Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes Cushman restoration

Due to a set of coincidences, I have been thinking about beginning a restoration of my 1958 Cushman Scooter. My grandfather gave it to me when I was 17. My first "bike", and I rode the devil out of it for a year, until a part on the electrics broke. Never fixed it (having moved into Triumph cycles). My jerk of an Uncle sold the motor from it when I wasn't looking, and now I am thinking about buying a replacement. I have located one, $800 for a 7.25 HP. engine. I just really have to decide whether the nostalgia of the thing is worth all the bucks and time I'll spend reworking, repainting and restoring the scoot. God, I had fun with that thing. My first taste of road freedom. My mom hated it at first, but later recovered the seat for me. I'll have to work pretty hard at selling a few things and screwing up the winter budget to finance the project. Oh well, that's how I always get things done! And did I mention, that all the advertisements and pictures I see of guys riding these things look my own grandfather? If I think that my BA is a geezer magnet NOW.... whats this scooter going to bring out of the woodwork? Any words of encouragement?

Go for it! You cant put a price on awesome memories and having something to hang onto to remind you of those.

Oh yeah... gotta agree with Soren. GO FOR IT! I mean this is not just a machine but a bunch of good memories and it the one and only original. What you got will never be forgotten in generations to come. Great opportunity!!!!!

You know you have to do it so get on with it. Might as well get in the swing of things with a visit to a bonafide geezer club: http://www.hobbytech.com/CushmanClub.htm

Rich, it sounds like it's worth a million bucks to you in memories. Go with your gut and spend what you can...when you can. It would be pretty cool to scoot around on the same bike you started on at 17.

I think most of us would drop quite a bit of coin to have our "first bike" again. You already have yours - and a Cushman at that! Any further questions?

Do it

You already know how I feel about bringing the dead back to life

Actually Cushmans are highly collectible and some bring some real money. They are a hoot to ride. It's a no lose deal, plus it's part of your story growing up. When you're done show us some pics, lookin forward.

If I could get another '54 Velocette for $800, I'd do it in an instant!

By the way, if yours is the 2 speed, a '42 - '49 Buick turn signal lever makes a nice chrome shifter...

Thanks for the feedback, fella's. I went ahead and put a down payment on the engine. I'll probably pick it up when I have the rest of the money, in a couple of weeks or so. Interestingly enough, it is up in the part of Ill. where the Midwest rally was held, so I'll be going up north again!

Cool. Keep us updated as your project goes along, Rich.

WHICH CUSHMAN IS IT?? THE ONE THAT IS SCOOTER LIKE WITH THE ENGINE UNDER THE SEAT OR THE LITTLE HARLEYESQE ONE THAT LOOKS MORE LIKE A MINI BIKE?? PICS WOULD BE GOOD

I say, if you can spare the time and money (it will be a lot of money over a long period of time) and if you love the smell of motoroil and grease under your fingernails, just go ahead and do it. Have fun with it, because they don't make'em like that anymore.
Keep in mind a restoration is a labor of love and should not be measured on how much it'll be worth when done. How do I know... I'm at the tail end of a restoration of a 1960 NSU Prima III, I had since I was 19 years old. I rode her hard and now after owning her for over 25 years (she's been sitting for over 20 years) it's even more fun to breath new life into her. Selling her? Nah!

Well, Cushman made three models, generally as to looks. An under the seat style ( enclosed motor) that I called a "tank", and is affectionately known as the "turtle back", another motor under the seat model called the "Road King", which had nicer, swoopier lines, kinda like the cars of the late 50s, and the "harley" looking style, which was open motor and called the Eagle. Mine is the Road King. It is an automatic (centrifigal clutch) and will probably do about 60+ MPH with the 7.3 horse motor. I promise I'll send pictures as soon as I get my new camera figured out.

The Road King looks like this,

Looking forward to following this thread. I can't remember the last old bike show I went to that DIDN'T have a selection of Cushmans.

Yep, thats my model, with a little more bling than mine. Thanks Greybeard. Funny, I've been to a few bike shows and I've NEVER seen a model like mine, and very rarely any other models of Cushman. I'd like to go to a Cushman rally just to get some ideas and info, but there aren't any close to me that I have found yet.

thats the one i was thinking and hopeing it was. my uncle was a mailman and he used that scooter to get around, he would park it at the end of the street and walk to deliver door to door (city neighborhood boxes at door or slot in door) he would walk down one side and back up the other to his scooter and on to the next one. he used to ride us kids around, it was my first experience of motorized wind in my face. thanks for the memories!!!!!

I remember a number of years ago my wife's uncle complaining about how much $$$$ and time he spent looking for Cushman parts and restoring his Cushmans. He had about a dozen of them...he eventually gave it up.

Just a warning. But I suppose that is true with many hobbies.

I've only been doing a minimum of research on Cushman's and parts for them this week, and I have found a wealth of parts and information. There are a number of "rallys" this year, although none close. And as to money, I think that a person shouldn't even get interested in restoring an old machine if he isn't willing to part with some bucks. Like the engine I found and put a down payment on. $800 is a lot of money to me. But when you consider that this is an antique engine (1958), it is in good running condition and is both a fairly complicated and bullet proof engine, I don't think the price is unreasonable. I've restored my share of old machines before, and I never sympathised with those who complain about the prices of NOS parts or quality reproductions. It brings me to mind of my favorite "old car sale" story.
I was selling a 1964 Chevelle convertible in running condition, this in 1980. The car was not in great condition, but very restorable. Two guys showed up at the same time to look at it. The price was $200. One of the guys looked it over, and then proceeded to talk the other out of buying it, while I looked on. His final comment to the other potential buyer was, "you know, they're making convertibles again". I turned to him and said, "Really, you mean to tell me they're making 1964 Chevelle convertibles again!?" Neither bought the car, but I sold it to a young guy the next week, who seemed to have a better attitude and the moxy to make it happen.

Yeah I know Rich... sometimes you can't put a price on sentimental value. $800 clams for a power plant is a dear price for a lot of us including me. I hear ya. But ya know... I restored my not-as-old 81 CB125 which had been sorely abused by many a hunting trip and other such torturous applications. It (was) is sort of a member of the family and so it sits in the family museum as a tribute to togetherness. Btw... it cost way to much to restore but what the hay, I'm still drinking gourmet coffee so it can't be that bad.