Here's a Craig's list special I picked up on Friday for $300.00 I had to Drive 2-1/2 hours to the top of the mountains of Idyllwild to get it, but theses are extremely rare and was worth the trip. No it is NOT a tote gote ... Its a Luther Trail Gote. They were built from 1958 to 1962. John Luther was an instructor at L.A. Trade Tech College and had a shop / factory in Pasadena California through the early '60`s. He built go-karts, minibikes, and these Gotes. There were 2 models of Gotes, one suspended (Trail Gote) and one hard-tail (Porterville Packer), and 2 models of minibikes, (the Viper and the Cobra) one suspended and one hard-tail. Of the 4 models combined total production was about 300 units. They came standard with a 3hp Briggs & Stratton engine and had an option of a Clinton 3-1/4 hp or a Briggs & Stratton 5-3/4 hp engine. Of all the Gotes, approximately 20 to 25 were assembled with the "BIG" Briggs & Stratton 5-3/4 hp engine. There is very little information on these bikes, but I know Wally Luther the son of the founder who worked in his dads shop after school. I spent the day with him a few years ago going through the family album full of photos of his dads shop, family rides, etc... One interesting fact.... John Luther started building these in 1958, the same year that Ralph Bonham in Provo Utah starting building the TOTE GOTE .
By 1960 Luther got a friendly "Cease and Desist " letter from Bonham to stop using his spelling G.O.T.E. as he had it registered with the Patten / Copyright Office. So Luther change the spelling from TRAIL GOTE to TRAIL GOAT with an 'A".
This bike I just picked up seems to be totally complete and original except for the missing seat and the exhaust pipe / muffler extension someone added. It even has the original tires and came with an extra Salsbury clutch which is worth $100.00 to $150.00
Theses bikes never had a serial number, however the engine has a date code of 1961 and the rear shocks being inside the frame would make this a last year model 1962.
The red Trail Gote is a 1958 (with California pink slip registration) that I have owned for several years. It is a pre-production / prototype that was fancied up for a trade show. For the show display added were: Chrome front end and clutch guard, Stainless screen guards on the rear section of the frame, and lights were also added. It has an extra hole for a third bearing pillow block as John Luther was still sorting out logistics and gearing ratio`s on the first bikes. This was all confirmed by his son Wally. At some point in this bikes life, someone changed the engine for a Tecumseh and the clutch was changed out as well. Last year I bought a Briggs & Stratton 5-3/4 hp engine with a date code of Sept. 1957 and a early Salsbury clutch, so this one will be a period correct restoration sometime in the near future. As you can see, the later version (Orange frame) has a different frame design in front of the engine. Ohhh.. and speaking of frames... At 1-3/8" this has got to be the biggest frame tube ever used by a minibike / scooter !
I have created an Album with 86 photos that you may want to take a look at. The Album is titled Luther Trail Gote and on page 4 you will find photos never before published or seen by the public. On page 5 and 6 you will find some extremely rare Luther Go-Kart-1/4 midgets, and these are VERY COOL !
Did you happen to notice the Go-Kart-1/4 midget body`s hanging on the wall behind the assembly line of bikes !
By 1960 Luther got a friendly "Cease and Desist " letter from Bonham to stop using his spelling G.O.T.E. as he had it registered with the Patten / Copyright Office. So Luther change the spelling from TRAIL GOTE to TRAIL GOAT with an 'A".
This bike I just picked up seems to be totally complete and original except for the missing seat and the exhaust pipe / muffler extension someone added. It even has the original tires and came with an extra Salsbury clutch which is worth $100.00 to $150.00
Theses bikes never had a serial number, however the engine has a date code of 1961 and the rear shocks being inside the frame would make this a last year model 1962.
The red Trail Gote is a 1958 (with California pink slip registration) that I have owned for several years. It is a pre-production / prototype that was fancied up for a trade show. For the show display added were: Chrome front end and clutch guard, Stainless screen guards on the rear section of the frame, and lights were also added. It has an extra hole for a third bearing pillow block as John Luther was still sorting out logistics and gearing ratio`s on the first bikes. This was all confirmed by his son Wally. At some point in this bikes life, someone changed the engine for a Tecumseh and the clutch was changed out as well. Last year I bought a Briggs & Stratton 5-3/4 hp engine with a date code of Sept. 1957 and a early Salsbury clutch, so this one will be a period correct restoration sometime in the near future. As you can see, the later version (Orange frame) has a different frame design in front of the engine. Ohhh.. and speaking of frames... At 1-3/8" this has got to be the biggest frame tube ever used by a minibike / scooter !
I have created an Album with 86 photos that you may want to take a look at. The Album is titled Luther Trail Gote and on page 4 you will find photos never before published or seen by the public. On page 5 and 6 you will find some extremely rare Luther Go-Kart-1/4 midgets, and these are VERY COOL !
Did you happen to notice the Go-Kart-1/4 midget body`s hanging on the wall behind the assembly line of bikes !
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