1972 Other Makes on 2040-motos

1972 JC Penney Swinger Trail
 Yes this is a motorcycle, I have a clear Michigan title in my name.

This is a 1972 Swinger Trail. It was made by Rupp Industries (and is based off of the Rupp Roadster 2 cycle, it was sold by JC Penney in the early 1970s and appears in their catalog.

Rupp is the maker of all those wonderful Rupp mini bike in the 1960s and 1970s. I had a 1970 Rupp Chopper and went searching for one of those when I got hooked on this bike.

It has been fully restored and for you nit-pickers it is not 100% correct (more about that later), I didn't build this motorcycle to sell...so no expense was spared ($1400 in the wheels and tires alone).

Doing the math, I bought this Swinger Trail, and a parts Rupp Roadster 2 along with a number of other items purchased (such as shocks, headlight brackets and shroud), it was professionally painted, just about everything that wasn't blue was powder coated and almost all nuts and bolts were carefully selected with new hardware identical to original.

So after all that, I went through the Black Widow Motorsports website and bought everything item they offered for a Rupp Roadster/Swinger Trail...including a rear grab bar.

So stop and think about it...that is one big pile of money!

Some of the details:
The tires are close but not restoration correct, however they are DOT. So if you need an inspection in your state these tires will pass.

I added mirrors also, most states require at least one mirror to be street legal.

The Rupp decal on the engine is incorrect, I figured since the title says "Rupp" then some part of the cycle should immediately say Rupp. My research tells me that there were no decals on the front of the shroud.

The Swinger decals are also incorrect, I didn't like the purple color the originals used so I had them custom printed with red, white and blue. (More $$$ spent) I do have an original set of tank decals that I will include with the deal.

I added a speedometer, (speedo and cable are from a scooter) it's not the Rupp accessory but the gear at the wheel is Rupp. I researched it quite a bit and the miles per hour should be ballpark.

The engine is actually a Tecumseh HS50...not a Tecumseh HS40 ...it's a 5hp from the late 1970s (I forget the exact date but will include the original shroud with has that information). I paid $200 for this engine and had it running back in January before tear down and inspection. I added a lighted coil and correct flywheel at a cost of $300. I bought an original Rupp HS40 shroud and transferred the Swinger Trail engine ID tag to it also with an new recoil started. So there is $600-$800 spent on this engine.

Since I upgrade the power by 20% (5hp instead of 4hp), I added a 11 tooth sprocket (not the standard 10 tooth) so in theory you should be able to push this baby to over 40 mph (42-43mph would be my guess) if you dare.

The condition of the original engine is unknown and will be included if the buyer wishes.

The gas tank was cleaned and sealed with Red Kote sealer.

The front forks and rear shocks totally rebuilt.

Front and rear brakes were gone through and rebuilt, along with new wheel bearings.

The original torque convertor was gone through with new springs, bushing, belt and wear items replaced. Also new cover and custom made decals round out the restoration.

New wiring system, to technically be street legal I should have added a horn but didn't want to splice into the wires (it's actually easy to do).

Both fender bottoms were coated with truck bed liner to prevent fender damage and chipping.

The rims were re-chromed at great expense, the center hubs were powder coated, new stainless steel spokes were bought. The wheels were professionally laced, and mounted new DOT tires, new tubes along with new rim bands added to complete the package.

Name a part...it was replaced or restored.

About the only things not touched are the headlight brackets and shock springs...those are still original condition.

Overall condition:
This motorcycle is better than new, it is not flawless, but it is 10x better than what you would have bought in 1972.

It is also a "living room queen" (not unlike a trailer queen), since it stays indoors...NO gas has been put in the tank (which was cleaned and sealed with Red Kote) and no attempt has been made to start it this Summer after the restoration was completed.

So you will need to go over everything, adjust the brakes, adjust the carb, adjust the governor, and probably check for lubrication (I didn't go overboard on that since it's on display in the house and my wife frowns upon carpet stains in the living room) however there is fresh oil in the engine (don't tell her).

Things happen in life and sometimes plans change, I never planned on selling but I need to make some changes in my life. Also my wife wants it out and gone and I can't bring myself to ride it after all the money and time spent on it.

There is NO shipping on this so you will have to pick it up (I live in a northwest suburb of Detroit, Michigan) or make your own shipping arrangements (I will help as much as I can with that).

Ask questions first...bid second...a deposit is expected in 24 hours and contact needs to be made to arrange pick up.

If you want the best...here is it...look at the others here on eBay and think about the money you would need to spend to get to this level.

And last but not least...a title comes with this so you can legally ride your streets!

Paul