So first let me say I am not one of the guys who had anything bad to say about SE bringing back the PK and Quad. But I really feel this is not cool.

I went to hit up SE's website today and this is what was on the front page...(so yes I know this is old news but it is new to me)

PK Ripper fixed gear bike

It just seems like they are "whoring" out the name. PKs have always been a BMX bike, and to place the PK Ripper name on what amounts to basically a single speed, no freewheel, road bike in my opinion is a disgrace to the PK Ripper name. I have nothing against fixed gear bikes but I do not want to see a name I have associated with years of BMX history on a bike that isn't. I am greatly dissapointed.

I luv SEs new and old, and I think TL has done much to revive the SE brand over the last few years....but I'm inclined to agree with you ! They are just beatin the PK name to death ! Pretty cool bike if thats your thing though...

they can't be called out for building fixies, cuz both Volume and FBM did it.... but you're right at least it should have its own name.... the SE dirt jump mtb is called the Filth Flyer and the 29'er bmx is called the Big Ripper....

Cool Idea, but would rather see it under a different name as well. I also prefer steel frames.

sebikes Says:
June 3, 2009 at 12:36 pm We will let this info out soon. it runs the full range of sizes. Barspins are possible.




...say what???

That still doesn't make it a BMX bike...

Exactly... that is going to be at fishing piers, Bars, and everywhere else but a BMX track or a Mtn. bike trail-head.

I agree also.. I mean, PK is BMX.... ANd should stay that way...

Sorry, but I don't see any fixed gear guys riding ramps or gonzo jumping.

The PK Ripper is so unbelievably legendary, it even was in the 1980s. That was THE ultimate BMX racing frame back then in my circles.

Associating Perry Kramer with ANY sort of road bike is....really....very....inappropriate.

Todd Lyons, I hope you will reconsider the value and heritage of the name "PK Ripper" and how cherished it is to BMX racing, jumping and even early freestyle.

I think a fitting name for it would be "PK Roadie"

Well said!

No, but wouldn't it be entertaining if you did? I'd say it would almost be certain death, but someone would figure out how to do it.

I think "ROAD RIPPER" would be better.

We all mature. Perry has gotten older, so why not have a bike aimed at older riders, continuing the name? Todd has revived that brand and moved it foward. Any business would want that in a employee.

I think it's good for the name to live on...
When I look around my neighborhood I don't see kids on BMX bikes anymore... they ride this style of bike now, it hasn't been BMX bikes for a long long time, it was skate boards for years, but bikes are back, everyday I see groups of kids in circles practicing tricks, when I go to the fixed gear store there are always groups of kids gathering there. I live in southern California the Mecca of BMX back in the day, and there is no BMX bike shop around here anymore, the glory of the PK ripper doesn't really mean anything to kids today. I don't get excited about these bikes... but 40 year old guys aren't the real target audience for bikes anyway, it's the kids... the ones that will ride them everyday on summer vacation. the ones that don't have cars yet. So I say why not let the coolest BMX bike of our youth become the coolest bike of this generation? Seeing as California is usually were trends come from I would get used to the new bikes... like em or not.

I will say I brought my Big Ripper to a fixed gear place when I was building it... and those guys, way to young to remember the glory days of BMX all thought the big ripper was the coolest bike in the place! These guys have no interest in BMX but thought all the SE Retro bikes were "Dope" "as they say"

just my opinion...
I know the PK Ripper name is sacred. so feel free to ignore my opinion if you like

And here we thought we were all cool throwing down all our Radness on our 20-inchers when we could be doing stuff like this on a "fixie".

From wikipedia...... These two look like they are going for some Death Truck action. Color coordinated and everything.

We do have a bike aimed at older riders, the big ripper and the 24 inch quad. I fully understand the busines ramifications of using branding, but why would we want the PK Ripper name on a fixie? It carries no weight in that world. Using it on a fixie is the same as how the Torker name is being used today. If you dont know google "torker". It makes no sense.

Exactly my point. Why take a sacred BMX name and use it to sell these type of bikes? Not only is offensive to us that do care about the PK Ripper name/legacy it isn't even a good business model as you already stated the name means nothing to them.



All the more reason for the name to remain BMX as the retros these kids think are "dope" are BMX bikes. Just maybe one of "those kids" will buy a retro PK ripper and that will get them into BMX.

As you guys know, I am always open ears to all thoughts & opinions. I value all feedback I can get. But for everyone who "hates" something we do, there are just as many people who "love" the same exact thing. That's just the nature of the beast.

But just an FYI for ya:

- Perry is STOKED on the bike & he's already let us know he wants one. We'll be giving him one of the first ones off of the production line.

You have a lot of good points... your probably right, but it's too late now... the bikes are made.
I would just say "Whoring" and "Disgrace" are a little harsh words... Todd and SE are building bikes that are dreams come true for old BMX guys... who else is catering to us? I mean I can go into a bike shop now and buy a OM Flyer! with Blue tires and anodized rims! Not possible a few years ago. I can remember going into a bike store around 1998 looking for a cruiser BMX bike, the guy laughed at me, I would reserve the words Whoring and Disgrace for if they start putting out crappy products with the classic names on them.

Torker, Mongoose, ... now that's a shame.

I think if it brings needed attention for BMX then it is good, I mean if it causes people to check out their other bikes it is better. I can't wait for the 2010s to come out myself so I can add to the OM Flyer I already have.

Another day, another SE "limited edition". Here we go again.

Todd, Thank you for replying to my thread it shows you have class and do care about your customers. And that is why I do overall respect what you have done with the brand. ( I have only disagreed with this one decision so...) As someone who understands business, I know you cannot be in an easy position as you have both sides pulling on you. Please note I had nothing negative to say about the quality of the product only the fact that a BMX name was being placed on a fixie. I was wondering if you could explain why the name was used? In a previous post of mine I made the point that I didnt see the PK name having any pull with the fixie crowd. So it seems like an odd choice. BTW I would also like to thank you for all the things you have done right for the brand.

I too will second this. I'm not racing or riding BMX, I have not even looked at a BMX Magazine in over twenty years. Since I have started reading and making contributions to VBMX it has put a better focus on what I do ride and race, Mountain Bikes. Me too, I cannot fault anything with SE Bikes in a negative and I think having a fixie is great only it is a tough-sell while also an easy-miss... part me wants to see this PK RIPPER recreational bike, and ride it too, but also part me wants to have the PK RIPPER be kept to soaking-up backsides and carving up berms. It can be done I know, it is just kind-of surprising seeing the name sectioned to such a specific bike and use.

I just wanna put one in for Todd. I met him in '97 and he was the most unassuming, polite and down to earth guy. I think if Perry is into the bike, that's all the justification it needs.

Long live Kramer, Lyons and SE Racing.

Todd, the Team ripper frames are awesome!

To each is own. Bring back that death truck photo again....AND THE TWINS.

Someone earlier said ''Road Ripper'', now that would have been a cool name. I dont think my feet would even come close to touching the pedals on that thing, lol.

If all the bike companys came 1/2 the way se and todd lyons has with all thier cool stuff .The industry would be flooded with coolness .Ill settle for se taking most of that market .
The other companys. can have all the gimmik products to sell to the followers .
Awesome job /effort todd .I know were buddys but still props where theyre deserved .

I don't see anything wrong with putting PK on a fixed gear bike. Nothing at all. Even though I hate the culture of fixed gear bikers it's a nice looking bike. And SE is doing a lot of good things with their products. You go into a bike shop now and no other company's bikes generate as much excitement as looking at an SE. All other bikes are boring compared to SE product. So I like what they are doing over there. And I like this PK fixed gear bike. A normal PK would be too small for me. Thanks SE.

I dunno, I don't really have a problem with it. I do kind of agree that they should keep the Ripper name for that design and use something different in the front. I think Road Ripper was good and Fixed Ripper would be cool... I mean what does PK have to do with this bike?

But then again, SE is a business. That name and style sells bikes. We have to be thankful that they took the leap into true old school styling like they have--as a business move it was a risk.

I have the first new OM Flyer in white. They took a big risk with that and did it better than anyone else. The new retro Supergoose and Haro Freestyler suck by comparison. Still, SE didn't make it a looptail, they didn't have as much anodized stuff and the spider and stem weren't really old school. But the next two OM Flyers really hit the mark because my OM flyer sold out!

So my point is, they gotta go where the money is. That whole fixed gear thing is super popular right now, popular like BMX was for us--as far as I can tell anyway. Torker has one as well with retro Torker stickers--but that is all that is retro.

I'm sorry guys, but there is no comparison at all between BMX and fixed gears, other than the fact that they have two wheels. It's like slapping the name "Rolex" on a Swatch.

Looks like a good bike for ramp tricks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe6KqdJndcU...feature=related

"Even though I hate the culture of fixed gear bikers..."

So what exactly IS the culture of the fixies? Seriously, I am clueless, whats the draw?

First of all I really think SE is doing a great job especailly in this economy. I bought two SE's in the last few months, a 26" & 29". Love them and feel extremely confident in the quality of them.

My point about changing the name for this new "fixie" is the following.

The "PK Ripper" name as the current SE lineup goes is limited to the 20" line ...same as it was from the beginning.

Now the variations of anything that is not 20" such as the "Lil Ripper" , "Big Ripper" are named as such, not using the "PK Ripper" name for these 16" & 29" models. With that being said I don't understand why the "PK Ripper" name would be used with this new non 20" size "fixie" - It would seem that with the recent "naming convention" that SE is using that a specific name using "PK" but with another descriptor such as "PK Fixie" or the such would make more sense.

Just because I drove a 911 as a kid, Porsche does not call it's recent SUV a "911"

Just my .02

Love the retros! Hope next years colors are 10x as amazing as the current sweet combos are.

Now Todd all we need is a 24" Looptail FLOVAL FLYER....

....Pretty Please!!!!!!!!!

Agreed. However I think we are not gonna get anywhere on this as the bikes are made. I hope SE reconsiders but...

Everytime I see guys doing tricks on a fixie I wonder how what is displayed in this video doesn't happen. I mean road bikes are supposed to featherweight and svelte.

For sure, was just an observation of the naming convention that SE uses and how this seemed out of sync.

For me I think I'll never be in the market for a road bike or fixie etc so technically my imput is just from a SE "bmx" type customer with concern to the use of the "PK Ripper" name. The folks that came up with that marketing strategy are the ones making the big $$$ so maybe they are on to something.
So far so good with the retro's so wait and see.

Your input on the inconsistancy of using the name on the fixie was a good point. That is why I love it here. I mean I posted something and within about 12 hours I had a reply from Todd. Darn cool I say. While I dont think this post will stop SE from using the name I started the post because I wanted to know how others felt. I did find it interesting that the majority of the posts agreed with me until Todd's post then it seemed the tide went the other way for a few posts. Oh yeah and regarding the marketing strategy thing, I worked in retail for 12 years and now work in software, trust me marketing gets it wrong a lot! However so far SE has done good aside from what I feel is this mistep. I will give them a pass this time but if I start seeing Billy Mays hawking PK Ripper toasters or PK Ripper sawblades then it will be on!

SE is currently in negotiations with the Sham~Wow guy, and we will soon she a Sham~Ripper...

I like what Todd has done and agree with Bill Hayden. Todd works it. A bet many kids who knew PK Ripper grew up and ride different types of bikes. The halo effect is ok. At least it's not at Walmart and I stopped at a shop this weekend and saw the woody OM. It it looks prettty cool.

I don't think it was a good idea to use the "PK Ripper" name. It probably makes the hipsters feel like they can do better tricks. I think their overall approach to "limited edition" has a mass-market mindset. It's hard to take the whole concept seriously when the bikes have poor quality components and a new version comes out every spring. In comparison, Kappa limited their runs to less than 20 per size and Supercross also had very limited runs of their projects.

I hope they reproduce those ####### decals like they said they would. And, produce some quality handlebars 20"& 24" like S&M.

Again, I love to read your guys' thoughts & opinions. I have actually crafted many a design & modification from these threads. Example: A while ago I read about some peeps wanting shorter sizes of our retro bikes. So you know there's gonna be 2 sizes of PK Loops & 20" Quad Loops next year. Short dudes (like me) rejoice! 20.5" top tubes coming your way.

And I also read on here that Steve Smith wanted a way shorter rear end on the 24" Quad Loop. It wasn't until I read that that I realized that the back end on that bike was pretty stinkin' long. So Steve, you'll be happy to know that I shortened it from 16" to 15.35".

Ok, so back to the topic at hand. Yes, it's too late to make any changes. These bikes are getting produced in the beginning of July. And take note that at first, this bike was called the "Fixie Ripper." The first 4 samples we received had these graphics. I thought they looked cool & it sounded good to me. But as I did a bit more research into the Fixed Gear culture, I learned that putting the word "Fixie" in the name of the frame is equivalent to to putting the word "BMX" on a BMX bike. Like calling a BMX bike the "BMX Shredder" or something cheesy like that. So we made the change to "PK Ripper."

The official bike name is the DCxPK Ripper Fixed Gear bike. And believe it or not, there are PLENTY of dudes in their 30's that remember the PK Ripper that are now riding these Fixed Gear bikes. It's not just the younger teen generation on these fixies. And hey, if this is the first (and probably only) way that these young guns learn about the PK Ripper, then so be it! The end result is that the PK Ripper name lives on. And nobody can fault that, right? I mean some of these Fixie kids who have never heard of the PK Ripper or Perry Kramer are going to be SO stoked to have one of these "new" bikes with Floval tubing, the classic gusset @ the headtube, the LOOPTAIL(!) rear end, the Landing Gear forks. This new version of the PK Ripper might engrave itself into these kids' brains & hearts just like your PK Ripper did back in the 80's. Feeeeeeeeel me?

The PK Ripper legacy lives on.....

Let's be honest. The aging Perry Kramer fans may be commuting on fixed-gear bikes (with moustache handlebars and Brooks saddles), but bar spins and deep-vs are pretty much the exclusive pursuit of those who have never heard of Perry Kramer. The name "PK Ripper" is meaningless to them, and thus lends little to the appeal of the bike. Moreover, and I mean no offense, I think the name is perceived as kind of juvenile.

The bike, as presented, is too far removed from BMX for old-schoolers to get on board, but not hip enough for the hipsters. I hope I'm wrong.

SWEET!!!! I am down with the new sizes. Have you perhaps seen those of us who have asked for a PK loop with am integrated headset and 990s? Please!!!! (crosses fingers)



Well Todd I still stand by my comments in the original post, I just dont feel the name should be used on a fixie and should remain BMX only. However I am still a SE fan and hope to own a new retro loop PK in the future. I can't wait to see the new retros!

Todd, kudos for having the gonads to explore the nooks and crannies of the bicycle world. Beyond BMX, I am a bicycle fan. I've had plenty of mountain bikes, a ton of freestyle bikes, a few road bikes and explored recumbants. I might have to try one of these PK Ripper fixies just out of pure curiosity.

Funny too all things start in the west .Here in ohio i seen a ol guy riding a fixie bout 20 minutes ago for the first time[i wondered why all the hype].

Let us all know when they[2010s] ready to be gotten as well todd .Im hankerring for a new one .

For those wondering those retro looptail rippers are the bomb .I also have one of those -just like a kid i have to smile every time i look at it too..

I hope it sells well...
more success for SE = more success for Todd = more cool quality retro bmx bikes = another great bike for me. In this case the trickle down theory works.

"PK" does also have another meaning outside of BMX and it might fit with these hipsters, at least alot of the ones I've met it does. But maybe SE should of called it something like "PK All Day" or a "PK 24/7".

So what does it mean to them hipsters. Don´t keep us in suspense...

"OFF Ripper" would have been nice... LOL