A few months ago, Dan Durr from HaroFreestyler.com - a well known vintage Haro BMX collector - managed to find an extremely rare 1985 Haro Sport in near NOS condition.  What makes this particular Haro so rare?  It’s color - only five were made in pink - or so the story goes.  Up until recently, the facts surrounding the infamous pink Sports were unclear - or even if they existed at all.  Apparently, it was a sort of test-marketing experiment, since GT was going to offer a similar color for 1986 in their competing product, the Performer.

:: This pink 1985 Haro Sport is one of only five made - click on image to enlarge ::
For a 1920×1200 pixel high resolution version of the above photo, click here.

I generally do not take  the words of most people at face value, however Dan is a bit different - his collection, experience, and known relationship with Bob Haro makes him an authority on Haro bikes.  George M.Y. in Naperville IL., the original owner, verified the authenticity of the bike, and consequently Dan and I talked about this rare bike and made a deal for its purchase.

A week later, I was in possession of this Sport. This particular bike is an all-original survivor in near-new condition.  When I say near-new, I mean that literally.  The paint is near flawless and the parts have zero wear.  Only very slight brake rub on the rear rim would indicate that the bike has been ridden, though very briefly.  The wheelset is also bit of a mystery - all Sports in 1985 came equipped with Peregrine Master wheels, so why does this one have Peregrine 48s?  The original owner indicates that these are original with the bike, so either the bike shop he purchased it from upgraded the bike or Haro included this wheelset with the bike as part of its unique offering with the color.  There’s no way to know for sure, though the wheelset is correctly dated, and the Peregrine 48s were considered a new exotic option for freestyle bikes during the time.

:: This is the only known pink Haro Sport to survive completely intact - click to enlarge ::
For a 1920×1200 pixel high resolution version of the above photo, click here.

The shade of pink on this Haro is somewhat similar to the color GT used at the time, though this is a bit lighter.  Not surprisingly, the shade of pink Haro chose is right between Hutch’s light-creamy pink and GT’s more fuchsia color.  Apparently, Haro also produced a few 1985 Masters in this color as well, and as of yet only one has surfaced, though its condition shows much age.  Perhaps I’ll be able to obtain all the facts on these mysterious bikes someday from Bob Haro himself.

:: Hard to believe this Haro has never been restored - click on image to enlarge ::

All other components are Haro-spec correct for this model, with no signs of wear or age.  Even the rare Dia-Compe FS-880 freestyle brake set looks unused, and the levers do not have a scratch.  The Anlun stem appears brand new, and even the underside of the plates show almost no evidence of having clamped on a set of handlebars.  The tires are Mitsuboshi Comp Stadium (yellow label) and though they have very little actual use, the sidewalls are beginning to dry from age.  It’s a very beautiful example of 1980s freestyle BMX history.

:: Rare Dia-Compe FS-880 freestyle brake set is original - click on image to enlarge ::

What are my plans for this bike?  Well, I won’t ride it in case you were wondering.  It’s just too rare and there’s no need to - I just enjoy having it in my possession and it will reside in my office where it will remain in its current condition, hopefully for a very long time.

Related Links:

• HaroFreestyler.com
• BMX Museum
• Vintage BMX
• Table Top BMX

It all started a few years ago when a friend of mine, Chuck Carroll, posted on an idea on VintageBMX.com about bringing the Profile Racing BMX ‘box-style’ crank set back from the 1980s.  What a cool idea it was - not only were the classic Profile box cranks better looking than the current issue, they would really help us collectors finish our classic bikes with these extremely difficult to find crank sets - or better yet, build a modern BMX race or street bike with these classic high performance cranks.

:: Profile retro ‘box’ cranks with chain ring spider - click on image to enlarge ::

What are Profile box cranks?  They are the original crank design from Profile Racing, introduced in 1979.  The arms are box-shaped, rather than the current round, tubular-style which I think is very plain looking.  Profile’s design was revolutionary at the time, featuring an interference-fit 48-spline mount that’s still used today and remains a popular standard in BMX cranks.

Edd Ferri at Planet BMX is a dealer for Profile Racing, and he started the ball rolling on what would be a nearly 1.5-year project to bring this classic, yet still modern crank set back and available for the current generation of BMX riders.  It was a long process and Profile came through using the original tooling (which had to be restored) and actual hardware manufacturer that was used over 20 years ago.

:: All retro crank sets are stamped with their production number - click on image to enlarge ::

The new retro box cranks feature the same foil decal and aluminum chain ring spider as the originals.  The only visual identifier on  the new retro box cranks from the original run of them in the 1980s is a serial number stamped on the inside of one of the crank arms.  Keen observers will note that the chain ring spider Profile logo is now CNC’d instead of stamped like it used to be.  It’s important to understand that these cranks are true to the originals in every way - same tooling, same factory, and same hardware. These are not knockoffs - they are USA-made and reborn originals.

:: Profile magazine ad from 1984 - click on image to enlarge ::

Production is limited to 500 crank sets - 400 sets in 180mm and 100 sets in 175mm sizes.  Profile Racing is keeping the first 25 crank sets, and I was lucky enough to get numbers 026 and 028 for myself.  The retro crank set includes the following:

• Crank arms -available in 175mm or 180mm lengths
• Bottom bracket - available in American or Euro sizes
• Retro 110-BCD chain ring spider -  the set can also be used with any modern sprocket
• Decals - extra crank arm foil decals and Profile Racing wing decals
• Free retro t-shirt coupon

The questions are, did Profile accomplish their goal with this product and are these cranks up to the quality of the best show bikes as well as built to the standards of modern race bikes?  To answer both with one word - absolutely.

:: Retro 110 BCD chain ring spider is included - click on image to enlarge ::

Not only did Profile live up to its reputation for quality and precision with these crank sets, but the chrome is surprisingly good - unlike their standard crank sets, the retro box cranks are show-chromed, using the triple-plating process.  Welds are as clean as I’ve come to expect from Profile, and these cranks could handle racing and freestyle use.

The retro box cranks are also lighter than the modern Profile racing cranks, which begs the question - will the box cranks be stiffer as well?  I aim to find out and report back.

If you want a set, head over to Planet BMX, but order quickly - with the buzz this product is creating, they will sell out quickly.

Related Links:

• Planet BMX
• Profile Racing

After I sold my Felt Chronic, I wanted another street/freestyle bike for riding around here and for learning some riding techniques.  I didn’t want my race bike to take this abuse, and I didn’t want a bike that would be a target for thieves since I planned on taking it with me to boating events and on trips.

After looking through several companies’ offerings, I chose the 2008 Eastern Element.  The frame size is right for me (20.75″ top tube) and it’s 100% 4130 chromoly.  Components are relatively high end, and the bike’s weight of 26 pounds is right in line with what a good street bike should weigh.

:: 2008 Eastern Element features a 100% 4130 frame - click on image to enlarge ::

I ended up paying only $382 for the bike, thanks to a 20%-off Dans Comp coupon.   Assembly was quick and easy, and there was no damage to the bike at all.  The frame features Eastern’s trademark weight-relieved seat tube, as well as removable gyro tabs.  The welds are excellant, as is the finish. The Easten nitrous bars had no paint in the neck clamping area, so no they’ll be worries about the bars slipping.  The Eastern Stealth cranks look alright, though I’ll probably replace them with the new set of Snafu cranks I have here.  This bike includes Eastern’s reverable cassette hub with a 9-tooth driver - even better, the cranks themselves can be run on either side of the bike.  The cassette is very loud, which seems to be a popular trend these days.

So far, I think the bike rides very well.  It’s smooth, feels light, and looks great.  I’ll report back when I put more time on this bike, but my first impressions of it are very positive.

Related Links:

• Eastern Bikes