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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: chuck peterson on November 01, 2019, 09:04:48 AM

Title: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: chuck peterson on November 01, 2019, 09:04:48 AM

That's damn cool.. 1960. Is that an adjustable lever?

https://westernmass.craigslist.org/mcy/d/wilbraham-harley-davidson-topper/7010359224.html


(https://i.ibb.co/tzFGvrC/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tzFGvrC)

(https://i.ibb.co/0rjnnLn/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0rjnnLn)

(https://i.ibb.co/LvK7BpT/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/LvK7BpT)

(https://i.ibb.co/D7nn83B/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/D7nn83B)

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: Adk.IBO on November 01, 2019, 09:11:42 AM

Parking brake?

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: Lannis on November 01, 2019, 09:26:03 AM

Those of us just a few years ahead of you used to drool over those Topper ads in Popular Science showing how much fun you could have on the road for how little money ....


(https://i.ibb.co/9WCV6YC/topper.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9WCV6YC)


Lannis

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: Groover on November 01, 2019, 09:36:04 AM

Nice one to have, if I had one..  :grin:

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: PhilB on November 01, 2019, 09:37:57 AM

Scooters were HUGE in that period.  There were dozens of brands.  Vespa and Lambretta were the biggest, but most of the major motorcycle companies had scooters.  Not just Harley, but there were scooters from Triumph, BSA, Velocette, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Zundapp, Maico, and on and on.  Most scooters were 2-strokes, but not all.

The Harley Topper was a 165cc, 2-stroke, with a rope-pull starter.

PhilB

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: pehayes on November 01, 2019, 10:48:08 AM

I owned one when I was 13!  Someone in town was moving away and didn't want it any more.  Gave it to me and my brother.  We rode it hard and rode it into the ground before the junk yard.  Wish I had it now.  Hard to see in the first picture, but this was PULL START like a lawnmower.  I think 160cc two stroke.  Weighed a ton!  Huge belt drive with variable pulleys.  We mostly drove it with a binary on/off throttle.  Held one rpm like a big old bus while it gradually accelerated as the pulleys altered.  Hard to damage in a crash.  Ask me how I know.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: Chuck in Indiana on November 01, 2019, 11:02:50 AM

Quote

Hard to damage in a crash.

:grin:

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: Cam3512 on November 01, 2019, 11:12:14 AM

VERY cool, but not $11K cool!

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: Lannis on November 01, 2019, 12:29:46 PM

Quote from: pehayes on November 01, 2019, 10:48:08 AM

  We mostly drove it with a binary on/off throttle.  Held one rpm like a big old bus while it gradually accelerated as the pulleys altered.  ...

Just like a Convert then!

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: Groover on November 01, 2019, 01:02:04 PM

Variator I think

Title: Re: HD Scooter content. Who knew? 1960 Topper
Post by: Yeahoo Whoyah on November 01, 2019, 01:50:10 PM

I've still got the family Cushman Scooter.  B$W photo is my Grandmother and me Summer of 1950

(https://i.ibb.co/K2Z53y7/IMG-3318.jpg) (https://ibb.co/K2Z53y7)

(https://i.ibb.co/tQWDJHh/IMG-3319.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tQWDJHh)