Wow!!!!!

Posted on March 6, 2012

Time for a confession, folks.  Until today, I never rode a Mustang.

Until today, that is.

Yep, I talked the Boss into letting me ride that beautiful 1956 Mustang Pony…the one I showed you in the blog a day or two ago…

Our new '56 Pony and a CSC Classic, both in black...

Our new '56 Pony and a CSC Classic, both in black...

It’s been a dream for me to do this ride ever since I first got involved with the California Scooter Company.  I thought I was pretty cool dreaming up that “old and new” photo you’ve seen on the blog when Steve first started CSC.  It’s the bike that inspired Steve and started the whole CSC dream. You’ve read all about it and the start of this company in our catalog and on the blog.

Steve's '53 Pony with a new CSC Classic

Steve always said that ’53 Pony was a rough-running bike, but the ’56 Mustang we just took in is immaculate.  And today was the day!  Woo hoo!!! A ride on an original Mustang!!!

Hey, that’s enough preparatory stuff…take a look!

I loved it! 

The only thing I was a little disappointed in was the videography.  I gave my Flip video to Steve and he filmed me riding the Mustang and the CSC Classic.  I’ve got to teach him how to work that camera, though.  He made me look bald and just a little bit porky. Ah, well, maybe he’ll get better with practice…

After the ride, I got busy with my Nikon and I grabbed a bunch of comparo shots. It was fun, and in putting these together, I was impressed all over again seeing how Steve and the guys stayed true to the original Mustang concept while improving it in subtle ways. Like the original Mustang, the CSC Classic truly is a magnificent motorcycle…unlike anything available today.

Okay, I know, I’m talking too much and taking too long to get to the point. Here we go…my comparo shots…the Mustang is on the left, and the CSC Classic is on the right in each photo…

Hey, tanks a lot…the fuel tank is perhaps one of the most iconic features on the Mustang, and the CSC closely followed its inspirational lines…

Another key Mustang styling component is the seat, with those big chrome springs.  Ours looks just like the Mustang’s, but it’s definitely more comfortable…trust me on this one.  I rode one of these all the way down to Cabo and back!

Lights, camera, and plenty of action!

And speaking of action…wow!  The Mustang has a 300+ cc engine.  Ours is a 150cc engine.  Which is faster?   Hey, no matter what I say, no one’s going to change their mind.   But I know…

Two different approaches to solving the same problem…check out the carbs…one facing forward, and the other facing rearward…

Left and right side hand controls…there’s no front brake on the Mustang, and we’ve got all of the switchery required for turn signals, high beams, and electric starting…

Mufflers, both old and new…as you saw in the video above, the Mustang is definitely louder!

Rear brakes on display on both bikes.  Our rear disk brake is on the right side of the bike and it’s hydraulically actuated.   The Mustang’s drum is tucked in on the left…and it’s mechanically actuated.

The top triple tee and the risers.  Our parts are machined from billet aluminum.  The Mustang uses steel weldments…

Tail lights. Back in 1956, turn signals were not required…

Front ends, from the right…check out the suspension…

And the final comparo photo, the front end from the left.  Yep, we have a hydraulic disk brake, and when you grab a handful, the bike stops right now.  The Mustang didn’t have a front brake back in those days…

So that’s it, boys and girls. A dream realized…a day with rides on both the modern California Scooter and the classic Mustang Pony that inspired it. Both of these magnificent machines are true classics in every sense of the word!

Posted in California Scooter Company | 4 Comments

Another cool Classic…

Posted on March 5, 2012

When I stopped by the plant this morning, this brand new CSC motorcycle was waiting to ship out.   It really caught my eye.   The bike is stunning…take a look…

A custom Classic with all the goodies (Z06 Corvette not included...)

 
This CSC motorcycle is wildly equipped, yet it still looks like a conservative custom.  It’s nicely optioned, and it just looks right.  Apehanger handlebars, chrome upper and lower controls, chrome brake calipers, wire wheels, chrome fork lowers, chrome switch covers, chrome risers, chrome cups, chrome luggage rack, LED turn signals front and rear, and on it goes.   The bike looks absolutely great, and it’s on its way to Springfield Larry in Minnesota.
 
Larry, you’re in for a lot of fun!
 
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More Cool Vintage Photos…

Posted on March 5, 2012

One of the cool things about running this site and the www.motofoto.cc site is that I have wonderful folks send incredible photos to me, and that’s what I have to share with you this morning.   The photos you see here came to me via Gary in Australia… 

My name is Gary McDonnell.  I served my apprenticeship at TRIUMPH in Meriden in 1969 and have been working with TRIUMPH since then!

Here are few police pictures I have received during the course of my job in Australia as Dealer Manager.

I hope you enjoy them.

Gary, you can bet we are enjoying them!  Thank you so much for sending these awesome vintage photos to us!

And for all you Mustang aficionados out there…take a quick peek at Steve’s newest toy…

Yep, that’s an absolutely pristine 1956 Mustang Pony posing in front of a new California Scooter Classic. Both bikes are for sale, and we can ship that Mustang just like we would ship a California Scooter.

How much?

Well, at $10,850 it’s right in line with what original Mustangs are bringing these days, which is just about exactly 3 times the cost of a brand new CSC Classic.   And ours is completely street legal and CARB-compliant, with electric start, turn signals, and all the goodies you need to put a bike on the street these days. 

Hmmmm…..

Steve said he’s gonna let me ride that Mustang.   Sounds like a comparo test is in order, boys and girls…so stay tuned!

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The Petersen, Pastrami, and Pain at the Pump…

Posted on March 4, 2012

Tony B, aka Scooter Boy!

Wow, what a week (and weekend) this has been!

In addition to our normal outstanding California weather, spiraling gasoline prices, and the normal good fun that goes with your favorite motorcycle company, we’ve got a lot of things going on!
 
For starters, Ol’ Blue Eyes (yep, our man Tony) is going in for some body and fender work not too different from what I did just about exactly one year ago. Tony’s deal starts tomorrow, so he’ll be out of pocket for a couple of weeks as he recovers. Tony is an absolutely outstanding human being…one of the nicest guys I know.  Those of you who know Tony know what I mean.

Our next deal…our good friends Carlos and Maria, our high level CSC advisors, are hitting the road and heading back to St. Louis tomorrow. We’ve had an outstanding time with them during this visit, including a great trip down to Baja to see the whales. You already know about that one…we wrote about it here in the blog a month or so ago. More about Carl and Mary in another paragraph or two…

Carlos and Maria checking out Baja's most famous visitors...

Susie (my CFO, COO, best friend, and wife of 28 years) read in the Daily Bulletin (our outstanding local paper) that Leslie Stahl was speaking in Claremont this week. We like Leslie Stahl…she’s the journalist you see on 60 Minutes each week. We couldn’t pass up an opportunity to hear her speak, and it was great.

Leslie Stahl, of 60 Minutes fame...captured by my Nikon

Ms. Stahl told some interesting stories, including how she got the break that really put her in the spotlight. Seems she was a brand new, junior reporter for a news show in Washington, D.C. As the lowest person on the totem pole back in those days, she drew a gig everyone else took a pass on…covering a low-level burglary at a place called the Watergate Hotel.  The rest, like they say, is history.

The next night Steve, Maureen, Carl, Mary, and Sue and I all got together for dim sum at Steve’s favorite local spot, and that, too, was great. I’d like to show you a photo or two from that night, but the truth is the food was so good I completely forgot about my camera. Next time, folks!

Then we got an email from Carl…seems the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles was having a salute to 80 years of the ’32 Ford. Yep, the Deuce. The all time classic American hot rod. Carl wanted to know if we wanted to go. I think he knew the answer when he asked the question…

A Classic of another sort...a '32 Ford hot rod at the Petersen Museum...more to follow in coming days, folks!

I’ll have a lot more Petersen photos on the blog in another few days, so keep an eye on us!

You know, in 32 years of living here in sunny California, it was the first time I’d ever been to the Petersen. It was awesome, and I’ll be back.  I like hot rods, but basically I’m a biker, and the Petersen visit was even more special to me for that reason.   The museum is running a special event with historic scooters on display, and I grabbed a few shots.  Check out this Airborne Cushman…

An Airborne Cushman!

Yep, the US Army actually had Cushmans that wore jump wings. That is very special to me (I proudly wore those same wings a half a lifetime ago).  I thought the Cushman was cool, but truth be told, I think our Sarge edges it out in the cool department…

The Sarge, by CSC (M1911 and original holster not included)!

Our original Go Go rider...Arlene B!

After the Petersen, we all meandered up the street a few blocks for a classic lunch at a classic restaurant…Canter’s on Fairfax in LA.  My daughter and her husband joined us, as did the original Scooter Girl, Arlene Battishill of Go Go Gear.

What a lunch!  (It’s an absolutely classic LA deli!)

What food!  (The pastrami sandwiches…wow!)

What conversation!  (Carl, Mary, Susie, Lauren, Jeremy, Arlene…all great folks!)

Arlene rode her custom CSC up on the sidewalk and parked right in front of Canter’s! 

As always, the bike drew a crowd. You guys and gals keep an eye on Go Go Gear and Arlene…she’s going to be on the TV show Shark Tank in another few weeks, and her company’s going to take off!

Unavoidable market factors, or legalized thievery?

On the way home, we stopped to top off Susie’s Teutonic tank, and…and…well, take a look at that photo to the right. I don’t know how our leaders can tolerate this sort of Tomfoolery, and it infuriates me every time I have to buy gas.

We’re bumping up against $5 a gallon out here. The last time that happened, it was immediately followed by the Great Recession.

We hear all the excuses about why this is occurring and why nobody can do anything about it, but I don’t believe any of it.  Mark my words:  In another month or two, we’ll hear about the oil companies reporting the largest profits in the history of the universe (just like last time). 

But the high pump prices are not their fault. 

Right.

Anyway, I’ve got a secret weapon against these gangsters…and it’s called my 98-mpg Baja Blaster. You’ve got the same weapon, or you could, and these days, it’s only gonna set you back $3,695.

Well, folks, I’ll get off the soapbox and get back to work this fine Sunday morning. Have a great day, get out and ride a bit (if your weather permits), and keep an eye on the blog for more Petersen photos!

Posted in Best Of, California Scooter Company | Comments Off on The Petersen, Pastrami, and Pain at the Pump…

2 Extra Horsepower?

Posted on March 3, 2012

I’m used to seeing unusual things in the shop, but when I was out there a couple of days ago I spotted these guys…

What do you think?  Is Steve adding two extra horsepower to each Scooter?  A new model…our own Pony?  Or maybe the new Mustang?   Perhaps they’re Thoroughbreds?  Stay tuned…

Posted in California Scooter Company | 2 Comments

On being Smart…

Posted on March 2, 2012

With gas continuing its upward trend, small is definitely in.  As you know, we’re the guys with the 90+ mpg scooters, but even the car guys are picking up on the “smaller is better” concept.   In fact, my good buddy Pauly Berkuta sent in email showing me just what’s been happening in the automotive world.

You all know about the little Smart car, of course…

Those are actually pretty nice.   I came pretty close to buying one a couple of years ago, but I held off because I wanted to see what else was out there.    Good thing I did.   Check out the new Smorvette…

How about the mini-SUV Smaudi…

And then, of course, there’s the Smamborghini…

The Smorsche…

The Smerrari…

And of course, the Smustang…

Me, I’ll just stick with my California Scooter.  I’m gonna guess you will, too!

 

Posted in California Scooter Company | 2 Comments

Quality and quantity are up, prices are down!

Posted on March 1, 2012

Yep, you read that right.   We’re into our third year producing your favorite motorcycle, and our production quantities are up (and as quantities go up, costs come down).   We’ve worked very hard to go from good to great, and we think we’ve succeeded (read our story about the Baja trip, and you’ll get a feel for this).   As quality goes up, costs come down because you don’t have to do rework or fix things.  Both factors are working for you here, and we’re passing the savings on to you!

So, here’s the deal…the price on our best-selling bike (the Classic) is now only $3,695.   The Greaser is only $3,895 (it’s those Coker original Mustang diamond grip whitewalls!), and the Babydoll and Military Series bikes are only $3,995.  

Good stuff, guys and gals, and with gas going to $5 a gallon, that 150cc CSC engine is looking pretty smart!

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The Next Big Thing…

Posted on February 26, 2012

And that would be our next ride, of course. Rather than simply tell you good folks what we’re doing, we thought we’d ask for your inputs.  And we’d like to arrange it so that our good friends from all over the country could ride with us, rather than arranging it for just our local loyal riders.  If you wouldn’t mind, shoot an email to me at jberk@californiascooterco.com with your thoughts on the following…

One thing we’re thinking of doing is another quick afternoon ride, maybe on Glendora Ridge Road. This would be either on a Saturday or a Sunday, and it would be the ride you see us all bubbly about all the time on the blog.  We’d meet at the plant around noon or so, ride up into the mountains, have lunch at the Mt. Baldy Lodge, and come back to the plant. This is about a 50-mile ride, with no freeway riding, and just awesome riding up in our gorgeous California mountains.  We’d do this sometime in the next couple of weeks if we do it. We do these Glendora Ridge Road rides all the time anyway, but we thought we’d open it up for anyone who wants to ride with us.  Are you in?  Let me know.

The next thing we’re talking about doing is a weekend gathering starting here at the plant. Our preliminary thinking goes like this:

  • We’d start at the plant meeting either Friday night or early Saturday morning.  Any preferences?
  • We’d include a factory tour narrated by none other than the Boss himself (yep, your tour guide would be Steve Seidner, our CSC founder and CEO). Would you be interested in this?
  • Saturday morning would include a great breakfast at Merendero’s almost directly across the street from us. You’ve seen us write about it on the blog a lot.
  • We ‘re thinking either an all day ride across Angeles Crest Highway, or a shorter ride through the San Gabriels. Which would you prefer?
  • We’d provide a barbeque dinner at the plant, with Steve doing the cooking. What works best for you, Friday or Saturday?
  • You could stay at a nearby KOA if you want to camp, or the Sheraton, if you are coming in from out of town (this would be at your expense).
  • We might include an evening run into Bert and Rocky’s ice cream parlor in nearby Claremont. Anybody interested in this?
  • We’re thinking early to mid-April for this event. Does that work for you?

If you think you’re interested in the above, let us know. And tell me your thoughts on what you’d like best. Whatever we do, like always, it’s gonna be fun and it’s gonna be memorable.  And you’re gonna make the blog.  So, are you in?

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Time Lapse Assembly Videos

Posted on February 26, 2012

I have a Facebook account, which has been described by none other than Betty White (I just love her) as the greatest time suck of all time. I do waste a lot of time reading mostly meaningless Facebook musings (including some of my own), but every once in a while I see something that’s really cool. I drive a Subie WRX (as does my good buddy TK). Somehow Facebook glommed on to that fact, so I get a lot of targeted Subaru ads on my Facebook account. This one popped up a short while ago…

If you liked that one, take a look at ours…it’s the YouTube video that shows Tony and Lupe assembling the In-N-Out bike that went to Melanie Troxel, In-N-Out’s funny car driver…

We had a lot of fun making that video, which is exactly 4 minutes and 6 seconds long. Tony and Lupe especially liked it, at least until we told them that we might just make 4 minutes and 6 seconds the labor standard for assembling a new California Scooter…

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So who’s riding today?

Posted on February 25, 2012

I am.  I’ve got some work to do in the morning, but later today I’m firing up the Baja Blaster and heading into the mountains.   Looks like it’s a great day for it, too, and I hope to see you out there!

Posted in California Scooter Company | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments