CSC Blog

Busy, busy, busy.   Lots of good stuff happening, including our hosting a bunch of scooteristas here at the factory showroom this Saturday morning (yep, our showroom is open on Saturdays).  My apologies for not posting for a few days, but there’s just been so much going on I haven’t been as diligent as I should have been.  I’ve been working on the Mustang project (lots of research there), and it’s coming along well.

I took a few more photos of the P-51 today.  What a beautiful bike that one is…

And you guys and gals remember my good buddy Bruce from Cal Poly and his brand new Greaser…I guess custom CSC ideas are in the air…check out this email I received from Bruce…

Joe,

My son – Nate – suggested that it would look good to paint the exhaust guard black. And he knew how to do it. So, at home he roughly sanded it after (easily) removing it and then spray-painted it flat black. Photo attached. Looks great! Add it to the blog if you like.

I did earn my M permit today and went riding for a dozen miles after work. Felt good! Got lots of appreciative smiles, too.

Bruce

Very nicely done, and thanks for sharing that photo with us, Bruce!

We’re having an open house, as I mentioned above, at the shop on Saturday morning, so if you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by!

Hey, check this out…our good buddy Bruce (who works just over the hill at Cal Poly) picked up his custom Greaser on Saturday!

Bruce specified some real nice custom touches on his Greaser, including deletion of the whitewalls and a flat black luggage rack, which add to the bike’s blacked-out look.   He’s even got a matching helmet.

Bruce, ride safe, and I’ll see you on campus!

When our good buddy Jimmy was a kid, nothing was more fun than riding around on a rolling Mustang chassis a neighbor gave to him.   I talked to Jimmy just a few minutes ago and he told me that was grand fun…with Jimmy and his friend taking turns riding it…

I’m going to guess the above photos go back to around 1961 or so, judging by the ’61 Chevy sedan in the background. 

Well, that was then, and this is now.   Our good buddy Jimmy remembered how much fun that old Mustang chassis was, so  he started shopping around on the Internet looking for a Mustang.  That’s when he found us.  You can guess what happened next…

Jimmy, you enjoy your new CSC Classic out there in the Great State of Texas, say hello to all my friends in the greater Foat Wuth area (where the real West begins!), and ride safe!

How about that!  Time Magazine recognized us as one of nine products experiencing a curious resurgence in sales!  In particular, Time wrote about women’s motorcycles doing well, and they mentioned and included a link to our Babydoll.

We sure appreciate the recognition, but as the manufacturer of the best quality small motorcycles on the planet with an MSRP of just $3695 and up to 98 mpg fuel economy, you gotta wonder what’s curious about our bikes selling well!

You asked, and Steve delivered!   Behold…the 250cc P-51 CSC motorcycle!

The CSC P-51 with a custom World War II paint theme...

This is Steve's personal ride...check out the exhaust and the wild paint theme...we'll do a blog on all the custom features on this bike in the near future

The paint is stunning...and it's Steve's! It's our wildest and coolest custom yet...and it's fast!

Yes, it’s here, it’s CARB and EPA approved, and it’s in very limited production!  Take a look at CSC’s brand new P-51, our latest and most exciting motorcycle to date!  It’s our new 250.   It’s a classic.  And folks…it’s fast! 

That's paint...it's not a decal!

The bike shown above is Steve’s personal ride.  It’s the sleekest set of wheels I’ve ever seen.   The design and custom touches on it are just incredible.   In another day or two I’ll run a blog detailing the features on Steve’s P-51 (there are just too many to include here).   And the paint theme…it’s right out of World War II and it’s inspired by a couple of Mustangs…the original P-51 Mustang fighter plane and the original Mustang motorcycle!  

Steve’s bike is a custom ride, but that’s not the only P-51 we’re doing.  The P-51 Classic will be part of our regular stable of CSC motorcycles, and you can get it in the same colors as our existing line of California Scooters – the Classic, the Military Series, the Greaser, and the Babydoll.   Here’s a few shots of a brand new 250cc P-51 Classic…one of only five that we’re doing until the next small batch in mid-November!

A 250cc P-51 Classic...it's one of only five we are offering until mid-November!

Another beauty shot of the P-51 CSC Classic!

Steve and yours truly goofing around with the camera and the P-51

We’ve been working on the P-51 for more than a year.  Those of you following the blog probably remember me talking about Ol’ Yeller, one of our test mules, and a few of you who are very observant sent notes asking why you could never see the engine.   Now you know.   It was our first 250cc test bike!  I know what you are thinking, and yes, they actually pay me to do stuff like this.  Life is good!

Ol' Yeller, our P-51 test mule...it was no accident you couldn't see the engine in prior blog posts!

I put a lot of miles on Ol’ Yeller while we finalized the design, the gearing, and all of the things that go along with introducing a new motorcycle.   I’m a 61-year-old engineer, and I’ve worked on some pretty exciting things in my life (I was part of the team that designed the F-16 air combat fighter, I’ve worked on a number of hush-hush military weapons systems, and I’ve worked with lots of other cool stuff), but nothing beats being part of Steve’s team working on a new motorcycle.   This is cool stuff.  Beyond cool, actually.  Imagine getting paid to hop on the latest new motorcycle and being asked to find out how fast it goes!   It’s not just about speed, though.   The P-51 is reliable, it’s smooth, and it all comes in the same great small moto package the original Mustang designers had in mind back in the day (Howard Forrest and Chuck Gardner, a tip of our hat to you!).   Riding the P-51 is a real hoot.   And folks, did I mention that the P-51 is fast?!

On my Baja Blaster with its 150cc engine (a great motorcycle, to be sure) one of the things I missed was splitting lanes.  It’s legal here in California, and what it involves is rolling to the head of the line at a stop light.  When the light changes, you’re sandwiched between cars at the front of the traffic lanes, and you zoom out and get ahead of everyone else.  I didn’t like to do that on my 150 because it doesn’t zoom away from a stoplight and the rest of the cars like a bigger bike.   When I forgot that a few times on my Baja Blaster, the light changed and we all kind of pulled ahead at the same rate.   Then I had to look for a way to get back in my lane.   Not so with the P-51…when the light changes, this thing zooms out ahead of everyone!  It’s like a little flat tracker!

So how fast is it?  I’ve cranked this puppy up to close to 80 mph, and on a Mustang-sized bike, that’s honking!   Steve put a GPS on Ol’ Yeller running down the 210 freeway, and he saw 72+ mph (don’t tell Steve I said this, but I’m a little bit lighter than he is, so my top end was a little higher).   The P-51 is awesome, and when you guys and gals start hot rodding it, I think it’s only a matter of time before someone takes Walt Fulton’s 100-mph-on-a-Mustang record!

Walt Fulton at 100 mph on Rosamond Dry Lake...will you be the first to top his record on a CSC P-51?

And the name…the P-51.   That magnificent World War II airplane wasn’t the P-51 Thunderbolt, or the P-51 Skyraider, or the P-51 Avenger.   I’m sure you get it!

I know you want to know the specifics…and here they are.   The engine is made to our specifications by Zongshen in China. 

Yep, it’s Chinese.  

We’ve listened to people call our 150cc motorcycle a Chinese bike for years and it’s not.  It may well be the only bike on the planet with no Chinese content.   But our P-51’s 250cc engine is.   The engine is made in Chongqing, to be exact.   I’ve been there.   It’s a little town in southern China with 34,000,000 residents.   You read that right…34 million people! 

We never had anything against using a Chinese engine, and if you’ve been following the blog we’ve always said that we constantly evaluate new products.  We’ve also consistently maintained that if an engine from China met our requirements, we’d use it.   The P-51 engine does, and we are.  The P-51 Zongshen engine is an overhead cam motor with a counterbalancer, and what that means is the thing pulls like a freight train, it’s revvy, and it’s incredibly smooth.   It’s a runner.

250cc, OHC, counterbalancer, 5-speeds, and it's fast!

Our new P-51 Musta…oops, I meant to say our P-51 CSC motorcycle…is assembled here in California, but the engine is made in Chongqing to our specifications.   So why did we go with Zongshen?   Well, I know a little bit about quality and manufacturing (Google my name and those topics and you’ll see why I say that), and I know that our new P-51 engine is a solid unit.   And all those secret missions I’ve mentioned in prior blog posts?  Well, folks, I wasn’t doing that for the CIA or MI-6…I was doing it for CSC.   At Steve’s direction, I’ve been all over the world in our quest to find the best possible powerplant for our new P-51, and Zongshen won the vote based on our quality and performance requirements.

A few more words about Zongshen…I visited their engineering offices and their factory, and I talked with their top people.  Their production operation is one of the most advanced and process-controlled in the world.   Think statistical process control, 100% automated test and inspection, and a spotless manufacturing facility.   Take a look at the YouTube videos on Zongshen a few blog entries down one more time.   You may not have heard of Zongshen, but they are one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world.  They make a million motorcycles a year and 10,000 engines a day!  And they’re enthusiasts…they race, they know motors, and they know what they’re doing!

One of the Zongshen factory GP bikes I saw in Chongqing

Engines on the Zongshen assembly line...this is a modern, clean, and well-managed factory!

Yep, you read that right.  Zongshen manufactures 10,000 engines a day.  If you do the math, that’s a lot more engines than would go into a million bikes in a year.   That’s because Zongshen provides engines for several other manufacturers, too.   And for those of you who are stuck in the past and won’t buy, ride, drive, or wear anything with Chinese content, well, folks, don’t look too closely at whatever it is you’re riding, driving, or wearing.  You might find yourself walking everywhere you go.  Barefoot.  Naked.  You get the idea.

Indiana Jones in Chongqing...those are bikes for the Chinese postal service you see in the background

A bit more on these folks…Zongshen is the company that actually makes Vespa scooters, along with a few others for other big moto names.   When I visited the Zongshen manufacturing campus in Chongqing, I asked their executive team if they made parts or accessories for other manufacturers I might have heard of.   Their chief engineer smiled and asked, “Do you know of a company in the US called…”

Well, I won’t tell you the name, but I will tell you I had a good laugh when I heard it.   I’ll just refer you to the second YouTube video (Part II) a few blogs down one more time.  Think potato potato potato…

So here’s the bottom line…our 250cc P-51 is now available.  We are making just five bikes right now.   You can buy one of the first five (they’ll all be P-51 Classics in solid colors like the Ruby Red one you see above) for just $4295.   If you don’t get your oar in the water on the first five, the next limited group will be available in mid-November.   If you want one you’ll have to act quickly…we’re taking deposits now and they will go fast (give TK a call).   If you want the one you see at the top of this blog in the World War II livery…you’ll have to twist the boss’s arm.  Hard.   Steve let me know in no uncertain terms that particular P-51 is his bike.   Maybe you can talk him into making another one.  Maybe not.   There’s no telling on these things.

The CSC P-51.   The engine is solid and the bike is a runner.   You wanted a bigger engine and a faster bike, and Steve delivered.  

The ball is in your court!

So, how often do your friends write new books?

Here’s one that’s absolutely great…it’s my buddy Greg’s new book on the Goetz coins commemorating the Lusitania.   We’re all gearheads here, folks, and many of us have overlapping interests and hobbies.   I’m going to guess that more than a few of you have an interest in coins, but even if you don’t, this is an awesome story!

Greg’s new book is impressive and it’s a classic.   There’s quite a story here, starting with Greg’s almost accidental discovery of these coins, extending through his becoming an expert on the Goetz medals, and culminating in the creation of what is an outstanding reference.  And Greg’s writing is superb.  It’s easy to follow and you feel as if you’re hearing him tell the story as you read the book.   

I’m not a numismatist, yet I found the book captivating.   It’s well researched and richly illustrated.   Greg’s a photography enthusiast, too, and the photos and historical artwork in his book are outstanding.   The book is visually arresting. 

Commemoration of Death is destined to become the “go to” source on both the Lusitania medals and events surrounding the Lusitania’s sinking.  This is a well crafted and superbly illustrated work, and if you have even a passing or potential interest in history or coins, or if you just want a good read, you can pick up a copy of the book here.

Good stuff, boys and girls…I had this nice note from Jimbo Cavanaugh this morning…

Hi Joe:

This weekend was a blast!…Barbara and I Motored down to Willows California and took my 1961 Mighty Mustang and entered it in the Willows Car and Bike show on Saturday.  Met my son David and bride Sandy and he also entered his 1961 Mustang Bronco. The frosting on the cake was my long, lost neighbor and employee, Don Edelberg and his wife Cindy who I have not seen in 25 years also attended and he entered his 1953 Royal Enfield military model.

Boy, talk about “catch up” time! 

The weather was very hot but we had a great spot at Jensen park under shade trees.  Time just seem to zoom by and before we knew it, they were announcing the awards.  My son David’s Mustang Bronco won 1st place in class (1965 and older) and my 1961 Mustang Thoroughbred won 2nd Place in class. Don Edelberg’s Royal Enfield (military model) won 1st Place in the European Class.

The awesome 1947 Cushman did not score but it was cool!

I got the trophy for the longest distance traveled, 386 miles.

Soon it was time to pack it in and say good bye to all we met.  The staff at this event was exceptional.  They transported our ladies and all our gear in motor carts to the assigned show spots.  After it was all over, they repeated the gesture and  helped us load our vehicles.  A touch of first class and I salute them!

Great weekend!..Maybe I’m one up on you this time, Joe!

Regards!

Jimbo

I think you are a lot more than one up on me, Jimbo!  Thanks for the great note.  And folks, check out these photos Jimbo sent along!

Thanks very much, Jimbo!

Our buddy Howard is continuing his awesome adventure, too.  I just got this photo from Howard, which he grabbed at the entrance to the Shell Falls Interpretive Site in Bighorn National Park, Wyoming!

Howard, when I grow up I want to be just like you!  This is cool stuff!

And one more I promised a few days ago…my good buddy Carlos grabbed a shot of a BLT and sent it to me…

Carl, I think you are trying to torture me after reading about all the miles I’ve been racking up on my bicycle!   And that reminds me…I haven’t ridden in a few days and the heat wave we’ve been having out here in So Cal finally broke, so I’m going to pound out a few miles!

Steve tells me the bigwigs from Genuine Scooter are visiting tomorrow or Thursday and we’re going to take them out for a ride on the California Scooters, so watch for photos from that in the near future…along with a bunch of even more exciting stuff!

Sometimes one of the funnest things I get to do is just wander around the CSC plant with my Nikon.   There’s always good stuff going on and every once in a while I’ll sneak in a shot or two that suggests what’s coming down the pike. 

And it’s fun being here.  I mentioned yesterday that we’ve got a full complement of Genuine Scooters in house, and between yesterday afternoon and early this morning I’ve ridden each of the Genuine models that are now in our showroom.  My personal favorite of the Genuine models is the Buddy scooter.  I rode the 125cc version and the 170cc version, and they’re both pretty cool.   The 125cc version I rode was all white with black floorboards, and that monochomatic treatment looks good.   The 170cc Buddy I rode this morning was the two-tone green “Series Italia” model, and I really like that one, too.   Might be fun to ride one of those to Cabo and back just to say I did it.

Hey, a lot of you liked that video I posted last night of the P-51 Mustang firing up.   Here’s another one I like a lot…it’s the “23 Skidoo” P-38 Lightning that’s located just a few miles from here at the Chino Planes of Fame Museum…

A few years ago Bob Brown and crew over at Brown BMW ran an event they called the “Shoot and Scoot” in which amateur photogs like me and my friends met at Brown’s and then rode over to the Planes of Fame museum. I grabbed some pretty nice shots over there, including shots of the very airplane you see in the video above. Bob Brown turned the thing into a photo contest. We all had a grand time.

You know I like photos of motorcycles, and you probably also know I like photos of vintage airplanes. There’s something about a California Scooter that’s evocative of WWII combat aircraft, and that theme even extends to the helmet I wear when I’m on my CSC motorcycle.  Here are a few of my favorites…

That one above is the Ercoupe we photographed just last month.

You might remember Witchcraft, another very cool airplane that landed here at Brackett Airfield last year…it’s a B-24 Liberator with a red Classic CSC motorcycle…

And here’s one of my all time favorites, showing Steve, our Greaser motorcycle, and the airplane that may very well have given the Mustang motorcycle its name…

And of course, as I mentioned above my Baja Blaster helmet is based on a WWII theme…

Of all of the airplanes I’ve photographed, though, that P-51 really stands out in my mind.  The P-51 Mustang.   The Mustang name and that P-51 designation just seem to go together.

Well, that’s enough for today folks…I have another photo from our good buddy Howard on his epic journey through the American West, a picture of a myocardial-infarction-inducing BLT sandwich that Carlos sent in, and a nice note from Dave Larsen at the Mungenast Museum…I’ll post all of these in another day or two.

I’ve been in their factory doing my Secret Agent 007 thing, and folks, you need to see these videos…

This second one is particularly interesting….take a look at who they’re making parts for (and it’s not just Vespa!)…