Here is my newest find. It`s a super rare 1963 Steens Timberline. For those too young to know, Steen made the Taco minibike, which Steen started building in 1963.
In 1958 John Bonham started building the “Tote Gote” and John Luther started building the “Trail Gote”. There were several other companies building these moto-tractor type bikes in the 50`s into the mid 60`s with Bonham`s Tote Gote and the Rokon Trail-Breaker having the longest production run.
This was John Steen`s version of a moto-tractor or “gote”. As far as I can tell it met a quick death and was only manufactured for one year in 1963, as I have never seen a magazine ad from 1964 forward. Perhaps It was too Hi-Tech or just too late in timing as the minibike craze had begun. At the end of the year in 1963 Steen probably looked at his sales figures and saw that his Taco minibikes were selling at a much greater ratio than the Timberline, so it was dropped. (If anyone has any solid sales figures, please let me know).
The Timberline featured a Continental engine, several custom cast aluminum parts including front and rear scrub brakes, swing arm, front fork protection cover, and a cast handle for the 2 speed transmission. Its most unusual feature is the 2 speed open cog transmission driving 2 chains to the rear wheel. Left side of the rear wheel has a large sprocket, and the right side has a smaller sprocket. By moving the shift lever front or back the rider had an option of either a 24:1 or 12:1 gear ratio.
According to the original owner, he added the tool box in 1963. He also said he laid the bike down in some rocks shortly after he bought it and broke the fiberglass shroud and ripped the seat, and no longer had it. During restoration I will make a new shroud and seat.
In 1958 John Bonham started building the “Tote Gote” and John Luther started building the “Trail Gote”. There were several other companies building these moto-tractor type bikes in the 50`s into the mid 60`s with Bonham`s Tote Gote and the Rokon Trail-Breaker having the longest production run.
This was John Steen`s version of a moto-tractor or “gote”. As far as I can tell it met a quick death and was only manufactured for one year in 1963, as I have never seen a magazine ad from 1964 forward. Perhaps It was too Hi-Tech or just too late in timing as the minibike craze had begun. At the end of the year in 1963 Steen probably looked at his sales figures and saw that his Taco minibikes were selling at a much greater ratio than the Timberline, so it was dropped. (If anyone has any solid sales figures, please let me know).
The Timberline featured a Continental engine, several custom cast aluminum parts including front and rear scrub brakes, swing arm, front fork protection cover, and a cast handle for the 2 speed transmission. Its most unusual feature is the 2 speed open cog transmission driving 2 chains to the rear wheel. Left side of the rear wheel has a large sprocket, and the right side has a smaller sprocket. By moving the shift lever front or back the rider had an option of either a 24:1 or 12:1 gear ratio.
According to the original owner, he added the tool box in 1963. He also said he laid the bike down in some rocks shortly after he bought it and broke the fiberglass shroud and ripped the seat, and no longer had it. During restoration I will make a new shroud and seat.
