BMX - Vintage BMX Model History

Hi Gang,

I'm a newbie here and was wondering if anyone has any links to a good site with history on various models and configurations of vintage BMX? I'm particularly interested in Haro and would like to know how the Haro Master and Haro Group 1 models began and changed over the years, what components they came with each year, and how the frames changed. (When did Haro start outsourcing to Taiwan, anyway?)

If there isn't anything like this out there, would anyone be interested in helping me create one? I can get one started and I'd welcome your input of how it should work.

Thanks.

http://www.vintagebmx.com

Try their messageboards.

VintageBMX.com is great, but they don't show the "bloodlines" of various BMX models. I'm looking for something that has pages of history with pics. I'll even settle for scans of old company catalogs.

Well, like I said, try their messageboards. They have a knowledgeable member base who can probably link you to sites with what you're looking for better than we can (considering that it seems that BMXTrix and myself are the only ones here with more than 5 years of riding time) and they might have old catalogs or magazines that they may be willing to scan for you.

I've been riding for 5 or 6 years.

OK, so there's three of us, and only one of us has been riding long enough to have any real ("I was there.") old-school knowledge, and that's BMXTrix.

Pnj is about as old school as I have seen online...late 70's early 80s I think for bmx. He doesn't come here much anymore but does pop in to ridemonkey. That guy knows his stuff from WAY back. He also seems to collect bmx mags as I have seen a few posts with ancient pics of funny looking guys wearing full body suits doing bunny hops (NOT J-HOPS PEOPLE) and manuals ;)...

BMXtrix is still new to me personally, but definately seems to know his bleep :)

I think that PNJ has an account on BMXBoard; I'm pretty positive that I've seen him post in the OS forum there recently.

Good guy, lots of history and rides...not just bmx either. Seems like on of those people who loves two wheels (from my small interaction with him)...wish I could ride bmx but haven;t found one I could get confident one...all tooooooo small :)

There's always the 21.5" (Brickhouse) and 22" (MacNeil Deuce-Deuce) toptube-length models.

Pretty sure PNJ is who he is everywhere which puts him in the York, PA region and the Plywood Hoods vincinity. He definitely has a better grasp of old school stuff than I do as I left the old school in the old school and keep modernizing.

I do have a few magazines from 1986ish though tucked away in storage. But, that's about when I got serious about it. PNJ had a few years under his belt by then.

Yeah...good guy though. Helped me learn to bunnyhop, when I asked the question way back :D...I still suck at it.

As for the bmx. Too tall and to old to try. I had one that 'fit' and it just never 'fit' I couldn't get comfortable on it. Maybe if I had started riding when I was younger and shorter it would be different :) Instead I basically have a big bmx, short long but fits my body better....

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=72393&highlight=TOP

(blatant mountain bike post in the bmx forum)

I own a haro group 1 rs1 . I have a little knowledge on the subject but I do not know the outsource question. i remeber group 1's pretty well. rs1,rs2,rs3, the rs3 was tri-moly the rs1&2 were chromoly the rs1 had haro 3 piece(good luck finding any) they also had 3 color paint jobs.I have the team model that is red black and chrome. but now is stripped to just chrome(how sad). they had haro bars group1 stems viscount seats with haro on them daicomp brakes with tech levers not sure kinda like tec-99's I don't remeber the factory pedals everyone had beartraps. rims were chrome araya with suzue sealed small flange hubs. Grips were cheap most had ame tri's. tire of choice tioga comps The rs2 and 3 were similar with several different 2 color paint jobs. They were similar in parts some had araya some ukai just the plain aluminum type ,lose ball hubs,1 piece cranks ,cheapy brakes,etc.... Now everyone knows I'm old! Hope that helps. Old school sites tend to leave out alot of haro and focuse on mongoose and se racing. Any of you kids hear of Pistol Pete? Damn I'm old!

Pistol Pete Loncarevich? Yeah, the last I'd heard about him he was trying to sue ATI again for the "Pistol Grip" name.

On a sidenote, my ex-neighbors (they moved out about three years ago) were Brian Blyther's grandparents.

hey yall! i thought someone might be interested in this: i found a Murray X-24 bmx (1982?) cruiser and i have it on ebay. item # 7121603723. i aired up the tires and rode it around the block and it runs great. im taking it out to Lone Star BMX, san antonio, tonight and ride it around on the track. stevo@riverrats.net
also, i have a supergoose on ebay. check: stevonutria. anyone have a unthreaded 1 3/8 cruiser fork for sale. thanks. stevo

I felt my ears burning....:D

I do have a ton of old school knowledge. because I've been riding a little bike for a long time, and was really really into it for a long time. I started subscribing to magazines in 1981-82 and had a subscription to some bmx magazine until about 1999.
that is where my knowlege comes from. well, those magazines and all the time I spent riding around on a little bike, meeting people from all over and blah blah blah..;)

but, I don't know specifics such as "when did haro start outsourcing to tiawan?".
I do know that bob haro used a Torker as the model for the Haro Master though.:)

I am 34 years old, I still ride but I'm not as hardcore as I once was. (I used to spend 40 hours plus on my bike a week and that was while I had a full time job)

I don't have an account on bmxboard, though I do read stuff over there, just for laughs.(if someone can get me an account, I'll take it;))

and I'm from washington state, seattle. well, Oregon as a little kid...

as mentioned, if you want DETAILED old school stuff go to the www.vintagebmx.com boards. some of those guys have insane amount of knowledge on old school bikes. they can quote serial numbers and crap. :D I can not, nor do I care to.

I don't collect old crap. I do have some older stuff, only because I never got ride of it. but usually, old parts got replaced when they broke. and I welcome the new school stuff with open arms. mag wheels, acs rotors, one piece cranks, quill stems, 1 inch headsets...etc. suck. :D

I was just over at my friend Joe's house last night. He has at least thirty complete old school bikes, crates full of old parts, and dozens of unbuilt frames in his garage. I didn't even look in his shed. Hutch Trickstars, GT Bashers, five or six Kuwaharas... I nearly crapped my pants when I went in there.

I want a frame :-/

Any of you kids hear of Pistol Pete? Damn I'm old!


Pistol Pete? What about the master Greg Hill? Stu Thompson? Harry Leary? The Rupe Bro's. Eddie Fiola? I could go on and on and on.

I'm now 35, raced BMX as a pre-teen/teenager. My best friend is Ron "Sky" Walker. He raced for Eagle Snacks, Profile, MCS and others through the years. Turned Pro and raced with all the guys like Eric Carter, Mike King, and others. Talk to him everyday.

haro went to taiwan for their bikes for the 1984 model year. in 83, they just had the haro freestyler, not the master and sport.