I owned a polished set a few years back and I just got this set... I was wondering how many were made and how many were actually annodized? Any info would be nice, speak up gentlemen....



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I talked to Brian a few times on the phone, and was also fortunate to go to dinner with him and his family at Interbike last fall. Somewhere around 80 sets were made. He is a machinist/engineer like me, so I teased him about starting with an even-numbered batch of 100 and screwing up 20 or so sets along the way. He denies this.

These hubs retailed for $250.00, an absolutely astounding number at that time. Adjusted for inflation, that's roughly $625.00 in today's dollars. But I have dissected and analyzed them (both physically and in conversation with Brian), and I appreciate the fact why they were so expensive. These and the Browning 2-speed get my vote for engineering masterpieces for all BMX products.

I saw an Advert for MXR hubs from '86-87 and they were 395.00 in the magazine... absurd amount for the day.

John - Did Brian say that the anno colours were made in very small numbers?
How was the two colour combo achieved?

I didn't ask about break-downs for quantities per color. Since there's only 80 or so sets, they are all pretty darn rare.

The hubs are a multi-piece design, so that's how the different colors are achieved.

cool facts
i still need a front in gold
yeah i know ...lol
its probably in someones junk drawer

Let me know when you find it because the same person has the red front that I need. (I'm not kidding either)

Like John said, the first gen SST's were 3 piece hubs. The only people that ended up with the muti colored hubs were either factory sponsored riders and or friends of Brian. The all one color hubs were the ones sold to the public. If you were an SST sponsored rider, you could pick the color combo of your choice in any combo you wanted. But I have to say, they were rare, even back then. The other thing I noticed with those hubs, if you don't take care of them, the chrome centers on the front hubs will start to bubble. I have a silver and chrome set, that I had to get polished because the chrome on the front hub looked really poor.

As for the total numbers, I would say it is even less than 80. Brian use to give me font hubs to use on my bikes and I ran coaster brakes on the rear, so for every front hub I got, that was one less complete set that got sold. All the left over SST tooling, sales info, parts, etc. ended up getting destroyed a few years later at the place were they were manufactured, so for sure there isn't a hidden stash of parts anywhere for those hubs. I've been asked that question quite a few times over the years. Thats also why Brian isn't really sure how many were made, because all the records were destroyed in the fire. Woody.

It was pretty well documented that Billy Griggs owned at least 3 sets of SST hubs. So that leaves 77 I guess.

This is awesome information on these hubs. I own a set of the 2nd generation hubs in silver. Can you post the same type facts if you know? Such as how many hubs were made and were there any colors offered.

Thanks

The only things I know for sure about the SST gen 2 hubs is that they were one piece shells both front and rear, so the colors were uniform on them. 2nd, there were more of those made than the first generation hubs, but still the numbers were not all that large. I would have to check with Brian, but I'm sure it wasn't more than 200 sets. I do know they were made in both black and silver, but I'm not 100% sure what other colors were done. I will try and reach Brian tomorrow and see what he remembers. Come to think of it, I don't even know any one around me who has a set of second gen SST's?

I have two sets of Gen 1's, 1 set of gen 2's, 1 solo gen 2 front, and 3 SST coaster brake hubs. Billy may have had more sets of Gen 1's than anyone to be honest. I think he had a black and red set, silver and chrome set, and a gold and chrome set I think??? Greg H and Pete L probably had multiple sets as well. They really never wore out or broke that I know of, so one set would pretty much last as long as you liked the colors and nothing available spun better. I remember when one of the guys from the Phil wood booth at the first interbike where Brian displayed the hubs said something about the price or design I think and Brian smiled and looked him straight in the face and told him his hubs spun better than anything they had. Funny thing is the guy had nothing to say back other than our hubs are cheaper. Just of the record I really like Phil wood hubs (and still do) and I owned a set back in the early 80's before I got hooked up with SST. Woody.

Billy sold the red/black hubs, and I bought his silver/chrome set.

Brian machined the hub components to insanely tight tolerances, tighter than what an average Master Machinist would probably think is necessary. This is just one feature that adds to my high respect for these hubs.

Thanks for the info guys...

Yeah, thanks for the info. I was wondering about this myself, espeicially Grigg's colored sets. I wonder where the gold and chrome set are? John has his silver and chrome set and I have the black and red set which I bought from Rodney a year or so ago. It makes since now why you would see rear hubs or front hubs as singles instead of pairs. I guess Woody and others split them up among other things. Awesome hubs for sure. Bret, you have a killer set there.

Bret, its a trip that your rear gold hub is all gold and your front one has the chrome inner. Both of mine have black inners with red flanges. It just makes you wonder about the history of these hubs since so few were made.

The guy who use to own them was sponsored by peddlepower, he said it was one of the last 1st gen sets brian made... I think carbiz has the gold set that Billy had.

And the Gold/Chrome are perfect on these, not a blem or flaw anywhere. I still like your SST's Apollo.

Cool info there guys.

Here's a pic of Greg running gold/red SSTs.
Now these are what I would love to have a set of:

and his rear hub is solid red, not 2 tone.

Looks like all the rear hubs were solid colours?

Apollos were 2-tone.

My apologies, I made a mistake. I have not seen them in so long I forgot what the rear hub looks like. I just went in the closet and dug them out. Rodney sent them to me in a carefully packaged box with each hub inside its own Crown Royal bag. The rear inner is red while the outers are black. The front is all red except for the black inner. I'll see if I can post a pic of these in a little while.

here you go...

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Perfect! Thanks Bret. Thats them, I forgot how bad to the bone they are. I need to keep them out on display instead of in the closet. For that matter, I need to get things on display again, everything has been put away since I moved.

Nicest set I have seen so far....

oh yeah - those are the money!!!!!!

Literally...I remember the ebay listing well...

...in saying that, I think they are truely the pinnacle of BMX technology of the early era...

Courtesy of Billy Griggs.

I have room in my closet for those hubs. Seriously, I do.

Here is a pic of a set I have on a custom GT that Billy G built for Danny Nelson.

Wow, some of the finest BMX engineering right there!!!

thats nice. What are those rims?

I have a set of 2nd gen hubs. Till this day they are still the best spinning hubs I have ever owned. What type of bearing is in it? I hope I never have to change the bearing.

Changstar

that is very custom GT!
What year?
Got a full pic?l

Green SSTs!

That's new one for me.

I got a polished set for 3Rd Gear a few years ago. Really nice hubs.

this post makes my chest hurt ...........
god i wish i had my front hub

They are sweeeet!!any one got a set for sale? silly question...but......

The frame was made in 01 by Billy Griggs and painted by Troy Lee. It is one of three that were custom made. Part of a joint hot wheels/GT deal we did back in the early 90's.

Since these photo's were taken, I finally got the bars painted to match. This was the only set of SST's to be put together in the blue/green combo. I was a big Kawaski/Jeff Ward fan growing up.

Wow Woody that GT is sweet and those hubs

Nice bike Woody. I like the Hutch pedals, A'ME grips and fat/skinny Comp IIIs on there. Left overs from your Hutch days no doubt!

Imagine that blue/green SST combo on a Team Murray!

Woody, I am a huge motocross fan and remeber Jeff Ward and his works SR Kawasakis very well. Very trick and cool looking bikes, especially through the eighties. Nothing like lime green plastic with blue seats etc. Are you saying that is where the idea for that particular SST color combo came from? That is a cool litttle insight!

That bike is at the top of my list for "would love to own". Well...maybe #2

That bike just looks fast sitting there, any word on what bearing are in SST's?

Changstar

My NOS red rear hub had at least one of the bearings in it. I remember tapping it out, but I do not remember any special markings on it. I'll look again when I go back to my shop.

The bearings are hand made in a multi step process back in the day. Scura would craft the balls of the bearings from the heat of a mild ancient Greek volcanic eruption in the early '80s and flog Martin till he meticulousy inserted them into the casings.

Quality and design on components began and ended with Scura, period. Too bad most people will never realize how many others used ....aka stole...... his ideas on so many other components. I was very fortunate to have Brian spend countless hours with me on the phone over the years and generous to loan me some of his prototype parts to share with others (still kept the really cool photos to myself ) Thank you again Brian for everything and my GHP freestyler was my coolest bike on so many levels due to you.

Thank you,
James.

This is an amazing thread! Thanks for the history lesson Woody, John, and others. There is a set somewhere just lying around because the owner knows not what they have. Of course, isn't that the same with a 24" Skyway, 26" Nomura, etc.???