1981 Moto-Cruiser


	1981 Sweetheart Cycles Moto-Cruiser

click to enlarge

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Craig's:

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many thanks to
'Veloculture'

The Moto-Cruiser was a mountain bike built in the early 1980s by "Bicycle Bob" Wilson of Sweetheart Cycles in southern California. It predates the Yeti - which spun off (somewhat mysteriously) from Moto-Cruiser in 1984/5 - but they have many attributes in common.

This one is especially rare and magical: this is the Moto-Cruiser Aaron Cox raced to victory in the 1982 Reseda to the Sea...supposedly beating many of the top names. It seems to have been left untouched since that time, with the most obvious thing that is later being the 1st-generation Yeti decals, which were added by John Parker in the mid-80s. The downtube graphic underneath them says "Mountaineer".

The Moto-Cruiser was all about brilliant geometry - long, but with a quick, tight front end. It was unlike all the other early mtn bikes, and more like the Kos Kruiser and others racing in the 26" BMX class. I think this sublime handling continued on with the Yeti.

Unlike its more refined contemporaries like the Breezer and Ritchey, the Moto-Cruiser had all these rough and ready influences from BMX, and it cost much less. Instead of masterful brazing with Reynolds 531, it used straight guage not-necessarily-bicycle tubes that were TIG-welded. Also other features only seen on BMX or department store bikes at that point: a looptail rear end, the 1-piece bottom bracket, and BMX bars on a 4-bolt neck in the .833" size. And then the tubular unicrown fork which I think was the best thing it borrowed from BMX.

total population of mountain bikes	from "Birth of Dirt" by Frank Berto
1979: 200 1980: 300 1981: 2000 1982: 5000 1983: 50000 late 1980s: mountain bikes take top spot in domestic bicycle market

super-rough timeline, w/ a Tucson emphasis:

1980 - Frank the Welder (FTW) builds frames and parts for several BMX companies, including Kos Kruisers for Mongoose and cranks for Bullseye.

1981 - Bicycle Bob founds Sweetheart Cycles. The Moto-Cruiser appears, including this example.

1982 - Aaron Cox races on this Moto-Cruiser. John Parker and Frank the Welder meet while working together building props for movie sets in S. California.

1982-86 - Moto-Cruisers sold in Tucson by Keener, the Ferb, others...

1982 - Craig B buys this other Moto-Cruiser as a complete bike, races it successfully for many years

1984 - first Yeti FRO prototype
John Parker "buys out" Moto-Cruiser (the story varies)

mid-late 80s - the heyday for Yeti of Agoura Hills, Ca, w/ lots of racing success on FTW-built bikes

1988 - Bikes West in Tucson sells Yetis,
Mookie buys a FRO frame and fork for $600

1990 - Yeti moves to Durango

I acquired this bike in 2002, when John Parker (the Yeti founder) emptied his garage and sold this Moto-Cruiser plus a gang of exquisite historic Yetis on eBay. Yeti fans all over the world must have spent that week thinking "MUST.. RAISE ..CASH.." The one that fetched the big bucks (7500?) was Juli Furtado's worlds-winning carbon/aluminum bike from '90. That was a very historic bike, but they all were.. How do you put a price on the first FRO prototype? :

Good thing it went to Michael S, someone who really digs early Yetis. Also check out the 1-off Rory O'Reilly kilo bike:

the Curley DH record setter:

and really? the 1st "Ultimate" frame (for $750):

and (for $1500) a rare 24" that was John Tomac's:

1-of-a-kind early Moto-Cruiser belonging to 'Veloculture.':

This other Moto-Cruiser (now in the Mookenheim museum) was purchased new in 1982 by Craig B, who rode it many thousands of miles. It came with the "Sweetheart Cycles" headbadge.

Here's another. It's cool how Tucson has maybe 5-10 of these super-rare bikes still rolling along, left over from 25 yrs ago.

home | 1988 Yeti | moto-cruiser thread on MTBR.com | John Parker's collection on Yetifan.com