Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool   Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool

Vintage speedway mini bike made in Mansfield Ohio. This bike was redone with some stellar custom paint work and been on display for many years in a heated garage. Everyone loves this mini bike and it turns heads. If you want a stellar speedway that has never been offered for sale or seen by many for years. Information on Speedway minbikes and their history is pretty scarce. But from what I can find, Speedway was started by two former Rupp minibike employees (both Rupp and Speedway were located in Mansfield Ohio). I believe the main man was John Morrow who was married to the daughter from Taylor Products.
Hence Speedway was a division of Taylor Metal Products (with their financing). Speedway did not exist for a long time. It looks like they where around from 1970 to 1974 only. Their downfall appears to happen about April 1974, with their sale to the Fox Corporation (Janesville WI). John Morrow "Frog" is the gentlemen kneeling on the right with glasses.

Mickey Rupp is standing behind him with the hat. The man to the left kneeling is John Hale, owner of Hale's Harley Davidson. So what made Speedway mini bikes so interesting?

Well from the start, their bikes were high quality. No Speedway had less than a 10 wheels. They mostly used a #40 motorcycle style chain. Tecumseh engines were stock, and most bikes had 20 degree mounted motors. Also nearly all models used an in-house designed "DynaTorque 400" torque converter powered through a jackshaft. Speedway was the first to introduce hydraulic telescopic front forks something most other manufacturers did in the next year, 1971. These features were not totally unique for 1970, but it was all a good thing, and put them in an upper class of mini bikes. Were Speedways better than say Rupps?
Well they were certainly trying to be that. But personally, I'm not sure the 10 wheel models achieved that goal. Speedways certainly are much rarer than a Rupp though, and a bit different. For this reason there some people that have latched onto the brand. But what made Speedway really interesting, is a couple models that weren't necessarily in their catalogs, and that were very low production.
The item "Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool" is in sale since Monday, June 29, 2020. This item is in the category "eBay Motors\Parts & Accessories\Motorcycle Parts\Antique, Vintage, Historic". The seller is "propargolf" and is located in Mount Vernon, Ohio. This item can't be shipped, the buyer must pick up the item.
  • Brand: Rupp
  • Warranty: No Warranty

Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool   Rare Vintage Speedway Mini Bike, Mansfield Ohio Rupp Ultra Cool