Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1535769
June 2025 37 And here's some trivia for those who are really into this stuff and know your vintage dirt bikes. Look very closely at Mickey Rupp's motorcycle series, and you will see that the fuel tanks look quite familiar. They should, because they're an exact copy of the gas tanks featured on John Penton's second-genera- on, Chrome Moly Framed Enduro models – except in about 3/4 scale, and metal, compared to the fi- berglass versions used on Pentons. I've never found any informa on to determine why or how Mickey Rupp came to replicate the Penton fuel tanks, or from whom he sourced them. Considering that the fiberglass versions used on Pentons were almost certainly either produced by the KTM factory or sourced somewhere in Europe, any connec on is a far-flung one. So, there's some deep, deep, vintage dirt bike trivia. With all this success, and given Mickey Rupp's tremendous capabili es concerning design, manu- facturing, marke ng, and sales, what happened to Rupp? Why aren't they s ll around? It's the same old story of any small business facing the onslaught of gigan c corpora ons. Such was the world of motorcycles in the early 1970s. The Japanese were inves ng huge sums to saturate the market with ev- ery size and type of bike imaginable, and every one of them was of excellent quality and performance, and at very affordable prices. In 1972, Honda of- fered no less than 24 different models – everything from QA50s to the revolu onary CB750. Plus, mini- bikes, even those as sophis cated as those which Mickey Rupp offered, were out. Everyone wanted motorcycles. Even one of Mickey's bread and bu er products – his snowmobiles- couldn't keep Rupp In- dustries in the black. A couple of mild winters and a general so ening of the snowmobile market meant that sales had taken a nosedive. Having created a substan al infrastructure, Mickey could not keep the doors open. In 1973, and facing bankruptcy, Rupp was forced to sell a controlling interest in the company he had developed into such a fantas c presence in the industry. Rupp Indus- tries was purchased by an investment group, which a empted to keep things going on a much-reduced scale. The new owners did try, working to update exis ng products and introducing new models – teaming up with Arc c Cat, for example, to try to resurrect the Rupp line of snowmobiles. However, quality control issues and tremendous compe on from the big brands pushed Rupp out of the market. In 1977, the new owners filed for bankruptcy, and 1978 was the last year for any products to bear the name of Rupp. But, most fortunately, that was far from the end. As described here, all Rupp products are very much sought a er today. Rupp minibikes, for example, were and are considered among the most desirable and appealing of this type of product. Addi onally, lesser-known Rupp products, such as the three and four-wheelers, bring top money in any condi on. Minibikes in general have experienced a tremen- dous resurgence in interest, and a Rupp is at the top of the list for any enthusiast considering obtaining and restoring a classic minibike. I am certainly no excep on in this respect. A Rupp minibike is high on my must-do list, and I personally have secured a classic Rupp minibike, which I fully intend to restore. So, there is one of the most interes ng motorcycle and ATV stories ever. I think it all originated and took place right in Mansfield, Ohio—quite a fantas- c legacy, and certainly a fascina ng segment in the history of motorcycling. Sadly, Mickey Rupp passed away in 2023, aged 87. However, his legacy is one of a visionary in the field of recrea onal vehicles, and he is responsible for pu ng scores of people on the path to our sport as we know it today.