Comette Chopper Trike!

markus

Well-Known Member
#1
Seeing a Comette mini bike is a rarity in itself, but how about a factory built Trike version of the Comette III :eek:hmy:








Yes, this was posted in the craigslist section last week, I knew someone that was in that area that is chopper crazy and texted him that it might be worth checking out, even if it was some backyard hack job it was worth the price of admission in visible parts alone. Anyway he got it, gave it an initial bath and sent me some better shots of the rear axle mounts etc.. If that's a "custom" job someone was a surgeon removing original parts and changing the bike!

There hasn't been much info on the Comet tool made bikes, I know they made the chopper and also had a standard frame mini bike as well, there was one of those for sale in NY last year with all its original decaling and parts minus engine that I was trying to buy for a parts bike. Sadly I never got the photos downloaded and saved.

The only advertisement I have seen online or I could find in any of my mini bike guide magazines and other literature was this same one found in the photo section which by the way I found it in a may 1970 Mini bike guide mag, It was the only advertisement I could find in any of the mags I have so they didn't advertise heavy:



I was interested to see if I could find any info about the company, I could not. I did a search of the address though and they weren't some huge company, a roughly 40x90 single story building built off the back of an old 1920's house/office building:




I did see that it looks like the most recent thing that was going on in that building was still metalwork but it was steel railing fabrication.

At this point if anyone knows anymore history about comet or any other info that would be great! The new owner of this bike would be really happy to find any more info out. Very neat little oddity for sure :thumbsup:
 
#5
i found that bike on craigslist before it was posted on here and was looking for info on it but couldn't find any so i didnt call about it. looked cool. you gonna restore it?
 

markus

Well-Known Member
#10
Why would you need a kickstand with a trike. :eek:ut:

Maybe he uses his mini bikes like people do with exercise equipment......as clothes hangers :laugh: mount it off the frame rail for an extra retractable hanger :laugh:


Maybe have better luck finding a Flea owner to pawn that stand off on:

 
#11
I have a picture of one of their mini bikes but can't upload from my phone. The place they was build was not far from my house and my welding buddy remembers the guy. That was when simpletom located that ad for me.
 
#13
I want to thank Markus for his help in locating this bad ass mini bike trike and the support and knowledge you have shared with us. Greatly appreciated!! It most definitely is a really nice piece and we (Carmine) will restore it 95% with a little NY twist to it.
Will be ready for Windber 2017 for sure!
 

1971_MB1A

Well-Known Member
#14
Comette never made a chopper trike to the best of my knowledge. I have (2) Commette chopper's with one being an early version prototype. Cool idea but it looks to me like somewhat of a home made cobble job with the wrong wheels and also the jack shaft/sprocket set up etc does not even look "vintage period correct" to me. I agree with Not so mini bike about the no reason for a "kick stand" on a trike. Super rare low production chopper though and I'm sure they will do it justice and it will look awesome when it's done.
 
#16
Exact axle, brake set up and wheels that came on all Barris trikes. No difference.
To be honest with you 1971, i do not listen to anything you have to say. You sold me a "Restorable" Slingshot that became a $450 flower planter. Looked like it was in a pond for 30 years.
I value Markus on OMBs opinion and knowledge before your opinion. Look at his work and then look at your work. Big difference, sorry.
 

markus

Well-Known Member
#18
I thought he left.
Hes just been out at the lake :laugh: hey mb1a would you be so kind as to maybe posting up some photos and history of the "prototype" you have (like what makes it a prototype differences between the bikes etc..). That would be really neat to see! and I'm sure there are alot of members that would be interested. There is a real lack of info on that brand, they hardly (maybe only once) ran an add in the mini bike guide that only showed the the chopper, I know they had a hardtail traditional framed bike as well, but those are the only 2 versions I have seen....well Three now with the trike.

thanks :thumbsup:
 
#19
Could be a kit you could buy to make a trike out of it. There were no trikes made by Comette that I have ever seen or heard of. But I would love to see some actually documentation or proof that one exists other than basic speculation or the "want' for one to exist...mainly cause you never know with mini bikes and it would be cool and awesome to see. It could have been made by an employee....or for an employee....for a family member....and advertising piece...or just someone in the 70s that wanted to make it into one. There are waaaay too many "could of" or "what if". I will be staying tuned....good luck on your info search.
 
#20
Could be a kit you could buy to make a trike out of it. There were no trikes made by Comette that I have ever seen or heard of. But I would love to see some actually documentation or proof that one exists other than basic speculation or the "want' for one to exist...mainly cause you never know with mini bikes and it would be cool and awesome to see. It could have been made by an employee....or for an employee....for a family member....and advertising piece...or just someone in the 70s that wanted to make it into one. There are waaaay too many "could of" or "what if". I will be staying tuned....good luck on your info search.
If this was done at home it was done well. The welds seem to match throughout the bike. Most backyard enthusiasts, even if they can weld decent cannot match another bead on the bike. There's no documentation as of now but that doesn't mean it did or didn't happen. We've already seen many examples of survivors that do not match brochures and so on. Hopefully there's an ex employee out there whose holding onto some info and we will stumble across it!


Sent from my Texas Instruments Speak and Spell...[emoji2]
 
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