WWII CUSHMAN SCOOTER

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 11, 2013, 12:16:30 PM

This scooter is owned by my friends at the local New Holland tractor equipment company.

This is one of the scooters that would have been parachuted in behind enemy lines for American soldiers to ride.
I was told that a lot of times when these scooters hit the ground, some times the tires would deflate. Then the soldiers would have to stuff the tires with rags to get them back in shape to ride.

This scooter has been restored.......however, they don't think it ever came in Red. But they love Red and therefore.....it is Red.

Raider Bill · February 11, 2013, 02:14:06 PM

Very nice!! There is a whole cushman subculture out there. I know a guy that has at least 50 [he doesn't know for sure] in a storage warehouse.

justallan1 · February 11, 2013, 02:52:45 PM

Very nice. Thanks for the pictures.

loggah · February 11, 2013, 05:46:16 PM

I'm pretty sure that Cushman wouldn't go fast enough for me if i were under fire, drather been on the Indian Scout !!!! ;D Is it a Briggs engine? or did Cushman make their own engine? nice looking restoration. Don

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 11, 2013, 05:58:28 PM

Quote from: loggah on February 11, 2013, 05:46:16 PM
I'm pretty sure that Cushman wouldn't go fast enough for me if i were under fire, drather been on the Indian Scout !!!! ;D Is it a Briggs engine? or did Cushman make their own engine? nice looking restoration. Don

I have no idea about the engine but it is the original engine.

steamsawyer · February 11, 2013, 06:07:49 PM

That's really nice. My first two wheeler was a Cushman... 1957.

Cushman built their own engine. They were engine builders way before they built scooters. I have a Cushman Cub, Bean Special, flywheel engine off of an orchard sprayer from the mid 30s.

Slabs · February 11, 2013, 07:55:41 PM

Looks like it has the STOMP starter too.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 11, 2013, 08:17:38 PM

Quote from: Slabs on February 11, 2013, 07:55:41 PM
Looks like it has the STOMP starter too.

It does Slabs.

thecfarm · February 11, 2013, 09:32:18 PM

That looks nice,but it would of looked really nice blue. :D

Jeff · February 12, 2013, 11:03:03 AM

I've always pictured you just a bit taller than this.

Hilltop366 · February 12, 2013, 12:15:50 PM

Geeez Jeff, some times you can be so insensitive. :-[

:D :D

Hilltop366 · February 12, 2013, 12:27:09 PM

Oh ya, Cool scooter Poston,

Thanks.

Cushman (Scooters) (1936-1965)

The original motor used was mostly as a water-pump motor.

Source: The illustrated directory of Classic American Motorcycles, Tod Rafferty.

customsawyer · February 12, 2013, 12:55:20 PM

I like it. Looks like the passenger would have a warm right foot. ;D

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 12, 2013, 03:12:21 PM

Quote from: Jeff on February 12, 2013, 11:03:03 AM
I've always pictured you just a bit taller than this.

This was just a TALL scooter. :D :D :D :D
Good 1 Boss.

Al_Smith · February 12, 2013, 07:23:49 PM

I've never seen that praticular model but the Cushmans were a teenaged boys dream .That one looks like it might have a variable speed drive like some of the Pacemakers .

The Pacemaker was a step through type of design and I think probabley under 5 hp because they'd only run about 35 maybe 40 MPH .It had a type of sheet matal shrouding around it .

The sought after model was the Eagle built like a little motorcyle and it was around 8 hp with a two speed tranny .Which I never saw anybody who could shift gears without grinding them .They would run about 50 miles per hour unless somebody played with them then they might get 5 more MPH if that .

Cushman stopped making scooters some time in the 60's but continued with small industrial vehicles like the truckster and perhaps some golf carts .
I think they might still be in business .

Now the irony of that whole thing was at one time Ohio had a scooter license for 14 year olds --until the year I turned 14 or I would have had one .Ha waited until I was 17 and got an Indian 500cc twin .Then a couple three Harleys .

Slabs · February 12, 2013, 07:36:31 PM

Did Sears also market a Cushman under their Allstate line like they did the Vespa?

beenthere · February 12, 2013, 07:44:32 PM

Sears did sell a copy of the Vespa, and I believe it was labeled Allstate. We had one in the 50's. Aluminum gear box that wouldn't hold screws, and was constant fixing it or the small clutch disks. Started riding that at 11 yrs old.
Don't recall it looked anything like a Cushman.

Slabs · February 12, 2013, 08:06:03 PM

Quote from: beenthere on February 12, 2013, 07:44:32 PM
Sears did sell a copy of the Vespa, and I believe it was labeled Allstate. We had one in the 50's. Aluminum gear box that wouldn't hold screws, and was constant fixing it or the small clutch disks. Started riding that at 11 yrs old.
Don't recall it looked anything like a Cushman.

No. That's not the scooter I was asking about. I also had a Vespa and fought the cork clutch battle. Fortunately the parts outlets always had a stock of plates.

I was thinking I saw the "Iron Monster" cushman in the catalof under the name Allstate.

Al_Smith · February 12, 2013, 09:30:46 PM

Yes they did sell their version of the Pacemaker under a different name .They also sold a few small motorcycles I think the largest about 250 cc .Italian made I think . Sears and Roebuck never made a thing they just sold them .

Then you have Cushman engineering famous for lathe chucks which I don't think is the same Cushman .

Lest we not forget Danielle Colby-Cushman the colorfull "gal friday "of the show American pickers .

CHARLIE · February 12, 2013, 10:23:52 PM

About '56 and '57 (Jr. High) all my friends had Cushman Eagles. My Grandmother wouldn't let Tom and I have one 'cause they were dangerous. >:(

thecfarm · February 12, 2013, 10:26:30 PM

I think your Grandmother might of said that both of you was dangerous. :D

PC-Urban-Sawyer · February 13, 2013, 11:22:48 AM

Quote from: CHARLIE on February 12, 2013, 10:23:52 PM
About '56 and '57 (Jr. High) all my friends had Cushman Eagles. My Grandmother wouldn't let Tom and I have one 'cause they were dangerous. >:(

Charlie,

Your grandma was right, they sure could be dangerous.

When I was in 10th grade, one of our classmates had a Cushman scooter. He was giving one of our classmates a ride (no helmets of course...). He managed to hit a pothole in the paved highway and the scooter flipped head over heals. The owner/driver got flipped straight over and tore up his left arm on the gravel paved surface. The guy riding "buddy" got thrown about twenty feet and landed on his head, which burst, killing him instantly...

That sure put the kebosh on any chance I had of getting one.

Herb

Al_Smith · February 13, 2013, 07:19:04 PM

A scooter doesn't have the stability of a regular motorcyle becuse of the little tires .

I think what actualy caused the demise of the Cushman scooters were two invasions .The first were the Italians with the Vespa .Cost less ,ran as fast as a Cushman Pacemaker and looked a lot nicer .

The second that put the stops to them forever and that was the Japanese with things like the Honda 125 and Bridgestone 90 .Cheap little motorcyles that girls could ride and did .Go forever on a tank of gas too .