Tecumseh H30
- Thread starter drsmithtft
- Start date
Actually, it is. Roper is the company that made those bikes, It IS NOT an actual name of a bike, people have just put that name on the swing frame bikes over the years. And the decaling on the guard is correct, it is an SR (Sears Roebuck) decal that many items not just the Mini bikes in that timeframe got. An no, its not a Bird, Bird bikes were not made like the Roper made bikes were, they looked like them but tubing sizing, reinforcements, axles, wheels etc.. were made different and unlike anything Bird was making and selling at the time. their 3 digit model number starts with an 803, The change to Roper made versions came about right in the 1970 to 71 timeframe Roper made bikes model numbers started with 131, these were Sear's internal manufacturers codes for who made the product.
Biggest reason the Roper name stuck on those swing frames specificaly is because they made a street legal version, that and the other bikes like above resemble the earlier bikes that bird was making, so it easy to just call them Bird bikes (but they are in fact very different as stated above). When something is made street legal it has to have a more elaborate Vin plate showing the actual manufacturer etc along with all the other corresponding DOT items..
note the 131 on the data plate, that can be easily researched as well to show that was a Roper corporation item in the sears lineup,
Biggest reason the Roper name stuck on those swing frames specificaly is because they made a street legal version, that and the other bikes like above resemble the earlier bikes that bird was making, so it easy to just call them Bird bikes (but they are in fact very different as stated above). When something is made street legal it has to have a more elaborate Vin plate showing the actual manufacturer etc along with all the other corresponding DOT items..
note the 131 on the data plate, that can be easily researched as well to show that was a Roper corporation item in the sears lineup,
