Trailmaster by S.M.S. Products

Tom S.

Tom S.

#1
#1
Longtime OMBer Steven Durham took a fall recently. He broke his shoulder and now he's going to be in rehab for awhile. Because of this, Steve decided to get rid of the Trailmaster mini that he bought shortly before he was injured. He offered it to me and I picked it up yesterday. Thanks, Steve!

Here's his story:

http://www.oldminibikes.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/137330-im-lonley-boy-lonley-blue.html

I had not heard of this brand before. Are any of you familiar with this brand? It was manufactured in Astoria, Ore., in about 1964. Steve recently moved to Astoria, and I've worked there a few days a week for about thirty years.

The Trailmaster has a step-through frame similar to a Tule Trooper. At least that's how it appears in the brochure and test report that I found on Minidoodle. Steve's bike does have a top tube on the frame and although it looks really awkward I believe it came that way. The entire frame, including the top tube, is painted in a single color, and there's a nameplate decal applied on top of the paint that looks like it's been there since day one. After reading the test report I think they may have decided the frame was too flexible and added the brace to stiffen things up a bit. I haven't looked at it closely yet to check for a serial number or date stamp.

The 80cc Hodaka engine turns over freely, has compression and the 3-speed transmission shifts through all of the gears. I haven't checked to see if it makes a spark. The seat is missing and I'll have to create a new replacement.

Here are a few photos, along with the brochure and report from Minidoodle.com.









 
jdogg

jdogg

#2
#2
In good hands!! Same as Steve!!!! :thumbsup:
I like it very cool design!! Would be nice to know for sure about that reinforcement though!!
 
mrpat

mrpat

#5
#5
That's an awesome story and one of my favorite bikes. I've never seen one in person, but I did see a couple of pics and fell in love with the design. Here are a few pics I found quite a while ago. WCE-30-MINIBIKE-bYjG-05.jpeg WCE-30-MINIBIKE-bYjG-06.jpeg WCE-30-MINIBIKE-bYjG-07.jpeg
 
Tom S.

Tom S.

#7
#7
mrpat said:
That's an awesome story and one of my favorite bikes. I've never seen one in person, but I did see a couple of pics and fell in love with the design. Here are a few pics I found quite a while ago...
Click to expand...
Thanks for the photos. :thumbsup: They are a huge help and confirm the frame configuration. Steve's bike has a different exhaust pipe from the bikes in your photos and the brochure (which match). But the pipe has no dents and all of the brackets line up correctly and it appears OEM. I suppose that with low production stuff like this, they could make changes on the fly and no two bikes are exactly the same.

This bike will stand in queue on a list of projects, so I won't do much to it for awhile. But for me a big part of the fun of finding something like this is learning the history and figuring out what it's all about.
 
james c

james c

Active Member
#8
#8
the engine may have red writing in japanese on the left engine case, thats the tag thats on mine, its a very early hodaka or yamaguchi engine. they were imported as accessory engines that were bought put on some bug mini bikes and van tech motorcycles
 
steven Durham

steven Durham

#14
#14
Well I am now Back home in Astoria and on the road to recovery. I have a full list of appointments ahead with the Providence home health team that my VA doctor ordered for my. Well just shake the OldMiniBikes bush hard enough and up pops lot's of information that proves that it's not just all about the money it's about saving small parts of our country's history and how small business tried to find their pathway to success.
I know I turned this project over to the right guy and this is what I wanted when I found out that it was from Astoria, Or that made it extra special.
Steve
 
mrpat

mrpat

#15
#15
steven Durham said:
Well I am now Back home in Astoria and on the road to recovery. I have a full list of appointments ahead with the Providence home health team that my VA doctor ordered for my. Well just shake the OldMiniBikes bush hard enough and up pops lot's of information that proves that it's not just all about the money it's about saving small parts of our country's history and how small business tried to find their pathway to success.
I know I turned this project over to the right guy and this is what I wanted when I found out that it was from Astoria, Or that made it extra special.
Steve
Click to expand...
Steve, glad to hear your back at home and recovering!
 
steven Durham

steven Durham

#16
#16
Great to be home with my computer connection to the great members here on OldMiniBikes. You post of the pictures of the Orange bike gave this project a big boost. I was told that the original builder is still alive and a connection can be made.

Steve
 
mrpat

mrpat

#17
#17
steven Durham said:
Great to be home with my computer connection to the great members here on OldMiniBikes. You post of the pictures of the Orange bike gave this project a big boost. I was told that the original builder is still alive and a connection can be made.

Steve
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That's awesome Steve! I bumped into those pics from a blog somewhere a couple years back and saved them to my hard drive since it looked so cool.
 
Tom S.

Tom S.

#18
#18
steven Durham said:
Great to be home with my computer connection to the great members here on OldMiniBikes. You post of the pictures of the Orange bike gave this project a big boost. I was told that the original builder is still alive and a connection can be made.

Steve
Click to expand...
Glad to see that you're back in action. :thumbsup:
 
Tom S.

Tom S.

#19
#19
steven Durham said:
Great to be home with my computer connection to the great members here on OldMiniBikes. You post of the pictures of the Orange bike gave this project a big boost. I was told that the original builder is still alive and a connection can be made.

Steve
Click to expand...
Glad to hear that you're back in action. :thumbsup:
 
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