My motor scooter connection and collection
I first became interested in motor scooters in Kentucky, shortly after World War II. I guess I was about 12 or 13 when I saw my first Cushman scooter. It was parked in front of the pool room. I know now that it was a 1946 Cushman model 54 with a two-speed transmission. It was blue, and had a windshield and a buddy seat. I was impressed.
A short time after that, the Western Auto Store started selling Doodlebugs. They were about 1.5 horsepower, and much smaller than the Cushman. A kid in our neighborhood had one and he let me ride it. I had never ridden anything with a motor. I was hooked.
Poverty kept me apart from motor scooters, but in the fall of 1948, we moved to Florida and scooters were everywhere. Most of them were big beautiful Cushmans. A friend of mine bought one second hand and we covered several counties on it. His was the single speed model 52 and sometimes on sandy country roads it would bog down with both of us on it. I would leap off the back and push until we got back on a firm surface, them leap back on and away we would go. The model 52 was newer than the one I saw in Kentucky. It had barrel springs in the front, but the engine was the same 4 horse power, two-piece block engine. On the level roads that were so common in Florida, it was enough power to carry us both at about 40 miles per hour. Sometimes it took a while to get going, but once we got opened up, it made good time.
Then we moved to Tennessee and I never had the chance to own a Cushman. Finally, at age 59, and approaching retirement, I got one. It was 1947 model 52, very similar to the one I had spent so much time on in Florida. My son helped me restore it and it was the beginning of what is now a nice collection of motor scooters.
A short time after that, the Western Auto Store started selling Doodlebugs. They were about 1.5 horsepower, and much smaller than the Cushman. A kid in our neighborhood had one and he let me ride it. I had never ridden anything with a motor. I was hooked.
Poverty kept me apart from motor scooters, but in the fall of 1948, we moved to Florida and scooters were everywhere. Most of them were big beautiful Cushmans. A friend of mine bought one second hand and we covered several counties on it. His was the single speed model 52 and sometimes on sandy country roads it would bog down with both of us on it. I would leap off the back and push until we got back on a firm surface, them leap back on and away we would go. The model 52 was newer than the one I saw in Kentucky. It had barrel springs in the front, but the engine was the same 4 horse power, two-piece block engine. On the level roads that were so common in Florida, it was enough power to carry us both at about 40 miles per hour. Sometimes it took a while to get going, but once we got opened up, it made good time.
Then we moved to Tennessee and I never had the chance to own a Cushman. Finally, at age 59, and approaching retirement, I got one. It was 1947 model 52, very similar to the one I had spent so much time on in Florida. My son helped me restore it and it was the beginning of what is now a nice collection of motor scooters.
posted by Howard at
10:35 AM
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