Well guys, I just heard that Panda may soon be coming out with a very limited number of Retro Pandas!!!
And, they could possibly even be making limited numbers of more than one model! I think they might even be making the Panda Shocker(which is one of my favorite bikes ever), and I don't know what else they might be coming out with!!! I am not much into cruisers in general, but I do love their 3-Bar Cruiser!!!

Which Panda do you like the most and/or most want them to make a Retro of???
The '75 Shocker??
The '78 Elite??
The '78 Charger??
The '80 Pro-Am??
The '81 3-Bar 26" Pro-Am Raider??
The '81 24" Power Cruiser??

If these Retro Pandas do come out, do you hope they are just like the old ones(with maybe a few changes as to differentiate from the old ones), or do you think they should they change them somewhat like SE did theirs to make them more current?

I wonder how much they're going to sell for??! I know the SE Frame Sets were selling for $250-$300 or so when they first came out a few years ago(I don't know what any of the ones since have gone for)...but those were only Frame Sets, and I think Panda is making the complete Bikes!!! I don't know if those Retro Redline Squareback Kits sold, or if they only gave them to distributors, but I know they were selling on ebay for around $1,000 each from private sellers! So, I have no idea what it would cost to buy a complete Panda Shocker?!! I'm hoping it is somewhere around $650 or so!!! Maybe I'm dreaming about the price though--if they're going to be made in limited numbers, maybe it will take more $$ than that to buy one?! I'm just hoping that is about what I can get one for!

Whatever the case, I'm going to keep a close watch so I can get mine as soon as they come out!!!!!

I shouldn't post because I'm not a future customer, but it makes sense they should alter geometry to reflect current day.

Anyone who followed Panda BITD is now an adult with kids or grandkids, and will have a hard time convincing wifey they want a bike they don't even fit on.

Skyway came out with continuations and replicated dimensions from BITD and it didn't even raise my heartbeat.

I like bikes i can actually ride. For me a 26" 3-bar cruiser is the ticket. 4130, V-brakes and oh, one more thing, CHROME IT!

I searched for Panda Bikes at Google. I found [url="http://pandabicycles.com"] I couldn't find anything BMX but bamboo does sound cool.

I'll take one of each

I saw that Bamboo Bike too! The only problem is if you ride in China it could actually get eaten by a Panda! lol.

The Elite for me, I'm an Old Fart

Above I listed some of the Pandas I know were made back in the day, to help guess what they might make Retros of...the ones I listed were the:
>'75 Shocker
>'78 Elite
>'78 Charger
>'80 Pro-Am
>'81 3-Bar 26" Pro-Am Raider
>'81 24" Power Cruiser

Are there any other Pandas that were made back in the day that I didn't list???
And, if so, what are their names/years/etc.???
Also, do you think any of the Pandas that I didn't mention have a good chance at being one of the Pandas that are chosen to be produced as one of these Limited-Edition Retro Pandas???

China should make the Panda and let their BMX Olympic team run them.

Are the original owners considering doing this?

The 26"er would be killer also the twin shocker...Talk about retro..

Any of the cruisers would be very cool.

a ) Shocker. No one has made a retro shock bike yet I dont think.
b ) Pro Am what a slassic Panda.
c ) 24" Cruiser since thats what I ride

Make sure Mr Panda you make some jerseys and leathers

Seems like the Pro Am would make the most sense to re-do. I'll bet if they gave a good whack at the shocker and updated the geometry and technology, with a lock out mechanism for the shocks, it might go over with the old guys.

I could be really wrong on this, however.

the 24" would be awesome to have again.

I rode a Pro-Am back in the day. I think it was a quality frame. I would suggest they lower the BB. I think it was over 12" high BITD. Didn't need a laid-back seat post on that frame, nice beefy tubing.

Also, I broke the welding on the forks almost the first time out, but that was because I took it off the massive first jump at Rockville, MD around 1981. I mean it must have been at least a 12 foot drop or so. Don't have any pics of that jump, but the fork dropout cracked in less than a month.

Hey Deluxx--do you know if Panda make their own Forks for the Pro-Am, or did they use Tange or some other maker's Forks like many of the other companies did???

Yes Lonewolf, from what I understand the original owner is considering doing this!

And, I think you're right Racer--I think if the Shocker was made it would be the first Shock Bike!!! I know the Shocker was very innovative back then as well! I asked Randy(the guy who started Panda and designed the Shocker) about the Shocker a couple of years ago, and he told me about all of the innovative features integrated into it, and I was extremely impressed!!! I can't remember exactly what he said were the first-time features used on it, but I think one was hydraulic shocks! Maybe he was talking about the ones on the Suspension Forks? The rear shocks couldn't have been hydraulic, could have they?

I agree Crisco, any of the Cruisers would be very cool too(3-Bar especially)!!!

Look at this March 1980 BMXA with a Panda review:

http://oldschoolmags.com/mags/BMXA_8003.pdf

Go to page 66 in the mag and see the Panda Pro-Am forks. The fork blade tubes had a slight taper. Like I said at my first race with the frameset, I went to a the Rockville Maryland track when it moved at the beginning of 1980 season. At the time they had just opened the track and the first jump was HUGE with a 12 foot or so straight drop off (no exaggeration. I wish I had pics.). One kid had a junk bike and flipped in the air and the front wheel fell off and he pierced his chest supposedly on one of those first days. That story is on this web site. I posted Rockville BMX on youtube by bvonmoss, although that was by late 1981 when they chopped most of it off. So in practice I flew over the jump pretty hard, and landed on the front wheel and crashed and the weld cracked on the Panda forks, so I used some other forks. I have a pic of me racing on the Panda Pro-Am at the Vineland, NJ 1980 national. Cool thing is a Panda rider was in my moto and was next to me in the pic. I'll post it tomorrow. My internet is horrible right now.

In the BMXA review they used Redline forks, because they did not come out with the forks in production at the time supposedly.

Look up Panda on bmxmuseum.com It's clearly made by big people for big people. The seat tube angle is a real eye opener. Like I said before my beef BITD was the BB height was 12.25" high. I think a Mongoose BB was at least 1.0-1.5 inch lower, so the Panda felt like you were on stilts in comparison.

"They were the first BMX bike in the world to have hydraulic shocks, 3 rear quick change gears, screw in bearing cups on cranks, 120 gauge spokes, standard quarter inch ball bearing on complete bike and raise letter knobby tire." - Mr Panda

2 Pandas in a moto at 1980 ABA national at Vineland, NJ. I am in yellow. Those look like the original Panda forks. The other Panda guy probably has Panda forks.

Deluxx, I bet you were in my class. At first I thought that may be Fast Freddie in the Panda jersey, but seem to remember he always raced with Panda leathers. I know Jimmy Woodworth (Action Wheels) sometimes raced with a Panda Jersey.
I wish they had a whole thread on Vineland, my home away from home track and site of my first race.
Should post that in the New Jersey forums at bmxnj.com.

Thanks Deluxx!!! I totally remember seeing those Forks on Pandas I've seen for sale a year or two ago, and I just didn't pay close enough attention to them at the time(since I was mostly into the Shocker)! But now I remember them--I guess I also didn't know they were "Panda" Forks!

Are those Panda Pads too??? Man, what I wouldn't give to have some Panda Pads!!! I bet they didn't make them until after the Shocker though, huh? I was outbid on a Crossbar Pad a couple of years ago, but haven't seen any Panda Pads up since! Does anyone have any pics of Panda Frame or Stem Pads???

That was just a generic top tube pad, not Panda. The stem pad also was not Panda, probably a ProNeck or Torker stem pad. I don't recall ever seeing Panda pads.

I liked Pandas, because they were obviously bikes designed by big people for big people. There were plenty of mini bikes for younger kids.