COMETTE III Chopper

[KustomKartKid]

My buddy Jim has had this mini-bike since he was a kid. It's stashed away in his barn in PA and he has been describing it to me for years...he finally took some pics.

He said it had leopard skin seat which had me thinking ARCO or Scat Bat... but as soon as I saw the picture I recognized it as the elusive COMETTE III made at Comet Tool and Machine right here in Cinnaminson, NJ...hmy:

Factory installed Go-Powers and springer front end :drool:



This is a pretty obscure bike, only the 2nd one I've ever seen a picture of. He's a "hoarder extraordinaire" so he ain't never gonna part with it, but that's cool.

I wouldn't part with it either.


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[minibikin']

That's awesome. Thanks for the pics.

 

[YOOP]

cool bike. would look good in your museum Gerry

 

[Havasu Dave]

Wow. Look at how the front shocks are integrated into the tubing. I'd love to restore this one.

 

[Toycartony]

Wow. Look at how the front shocks are integrated into the tubing. I'd love to restore this one.

I'd love to buy it from you when you do:thumbsup:

 

[bandit 40]

First time I have seen one of these thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

 

[PAPSTISY]

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Pics saved. thank you!
Those forks are awesome!

 

[KustomKartKid]

I notice the fender and chain guard are missing., but he's the kind of guy who will say "oh yeah I have them somehwere".
I know he has the rear go-power wheel, he took it off to replace the bearings and never put it back on. He told me he has that stored in a building in a different state :doah:


He claims that the rear wheel is larger than the front one...maybe a 6" Go power on the rear and a 5" on the front?? Hard to tell from the brochure pic....I think the rims are the same and the tire is just bigger.

I should stop doubting him though, I doubted the factory leopard skin seat, sissy pad and springer forks when he described them being all original to the bike.



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[PAPSTISY]

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The only thing I noticed was the ad doesn't show side pop exhaust. His motor is.:shrug:

 

[thejoker]

I love everything about it

 

[KustomKartKid]

The only thing I noticed was the ad doesn't show side pop exhaust. His motor is.:shrug:

yeah my kid pointed that out to me last night when we were looking at the pics....I guess the motor was swapped out at one time.

Notice the cylider head has the "curved" fins too...I thought that came on the later motors (late 70's early 80's ?)...:shrug:

Looks like the tank was white at one time, so maybe the tins are still original.



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[AJaxMini]

I notice the fender and chain guard are missing., but he's the kind of guy who will say "oh yeah I have them somehwere".
I know he has the rear go-power wheel, he took it off to replace the bearings and never put it back on. He told me he has that stored in a building in a different state :doah:

He claims that the rear wheel is larger than the front one...maybe a 6" Go power on the rear and a 5" on the front?? Hard to tell from the brochure pic....I think the rims are the same and the tire is just bigger.

I should stop doubting him though, I doubted the factory leopard skin seat, sissy pad and springer forks when he described them being all original to the bike.

I'd agree on the wheels Gerry. My Sportstyl is set up with a larger rear tire than the front. I think most chopper minis were set up that way though. But you never know. The color appeared to be a lighter blue or turquoise which would have looked cool against the leopard skin upholstery but that could have been another repaint. Doesn't look like it though. It's such a solid bike. I really love those front Sebac shocks that appear to be integrated to the strut tubes. Very cool! Thank you for sharing!

 

[markus]

I notice the fender and chain guard are missing., but he's the kind of guy who will say "oh yeah I have them somehwere".
I know he has the rear go-power wheel, he took it off to replace the bearings and never put it back on. He told me he has that stored in a building in a different state :doah:


He claims that the rear wheel is larger than the front one...maybe a 6" Go power on the rear and a 5" on the front?? Hard to tell from the brochure pic....I think the rims are the same and the tire is just bigger.

I should stop doubting him though, I doubted the factory leopard skin seat, sissy pad and springer forks when he described them being all original to the bike.



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It would be interesting to see the actual rear wheel he has, notice in the brochure the rear is a series II go power. I think thats actually an early smaller sized engine with the curve head, side exhaust, and Diaphragm carb/oval air cleaner.

Looks like the trick to disassembling those front shocks are a sawzall :smile:

 

[toomanytoys]

You can't convince him to not let that thing rot into the ground and let you actually do something with it?

Give him another bike for it?

People that hoard like that drive me insane. They hoard, but they don't do anything with it. I have a hoard. But I know whats there, and things that need protected are put in safe places. I have bike frames, and stuff that could probably lay outside but they are hanging in the garage.

 

[oldfatguy]

that's a nice find, too bad that it's missing the original engine. It
would have been a great survivor bike if it was complete. It probably came with a hs40 like the bonanza chopper. As for the wheels I can't remember if the bonanza had an 8 " wheel on the back and a 6 " up front. I do have a picture of an all original bonanza chopper [well almost] the picture was taken after I blew up the original hs40:facepalm: and took of the round chrome gas tank and put a 2hp briggs on it.:mad2:

 

[PAPSTISY]

that's a nice find, too bad that it's missing the original engine. It
would have been a great survivor bike if it was complete. It probably came with a hs40 like the bonanza chopper. As for the wheels I can't remember if the bonanza had an 8 " wheel on the back and a 6 " up front. I do have a picture of an all original bonanza chopper [well almost] the picture was taken after I blew up the original hs40:facepalm: and took of the round chrome gas tank and put a 2hp briggs on it.:mad2:

Oh the things we did as youngsters.

 

[Hounddog]

Thats a nice bike! Thanks for sharing! we never see anything like that out here....:thumbsup:

 

[incogrhino]

I Luv this bike.:smile:

 

[oldfatguy]

Oh the things we did as youngsters.

yup, I hate to think about all the mini bikes that were hacked up back then.We used to have piles of engines and frames. I think that my brother ended up trading that bonanza chopper for a trail horse roller. Back then a decent used mini bike sold for 50 bucks . Years ago I gave away a big box full of engines and parts and a nice original red bonanza roller. I still regret it but a least I held on to the spoke wheel Arco that I had back then.

 

[1971_MB1A]

yup, I hate to think about all the mini bikes that were hacked up back then.We used to have piles of engines and frames. I think that my brother ended up trading that bonanza chopper for a trail horse roller. Back then a decent used mini bike sold for 50 bucks . Years ago I gave away a big box full of engines and parts and a nice original red bonanza roller. I still regret it but a least I held on to the spoke wheel Arco that I had back then.

I have 2 of the Comette III Chopper's.