any brown ones? I dyed those myself!
Randy
May 23 2006, 09:12 PM
That plate, holy crap, that musta been fun to see it come alive.
I love to nit-pic these replica builds just because we can see the original, but I won't, thats a sweet early goose whether Stu raced one like it or not.
I also have always wanted to build that bike....well done!
Randy
May 23 2006, 09:14 PM
Jeff, I have an odd inbetween colored Addicks, I've never known what color to call it but it's more beige than brown. 45t.
COASTY
May 23 2006, 10:00 PM
What a cool build. Until I came on here a while back, I had no idea he even rode a SE-goose! This place has all the history right here.
One thing about that last pic, is that a decoster frame? Bit hard to tell but it looks like one.
scottTowne
May 24 2006, 12:02 AM
Now that is what I'm talking about! Straight up Bicycle Motocross Action memories. Beautiful and perfect. Good work.
Gooser
May 24 2006, 12:32 AM
Yeah, that last shot does look like a DeCoster...I know he's moving fast and it's blurred, but hmmm.
That replica is AMAZING. Right up there with the Buff replicas and the Stu Redlines and Towne's BMXA #1 cover bike. Nutso.
The handle in the photos looks like a bent Weinmann to me. But if you guys say it came off a Honda, I'll defer. It's weird that in that last shot he looks like he's got a rear caliper and a coaster...
I'd love to hear Stu chime in on that bike...
rhoads157
May 24 2006, 12:28 PM
So would this frame that he used be just a std Mongoose or a Team Mongoose frame with the
non prism decals? I am not a Mongoose expert on the metals used for their frames even though I raced a Team Goose for several years.
Where is Stu at on this thread. Maybe I will find his email on the board and let him know about it.
One of the best topics ever on the board as well as one of the best builds too!
Awesome job!!!!!!!!!!!!
_David
FL BMX COP
May 24 2006, 01:05 PM
This was a Mongoose "long" that slightly pre-dated the Team Mongoose. It has brake bridge, but it also has the coaster brake tab. In the color pic the Kos is riding what looks to be an early Team 'Goose. I've seen picture of the early Team models that still had the coaster brake tab on them.
Greg
[ May 24, 2006, 07:33 PM: Message edited by: FL BMX COP ]
scottTowne
May 24 2006, 08:19 PM
This was the pinnicle of BMX trickness. The bikes were all different and lots of experimentation was still going on. By 1980, things kind of starting becoming all the same. Even though the Mongoose was probably the most generic of all BMX frames, it set the standard for durability and longevity in the market. It's also interesting that there are more Mongoose stickers on Stu's bike in the second photo. I know Stu rode a Mongoose for their contingency program. I wonder if they made him add some stickers? Probably. Think about that, the number one racer at the time, "sponsored" by SE, wearing a Bel-Ray jersey and riding a Mongoose. So cool.
Also, thanks for the props on the Super Stroker cover bike. The California Cup plate on that was all hand-cut as well. That was probably the toughest part of the build--besides dealing with Brian Lewis.
Stu Thomsen
May 24 2006, 10:03 PM
Skip had a hard time paying the contingency monies. Something about no mongoose decal. But everone knew what it was. I even had a famous beer label on the front for a while. The lever was some pos steel thing. It was stamped with a hollow ball end that I was always brazing back on after a crash or two. The lever was on a bike that was stolen from race in NJ. The locals got the bike back the following week minus the lever. Great build. Everyone of you guys are top notch in my book. Keep up the good work preserving the history of bmx.
Stu
FL BMX COP
May 24 2006, 10:13 PM
Scott,
Your views about the early days of BMX are right in line with mine. The 1980's became a little too "high tech" for me, and bikes started to lose some of their character. Even though I kept racing until I got married in 1985, the pre-1980 era of BMX is what really meant a lot to me. This bike and the Brian Lewis Two Wheeler's epitomize those early days for me. Even though those bikes are very simple by 80's standards they still seemed pretty tricked out to me at the time. Thanks for the compliments on the bike Stu!
Greg
Randy
May 24 2006, 11:09 PM
Please explain how you know it's a "long" frame. Whats the toptube length and the serial number?
As I know it, the "standard" and Team Mongoose frame had an 18.5 tt and the 75-78 "shorty" model had a 16.5 tt. The standard frame began in 1976, I have one in each size.
The short model was offered through 1978 in either the Motomag frame or the DeCoster, everything else until 1981 has 18.5 tt including Moto-Trac, Racer-X, Team Jag, Team Mongoose and every other "standard" motomag and DeCoster.
Hope this isn't confusing matters, I'm just curious if you have something longer than 18.5 as I guessing a few may have been made even longer for team riders and guys worthy enough like Stuart.
Ted Carl
May 25 2006, 12:14 AM
Very nice work Greg!
It is totally cool that guys like Scott, can come up with ideas on the brake levers at the drop of the hat, and can find the parts that quick, and everyone follows up (including Stu) and volunteers more, and more, info like that!
Hats off Greg, that's a sweet build!
[ May 25, 2006, 04:26 AM: Message edited by: Ted Carl ]
jesboogie
May 25 2006, 06:51 AM
Killer bike, I like!
Jesse D
akcuda
May 25 2006, 08:03 AM
Now that's cool to see--well done! Great idea for a build
mattes
May 25 2006, 09:26 AM
the bike is a beauty.
FL BMX COP
May 25 2006, 10:46 AM
Randy,
I think that the "long" frame is just what you said, a 18.5" top tube. But up until 1978 the standard Mongoose frame was the shorter top tube. I think the use of the word "long" was just to separate it from the 16.5" top tube bike. When the 18.5" top tube became the norm, it just wasn't called a "long" frame anymore. I tried to compare the black and white side view picture of the bike with the side view shot that I took, and I can't see any difference in the top tube lengths. The top tube on my bike is the 18.5" tt. I'm not enough of a Mongoose expert to know if there was ever a longer, "long" frame ever built. Here is a scan from the 1978 Schwinn catalon showing a DeCoster frame available as a "standard" and "long" version.
Greg
[ May 25, 2006, 01:09 PM: Message edited by: FL BMX COP ]
Nic Johnson99
May 25 2006, 09:49 PM
wow...hand cut decals to match. Amazing attention to details. Really awesome.
motomags
May 26 2006, 09:02 AM
Now that is what I am talking about! Replica builds Rock!
tinman41
May 26 2006, 03:14 PM
stu probaly ran addicks for the bucks as well ,,,,it seems there was a test on the NEW addicks sprockets in bmxa in the late 70,s with building leapin jones ,,,randy etc. cool artical if anyone has the old mag,,,,,,, but for sure 1 really nice bike.
velocidad
May 26 2006, 03:35 PM
quote:
a longer, "long" frame ever built
there certainly was at least one made, a photo of it was on this board about two years ago, long since culled. I can't remember the details but it might of been a factory custom build for Jeff Kosmala?
rick kast
May 26 2006, 03:45 PM
i remember something about a long one for danny oakley. anyone else recall that?
z-man99
May 26 2006, 04:54 PM
One like this sold for less than 200 on the bay a year or two ago. Iv'e been told these were only available to sponsored riders. Sound correct?
velocidad
May 26 2006, 05:05 PM
a pictures worth a 1000 words... on ya z-man. so who owns it now?
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