My dad always had scooters and motorcycles when we were growing up. He rode everything: Matchless, AJS, Mustangs, and lots of Harleys, both 45s and 74s. I couldn't wait to get on two wheels, and I learned to ride as soon as I could on his 1952 Cushman Eagle springer.
After school I used to hang around the local Cushman shop where they had a 1958 Iron Eagle demo that wasn’t getting any TLC. I talked my dad into financing it for me in 1960, when I was 14 years old, and I rode it to school almost every day. I didn’t get into too much trouble. One day after school I rode over to visit the traveling carnival that came to town and proceeded to run into the wire holding up the high-striker bell tower, knocking that down. I was lucky the carnies didn’t smash my scooter!
It was pretty reliable too. One time the ignition switch in the flywheel cover came loose and fell in, busting off a bunch of flywheel fins and disabling the scooter—I was going about 50 mph at the time—but that was about it.
I deployed with the Navy Seabees after graduation, and the scooter entered retirement while I was on active duty. My brother gave the motor a top-end rebuild and installed a replacement flywheel while I was gone, but I wasn’t much interested when I returned. I was ready to move on to “big iron”: Harleys, BSAs, Triumphs, Nortons, and Moto Guzzis.
A few years ago I decided to bring the old scoot out of retirement and give it a tune-up for the Lone Star Bike Rally on Galveston Island. The Cushman is the polar opposite of my regular motorcycle, a Buell Cyclone M2, but just as much fun. I’ve gone full circle, and nowadays it’s my favorite ride. What’s old is new again!
