derringer cycles

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bairdco

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
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living the dream in southern california
as far as putting a derringer ride together, i think you'd have to go to a scientology meeting in Beverly Hills and ask all those movie stars who supposedly bought them to go with you.

then you'll have to wait for their personal assistants to call their personal mechanics so they can find them in the back of the guest house's garage and dust them off, fill up the tires, and put fresh fuel in them.

make sure your route goes near plenty of trendy cafes, boutiques, re-hab clinics, etc, and you might wanna give TMZ a heads-up, too.

make sure you bring one drunk, washed up, trashy lookin' ex-teen screen queen to run blocker with the cops for you...

(sorry about this post, i started drinking early and i couldn't resist...;))
 
Dan

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
"Derringer Riders Club, is a group of Derringer owners prone to shenanigans."

I seldom if ever would be part of a group that would have me as a member, (present company excluded of course) but if they are not only accepting, but also prone to shenanigans.... Wohooo, I am in.



I really am kidding. Happy with an MB, God bless and enjoy.
 
J

Jim C

Member
Jul 11, 2010
200
6
18
Long Beach Calif
I went up to LA and saw those bikes. He has a nice store near the Farmers Market/Grove area of West LA. That's high rent part of town. He is a nice guy and is willing to talk to you. The bikes are very high quality. Fit and finish is really good he had both 4 strokes and 2 strokes on the floor. At the time I was messing with my electric bikes and his price didn't seem so far out of line. After building a M/B of my own I can see that he is working a large profit margin. But hey man it's west LA. a really cool place and I bet lots of people just buy one to look at.
 
Allen_Wrench

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
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Indianapolis
Jim C said:
...and I bet lots of people just buy one to look at.
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I'm sure some do. And maybe I have just a totally different pholosophy, but if I bought a motorbike like that - I would ride it. It seems wasteful somehow to do otherwise.
It's like if I had enough money to buy a Duesenberg SJ - I would be sure it was in excellent driving condition, because I would drive it. An old SJ, even the big phaetons and sedans, could do over 130 mph easy, that from a car out of the 1930s. With their large engines, they cruised along easily. They were advanced for their time and by all accounts I've read, they were very pleasant and simple to drive. And they have killer looks. Nothing I'd want to hide in a garage all the time. The Derringers may be a bit rich for my blood, but if I could afford one I'd ride it.
 
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bairdco

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
derringer's are chinese bikes, mostly sold in bulk to beach rental places, with a moped gastank and a leather seat. i could build one for $400 or less, and i'd feel bad about selling them at their price.

bottom line? it's a piece of junk. it's one step above of a walmart huffy.

it's just another guy cashing in on other people's stupidity, and keeping motored bikes toys for hobbyists, instead of reliable forms of transportation.
 
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J

Jim C

Member
Jul 11, 2010
200
6
18
Long Beach Calif
I used to restore, ride & race British motorcycles. My thought is they should be ridden & seen. Many owners only took them out for shows or British bike days. Some people just collected them. They have the right to do whatever they want with their bikes. Derringer must be given credit for seeing a market and going for it. The first thing I thought when I saw these very nice bikes was " I can do this for a few hundred$" I built my MB I built it to be a daily rider. I have plans for another that will be more of a show off bike as pretty as a Derringer.
 
D

dule

New Member
Dec 23, 2009
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Zagreb
went there this summer, talked to the guy... to be honest, his bikes were the biggest inspiration in starting building one for myself...

he seems like ok guy... we talked abut the bikes he said that the early models - 49cc 2 stroke are china made BUT they had changed and replaced all the bearings and stuff with "Harley parts" (end of quote)... did Harley aver made such a small engines?!? anyhow, "that was too expensive and too unreliable that they started to do only 4 stroke Honda machines" (again end of quote), the frame should be, as he said, a USA made frame and the metal tanks they have pressed themselves - redesigned a old style moped tank to fit new mounting way to the frame... they have now a "new" design for the tank...and as he was telling me they are sold out at the moment (they've just returned from some autoshow where they've presented their bikes...)

hmmm dunno what to comment more ...here are some pics that I've took there, there are both 2 and 4 stroke engines in the shop, the one in the widow is a "new design" bike..they R expensive...even the shirts are a bit too expensive heh







old style and new style logo (in fact just a sticker... not painted just outlined)



and me, in front of the tiny shop

 
bairdco

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
that's what upsets me about derringer...

Harley Parts? like what, the same chinese nuts and bolts they use?

american made bikes? i really doubt that. i bet i could spend a few minutes at alibaba(dot) com and find who makes them. and if it really is an american bike, and the guy's a big time designer, why would you make a bike that looks like every other cheap chinese cruiser?

and why would you re-make a General 5star moped tank? those things are huge!

and you slap on the same cheap chain tensioners, sprockets, and the rest of the lousy kit parts and sell them for an outrageous amount of money?

i mean, i can understand making a buck. if people buy them, more power to you. but if you're gonna make claims you can't back up, then you're just lying to the consumer, and i have no respect for people like that.
 
Dan

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
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Moosylvania
great pics Dule, thanks. Going off topic, I like his front wheels. Bad vision day, any one know what they are?

VB, your springers would look great on one of those bikes.

(Just finished putting a set on a build. purty awesome. Figured out a way to keep the front fender too!)
 
Allen_Wrench

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
bairdco said:
that's what upsets me about derringer...

Harley Parts? like what, the same chinese nuts and bolts they use?

american made bikes? i really doubt that. i bet i could spend a few minutes at alibaba(dot) com and find who makes them. and if it really is an american bike, and the guy's a big time designer, why would you make a bike that looks like every other cheap chinese cruiser?

and why would you re-make a General 5star moped tank? those things are huge!

and you slap on the same cheap chain tensioners, sprockets, and the rest of the lousy kit parts and sell them for an outrageous amount of money?

i mean, i can understand making a buck. if people buy them, more power to you. but if you're gonna make claims you can't back up, then you're just lying to the consumer, and i have no respect for people like that.
Click to expand...
You make some very good points, Bairco. I am left feeling even more strongly that, if one is skilled enough, one is probably better off taking his time and carefully building his MB himself, to suit his taste. I've always known it would be cheaper. I can see now that in some ways it can be better too.
 
K

K-dregg

New Member
Apr 20, 2010
76
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Sweden
I concur with Dule, Derringer was what got me interested in building a bike. They look good.. What theyre doing is nothing new, its just good marketing and we as consumers fall for it everyday.. people seem to prefer the Cool brand before the No brand product..
 
A

arty2131

New Member
Aug 6, 2011
1
0
0
columbus, wi
Hey guys I'm new here. Those designer tanks to me look like 1960 something Honda tanks maybe from a dream. Just without the Chrome on the sides. I could be wrong.
 
D

dmb

Active Member
Dec 4, 2010
1,354
3
36
lakewood ca
bairdco is right. harley parts? race parts? he's just setting the hook and should be exposed for what he is by those who know.
 
ducedave

ducedave

Member
Apr 17, 2011
370
4
18
Mentone Ca.
ya that's not cool but it's no skin off my noise
bring him out to Grange we'll see if his bikes are all that
 
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