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1985 Skyway Street Beat

1985 Skyway Street Beat purchased NOS back in 1992 from the UK as a frame & fork set. Original paint and decals.


I am the original owner of this bike since the frame and fork set was bought new (old stock) from clear out sale in the UK back in 1992. This frame & fork set was one of my daily riders only for a relatively short while in the early 90's and set up as whatever flatland bike of the time (in early 90's style). Back then it was set up with mixed selection of late 80's components from various manufacturers, far differently than how it looks today being more less "show built" to match its original mid-80s era. The bike was re-built again around 2000-2001 after having it all those years in storage. This time around it was built with more era-specific parts to resemble the OG mid 80's looks and obviously the bike is now retired from actual daily riding apart from occasional cruise around city. After many phases and parts changes the bike has finally reached its more or less definitive looks as a mid 80's freestyler.
This f&f set was purchased from an UK based bike shop called Hot Wheels, to be specific from their clear out sale back in 1992. The paint job and the decals are both factory originals and in nice shape because i didn't get around riding the bike that much back then. The UNI Trans-Am wheelcovers are without a question the most noticeable special feature on this bike and they tend to draw attention whenever cruising downtown. They have custom made (read: individually hand cut) green insert decals to match the green color theme. Beneath the wheelcovers there's a set of restored and bleached Skyway Tuff Wheel II mags rolling along on NOS mid 80's green Haro Multisurface tires purchased a while back. This model should in fact have the earlier style E-Z bar handlebars without the chrome knurling on the crossbar which i have but haven't got around to mount them. If there's anything i'd change, it would be the cranks as the Odyssey Excaliburs are "too new" for the era this bike is about. Hoping to find something like SR or Sugino cranks for it.

Parts & Specs:
* Frame: 1985 Skyway Street Beat (purchased NOS in 1992 from the UK) has original factory paint and decals
* Serial#: 1985 0019781 Skyway USA 6-85
* Construction: 100% Chro-Moly TA-tubing
* Forks: Skyway 1" threaded, chro-mo (the fork has reproduction fork decals because the original got scuffed away all those years ago...)

* Bars: Skyway E-Z bars mkII with chrome section on the crossbars
* Stem: Tioga RS-2 Freestyle

* Grips: SM Mushrooms by ODI
* Seatpost: Stylizer "snake" post 22.2mm cro-mo
* Seat: Skyway Grabber by Viscount w/fixed nose grab piece
* Seatpost clamp: Tioga SC-5QR Quick-Release clamp, lever by Suzue
* Levers: Dia Compe 128 w/locking buttons
* Front brake/pads: Dia-Compe 883 Nippon, Odyssey pads (custom dyed)
* Rear brake/pads: Dia-Compe 883 Nippon w/Weinmann adjuster, Odyssey pads (custom dyed)
* Rotor: ACS Pro Rotor w/bearing shaft
* Rotor cables upper/lower: Dia-Compe housing w/some new teflon coated cable
* Front brake cable: Dia Compe
* Headset: Tioga Beartrap-2 w/painted ACS rotor stationery cup
* Cranks: Odyssey 1pc. 175mm Cro-Mo
* Pedals: Shimano DX
* Sprocket: Tioga CDS-1 power disc, w/Pro Neck 43T CR-1 chainwheel, Sugino fixing bolts
* Bottom bracket: Tioga BB-220DX 24T
* Chain: Izumi ½" x 1/8"
* Freewheel: branded as Mongoose made by Dicta 16T
* Wheels: Skyway Tuff Wheel II's w/1985 UNI Trans Am wheel covers with custom green die-cut sticker inserts

* Pegs: Pro Neck 24T, alloy

* Tires: Haro Freestyle 20 x 1.75
* Tubes: Kenda 20 x 1.75-2.125"
* Original retail price (frame & fork): $175 (Source: BMX Plus! sept 1985 & Freestylin' jan 1986) Sold as frame and fork set only.





Previous updates:
* Lots of updates this time around! (fall 2007) FINALLY ..took the time to add the repro fork decals! It's been what.. 15 ? years since this bike last time had fork decals on. Woo-hoo!
Also replaced the green Tioga angled framestanders and the flip-up GT forkstands with green Pro Neck pegs for cleaner looks, less weight and better ride in case i ever feel the urge to do some tricks on this bike. In order to put on the pegs i had to change from 26tpi axles to 24tpi axles cause the pegs were 24T. Phew. Took me all day.
* Swithced from the white Skyway-imitation brake pads to custom purple dyed Odyssey brake pads to match with the purple highlights on the decals. Even though this is mostly all-green with white highlights the bike was starving for some different highlight color! It was getting a bit TOO green and white. Now if you wonder howcome there's no purple stains/brake marks on the white Tuffs the answer is simple. The purple dye in the brake pads is only on the surface, the true compound of the brake pads is still white, therefore, once i had broke in the the braking surface all they now leave behind is white braking marks. Magic!
* Applied some matching green decoration tape on to the lower half of the rotor sort of to replaceme the missing original ACS Rotor decal strip.
* Also applied a pair of those homemade lightning bolt stickers on to the top tube for radicool looks! YEAH! Sometimes - i mean ALWAYS, even the smallest detail counts.
* Added a white plastic plug on top of the seatpost (hidden under the seat, obviously) to keep any possible water/dirt out of the seatpost/seatpost tube & bottom bracket.
* And finally, pushed the bars slightly forward for more comfort.
* White ODI/SM grips.
* UNI Cross-fire "Trans-Am" Wheel covers.
* Tioga CD power disc.
* Pro Neck 43T sprocket, summer 2006.

Last edited by 2Fresh (2008-01-07 4:48am)