Trail Rider Magazine

Vintage Feature: Rupp Industries Vintage Feature: Rupp Industries By Ted Guthrie By Ted Guthrie 34 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com There was a me when the giant industries that currently crank out a tremendous variety of mo- torcycles, snowmobiles, and all manner of ATVs did not exist on the scale they do today. There were no four-wheelers or side-by-sides, snowmobiles were a ny niche market, and motorcycles were almost exclusively big and heavy, intended for serious riders. The only excep ons, at least in the U.S. market, were a handful of small, private companies, such as Cushman, the scooter manufacturer based in Augusta, Georgia, and the Busy Bee company, out in California, which produced the lightweight Mus- tang line of motorbikes. Interest in off-road riding, which helped to drive the great motorcycling boom of the late 1960s and early 70's, had yet to occur. In lieu of off-roading, one ac vity that came about and was quite popu- lar for a while was go-kar ng. Small tracks popped up around the country, and lots of folks were bolt- ing up various powerplants to the back of fabbed- up frames, ski ering around ovals and short, twisty circuits. As a ma er of course, demand drives supply, and mul ple small manufacturers began producing "turnkey", ready-to-go, go-karts. One such company was created by Mickey Rupp in Mansfield, Ohio. Rupp Manufacturing began very modestly, ini ally consis ng of li le more than Mickey assembling go-karts in the basement of his residence and selling them locally. Rupp enjoyed significant success among the vari- ous cart manufacturers that existed early on, thanks in part to Mickey's personal innova ons, such as a unique braking system that enhanced operator con- trol and a seat-back-mounted fuel tank. Early models included the A-Bone and the A-Bone Deuce, which featured twin engines! Building on the success of his line of go-karts, Rupp began working on products for a market that did not yet exist. He welded up a two-wheeler frame, fi ed it with wheels and res which might be used for a small lawn and garden trailer, and mounted a horizontal sha , u lity engine. Key to the arrangement was a centrifugal clutch. No manual clutch or gears meant that Rupp's crea on was a simple, twist-and-go, fun machine. Mickey Rupp introduced his first "mini-bike" as they came to be known in 1962. They were marketed under the name Dart Cycles, and from the beginning,

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