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Restore Chapter 1 How to Identify your Hummer | Up → |
A few of you may find an original-paint bike from the first owner who rode it one summer and then stored it in a nice dry heated garage for the last 50 years. The owner will dig out the original title, warranty card, owner's manual, and even the first license plate and registration and pass them on to you. And the cow jumped over the moon...
The rest of us will find something a little different. Most of the parts on the lightweights are interchangable. This was Good News way back when - if you dented a fender or blew up the motor - you could simply find a wrecked bike, and transplant the needed parts into your bike. You could take a 1948 engine and bolt it into a 1966 frame. Or vice versa.
You've just purchased a bike to restore, and are wondering just what year it is. Well, the Bad News is: most of the parts on the lightweights are interchangable. A lot of swapping has gone on over the last 50 years, so your bike may have a mix of components.
The Bike that started the Hummer Club?
it's now: 1955 Hummer 55B 1234 |
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Wheels: | 1955 or 56 Hummer |
Front fork: | 1955 or 56 Hummer |
Engine: | 1960 Super 10 |
Magneto: | 1962 Ranger |
Frame | 1957-1959 Hummer |
Gas tank: | 195? Model 165 |
Some bikes are so "hybrid" that it's difficult to decide just what year they are! Sometimes, the choice is easy - if you have a nice original frame, sheetmetal, speedometer, etc., but the wrong year motor, the choice is easy - just find the correct year motor. Other times, the choice is more difficult.
So, where to start? First, try to identify just what you've got.
Second, look at the pictures in the Members page - in the Years/Models section. We've selected these bikes because they ARE good examples - but they are NOT necessarily restoration standards!
Third, determine the expense and difficulty in obtaining the correct parts. A perfectly restored speedometer can run up to $500. Fenders for a 1948-1950 model might take years to find. So take an inventory of what you've got, and what you will need. And hopefully, the direction will be obvious.
Quick List of Models | |||
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Years | M.D. | Name | Description |
1948 - 1952 | S | Model 125 | Single-cylinder two-stroke, generator, 125cc |
1953 - 1959 | ST | Model 165 | Similar but 165cc |
1953 - 1959 | STU | Model 165 | 165cc, low horsepower |
1955 - 1959 | B | Hummer | Single-cylinder two-stroke, magneto, 125cc |
1960 - 1961 | BT | Super-10 | Magneto but 165cc |
1960 - 1961 | BTU | Super-10 | Same but under 5 horsepower |
1962 | BT | Pacer | Road Model, 165cc |
1962 | BTU | Pacer | Road Model, 165cc, under 5 horsepower |
1962 | BTF | Ranger | 165cc Hunting/Fishing, no lights |
1962 | BTH | Scat | Off-Road Model, 175cc |
1963 - 1965 | BT | Pacer | Road Model, 175cc |
1963 - 1965 | BTU | Pacer | Road Model, 175cc, under 5horsepower |
1963 - 1965 | BTH | Scat | Off-Road Model, 175cc |
1966 | BTH | Bobcat | Road Model |
Last updated: January 23, 2014 | Up → |