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juanshop · RSS feed for topic

so, i think a month or so ago i posted my find. a really rare blacklite with bottema fork and such, link: http://bmxmuseum.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=478328

some time has passed, and i finally got around cleaning it. Got a brake installed, also i rebuilt the headset, trued the wheels and the only 2 things left are rebuilding the bottom bracket and get some time appropriate pedals.

the bike is in survivor status, i just cleaned it up. i will maybe eventually buff it and get rid of some scratches (the old and original owner cleaned it up with steel wool... ) and some chrome peeling, but nothing too horrible, it is not shorwoom condition, but it has a charm, this bike was raced and used, and you can see that

anyhow, i have learned a little about these bike, being so rare, but here is what i could find.

-where it comes from:

"Blacklite's were made in San Antonio by Ken Burleson for his son Kendell to race originally. He later started making and selling them for local riders. His son was his test rider and would bring out new frames all the time to Cibalo Vally bMX and River City BMX. There are several frame styles of the mini and micro mini out there and its always cool to see one pop up. brings back great memories every time I see one of those, I have never seen an aluminum f&f set." [from vintagebmx, by user bmx2112]

- what this frame might be more specifically:

this frame could be one of the very few chromoly frames ever made between 83-84. its important to remember these frames where mostly chromed plated aluminum.

and here is what is looks so far 90% finished:

jsngrimm · 2013-01-23 11:33am

Lookin good! Needs a matching rear rim

juanshop · 2013-01-23 11:34am

jsngrimm wrote:
Lookin good! Needs a matching rear rim

they are both the same! but the color has faded since it only had rear brake his whole life

jokerman13922 · 2013-01-23 12:03pm

LOOKS KILLER!!
LOOKS VERY JMCish

juanshop · 2013-01-23 12:11pm

jokerman13922 wrote:
LOOKS KILLER!!
LOOKS VERY JMCish

it does and i think i remember reading somewhere that blacklite had some relation to jmc, i am not sure.

juanshop · 2013-01-23 12:18pm

juanshop wrote:
jokerman13922 wrote:
LOOKS KILLER!!
LOOKS VERY JMCish
it does and i think i remember reading somewhere that blacklite had some relation to jmc, i am not sure.

there is this theory why they look so similar:

"Some people theorized it might have been something Norm's Bikes produced, after he bought all the remaining tubing from JMC after they closed in '85."

but the weird thing is that these frame would be an 83-84, so dates do not match.

bird · 2013-01-23 3:26pm

i need to get around to doing mine yours is a inspiration

I am the owl... · 2013-01-23 3:30pm

sweet

erdalicious · 2013-01-23 3:33pm

like the bike, especially the golden stem

TuRBo Todd · 2013-01-23 3:34pm

my cousin still has his. cool little bike.

juanshop · 2013-01-23 5:27pm

bird wrote:
i need to get around to doing mine yours is a inspiration

appreciate it man:D i will hopefully get around making some replicas of the decals soon and send one pair your way.

and turbo todd, that's sweet, he has the looptail? or like the one on the ad? you have any pics?

jsngrimm · 2013-01-23 6:19pm

juanshop wrote:
jsngrimm wrote:
Lookin good! Needs a matching rear rim
they are both the same! but the color has faded since it only had rear brake his whole life

I wondered why the hubs were exactly the same Does look alot like JMC

squirrelsmith · 2013-01-23 7:04pm

chrome plated aluminum how often do you see that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

juanshop · 2013-01-23 7:18pm

squirrelsmith wrote:
chrome plated aluminum how often do you see that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But mine is one of the few made out of chromoly

juanshop · 2013-01-23 7:26pm

jsngrimm wrote:
juanshop wrote:
jsngrimm wrote:
Lookin good! Needs a matching rear rim
they are both the same! but the color has faded since it only had rear brake his whole life
I wondered why the hubs were exactly the same Does look alot like JMC

It does there is speculations that blacklite bought whatever was left of jmc and made frames from those parts, hence being almost the same.

Is it true? No idea. The only way to know would be to contact ken, but I haven't been able to find any sort of contact info.

dubplatestyle · 2013-01-24 12:19pm

"there is speculations that blacklite bought whatever was left of jmc and made frames from those parts, hence being almost the same."

Sorry for the confusion, but Blacklite never bought the old inventory from JMC, it was Norm from Norm's Bikes. Before your frame showed up w/ Blacklite decals, I was trying to identify mine and that's when Jim Melton mentioned it could have been something Norm put together using old tubing from JMC. However there is no way to verify that, so it's purely speculation.

juanshop · 2013-01-24 3:23pm

dubplatestyle wrote:
"there is speculations that blacklite bought whatever was left of jmc and made frames from those parts, hence being almost the same."

Sorry for the confusion, but Blacklite never bought the old inventory from JMC, it was Norm from Norm's Bikes. Before your frame showed up w/ Blacklite decals, I was trying to identify mine and that's when Jim Melton mentioned it could have been something Norm put together using old tubing from JMC. However there is no way to verify that, so it's purely speculation.

good stuff i am still intriged by the fact that they look soo similar to a jmc.

efil4a8ks · 2013-01-24 3:48pm

prettysure someone was selling blacklite titanium forks in the beta section cant find them anymore....i maybe wrong...

juanshop · 2013-01-24 4:06pm

efil4a8ks wrote:
prettysure someone was selling blacklite titanium forks in the beta section cant find them anymore....i maybe wrong...

wow, i have read that they offered them back then with the frame as a package but never seen one.

efil4a8ks · 2013-01-24 6:55pm

juanshop wrote:
efil4a8ks wrote:
prettysure someone was selling blacklite titanium forks in the beta section cant find them anymore....i maybe wrong...
wow, i have read that they offered them back then with the frame as a package but never seen one.

They were on the last page in forks in the beta section.

Now they're gone they were cheap too.

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blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#2 2013-01-23 11:33am

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#3 2013-01-23 11:34am

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

jsngrimm wrote:

#4 2013-01-23 12:03pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#5 2013-01-23 12:11pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

jokerman13922 wrote:

#6 2013-01-23 12:18pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

juanshop wrote:

jokerman13922 wrote:

#7 2013-01-23 3:26pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#8 2013-01-23 3:30pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#9 2013-01-23 3:33pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#10 2013-01-23 3:34pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#11 2013-01-23 5:27pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

bird wrote:

#12 2013-01-23 6:19pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

juanshop wrote:

jsngrimm wrote:

#13 2013-01-23 7:04pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#14 2013-01-23 7:18pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

squirrelsmith wrote:

#15 2013-01-23 7:26pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

jsngrimm wrote:

juanshop wrote:

jsngrimm wrote:

#16 2013-01-24 12:19pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#17 2013-01-24 3:23pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

dubplatestyle wrote:

#18 2013-01-24 3:48pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

#19 2013-01-24 4:06pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

efil4a8ks wrote:

#20 2013-01-24 6:55pm

Re: blacklite update, really exited about this one. (photo heavy)

juanshop wrote:

efil4a8ks wrote:

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