Bruce Koenig creates a Cushman motor scooter weekend for afficionados
Cushman motor scooters could be considered the American-made scooter-size version of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle. They are light. They are reasonably priced. They are modest. They are simple looking. They are bright and cheery. While maintaining masculine lines, they are also sweet and clean cut.
And they were well-represented this weekend during “Bruce Koenig’s Cushman Motor Scooter Weekend” at Voss Park, near Butterfield. On Saturday morning, July 11, the “cycle gang” – led by Koenig of Darfur – headed out on a scootercade to tour the countryside, visit with folks, savor some meals along the way – and most of all, enjoy their cushy Cushman rides.
The Cushman Company was founded in 1901 when Everett and Clinton Cushman made two-cycle boat engines in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1913 the company became Cushman Motor Works.
Cushman began production of their four-stroke Husky engine in 1922, producing engines for farm equipment, pumps, lawn mowers and boats.
Cushman began making Auto-Glide scooters in 1936 as as way to increase the sale of Husky engines during the Great Depression.
During World War II, the Cushman scooter was found in-theater as often as the Jeep, Ray-Ban and Hallicrafters.
The most successful model of Cushman scooter – the Eagle – was in production approximately 16 years. It resembled a motorcycle with its exposed engine and top tank. Other Cushman models used a step-through design common for scooters. The step-through design and ease of operation made it popular with men and women alike. Some late-1950s Cushmans – designated Road King and Pacemaker – had jet-age body styling. Sears sold a version of these models under the Allstate brand.
Cushman scooters feature an automatic centrifugal clutch, which allows the rider to twist the right grip to accelerate. Oddly, the throttle twists forward during acceleration, opposite the usual pattern in most other motorcycles and scooters.
Cushmans weigh about 250-to-335 pounds and have as much as 9 horsepower (6.7 kW). Cushman claims! 75 miles per gallon, and advertised a penny-a-mile operating cost.
Scooter production ended in 1965, but some remaining Eagles were sold as 1966 models.
Cushman still makes small cars, industrial vehicles, turf maintenance equipment and golf carts under its parent company, Textron.
Below are a few photos from Koenig’s custom Cushman gathering:
