Fox Factor/Fox 4 Styler

[dancetothedrummersbeat]

Browsing through the old school freestyle section got me thinking about the Fox Factor Fox 4 Styler bmx. I know Retrodan and Mani both own/have owned one of these, and i'll make them aware of this thread, but thought I'd ask everyone else too, and share some pics also.

I'd never heard of these until I saw Mani's excellent example at MK12. I think Dan also posted up a photo a while back on the forum or facebook.

Here's the pic Dan posted



...and Mani's from MK 





What I find interesting is that the headtube and frame decals that say 'Fox Factor' are the same as the one on the headtube of my MT Racing 'The Fox'



So was the Fox 4 Styler anything to do with MT Racing?, or was it made by a completely different company? Strange that the decals are the same. I also remember seeing Fox Factor ads in BMX Action bike, where you would win a prize if your car was spotted sporting a Fox Factor sticker. Again, anything to do with MT Racing, or not?

I've PM'd Nathan (Macmania), and Dan to see if they can shed any light on the above. I can't find Mani on the rad member list - Is he still on here? Hope it's ok to show your bike Mani - If not, let me know & i'll delete the pics.

Does anyone else know any more info? Thanks for reading.

[ED209]

It was reviewed in an issue of BMX Bi-Weekly or Freestyle BMX ... pretty sure it was made by MT ... need to track down the review.

Owain Clegg had one as his first bike... called it the Egg Carrier 

[aerostylie]

the test was in Freestyle BMX mag issue 13 april 85  Also seen it shown as forstyler and fourstyler.

found the above in an old post I did to mani when he was first trying to build his (mani was looking for adverts)

[Retrodan72]

There's a story behind mine. The truth is, I don't actually know if mine was a Fox or not?

It goes like this, I got my Piranha in July '85. In November '85, after finishing my paper round, and being a typical 13 year old kid in the 80's, I just dumped the Piranha on the from lawn at my parents'. That night about 9pm, I was doing my homework when I heard an almighty bang outside, and a load of gravel hit the lounge window. I opened the curtains but it was total darkness, which was unusual as my folks had a street light outside their house.

I ran to the front door (my old man was asleep on the couch) and to my horror the was an MGB Roadstee upside down on my parents lawn about 2 feet away from the front door.

So guess what was under the MG? Yep, the 4 month old Piranha.

So when the car, and sadly the poor dead guy that had been driving it were removed, my Dad took the twisted bike and put it at the back of the garage saying it was wrecked.

My folks were told that this guy's insurance would pay for the damage to the garden, new lawn, gates etc and also my bike. So when the cheque came through, we went back to the same shop we'd bought the Piranha in July, and I added my Christmas money, and we got a green TRM type bike, with OGK's and chrome twin top bars. Now this bike came with no decals, so we assumed it was a TRM, and I always did, right until MK11 when I saw Mani's.

It was only when I saw the holes in the gusset between the top tubes that I remembered how I used to stand my can of cherry coke in the holes outside Sandra's Chippy in 1986.

So by memory alone, I'm claiming to have owned a Fox.

[dancetothedrummersbeat]

Great story there Dan, apart from the death of the driver of course. Thanks for posting

[Retrodan72]

Great story there Dan, apart from the death of the driver of course. Thanks for posting

Yeah, a night I'll never forget.

[aerostylie]

got the Freestyle BMX issue , touted as a TRM copy.

Manufacturer: FoxFactor Ltd, Ashford Kent.
F&F £125, available in white or black, 531 reynolds

At the time of the test, a complete was not available but it says 'Fox' planned to launch one.

No reference made to MT racing in the test.

[Macmania]

British built bike with absolutely nothing to do with MT Racing (as far as I know) 

[oberonspacefruit]

interesting that it came with no decals, as those decals look pretty poor quality. Ive tried scanning pic and printing them onto decal paper, and the effects are wishy washy decals that have the same level of opaqueness as those above. Could the decals be home made, based on mt fox decals? does it have decals in the magazine/ any other adds?

[Retrodan72]

interesting that it came with no decals, as those decals look pretty poor quality. Ive tried scanning pic and printing them onto decal paper, and the effects are wishy washy decals that have the same level of opaqueness as those above. Could the decals be home made, based on mt fox decals? does it have decals in the magazine/ any other adds?

My bike description is purely from memory, sadly I have no pics, to back it up.

I do remember that when I cracked the weld joining the down tube and head tube, my Dad stripped the paint around the damage area to see the full extent, and the joins were a brass colour, which with the knowledge I have now indicates that it was brazed.

I vaguely remember a 531 decal by the damage area, but again, my memory is not good.

[Funkyworm]

Just stumbled across this thread which is weird as I've been looking for one of these frames to build , the fascination came back in the day from this simple advert (you can't even see the whole frame) but i just thought it was cool simply because i loved anything to so with (Space & Rockets i guess). This is scanned from Action Bile April 85.

[Retrodan72]

Just stumbled across this thread which is weird as I've been looking for one of these frames to build , the fascination came back in the day from this simple advert (you can't even see the whole frame) but i just thought it was cool simply because i loved anything to so with (Space & Rockets i guess). This is scanned from Action Bile April 85.

This has totally confirmed what I had, the identical colour of the frame in the scan Callum, and I remember that glad behind the seat tube. 

[Funkyworm]

Just stumbled across this thread which is weird as I've been looking for one of these frames to build , the fascination came back in the day from this simple advert (you can't even see the whole frame) but i just thought it was cool simply because i loved anything to so with (Space & Rockets i guess). This is scanned from Action Bile April 85.

This has totally confirmed what I had, the identical colour of the frame in the scan Callum, and I remember that glad behind the seat tube. 

I think these look so cool mate!

[Jono]

There's a story behind mine. The truth is, I don't actually know if mine was a Fox or not?

It goes like this, I got my Piranha in July '85. In November '85, after finishing my paper round, and being a typical 13 year old kid in the 80's, I just dumped the Piranha on the from lawn at my parents'. That night about 9pm, I was doing my homework when I heard an almighty bang outside, and a load of gravel hit the lounge window. I opened the curtains but it was total darkness, which was unusual as my folks had a street light outside their house.

I ran to the front door (my old man was asleep on the couch) and to my horror the was an MGB Roadstee upside down on my parents lawn about 2 feet away from the front door.

So guess what was under the MG? Yep, the 4 month old Piranha.

So when the car, and sadly the poor dead guy that had been driving it were removed, my Dad took the twisted bike and put it at the back of the garage saying it was wrecked.

My folks were told that this guy's insurance would pay for the damage to the garden, new lawn, gates etc and also my bike. So when the cheque came through, we went back to the same shop we'd bought the Piranha in July, and I added my Christmas money, and we got a green TRM type bike, with OGK's and chrome twin top bars. Now this bike came with no decals, so we assumed it was a TRM, and I always did, right until MK11 when I saw Mani's.

It was only when I saw the holes in the gusset between the top tubes that I remembered how I used to stand my can of cherry coke in the holes outside Sandra's Chippy in 1986.

So by memory alone, I'm claiming to have owned a Fox.

always love dan's funny anecdotes 

[dancetothedrummersbeat]

Thanks for all the info folks, and thanks to all who took the time to hunt out and scan magazine ads/reviews etc 

[BMX1973]