The Mindbender and Corvair trike graced the first issue.....not many original issues left out there but there are some copies....Street Chopper published a reprint some time ago. The Mindbender once it shed the tall pipes was one of the baddest rides ever. Looked incredible with dumps on it and sounded sick as hell. Never forget watching Tom fire that Knuck up. Tom was a very small guy and he could flat whip that thing in to firing in just a kick or two. My friend Lenny (our front counter parts manager) got to ride it once and I have envied him to this day.
For decades I've wondered whatever happened to The Mindbender. Any ideas where it wound up?
ReplyDeleteMindbender was sold in 1971. I was there and the guy that bought it was older and the sale was a huge surprise to all of us. No idea who he was or where it went and its never been seen since. We have found big Twin, corvair Trike, REally and womans Pride so far but at this point 50 years later I doubt its still in one piece. Really a historic bike, first with full chromed engine that was not a show bike and first with a removaeable fully molded tank.
ReplyDeleteThe Mindbender was the bike that changed everything for me. I was 17 years old and thought the coolest bike ever was the Captain America. Then I saw the Mindbender with it's molded tank and frame and that long springer and it blew me away. I was hoping it would somehow reappear one day as did the Big Twin. I didn't know the Corvair trike was found. Glad to hear that. Thank you for your response.
DeleteNot to be a pest, but would you happen to have any good photos of the Mindbender in it's heyday? I know it went through several rebuilds but the one on the front cover of the first issue is just perfect.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately not a lot of the Mindbender exist in the public domain. I'm trying to get some private shots but its a battle. My favorite bike too and it was incredible in person. First bike with a fully molded removable tank and first with a fully chromed engine that was a driver proving chorming them did nothing to them (everyone said it would overheat. Nope its just made the metal of the engine a tiny bit thicker is all). It was sold out of AEE in 1971 but no one knows who to. I saw the guy as I rolled it out for him to take but no idea where it went. Lost to time at this point.
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