1984 Skyway TA freestyler as seen in BMX Action Bike

[Maurice Meyer]

This one is for my mates in the UK.  The bike's been done for a while but I finally got the writeup done right.  This is the bike I brought to Europe on tour in 1984.  It's an '84 with special straight raked forks.  Both Robert and I had them but I don't believe Robert's are anywhere to be found.  The frame was pretty rusty and had a re-chrome.  Other parts like the seat post, brakes and Hutch locknut are original as well.  This bike is:

• My first bike from Skyway
• One of two made with straight forks for freestyle
• The bike I rode on my first tour - Europe, 1984
• The bike I rode in my first contest
• The actual frame and other parts
• A bike that was stolen and recovered

There is a lengthy story on the bike with personal photos from the tour on my website in the BMX section:

http://mauricemeyer.net/cgi/mm.pl?page=BMX/index

Hope you like it!

[munners]

Awesome! After seeing that i may put a set of white tuffs on my chrome TA now. 

I love those Redline Awards in your pics too. MAD!

Can you tell me about the Gold TA?

Cheers Nick

[kdw712]

WOW    

an amazing labour of love to get that just how it used to be
esp with the orig decals etc you had

stunning
 

[harris]

thanks for sharing the pics   
legendary

[diesel]

Cool 

[YGT]

Great restro !
just out of interest, what exactly is different with these forks?
secondly, was vanders skyway at that point the only one produced?

[brass monkey!]

another classic MM !! 

Quality ! 

[dordymush]

great history there.

lovely bike  .

[JAY]

Wow ,that bike is unbelievable Maurice ,Thanks for sharing those pics and history about yourself and the bike. If there is one bike i want to see in the flesh ,it has to be that one,so much History.

Thanks for sharing.............

[theRuler]

wicked
can't beat an x up endo either

[muttley]

Really nice peice of history that.  All we need now is to find out where Vander's Prototype chrome Streetbeat is 

[Moose]

Fantastic! I love it 

That TA epitomises old school freestyle for me. I espescially love 'mix-and-match' MX1000's

[OrgasmDonor]

that is cooool as fook nice one M

[CD17]

Another top build there 

[phantom photon]

Top Job 

[zed4130]

  cracking build mate, i saw it a while back on your site,  as usual all atention to detail 

[Stodgy]

yum yum yum Maurice. Fooking lovely work - that's a true classic in the UK.

 

[highrisedrifter]

Oh wow! Just wow! That is absolutely gorgeous and a great story too. Top job. 

 

HRD

[dirtyvans]

thats an amzing TA - you cant beat em and that one tops the lot

[MartyC]

That looks the dogs danglys, great bike, great history and ridden by a great rider 

[daz bmx it!]

"Ditto" 

[Maurice Meyer]

Thanks guys and especially thanks to you Jay for the red lever sleeves and stickers.  Those sleeves were on my "man, that's going to be a tough one" list.  Let me know if you're ever headed out this way.  Love to see those Haros of yours!

YGT, the thing with the forks is that the normal TA forks have an angle of rake introduced where the fork legs hit the race.  These forks have no rake there - just welded in a different position.  The dropouts still add a little rake but if you lay the forks flat on a table the legs are parallel with the threaded tube.  It's hard to show in pictures but really obvious next to another TA or just rolling around on the bike.

Yeah, Vander's bike was a one of a kind prototype that was different from the final production Street Beats in a number of ways.  It had standers, a little support bar in the back and the platform was different among other things.  The production models were better in my opinion except that they didn't do chrome which I think is super cool on that bike.  Yeah, I've got spies looking out for that one prototype...  Heh.  He gave a lot of stuff away and I don't think he stayed on Skyway long enough to break it and, I haven't heard that he returned it or anything which can happen with prototypes.  So, it could still be out there.  That's my personal holy grail.  I mention it to anyone from Vander's old hood that I see.  I still have myu fingers crossed that it's at some guy's parents house.

The TA is super meaningful to me.  I still want to get it out of the garage and up in the house with a proper display but that's a tough sell.  The trip to Europe in '84 was amazing.  Changed my life personally.  Broadened some pretty low horizons I was used to.  And although I don't post here as often as Vintage I love seeing the old photos and videos.  It's funny: there's this recurring theme in freestyle of "you had to be in southern California back in the day" to be noticed but man, after seeing the scene in the UK with Mon's, Southbank and Rom I can't help but feeling like it was us that missed some serious fun.  I've got great memories of that time in the UK.  One thing I really regret is never getting to see Neil ride because Craig has always been one of the top riders to me and I hear people comparing Craig and Neil all the time.

[OrgasmDonor]

The TA is super meaningful to me.  I still want to get it out of the garage and up in the house with a proper display but that's a tough sell. 

i guess its her indoors who ya need to do the sellin to, so do as we do over this side of the pond, just say to her, "oi! the bikes goin there and if ya don't like it ye can sling yer hook you slaaaaaaaaaaag!"

the swelling should go down in a couple of days and your testicles will start to reappear within a fortnight

[billstup]

Another quality resto Marice, and a great story line to back up on the history 

If you ever do venture over here theres always room with me, and a trip to Rom into the bargin too 

[teamsano]

i still have the mag, but that x-up endo pic is soooo good.

the curb dogs issue of action bike had so many mindblowing fotos, vander's cover shot+the 'peterson' spring to mind immediatley...