Blogging a Dead Horse

Giant

Giant made bikes for lots of companies in the '80s. In Australia, the Repco Hotfoot was made by Giant from approximately 1980 to 1985 when they then swapped manufacturers to Merida. While this was going on, Giant imported bikes and sold them to other companies - RoadMaster and the Melbourne Bike Company amongst others - and even sold their own branded version.

Please browse through all of the material I have collected:

If you have any Giant information or photos, please forward them to me and I will add them to the site. I am especially interested in brochures and advertisements as these are most valuable when restoring bikes back to their original glory.

Restorations

Todd Troutman: '85 Schwin Predator Streetwise
Re-Rides: '81 Giant GMX-250
Filmote: '80 Giant GMX-250
Danny Pires: '80 Giant GMX-250

Swade Industries / Todd Troutman
This article is reproduced with permission from Swade Industries and Todd Troutman. The original article can be viewed here.

I was first alerted to this build from a polishing thread in OzBMX. One quick look at the site showed that this build was something special - its his childhood bike (not the original but the same model) and it has been restored to better than original condition.

As his site proclaims, Todd is a talented and ambitious designer who offers a unique set of design skills with a unique eye for the smallest detail and is always seeking new and exciting challenges. That attention to detail is evident in this build .. enjoy!

Background
Frame Restoration
Cranks and Bottom Bracket Restoration
Brakes / Fittings
SR Stem Restoration
Hubs and Wheel Restoration
Odds and Sods
Final Assembly
Advantages of being a Bachelor
BMX Action '85 Schwinn Predator Streetwise Review

Todd Troutman: '85 Schwin Predator Streetwise

Background

In Todd's word " .. complete OE / show restoration of 1985 Schwinn Predator Streetwise. This was my first bike I had as a kid, and probably the main reason for my OCD and obsession to detail that I have today. Total investment: $2000 and roughly 50+ hours of grinding, sanding, polishing, and assembly. "

December 1986. My sister and I's very first ride on our brand new bikes. Only known photo I have of the bike .. and I spent over a year looking for it. I still can't figure out how my head can be twice as big yet my glasses half the size today, than they were in this photo !
December 2013. Same bike, same exact location 27 years later.

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Frame Restoration
Purchased November 2011 (frame / fork / handlebars / seat post / seat post clamp). The bike was located it less than 10 miles from my house. Biggest mistake was not buying a complete bike .. took over a year to source all the remaining OE parts. Overall the condition was fairly good on the the original chrome. With a possible OA bath (Oxalic Acid) and some #0000 steel wool with Blue Magic chrome polish, it would have cleaned up pretty well. However given the importance of this bike to me, I opted to have it completely re-chromed.

Parts wrapped and ready to be sent out for chrome plating. (sourced: OE front sprocket / OE crank / OE stem / handlebar clamp / OE wheels. All parts were sent to Chromemasters)
Date stamp dropout before / after chrome plating. Manufactured date of January 1985.
Chainstay and hub before / after chrome plating.
Seat stay and brake bridge before / after chrome plating.
Seat post seatstay before / after chrome plating.
Bottom bracket before / after chrome plating.
Handlebars before / after chrome plating.
Handlebars before / after chrome plating.
Chromer failed to chrome plate the upper portion of the fork. Before / after wire wheel, sanding and polishing.
Fork before / after chrome plating.
Fork dropouts before / after chrome plating.
Seat post before / after chrome plating.

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Cranks and Bottom Bracket Restoration
Like many bikes in the Giant range, the Schwinn came with a Tien Hsin bottom bracket, Sugino BMX-4 steel spider and steel crankset. Todd swapped the cheap Suginos for better SR Cosmolite cranks before completely restoring the chrome and metal finishes. Finally, Todd has reproduced the front spider's graphics.

Bottom bracket hardware before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing.
Bottom bracket hardware before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing.
Bottom bracket hardware before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing.
Crank before / after chrome. Bottom bracket hardware before after sanding and mirror polishing.
Crank center - chromer failed to chrome plate this area - before / after wire wheel and polishing.
Front sprocket before / after chrome plating.
Front sprocket chainring before / after chrome plating.
Personally made crank graphics, and fully assembled crank with NOS Sugino chainring fasteners.
Completed cranks, sprocket and chainring finished with a NOS 80s Izumi chain with hand polished links. It took me over a year to find a blue Izumi chain that wasn't beaten. I actually located this one in the UK. Unfortunately a few links had been removed by the seller, so now I have to source a smaller chainring!

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Brakes / Fittings
The Schwinn Predator Streetwise came factory-equipped with Dia Compe MX900 callipers and Tech IV levers. Todd has opted for affordable, reproduction MX1000 callipers and Tech III levers but has finished the parts to an exceptionally high standard.

Brake cable ends before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing.
Brake caliper components and hardware before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing.
NOS Dia-Compe brake pads hand sanded and mirror polished.
Brake cable adjuster before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing - note the clear reflection of the faucet and paper towel holder.
Flush cut, sanded and mirror polished fastener ends. For me this can make or break the finish level of a project - too often I see people over looking fasteners. Nothing shows your level of detail, or OCD, like flush cut fasteners and aligned nuts!
Brake caliper mounts before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing (still some polishing compound in the threads).

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SR Stem Restoration
The Schwinn Predator Streetwise came factory-equipped with an SR MS-424 stem. As with everything else on the bike, Todd has restored this to better than original finish.

Stem before / after chrome plating. Flush cut, sanded and mirror polished fastener ends (same as every fastener on the bike).
Stem fastener before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing.
Stem wedge before / after wire brush and painting.
Handlebar clamp before / after sand-blasting and 2 stage painting (base/clear).
Handlebar clamp before / after sand-blasting and 2 stage painting (base/clear).
Clamp fasteners before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing (all grade markings sanded out). Fully assembled clamp.

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Hubs and Wheel Restoration
The Schwinn Predator Streetwise came with unique CMC steel rims that look like Mongoose Pro-Class rims with the exception that the punched holes are oval rather than circular. Theses are laced to low-spec Jou Yu steel-bodied, low flange hubs .. but don't they look great finished!

Before / after full hand sanding and mirror polishing (axle / bearing cones / jam nuts).
Before / after full hand sanding and mirror polishing (axle / bearing cones / jam nuts).
Before / after full hand sanding and mirror polishing (axle / bearing cones / jam nuts).
Before / after front & rear hubs - original candy coat stripped and repainted candy blue.
Pre hub assembly.
Before / after hub assembly.
Front axle washer before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing.
Wheel rim before / after rust removal and chrome plating.
Before / after reflective blue wheel strip.
Before / after assembled wheel.

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Odds and Sods
No part on this bike escapes Todd's attention - even parts like the headset hardware that once assembled is completely hidden!

Headset hardware before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing.
Front reflector bracket before / after chrome plating.
Rear reflector bracket before / after hand sanding and mirror polishing (all casting / forming marks sanded out).
Foreman scraper (with "modified tooth") proved quite useful in sanding inner radius.
Seat guts before / after grinding, hand sanding and mirror polishing (finished polished guts shown with old seat).

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Final Assembly
The fun part - the bike was completed with a mix of reproduction and NOS parts.

Random parts shipment day (brake levers / brake callipers / SS brake cable / trans blue cable casing / chain / NOS top tube pad / NOS chain ring fasteners).
NOS Viscount Aero seat.
NOS AME bubble font grips.
NOS 16T Suntour freewheel.
Before / after original decals applied.
Before / after original decals applied.
First / last day on the stand.
As it sits on display in the studio.
As it sits on display in the studio. These images are a little out-dated. Im currently trying to get a photoshoot done in Jan/Feb 2014.

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Advantages of being a Bachelor
The joys of being a bachelor! As you may have gathered from the sequence of pictures, the bike was basically assembled inside.

Bachelor advantage #347 ... using entire kitchen as restoration station (seat gut sanding shown).
Cleaning out seat tube after chrome plating - again in the kitchen!

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BMA Action '85 Schwinn Predator Streetwise Review
The following review appeared in the September 1985 edition of BMX Action magazine. The review is glowing and is summed up nicely .. When you consider the cost of the bike, then take into account the cool handling, stylin' looks, good durability, and choice of regular chrome or the extra-fine black chrome, this pup is hot.

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Comments?

Anything to say?

Extra Info / Links

OldSchoolMags.com Have you ever wished that you could go back in time to the late 70's and early 80's when you could walk into a newsagency and see the latest issues of BMX Action, BMX Plus, Super BMX and Freestylin' in the racks as crisp and clean as the day they were printed? If you said yes to any of these questions, this is the site for you ..

BMX Works This site has everything you will ever need to restore an old school bmx from loose parts - nuts, bolts and bearings - through to complete brake sets, cranks sets and finishing parts, such as pad sets and decals.

Madman's BMX Painting Services Pete's work is second to none. I have two frames painted by him - a Hotfoot Freestyle in white and a Hotfoot 24" Cruiser in Hazard Yellow - and both have come out beautifully. Pete can also handle the stripping of paint and chrome and other prep work.

Re-Rides Sydney Australia based BMX restoration and photography. Rebuilding retro BMX bikes from 80's old-school, 90's mid-school and 00's new-school era's.

SDBMX SDBMX sells a distinctive range of cast alloy BMX rims that will finish of any old-school, mid-school or even new-school build. Styles include the Blizzard, Cyclone, Hurricane, Tornado and Typhoon.

Vintage Mongoose Anyone who is interested in Mongooses (Mongeese?) has probably already found this site. When I was restoring my Motomag, I found this site invaluable for information and reproductions decals and grips. Warren, who is behind this site, is a local who is passionate - no obsessive - about the Mongoose brand and it shows.

Recent Updates

Mar 2018, Hall of Fame John's '88 Freestyle shouts at you. The bold colours pay homage to the GT freestyle bikes of the same era more than the deate black and blue colour scheme that Repcoo chose.

May 2017, Hall of Fame Kris has delivered two great builds - both are '86 HiTen and both are immaculate. Compare the pink and green builds and choose your favourite!

Apr 2017, Hall of Fame The final piece to Adrian's collection is finally finished after a painstaking search for the original parts - right down to the CatEye reflectors.

Mar 2017, Hall of Fame David's cool little scooter might be an '87 or an '88 model (both with part codes 12SC). Either way, he can't wait to try it out at his local bowl. If I get any more pics of these I might create a section in the Hall of Fame.

Mar 2017, Hall of Fame Mick's '81 Hotfoot X-Gusset in 'Red Hot Red' features a host of original and period correct parts including the yellow OGK slant tuffs, the original bar pad and even the Repco part number sticker - 2018W.

Mar 2017, Hall of Fame Jose's '84 Team Hotfoot reminds me of my own green and gold GMX-250. It features Shimano 600 Cranks, Shimano Tourney calliper and lever, Nitto MX-2 stem, 7x rims with Suzue HF hubs, Suntour pedals and brown suede pads.

Mar 2017, Hall of Fame Gave the cranks for my new 12" an OA bath and a quick polish. Didn't want to take the chrome off with a deep polish so the scratches remain - the rust has gone! The cotter pins are beyond repair.

Mar 2017, Hall of Fame Picked this fantastic 12" Hottie up from Haydn Purves at today's swap meet. I am planning to restore it for my great-nephew as his first bike!

Feb 2017, Hall of Fame Found this listing on eBay. Owner says it needs some work to restore it to its former glory but I'm thinking a simple spit and polish should do the trick.

Jan 2017, Hall of Fame Luke's X-Gusset Hotfoot looks great in yellow with red and black accents. The build features a host of new parts including Dia Compe front and read brakes and callipers, Dia Compe seat clamp, a Kashimax seat and much more!

Jan 2017, Hall of Fame I bought this frame from Brett Ryan as a project for my son and I to build together over the school holidays. It was also an excuse to get some blue checked pads from Steve Dobson.

Dec 2016, Hall of Fame Adrian scored this '84 Team from a seller who though it was a Haro. The original chrome was shot so a new colour scheme was required and the choice was made for him by the purchase of the correct forks - already painted silver.

Dec 2016, Hall of Fame Not shy about using bold colour schemes, Adrian has done it again with this black and pink build. The risk when building a pink bike is matching the shades and Adrian has done a great job with the original parts and has painted the rest to ensure consistency.

Dec 2016, Hall of Fame I simply love the colour of Beast's HiTen Hotfoot - its a really bold colour and fitted with the modern bars and tyres makes this build look new or at least mid school.

Dec 2016, Hall of Fame Dave's '82 X-Gusset Hotfoot restoration combines new and old parts. The chrome frame and bars gleam after a good polish and are complemented by the yellow tuffs / grips and the blue accessories.

Dec 2016, Radelaide 2016 Flying the flag for the Hotfeet at Radelaide 2017 are these two beauties! The bikes are a matching pair - one finished in chrome and blue (Mario's), the other in chrome and black (Rocco's). These bikes sure look the part amongst the ordinary Mongeese and Haros ..

Dec 2016, Collection Photo Shoot Dave's collection of bikes features a red '82 Team and an '85 HiTen (or is it a Team model as well ?) along with some other bikes (Mongoose, TBC Cobra). These are all proudly displayed on some of the best looking grass I have seen for a long time ..

Nov 2016, Hall of Fame I have waited a long time for pictures of this bike and they have not disappointed. Scott's build in red and chrome is superb and features a host of quality parts from Shimano Dura Ace cranks, to an SR stem / seat post through to the beautiful Ukai rims!

Nov 2016, Hall of Fame Rocco's '85 Team is a true international build with parts coming from the UK, USA, Greece, New Zealand, Japan and, of course, Australia. The end result is a near catalogue spec build of all NOS parts.

Oct 2016, Hall of Fame Mick's '84 Team Hotfoot is a simple yet inspired restoration. Currently the bike is running no brakes which contributes to its clean look but it will shortly be getting a rear Dia Compe fitted.

Oct 2016, Restorations Jeremy shopped around the world to make the NOS chainring on the left - the chain ring itself came from New Zealand, the spider from Greece and the bolts from the ol' US of A. The right hand spider is an original he cleaned up.

Oct 2016, Hall of Fame Troy owns the 'Repco Hotfoot Appreciation Society' on Facebook and this is his first submission to this site - a remarkable 85 Team powder coated in white by Robertos and fitted with a range of restored, reproduction and new blue parts.

Oct 2016, Hotfoot Madness A month or two ago, Adrain sent me a picture of his 9 Hotfeet which I had forgotten to put up until now. I thought I better do it quickly because #10 is on the way!

Sep 2016, Hall of Fame Kris' '86 HiTen looks great in white and green. What makes it special is that Kris stripped, primed and painted the bike and all of the accessories himself. The bike is finished with matching green cables, seat clamp, tyres and a Dominator seat.

Aug 2016, New Purchase Picked this set of NOS pads from Peter Healy who found them at a swap meet in Sydney. The packaging is not original but is 'period correct' ..

Aug 2016, Hall of Fame Another bike from Mark (see below), this one for his daughter started with a bike that someone was throwing out. The original blue and yellow made way for a colour scheme dictated by his daughter. The bike also features original pads created using a stencil, some spray paint and some plain Flite pads. The decals were created in Powerpoint and printed by a local printer.

Jun 2016, Hall of Fame Mark restored his childhood bike to back to factory specifications whilst retaining most of the original parts including the Araya 7X rims, Sunshine hubs, Dia Compe MX900 / 100 brake callipers, Sugino cranks and chain ring stem and even the Viscount Aero seat ..

May 2016, Hall of Fame Adrian's latest build started out to be a basic blue / black 'off the shelf' 88 freestyle but it needed a freshen up and new lease of life .. not content to stick to the factory colour, Adrian chose a nice colour combo of pink and blue to make it stand out from the crowd.

May 2016, Hall of Fame Found this listing on eBay. The orange bike is a Repco Hotfoot Macro fitted with a little petrol engine. That's pretty cool but what isn't cool is the flimsy little rear calliper brake - it doesn't look like it would stop this at any speed.

Apr 2016, Hall of Fame Matt's take on the classic black '85 Team has come out well. Whilst generally sticking to the style of the original bike, he has swapped some of the parts - including the spoked wheels for tuffs - to suits his tastes.

Apr 2016, Hall of Fame White with blue accessories is a timeless combination as Luke's restoration shows. This bike was found in a very sorry state on a council cleanup - but look at it now!

Apr 2016, Hall of Fame Another Hotfoot for Adrian's flock. This one has a distinctive silver and green colour combination that I guarantee you haven't seen before!

Haven't had your fix of Hotfoot news? See the archive of Repco and Hotfoot news items here ..

Other Bikes

Below are some of my other completed bikes. I am currently working on a couple of local Australian bikes and I will publish pictures of these when they are complete.

If you have a bike that you don't want and you are in Australia, contact me as I may be interested in restoring it!

Blogging a Dead Horse

a blog site with nothing to say

Giant

Restorations

Todd Troutman: '85 Schwin Predator Streetwise

Comments?

Extra Info / Links

Recent Updates

Other Bikes