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I have mentioned these bars many times. They are S&M SLAM bars that were purchased straight from the distributor in NYC around Fall of 1989. I had seen them in the magazines before they were released and made a very strong effort to get them on my bike as fast as I possibly could. I would have bought a Holmes to go with them but they were not yet available. Instead, I got a GT XXL which I will be showing you guys one of these days. Anyway, I have had these bars since day one. They had the original decal configuration which I removed because they got jacked up by my number plate in about a month or so. They are the last BMX bars I ever bought. Never needed another set.

Flash forward to June, 2012. Santa Ana. I was in SoCal for Whittier and was invited to go to S&M with my old buddy and POW, Brooks Manbeck. We didn't even think MD would be there that day. We were just gonna hang with Rockabilly Jay for a few. Anyway, Chris was there. He and I did some riding with the BASE crew in NYC BITD. It was cool to hang with him again and we all shot the shit for hours. I told him about my SLAM bars and he said he wanted to see them. I told him I thought they might be 1 of the first 500 or so sets ever made. He asked me to send him some pics, so I did. AND...

He said they were not made by S&M!

I thought I was gonna be sick but then as we got further into our conversation it became apparent that all was not as it seemed. There is no way that I got a fake pair of SLAMs in 1989 from the distributor. Any other scenario would be questionable. Even buying them in a bike shop would add some doubt to the provenance IMHO. Chris did not actually take control of all aspects of S&M until 1990. These bars were made before he was in charge so he quickly reminded me that before he was at the helm, the bars were being made, stickered and sold by GT. When Chris took over, he moved production of SLAM bars over to CW. Thus the design from then until what we see today is very similar. They all have cross-hatch knurling. Mine have a variation of what GT used at the time. Staggered straight lines. I think it is crazy that the owner of the company and one of the very foremost S&M experts in the OS scene have not seen them before. I'm pretty stoked!!!!

My bars (please ignore the grips. Temporary T1s):

My knurling:

Earliest known set on the Museum with single patch, cross- hatch knurling. This style of knurling is still used today:

Last edited by skirkpat (2012-07-28 7:57am)

toy24 · 2012-07-26 1:38am

Cool story , look very close to MK1 slams

I have these , they are huge 29" wide x 9.5" high , cross knurling

bennyt4130 · 2012-07-26 1:42am

I know. They are the exact same configuration but with unique knurling. I cut them fresh out of the bag to 27 5/8". At that time, a true 28" was unthinkable except for like "Amtrak". Who knows what that name means?

Last edited by bennyt4130 (2012-07-26 1:49am)

bennyt4130 · 2012-07-26 1:51am

I have never measured the rise. Chris asked me to bring these bars to him to put on the S&M measuring table. Next Summer for that!

NOTE: having something really unusual certainly deserves explanation. I don't expect people to take this set on my word. I am looking for one other similar set to compare to. I'm thinking that I may not have anything to compare to because of the austerity of the part in general with solid dating. One thing is for sure. These are the only ones that MD, Spur and myself have ever seen. That's pretty solid in any book.

Last edited by bennyt4130 (2012-07-26 2:17am)

oldharo · 2012-07-26 3:27am

Here's a pretty early set my buddy Jeff came across

bennyt4130 · 2012-07-26 3:38am

DAMN! I knew someone would have something. That pattern is pure money for my provenance! Thanks.

Last edited by bennyt4130 (2012-07-26 3:43am)

trinwhite · 2012-07-26 4:12am

oldharo wrote:
Here's a pretty early set my buddy Jeff came across

http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a44 … mbars9.jpg
http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a44 … mbars5.jpg
http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a44 … mbars1.jpg
http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a44 … mbars3.jpg
http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a44 … mbars4.jpg
http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a44 … mbars2.jpg

I have the same pair with the exact same knurling and s&m decal! I have another set with the same bends and shape but with the cross knurling. I can show pics?

trinwhite · 2012-07-26 4:15am

toy24 wrote:
Cool story , look very close to MK1 slams

I have these , they are huge 29" wide x 9.5" high , cross knurling

http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy18 … itleds.jpg

http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy18 … tledsl.jpg

Yours have a wider knurling for mk1 slams?

ol'phart · 2012-07-26 4:31am

Last edited by ol'phart (2012-07-26 4:47am)

trinwhite · 2012-07-26 4:44am

My mk1 slams at the bottom.
[img][/img]
[img][/img]
My mk2 slams in the middle.
[img][/img]

bennyt4130 · 2012-07-26 5:10am

Thanks, guys! So we have some precedent but we still have no knurling that is exactly like mine. I think my bars are earlier. I would have to guess that the tight pattern of straight-line knurling would have have been a modification to the spread knurling on my bars given that DK was The stem of the day. Wider stems were on the out. Just a theory. Can't wait to see more!

Nbl 49a · 2012-07-28 4:59am

Funny you claim these to be the oldest and its just a theory

bennyt4130 · 2012-07-28 6:55am

Admins please repost this title as One-off SLAM Variation. Not the earliest. Sorry.

Nbl 49a · 2012-07-29 12:11am

Once again just like your last title you are trying to prove something. Just like you saying they are the oldest which is in question now you are saying they are one off. Only set found and one off is a bit of a stretch but here we go again.

Last edited by Nbl 49a (2012-07-29 12:12am)

toy24 · 2012-08-01 1:57pm

What a shame this thread went bad ,

Kid718 · 2012-08-01 2:00pm

toy24 wrote:
What a shame this thread went bad ,

How so?

I am the owl... · 2012-08-01 2:04pm

It didnt have to, people get heir dicks in a knot over the dumbest shitt....

Nbl 49a · 2012-08-02 12:18am

Yes but some people can tie their dick in a knot and others just claim they can RFLMAO!

toy24 · 2012-08-02 1:06am

I am the owl... wrote:
It didnt have to, people get heir dicks in a knot over the dumbest shitt....

Dumb shit is right !

Now lets get back to slam bars , Guys post pics of you old bars and decals

Detroit Dirt Bikes · 2012-08-02 5:12am

chkn4130 · 2012-08-02 8:17am

bennyt4130 wrote:
I know. They are the exact same configuration but with unique knurling. I cut them fresh out of the bag to 27 5/8". At that time, a true 28" was unthinkable except for like "Amtrak". Who knows what that name means?

"Amtrak" was Charles Townsends nickname. Robinson made a frame called the Amtrak. The frame was XL and the longest at the time. The Amtrak was as long as a train;)

gaijin · 2012-08-02 2:28pm

Detroit Dirt Bikes wrote:
http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu30 … es/015.jpg http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu30 … es/014.jpg

Early 2nd gens from 1992.

Detroit Dirt Bikes · 2012-08-02 5:27pm

cru jones 2 · 2012-08-02 5:47pm

better watch out stephen. someone with the last name starting with "A" happen to have the last 2 numbers of their nbl number 1 digit below yours and is giving s&m slam bar information!

Nbl 49a · 2012-08-02 8:14pm

cru jones 2 wrote:
better watch out stephen. someone with the last name starting with "A" happen to have the last 2 numbers of their nbl number 1 digit below yours and is giving s&m slam bar information!

I know right!

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One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#2 2012-07-26 1:38am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#3 2012-07-26 1:42am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#4 2012-07-26 1:51am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#5 2012-07-26 3:27am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#6 2012-07-26 3:38am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#7 2012-07-26 4:12am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

oldharo wrote:

#8 2012-07-26 4:15am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

toy24 wrote:

#9 2012-07-26 4:31am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#10 2012-07-26 4:44am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#11 2012-07-26 5:10am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#12 2012-07-28 4:59am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#13 2012-07-28 6:55am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#14 2012-07-29 12:11am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#15 2012-08-01 1:57pm

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#16 2012-08-01 2:00pm

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

toy24 wrote:

#17 2012-08-01 2:04pm

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#18 2012-08-02 12:18am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#19 2012-08-02 1:06am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

I am the owl... wrote:

#20 2012-08-02 5:12am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#21 2012-08-02 8:17am

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

bennyt4130 wrote:

#22 2012-08-02 2:28pm

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

Detroit Dirt Bikes wrote:

#23 2012-08-02 5:27pm

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#24 2012-08-02 5:47pm

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

#25 2012-08-02 8:14pm

Re: One off set of SLAMS, per NbL 48a

cru jones 2 wrote:

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