72 Rupp Hustler, weird combo with paperwork.

danford1

danford1

#1
#1
I got a "Barn Find" Rupp today. It was in a heated pole barn for the last 30 years according to the person I bought it from. He claims it came from the dealer like it is. I have the paperwork from when it was sold showing chassis number and engine number. The numbers on the frame and engine match. It also has the Rupp owners manual and Tecumseh owner manual.

Here is what is weird. It is a Hustler, but has a Roadster2 tank on it.
It has a lighted HS40 on it, but no lights. They claim it never had lights and came with the Roadster2 tank.

Have any of you ever heard of someone selling a new Minibike with a different gas tank on it?
Am I correct that a Hustler didn't have a lighted HS40?
Seems like an odd combo.

It is in very good survivor condition. It also has chrome slotted wheels and I thought Hustlers had silver painted wheels.
It has aggressive knobby tires which was normal for Hustlers...
Here are some pictures of it.
Danford1
 
fistfullabar

fistfullabar

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
The kidney bean 5 hole "mag" 2 piece wheels are always chrome. Cheap people paint them. Nice bike. Slap a light and you got a "night hustler"!
 
manchester1

manchester1

#3
#3
Looks like the engine has a lighting coil. Those wheels are scrambler/Hustler wheels. I'm sure when they made some of these bikes that they made mistakes and just used what they had laying around. Rupp was starting to have problems in 1973.
 
gammatg

gammatg

#4
#4
Cool bike. Note the date on the bill of sale as May of 1973. Since the bike is a 1972, maybe the dealer had some leftover stock and threw a lighted motor they had lying around on it. That's just my guess. If you didn't have the paperwork I would have guess it was swapped out at some point. If it were mine I'd keep it just the way it is. Nice find!
(Edit: was typing this while Karen posted. I'm on the same page as her)
 
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capguncowboy

capguncowboy

Well-Known Member
#5
#5
THe ID plate gives model HS40 55388C, which was an unlighted engine (same one that Black Widow and Hustler used). Someone has either added the lighting coil or someone has changed some stuff around over the years.

I'm not saying that it's not original -- dealers and Rupp did some funky things in the last few years, as did the dealers, I'm sure.

What's the serial on the engine? Looks like it might start with a 1, making it a 71 engine on a 72 bike
 
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capguncowboy

capguncowboy

Well-Known Member
#7
#7
Okay, I just looked at the bill of sale... it's a 1971 engine on a 1972 frame, sold in May of 1973... Did they buy it used ?

Something isn't adding up
 
danford1

danford1

#11
#11
No I didn't get the Ruttman. I only bought the Rupp. I didn't see the Ruttman, it was gone when I got there.
The serial number on the engine is 1335B. It is on the paperwork also.
So it is a 71 engine on a 72 Hustler minibike that was sold in 73 with a Roadster2 fuel tank. Wow !
Yes they bought it new. His name and address are on the Rupp paperwork.
It doesn't list how much it cost. Seems like it should have been cheap with all the mis-matched stuff.

I just started working on it. I found a sheared flywheel key. I need to get a key tomorrow and see how it runs.
The carb was pretty clean inside. The gas tank is very nice inside too.

I bought it because it was a killer deal. I don't know why someone didn't snag it before I found it. I stumbled on the ad today.

It won't be too long before it is for sale. I want to get it running, riding and stopping first. I'll probably put Hustler decals on the tank to avoid confusion later too.

Thanks for the help and info.
Danford1
 
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markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
capguncowboy said:
THe ID plate gives model HS40 55388C, which was an unlighted engine (same one that Black Widow and Hustler used). Someone has either added the lighting coil or someone has changed some stuff around over the years.

I'm not saying that it's not original -- dealers and Rupp did some funky things in the last few years, as did the dealers, I'm sure.

What's the serial on the engine? Looks like it might start with a 1, making it a 71 engine on a 72 bike
Click to expand...
the 88c was the lighted Roadster2 engine, late 1971 and into 1972 use. Also note its 338th day of 1971.

55c was the later 1971 non lighted HS40 that rupp used for the scrambler/blackwidow bikes. and carried over into 1972
 
capguncowboy

capguncowboy

Well-Known Member
#13
#13
markus said:
the 88c was the lighted Roadster2 engine, late 1971 and into 1972 use. Also note its 338th day of 1971.

55c was the later 1971 non lighted HS40 that rupp used for the scrambler/blackwidow bikes. and carried over into 1972
Click to expand...
Thanks for clarifying that Mark. I saw the late date code designation and knew there could be some carry over. I still have to wonder if it was brought in for work or trade and the dealer resold it after throwing some parts on it.
 
markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#14
#14
danford1 said:
I got a "Barn Find" Rupp today. It was in a heated pole barn for the last 30 years according to the person I bought it from. He claims it came from the dealer like it is. I have the paperwork from when it was sold showing chassis number and engine number. The numbers on the frame and engine match. It also has the Rupp owners manual and Tecumseh owner manual.

Here is what is weird. It is a Hustler, but has a Roadster2 tank on it.
It has a lighted HS40 on it, but no lights. They claim it never had lights and came with the Roadster2 tank.

Have any of you ever heard of someone selling a new Minibike with a different gas tank on it?
Am I correct that a Hustler didn't have a lighted HS40?
Seems like an odd combo.

It is in very good survivor condition. It also has chrome slotted wheels and I thought Hustlers had silver painted wheels.
It has aggressive knobby tires which was normal for Hustlers...
Here are some pictures of it.
Danford1
Click to expand...
Looks like dealer flim-flam not out of the factory. The small inspection ticket is what was used in the factory and what would be more important if it matched up.

The registration form is what you filled out and sent in after you bought the bike. I would imagine that the dealer used parts off that bike in a pinch during 1972.

I had a fox spoiler the same way, Its a non lighted, single speed bike, but came with a lighted HS40 and had the extended 2 speed guard (but it was a single centrifugal clutch still) on it out of the dealers showroom.


Here is an example of the Flow ticket from a 1970 Roadster I had, It was filled out in the factory on final inspection. Rupp kept the original, and the carbon copy went with the bike in the owners manual packet.

 
R

ruppking

Active Member
#15
#15
Seeing how this bike was sold over a year old after it was built, my guess is that this Hustler could have been a "Demo" bike, or used by owner or his kids, or had problems. I.E. crashed or engine failure. Who knows at this point. Interesting that the flow ticket does not match the registration form. Definitely a 1972 Hustler with a storied past. Lots of things were changed or added on at the Dealers.
FYI Hustlers and Scramblers had chrome 10" wheels, Bandits had silver painted wheels.
 
Ding Ding

Ding Ding

Well-Known Member
#16
#16
ruppking said:
Seeing how this bike was sold over a year old after it was built, my guess is that this Hustler could have been a "Demo" bike, or used by owner or his kids, or had problems. I.E. crashed or engine failure. Who knows at this point. Interesting that the flow ticket does not match the registration form. Definitely a 1972 Hustler with a storied past. Lots of things were changed or added on at the Dealers.
FYI Hustlers and Scramblers had chrome 10" wheels, Bandits had silver painted wheels.
Click to expand...
The King of Rupps has spoken!! :bowdown:

Hi Jim! :smile:

~Mike
 
markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#18
#18
danford1 said:
Thank you everyone for your replies.
I got a flywheel key today now I'm heading to the garage
to get it running.

Thanks again.
Danford1
Click to expand...
Hey Danford1, on the front engine tin that diverts air around the lower part of the cylinder....does that little square section that comes down on the front left bottom have a square hole or a square plastic insert in it, or is it just solid? I am sorting tins and shrouds today for HS engines, One engine I am building is the same as yours (55388c....actually built 2 days after yours 1337b) Trying to make sure I put the correct tin on it, they changed that piece alot between 1969-1972 :doah: cant tell in your pics if there is a square hole in it or not.

Thanks
 
danford1

danford1

#19
#19
markus, Here are a couple pictures of that area.

I just went for a ride :) It runs good and stops good. The driven clutch needs some attention. I also need to order up some rear shock bushings from Jim. The ones on it are wallowed out a lot. I'm sure there are a lot of other things I can add to the BWM order...

Danford1
 
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