80s Raleigh BMX - what was it called?

[sarkmeister]

Morning all

Might seem like an odd question, but its really bugging me so I thought id pitch it to the Pistonhead community.

Anyway, back when i was a kid (late 80s I think), a mate of mine had a fancy Raleigh BMX that was kind of cased in white/beige plastic and had an onboard "computer", does anyone remember the name of it?

It was really rubbish. It was too heavy to do wheelys and the "computer" broke everytime you hit a burb. However, he was rich so had to have one. Someone has suggested Raleigh Vector, but it doesnt bring anything up in Google.

Cheers

[Neil_Bolton]

sarkmeister said:

Morning all

Might seem like an odd question, but its really bugging me so I thought id pitch it to the Pistonhead community.

Anyway, back when i was a kid (late 80s I think), a mate of mine had a fancy Raleigh BMX that was kind of cased in white/beige plastic and had an onboard "computer", does anyone remember the name of it?

It was really rubbish. It was too heavy to do wheelys and the "computer" broke everytime you hit a burb. However, he was rich so had to have one. Someone has suggested Raleigh Vector, but it doesnt bring anything up in Google.

Cheers

It was the 'Wolf' I think.

They did a smaller one which was the 'Striker' which had the 'tickity tick, tickity tick tock' noise when you pedalled...

[wildoliver]

They did 2, one was black with a sound effects box, and one was white/grey and from memory had a radio and a few other toys in the box, but I can't remember what the white one was called, I think the black one was wolf or street wolf or something, I think the white one was the vector you know!

[sarkmeister]

A mate at work has already answered, it was a Raleigh Vector. I have a pic and will post it up when i get chance. It did have sound effects, speedo, clock , everything you need n a bike

[craigw]

we have one in our parents garage

[molineux1980]

Bloody hell, that triggered the memory i'd got tucked away! I remember them, someone I knew had one when i'd got my Raleigh Burner with the handle bar number plate, # 01, and He-Man stickers on it!

[sarkmeister]

Here you go, isnt she a beaut

[kermitman]

Neil_Bolton said:

They did a smaller one which was the 'Striker' which had the 'tickity tick, tickity tick tock' noise when you pedalled...

the striker was a smaller version of the grifter, i had a striker when around 6-7 years old. no gears just a fancy pedal back brake on it all of them were silver i think, might be wrong though.

after doing a quick search it loooks like theyve revived the named and a striker is now a kids mountain bike.

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 20:40

[garlick]

kermitman said:

Neil_Bolton said:

They did a smaller one which was the 'Striker' which had the 'tickity tick, tickity tick tock' noise when you pedalled...

the striker was a smaller version of the grifter, i had a striker when around 6-7 years old. no gears just a fancy pedal back brake on it all of them were silver i think, might be wrong though.

after doing a quick search it loooks like theyve revived the named and a striker is now a kids mountain bike.

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 20:40

I had a Striker...they all clicked, had a massive cushion seat and fake front suspension if I remember, I got a speedo put on mine by my Dad and did 13 miles in an afternoon as I enjoyed watching the miles click over, I was about 9 on a single gear bike and remember sleeping well that night!

Grifters? They always got stuck in 'red'(hardest) gear and some had flexi mudguards you could bend backwards into the tyre to make motorbike noises! If anyone had a Grifter without worn out mudguards they were far too sensible! Also weighed a ton IIRC?

[Neil_Bolton]

garlick said:

kermitman said:

Neil_Bolton said:

They did a smaller one which was the 'Striker' which had the 'tickity tick, tickity tick tock' noise when you pedalled...

the striker was a smaller version of the grifter, i had a striker when around 6-7 years old. no gears just a fancy pedal back brake on it all of them were silver i think, might be wrong though.

after doing a quick search it loooks like theyve revived the named and a striker is now a kids mountain bike.

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 20:40

I had a Striker...they all clicked, had a massive cushion seat and fake front suspension if I remember, I got a speedo put on mine by my Dad and did 13 miles in an afternoon as I enjoyed watching the miles click over, I was about 9 on a single gear bike and remember sleeping well that night!

Grifters? They always got stuck in 'red'(hardest) gear and some had flexi mudguards you could bend backwards into the tyre to make motorbike noises! If anyone had a Grifter without worn out mudguards they were far too sensible! Also weighed a ton IIRC?

Yep, I had one, and managed to kill one as well - I was knocked off by a car (my own stupid fault) and the blasted thing got properly flattened! Thats hard going for a Grifter!

However Garlicks bang on - motorbike noises were deriguier, as was fiddling with, and buggering up the sturmey archer three speed adjustment

[garlick]

Blimey- I don't remember them looking like this- I do now I've seen a pic, but in my minds eye they were just, well sexier.......



ETA: Remember those massive rear lights that were super dim- I had those!!!

Edited by garlick on Wednesday 11th April 21:50

[kermitman]

garlick said:

kermitman said:

Neil_Bolton said:

They did a smaller one which was the 'Striker' which had the 'tickity tick, tickity tick tock' noise when you pedalled...

the striker was a smaller version of the grifter, i had a striker when around 6-7 years old. no gears just a fancy pedal back brake on it all of them were silver i think, might be wrong though.

after doing a quick search it loooks like theyve revived the named and a striker is now a kids mountain bike.

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 20:40

I had a Striker...they all clicked, had a massive cushion seat and fake front suspension if I remember, I got a speedo put on mine by my Dad and did 13 miles in an afternoon as I enjoyed watching the miles click over, I was about 9 on a single gear bike and remember sleeping well that night!

Grifters? They always got stuck in 'red'(hardest) gear and some had flexi mudguards you could bend backwards into the tyre to make motorbike noises! If anyone had a Grifter without worn out mudguards they were far too sensible! Also weighed a ton IIRC?

i had a speedo too on my striker,(trouble was you were more concerned about how fast you could go than watching where you were going

then for one birthday my grandparents bought me some proper indicators! id been after them for ages, moped ones they were with a great big ever ready battery to power them, they stuck out like bulldogs gonads

the downside was a few weeks later my striker blew over in the wind and took both out on one side

i remember the fake suspension now, memories eh?

too true about grifters, you needed to hire a crane to lift it anywhere, with spongey crossbar too i think, never had one as when i outgrew my striker i had a bmx circa 1982.

wow this is like time travel

garlick said:

ETA: Remember those massive rear lights that were super dim- I had those!!!

i did too, didnt they take two rather large batteries as well, oh and the front one to go with it, a kind of square light and mine was in a sort of chrome case. then those plastic rectangle lights took over that you could just clip in and out of the plastic holders on your handlebars

memory lane is working overtime tonight

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 21:57

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 21:58

[garlick]

kermitman said:

garlick said:

kermitman said:

Neil_Bolton said:

They did a smaller one which was the 'Striker' which had the 'tickity tick, tickity tick tock' noise when you pedalled...

the striker was a smaller version of the grifter, i had a striker when around 6-7 years old. no gears just a fancy pedal back brake on it all of them were silver i think, might be wrong though.

after doing a quick search it loooks like theyve revived the named and a striker is now a kids mountain bike.

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 20:40

I had a Striker...they all clicked, had a massive cushion seat and fake front suspension if I remember, I got a speedo put on mine by my Dad and did 13 miles in an afternoon as I enjoyed watching the miles click over, I was about 9 on a single gear bike and remember sleeping well that night!

Grifters? They always got stuck in 'red'(hardest) gear and some had flexi mudguards you could bend backwards into the tyre to make motorbike noises! If anyone had a Grifter without worn out mudguards they were far too sensible! Also weighed a ton IIRC?

i had a speedo too on my striker,(trouble was you were more concerned about how fast you could go than watching where you were going

then for one birthday my grandparents bought me some proper indicators! id been after them for ages, moped ones they were with a great big ever ready battery to power them, they stuck out like bulldogs gonads

the downside was a few weeks later my striker blew over in the wind and took both out on one side

i remember the fake suspension now, memories eh?

too true about grifters, you needed to hire a crane to lift it anywhere, with spongey crossbar too i think, never had one as when i outgrew my striker i had a bmx circa 1982.

wow this is like time travel

Yeah, and at Christmas it was real bike kudos, a bike really mattered and the right/wrong purchase by Mum or Dad could make or break you 'down the park' do you remember you and your mates on shiny bikes on Xmas day? Go on Mum, let me out...GO ONNNNN!

I went from Striker to a Falcon racer, then a shite BMX, then a DP Freestyler when Bob Haro and Eddie Fiola were Gods! I remember Andy Preston doing a no handed drop in from a 1/4 pipe and the world went crazy.....Now look at what they can do on a BMX. I was chuffed with a kick turn or a frame stand!

Edited by garlick on Wednesday 11th April 22:02

[garlick]

kermitman said:

i did too, didnt they take two rather large batteries as well, oh and the front one to go with it, a kind of square light and mine was in a sort of chrome case. then those plastic rectangle lights took over that you could just clip in and out of the plastic holders on your handlebars

memory lane is working overtime tonight

Bikes were made of pig iron, then you strapped some floodlights powered by the biggest batteries known to man onto it, then a speedo....no wonder kids were fitter then, we were dragging about 2 ton around!

Edited by garlick on Wednesday 11th April 22:11

[kermitman]

crimbo day on my striker my mum has a photo of me out at about 8am with frosty roads!

some good named bmx's there mate, i always wanted a pk ripper for some reason or the make that elliot in ET had, kuawawah or something. mine was a pro-lite made by diamond back, it started out cherry red, then i resprayed it diamond white, then it went to a pale ford blue colour which looked cool with a set of new white mags and a lay back seat stem over the rear wheel.

remember thsoe stupid two finger brake levers that you needed giants hands to use? plus you had to cut a slot out of your mushroom grips to get them to work at all?

my fave rider was 'andy ruffell' who did he ride for now....mongoose was it? had posters all over my room of him or the 'flying banana' always wore yellow and rode a yellow bike, i still have my bmx annuals at my mum and dads, must dig them out and look back

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 22:11

[garlick]

My DP was chrome frame, but then the white and powder coats came in so I changed my white skyways for orange ones with orange tyres, I had some CW bars, orange mushrooms, Elina seat with layback (natch) some GT flip down fork mounted pegs with rears on the axle (that used to bend the axles) and a drilled headset for 360 bar spins! I loved that bike and still wish I had it today

I remember the PK Ripper- used to cut out the pictures from the mag BMX Action Bike and stick them on my wall! Used to love any Haro or GT though. Also used to like the Raleigh Ultra Burner- those things were lightweight!

Do you remember Z rims? The spoked wheel you could put in the freezer if the buckle and they would pop back into shape? And Andy Ruffels ugly brother Neil who could freestyle?

[kermitman]

garlick said:

Do you remember Z rims? The spoked wheel you could put in the freezer if the buckle and they would pop back into shape? And Andy Ruffels ugly brother Neil who could freestyle?

ACS Z rims, a rich kid near to us had them,(he also had a quarter pipe in his garden) you could push your foot on them and theyd bend before your eyes!

preferred skyways though

GT Performer, that was a bike

and a mongoose supergoose again another rich kid had one of those


just looked up raleigh on wiki and as it says they almost didnt go into the bmx line, big mistake if they missed it out. every other lad at school had one, either a tuff burner or chrome burner then they went to the oval tubing in later years.

this is the wiki write up.....

BMX

Raleigh was very late into BMX. The board was reluctant to introduce single-speed stripped down junior machines, as there was less profit in each compared with the Grifter, especially for Sturmey-Archer. They hoped BMX would be a passing fad. It was not and the company initially missed a big opportunity. There were consequently some high level sackings. The high street auto accessories and cycle chain store Halfords was meanwhile heavily and successfully promoting BMX. This followed a major initiative by their cycle marketing manager David Duffield (who had launched the Moulton and had later worked for Raleigh). Halfords, Raleigh’s biggest customer, had been involved in building the first BMX track in the UK and helping local authorities around the country set up their own tracks. As he could not source BMX bikes from Raleigh, he instead started importing from the USA.

Therefore, soon after the Bomber launch, Yvonne Rix was sent on a research trip to the USA. She came back with the Burner range, which was launched in 1982 and rapidly sold over a million units. This had a major impact on Raleigh’s overall UK sales: in 1983, they were up 57% on 1981. The Bomber and Burner also temporarily helped arrest Raleigh’s declining market share. In 1980, this had slipped to 31% but by 1982, Raleigh had half the UK market. Indeed, for the period covered by this paper, 1983 was Raleigh’s best year for sales in the UK, with almost a million units sold.

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 22:53

[kermitman]

this is the E.T. bike i used to like, it was in the shop when i went to get my pro-lite for my birthday



GT Performer with the bit to stand on the front wheel behind the forks



remember the MX brake calipers? you were no one if you didnt have these

OMG both bikes had the dice valve caps, amazing


just wondered across someones web site with a section on burners, he even has catalogue pages on them with the prices back then, cant post the pics but look up his site here.

www.dtrcartwright.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Burner/Burner.htm

burner prices

Edited by kermitman on Wednesday 11th April 23:26

[mat205125]

I had the Raleigh Burner in chrome, but the later one with the oval tubes. It was the absolute bcks when it was new.

Took all the pads off it and polished it every weekend.

Remember a few of the older lads took it off me when I was playing at the local park (must have been about 9 yrs old), and I had to get my dad and my uncle down to "sort em out" and get my bike back ..... Never had any bother off of them after that

[pdV6]

I had one of these as a kid:



But I guess it must have been a slightly later model as it had 3 gears operated by a Chopper-style lever mounted in the console shown on this one.