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Skyway TA's :

The Skyway Research team on the museum is Boxline69.

BMX Plus! december 1982 : The official word from Skyway was that the company worked on the development of the frame for over one year. Initially; according to Craig Raudman of Skyway, once the decision was made to produce the T/A frame, it took quite a search to find someone to produce the unusual tear-drop shape they needed. After looking everywhere in the United States, Skyway finally turned to Japan, where they found two factories capable of producing the special chrome-moly tubes. The Ishiwata Seisakusho Co. Ltd. of Japan ultimately won the job, and we must say, the job they did was flawless. There were two ways to make the odd-shaped tubing. It could be drawn through a die in the desired shape or, as in the case of the Skyway tubing, it could be drawn round then shaped in a forming die. Once the tubing was dialed in, welding it all together in the right angles became the next step. The trick for Skyway was to figure out geometry that would work as well for the huge Andy Patterson as it would for the quick and nimble pro, Bob Medrano. According to Craig Raudman, countless hours of cutting and redesigning went into the prototypes. With the .geometry finally nailed down, Raudman hopped a plane for Japan to get the final manufacturing specs on the tubing settled. As of this writing, the frames are being completely produced in Japan. The forks are welded then shipped to this country, where Skyway gives them special treatment which involves annealing, re-heat treating, and plating. According to Craig, this is done in order to assure and verify that the fork is up to spec.
BMX Action january 1984 : It's obvious from first glance that they invested tons of time and effort putting together the T/A frame and fork (T/A stands for Totally Aerodynamic). Completely 4130 chrome-moly, the frame and fork are things of beauty - almost masterpieces. Let's start at the back of the frame and work our way forward. The rear dropouts are not your basic snooze-a-roonie variety. They're die-cut into a very distinctive shape, knurled on the outside to give the axle nuts something extra to grab onto, and they have a zoot tookin' hole punched out above the axle slot to add a little extra class. The seat and chain stays are tapered, teardrop-shaped tubes that go through a manufacturing process that makes the wall thickness of the material thicker where the taper is narrow, and thinner where the taper is wide. The bottom ends of these tubes are slotted to accept the dropouts, and then the ends are completely closed and welded on both sides of each dropout. The welding throughout the frame and fork is first-rate! Totally clean beads with apparently good penetration. Definitely some of the nicest we've seen in a long time. The seat tube is round at the top, and then below the clamping area it is expanded into a teardrop shape. Ultra-trick. The top and down tubes use 1 1/2 inch teardrop-shaped material. The four inch head tube is milled on the inside to provide the cups a perfect fit. By now, you're probably wondering about the frame weight. Well, it tipped the outstandingly accurate Mighty BMXA scales at 4 pounds. 2 ounces. Purty light. Okay, let's scrutinize the fork. The legs are made of 1 1/8 inch teardrop tubing, and the bottoms have been cleanly cut, formed, and welded shut. Very send. The dropouts are styled similar to the rear dropouts, all the way down to the tightening hole and the knurling for extra axle nut grip. The collar is drilled for a front brake. One of Skyway's goals for the forks was to make them light, and at 1 pound, 8 1/2 ounces, they did it. But they also wanted them to be able to take extreme punishment. So they went a big step beyond average manufacturing processes by completely heat-treating them after welding to between 30 and 36 on the Rockwell hardness scale. What this means is that these forks are tough! Since parts are subjected to very high temperatures during the heat treating process, they tend to warp. But Skyway puts their forks into special jigs to make sure they don't lose their shape. After they come out of the oven, the forks are carefully examined to make absolutely sure they're straight. The wheelbase is adjustable from 35 3/4 to 37 inches, so it should fit radsters 14 and over very nicely. Now that you have the full scoop, do ya wanna take a stab at the sticker price of all this. Forget it, we'll tell ya. 180 dockets. That even includes a Skyway California Lite frame pad. Pretty cool price for the goal involved.

Skyway TA:

(original made in Japan)
K 000037 curved brake bridge
K 000118 curved brake bridge- chrome- No skyway stamping or USA - Its made in Japan is why... Located in Mich.
KB 00690 curved brake bridge
KB 00771 curved brake bridge- chrome
KB 00740 curved brake bridge- chrome- located in Indiana.
KB 00075
K 0108 curved brake bridge- chrome
K 0137 curved brake bridge
K 01013 curved brake bridge chrome
K 02671 curved brake bridge- chrome
K 001638 curved brake bridge
K 002248 curved brake bridge- chrome
K 002395 curved brake bridge- chrome
K 002406 curved brake bridge
K 002443 curved brake bridge- Supposed to be chromed but powder coated white - Located in Hawaii
K 002484 curved brake bridge- chrome
K 002792 curved brake bridge
K 003033 curved brake bridge
K 3181 curved brake bridge
K 004268 curved brake bridge

(Made in USA)

02-83 0000003 curved brake bridge
02-83 0000050
02-83 0000126
02-83 0000426 curved brake bridge- chrome
03-83 0000755 curved brake bridge- New Zealand
03-83 0000801 curved brake bridge
03-83 0000841 curved brake bridge- white- located in SoCal
05-83 0000923 curved brake bridge
05-83 0001184 curved brake bridge
05-83 0001594
06-83 0001967 curved brake bridge- chrome
06-83 0001982 curved brake bridge
06-83 0002081 curved brake bridge- chrome- Located in IL
06-83 0002460 curved brake bridge- chrome
06-83 0002697
06-83 0002764 curved brake bridge
06-83 0002081
07-83 0003134 curved brake bridge
03-83 0002433 curved brake bridge
07-83 0003540 curved brake bridge
07-83 0003680 curved brake bridge
07-83 0003768 curved brake bridge
08-83 0003821 curved brake bridge
08-83 0004268 gold Prototype
08-83 0004350 curved brake bridge
08-83 0004838 curved brake bridge
09-83 0006290 curved brake bridge- chrome- located in Alabama
09-83 0006349
09-83 0006444 curved brake bridge- chrome
09-83 0006870 curved brake bridge
09-83 0006904 curved brake bridge
11-83 0006947 curved brake bridge
11-83 0007014 curved brake bridge
11-83 0007222 curved brake bridge
11-83 0007558 curved brake bridge
11 83 0007586 curved brake bridge
11-83 0007729 curved brake bridge- chrome
11-83 0007869 curved brake bridge
11-83 0007879 curved brake bridge- chrome
01-84 0007952 curved brake bridge
01-84 0008139 curved brake bridge- white
02-84 0008710 straight brake bridge white- Located in Ok
02-84 0009015 straight brake bridge
02-84 0009310 straight brake bridge
02-84 0009617
04-84 0009817 straight brake bridge
04-84 0010795 straight brake bridge
04-84 0010982 straight brake bridge
04-84 0011026 straight brake bridge- white- located in Illinois
05-84 0011091 straight brake bridge
05-84 0011187 straight brake bridge- chrome
05-82 0011226 straight brake bridge- Chrome located in Illinois
05-84 0011286 Chrome- located in Cali
05-84 0011509 24" chrome- located in CA
06-84 0012284
06-84 0012000 straight brake bridge- XL
06-84 0012284 straight brake bridge- XL white- located in Illinois
06-84 0013075 straight brake bridge- XL chrome
06-84 0013460 straight brake bridge
06-84 0013675 straight brake bridge
06-84 0013790 straight brake bridge chrome- located in Oklahoma
07-84 0013996 straight brake bridge chrome- located in Florida
07-84 0014049 straight brake bridge- chrome (used in 1984 Europe tour)
07-84 0014128 straight brake bridge- chrome
07-84 0014163 straight brake bridge- chrome
07-84 0014271 straight brake bridge- chrome- located in St Helens UK Orig. from California.
07-84 0014316 straight brake bridge
08-84 0014643 straight brake bridge
08-84 0013746 straight brake bridge
08-84 0015470 straight brake bridge- chrome XL
08-84 0015680 straight brake bridge
08-84 0015776 straight brake bridge- chrome - located in ILL USA
10-84 0015919 straight brake bridge- chrome- located in TN
10-84 0016098 straight brake bridge- white XL
10-84 0016109 straight brake bridge- white - located in South France
10-84 0016244 straight brake bridge
10-84 0016163 straight brake bridge- white - Located in SoCal
10-84 0018887 straight brake bridge- white- Located in Wyoming
04-85 0017720 straight brake bridge- white - Originally was from Chino, Cali. Now in Mass.
01-86 0022059 straight brake bridge
01-86 0022064 curved brake bridge
01-86 0022071 straight brake bridge
01-86 0022087 straight brake bridge
01-86 0022100

Skyway TA Anniversary Edition:

2008-0023307- white- Located in Massachusetts

Skyway TA XL 24"
2012-011- chrome- Canti Fork- Located in Alabama
2012-026- chrome- Race Fork- Located in California
2012-031- chrome- Race Fork- Located in California
2012-049- chrome- Located in Massachusetts
2012-173- chrome- Canti Fork Located in North Carolina
2012-241- chrome- Race Fork- Located in California
2012-245- chrome- Canti Fork- Located in England
2012-429- chrome- Canti Fork- Located in Virginia
2012-590- white- Race Fork- Located in Michigan
2012-629- white- Race Fork- Located in California
2012-678- white- Located in Texas
2012-752- white- Located in Missouri

Proto-types:

T4A2325 (Straight brake bridge)

T4A2327 (Straight brake bridge

1981- Confirmed by Ken Coster at Skyway factory. Tell tale signs that make this a prototype are the following:
#1 Unstamped bottom brackett
#2 Open end seat stays and chain stays
#3 Solid dropouts front and rear with stickers showing placement for cut outs
According to Ken, none of these features would have made it onto a production frame.

Only one Gold Skyway ever Made!!! Maurice Meyer's

08-83 0004268 Gold Prototype

One of the best sites with a lot of info and videos form one of the Skyway team riders.
Maurice Meyer - http://mauricemeyer.com/cgi/mm.pl?dataf … n_the_News

Only 12 TA Cruisers made (24") -

This 24" TA was discovered in 2013 in a LBS in Ca.

Cheri Elliott

Skyway Street Beat :
06-85 0020002 cut out fork One of the 5 chromed ones from Skyway per Rick (works at Skyway)
11-85 0022912 Non cut out fork Raw finish Originally in Mich, 2) ILL 3) Now in Texas

Skyway Street Styler:

Skyway Street Scene:

Last edited by tiggy1190 (2013-05-21 1:33am)

tiggy1190 · 2012-04-15 3:32am

Since "Z" is no longer a member, I will be taking over the Skyway Registry, and will update as SN's are posted.

Last edited by tiggy1190 (2012-04-15 5:41pm)

ivegotabike · 2012-04-15 6:11am

Are we going to put the new 24 in here too?
That is if they have serial number

tiggy1190 · 2012-04-15 8:05am

Hmm, good question. Let them hit the streets first, and we'll see what the sn holds. I will surely run it by the higher echelons.

coloredtuffs · 2012-04-15 8:08am

The new frames will be serial numbered.

tiggy1190 · 2012-04-15 8:09am

coloredtuffs wrote:
The new frames will be serial numbered.

That makes it easy. Thanks Ed!

phusion X · 2012-04-15 8:26am

I would have to say if PCbmx runs more T/A designs after the 24" Xl, such as a non xl 24, a 20" xl, and 20".....I ordered 2 24's myself, but would of rather had one of them be a non xl. Just my 2cents, I need to list my other skyway in this thread as well.

phusion X · 2012-04-15 8:28am

duh, i completely got off track of my main idea, if he only does the one run, keep them in the list, if a whole product line starts, it would be too much and just keep it 80's then. ok now im done, thank you.

phusion X · 2012-04-15 8:44am

Thank you Coloredtuffs and Skyway for your efforts, the new frame, parts, and doing everything cool. Your facebook page rocks too.

jh68 · 2012-04-15 11:49pm

Forgot to say my T/A 07/84,,0014316 is a straight brake bridge&was chrome,,But its white now...

brexsi18 · 2012-05-08 6:11pm

although mine isnt photoshoot ready, i would like to add it to the list. OG chrome. curved brake bridge. skyway stamp under BB. serial (K 002395). it was my cousins first real race bike. handed down to me. he has the sequential numbered one identical to it also. although, im not sure if its serial is ***94 or ***96. ill have to double check, but its characteristics are of the same and both in okc, oklahoma where they were originally purchased.

anyone know for sure how many JAPAN models were manufactured before they brought the process back to the U.S.?

jph331 · 2012-05-13 10:27pm

I have an early japan model Skyway T/A I believe. K0108
Needs to be re-chromed.

changachump · 2012-05-22 4:12pm

Mine is chrome, curved brake bridge,
stamped:

SKYWAY

K 01013

Last edited by changachump (2012-12-09 7:58pm)

denzil · 2012-06-19 9:36am

i have just bought K 001638, I can see that it is already on the list, just thought i would up date the list by letting you know it is now white. thats how i got it. wish it was still chrome, i might but it back to chrome.

SKYWAYNE1026 · 2012-06-23 4:22pm

Can someone define the order in which the 82 TAs were stamped, I have seen K serials with and without the SKYWAY and KB serials with SKYWAY, what came first?

smokingninja · 2012-06-23 4:49pm

mine is a chrome 20 inch
straight brake bridge
and its in florida

smokingninja · 2012-06-23 4:50pm

SKYWAYNE1026 wrote:
Can someone define the order in which the 82 TAs were stamped, I have seen K serials with and without the SKYWAY and KB serials with SKYWAY, what came first?

the chicken

MesaT/A · 2012-09-09 2:33am

I'd like to add mine to the list, S/N: K 02671, Was purchased in San Antonio Tx in 83 or so. I paid extra for a white F/F. Years later after the first scratch, Found out the frame is Chrome under the powder and forks only powder coated. After stripping it down, MAN that Chrome was sweet!
We now reside in Arizona...and shes all bright white again.

tiggy1190 · 2012-09-09 3:07am

jph331 wrote:
I have an early japan model Skyway T/A I believe. K0108
Needs to be re-chromed.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/ … photo4.jpg

I am updating the registry, and would like the brake bridge info please.

This one too please.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

MesaT/A S/N: K 02671

Last edited by tiggy1190 (2012-09-09 3:09am)

SKYWAYNE1026 · 2012-09-09 7:00am

tiggy1190 wrote:
jph331 wrote:
I have an early japan model Skyway T/A I believe. K0108
Needs to be re-chromed.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/ … photo4.jpg
I am updating the registry, and would like the brake bridge info please.

This one too please.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

MesaT/A S/N: K 02671

Pretty sure all Japan models are curved.

MesaT/A · 2012-09-09 12:37pm

Ya, Mines curved! Late Japanese model. Another weird thing about mine was the downtube decal, It said Skyway TA, not just skyway as 99 percent are.

SKYWAYNE1026 · 2012-09-09 2:14pm

MesaT/A wrote:
Ya, Mines curved! Late Japanese model. Another weird thing about mine was the downtube decal, It said Skyway TA, not just skyway as 99 percent are.

The decals must have been replaced BITD, the TA version didn't come out until 84.

MesaT/A · 2012-09-09 3:21pm

Nope, I'm original owner. It doesn't say extra long, Just Skyway TA

SKYWAYNE1026 · 2012-09-09 3:48pm

MesaT/A wrote:
Nope, I'm original owner. It doesn't say extra long, Just Skyway TA

It doesn't have to say extra long to have the TA, I'm thinking yours could have been a leftover decaled and sold in 84, do you remember what year you got it?

MesaT/A · 2012-09-09 5:59pm

Just before I got my first car! 1983. Most likely summertime, kinda hard to remember but I usually had money in the summer from odd jobs.

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Skyway Registry

Skyway Registry

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#6 2012-04-15 8:09am

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coloredtuffs wrote:

#7 2012-04-15 8:26am

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#8 2012-04-15 8:28am

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#9 2012-04-15 8:44am

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#10 2012-04-15 11:49pm

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#11 2012-05-08 6:11pm

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#12 2012-05-13 10:27pm

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#13 2012-05-22 4:12pm

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#14 2012-06-19 9:36am

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#15 2012-06-23 4:22pm

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#16 2012-06-23 4:49pm

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#17 2012-06-23 4:50pm

Re: Skyway Registry

SKYWAYNE1026 wrote:

#18 2012-09-09 2:33am

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#19 2012-09-09 3:07am

Re: Skyway Registry

jph331 wrote:

#20 2012-09-09 7:00am

Re: Skyway Registry

tiggy1190 wrote:

jph331 wrote:

#21 2012-09-09 12:37pm

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#22 2012-09-09 2:14pm

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MesaT/A wrote:

#23 2012-09-09 3:21pm

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#24 2012-09-09 3:48pm

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MesaT/A wrote:

#25 2012-09-09 5:59pm

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