Short, squat, stolid, dependable-Cushmans (especially the gussied up Eagles) are often called “the mini Harley.”
And when viewed alongside an old Harley-Davidson Knucklehead, the label seems apt. Especially when it comes to the hard-tail ride, where you feel every pebble and pothole because the Cushman has no suspension to speak of. Just teeny springs under the seat that are mostly for show.
If Harley had a son, its name would surely be Cushman.
Their values also can be very Harley-like, according to enthusiast Ed Miller of downstate Dalton City. Cushmans, along with Vespas and Lambrettas of the same era, have seen serious appreciation in the last 15 years.
Collectors dragging Cushman scooters from barns and sheds have seen prices dance from $600 to $1,500 for unretouched originals to $3,000 to $6,000 for nice restorations. (Seriously chromed and tricked-out Cushmans featuring performance Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engines can fetch $8,000 to $10,000.)
At last glance, there were 4,900 members of the Cushman Club of America, an impressive number considering the final Silver Eagle was built in 1966. But Cushmans were never intended as disposable.
For the most part, they also were a rural or semi-rural phenomenon.
They were sold mainly in the country, where riders did their own maintenance and repairs. They had no choice, really. Motorcycle shops weren’t exactly plentiful in central Iowa and Nebraska in 1954. So Cushman supplied rugged 5- and 8-horsepower “Husky” motors built in-house that were essentially lawnmower engines good for 35- to 50-miles-per-hour unmodified.
“Compare them to a 250-cc motorcycle engine in power,” said Miller, who rode a Cushman Eagle year-round delivering newspapers. Nostalgia for his old Cushman piqued Miller’s interest in collecting and opening Ed’s Cushman Shop in Dalton City for parts and repairs.
“The Eagles are most popular,” he said. “Older military models have parts that are harder to find. The step-through Road King and Highlander are also collected, and I don’t see any serious red flags to watch for when buying a Cushman. Parts availability isn’t a problem for most Cushmans. Just try to find one with the original Cushman [Husky] motor. You’ll see Cushmans with Kohler and Tecumseh engines, but try to get away from those if you have a choice.”
Joe Lanckhoff of Mt. Prospect picked up his 1958 Eagle about 15 years ago and has rebuilt three or four others, yet he still has the Eagle.
“When I was a kid, Cushmans were the thing. You could get a license to ride a Cushman at 14, so we all wanted one,” he laughed. “Only I could never afford a Cushman in the 1950s. Then about 15 years ago, I heard about an Eagle for sale for $1,600. I hauled it home and tore the engine apart and bored it out to 12 or 13 horsepower and built it back up.”
Vintage Cushmans have two types of collectors.
The purist is usually an older rider–mid-50s to mid-70s–with fond memories of the brand. This group performs faithful bolt-by-bolt restorations–using Husky engines and parts sourced from other collectors or by consulting Dennis Carpenter of Dennis Carpenter Ford & Cushman Reproductions in Concord, N.C. Carpenter bought the Cushman factory tools and dies and fabrication equipment and can make new parts to original specs.
The second group is younger and more apt to experiment.
“This is where the Vanguard engine [by Briggs & Stratton] comes in,” explained Miller. “The guys in their late 20s and 30s and 40s like the custom look and high performance. The mini-Harley appearance. They want the V-twin, where they get 20- to 40-horsepower [which will push an Eagle past 80 m.p.h.]. I’ve changed my way of thinking here. The hot-rod Cushmans draw interest from younger people, and we need them to keep interest alive.”
Cushman owners and enthusiasts in the Chicago area can join the Cushman Club of America (cushmanclubofamerica.com), as well as the Mid America Cushman Club (midamerica(underscore)cush.tripod.com/), which has about 175 active members. The Mid America group has several meets each year including one in Lexington, Ill., in September.
Club treasurer Anita Revelle and her husband, Don, of Lexington, enjoy the hobby together: She rides a 1959 Super Eagle and he a 1952 Road King. The Road King cuts quite the retro figure with its squared-off body panels. (There’s a Bo Diddley album cover from the 1950s, where Diddley’s sitting on a Road King, his square guitar slung over one shoulder. The Road King and guitar lines complement each other.)
The Revelle collection doesn’t stop there, though. She also owns a 1958 Eagle with a sidecar “for the grandkids” and a Cushman golf cart built in 1951 that they picked up from the Aurora Country Club.
“We ride the golf cart all over Lexington,” said Anita. “The Cushmans are a Sunday morning activity we do together. We take them out for coffee–and then for a ride. They’re dependable. Don knows them inside and out. When he was 14 and 15, he had a Cushman to get around to different farm jobs in the summer. If they break down, we always carry a rope for a tow.
“I like the Arthur [Illinois] ride in June,” she said. “There are lots of back roads.
“Four years ago, because we had so many women interested, we started LOSS, which is a sub-group called the Loyal Order of Scooter Sisters. Last year we raised $400 for breast cancer research and this year $600 for the American Diabetes Association.”
Cushman aficionados find no drawbacks with the scooters–except maybe one.
You’ll never get through a Sunday ride without at least one person stopping you to chat about your scooter, said Lanckhoff.
“Young people don’t recognize Cushmans,” he said.
“They want to know what you’re riding. Older people remember them–and smile and wave.
“I was out around the neighborhood not long ago and saw an old Model A [Ford] and stopped to talk to the owner, and we had a very friendly conversation. He wanted to know all about the Cushman and where I find parts.”
Which brings up the matter of parts.
“I did have a problem once turning with hand signals. I slowed down and signaled and went to make my left–and the driver behind me decided to pass on the left as I was turning that way. No turn signals, and the original 6-volt electrical system means the lights aren’t overly bright, either. But I’m not riding at night.
“Cushmans are for taking out twice a month in the warm weather. If I burn a tank of gas in one month, that’s a lot.”
– – –
Get togethers
The Mid America Cushman Club and others hold several meets a year. Here is a small sample.
– Check midamerica(underscore)cush.tripod.com or cushmanclubofamerica.com for others.
– Vintage Motor Bike Meet, July 13-16, Jay County Fair Grounds, East Votaw Street, Portland, Ind.
Visit www.southeasterncushmanclub.com.
– Illinois Summer Meet, Aug. 20, Siems Memorial Park, Highbridge Road, Union. Contact Joe Salemi at 815-923-4300 or Sam Kerley at 815-874-2522.
– Taste of Country Fair, Sept. 10-11, Lexington, Ill. (Off Interstate 55 at Exit 178) Contact Anita or Don Revelle 309-365-8779 or arrevel@ilstu.rdu.
Many things Cushman
Here are some names and numbers to help you satisfy your Cushman cravings:
Ed’s Cushman Shop
430 W. Main St.
Dalton City, IL 61925
Phone: 217-874-2771
Sam Kerley’s Cushman Shop
6375 11th St.
Rockford, IL 61109
Phone: 815-874-2522
Dennis Carpenter Ford & Cushman Reproductions
www.dennis-carpenter.com
Phone: 704-786-8139
Cushman Club of America
P.O. Box 661
Union Springs, AL 36089
cushmanclubofamerica.com
Mid America Cushman Club
midamerica(underscore)cush.tripod.com/arrevel@ilstu.edu
Phone: 309-365-8779
For links to other Cushman groups, visit the Cushman Club of America at cushmanclubofamerica.com
