# Rollfast With a "WASP" Engine



## RustGold (Jan 9, 2015)

Hi, everyone. I have Rollfast with a "WASP" 4-cycle, air-cooled engine made by Holbrook Motor Co., Detroit, Michigan. It was purchased from a friend who bought it 8 years ago in Detroit. It has "Flexgrip" handle grips, "Meteor" pedals with a "3" in the center, 26" tires, and the seat is off another Rollfast. The only information about the engine I could find online was this listing here: http://www.prices4antiques.com/Moto...rame-Wasp-Motor-ca-1948-Restored-B187279.html

It says, "A rare circa 1948 Schwinn (WZ frame made for Whizzer or Wasp installations) with rare "Wasp" motor made by Holbrook Motor Co., Detroit, Mich."

Any information about this bicycle would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!


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## bricycle (Jan 9, 2015)

Welcome to the CABE!!!
I'd like dibbs if you sell.......That is kool.


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## Dan the bike man (Jan 9, 2015)

All I know is it's cool and would love to own it. I'm in the S.E. MI area too


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## RustGold (Jan 9, 2015)

Thanks for the welcome, bricycle.



bricycle said:


> That is kool.





Dan the bike man said:


> All I know is it's cool and would love to own it.



Now I know I'm in the right place!

Good news. I found an emblem under the seat post clamp. The bike comes from Earl's Bike Shop located at 16392 Harper Ave, Detroit, Michigan. I found a thread with some personal accounts of Earl's Bike Shop here: http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?14068-Bicycle-Shops-in-Detroit&p=330264#post330264



			
				Gistok said:
			
		

> Does anyone remember "Earl's Bike Shop" on the SW corner of Harper & Courville (a block over from Golden Budda) near Whittier.
> 
> Although I didn't get my bike there, it was the first store I ever encountered LEGO sales... and as some of you know... LEGO and I go back a long way... Earl's sold Samsonite LEGO (from 1961-72 Samsonite was the licensee for the USA for LEGO)... and I would walk the 15 blocks from Marseilles to Courville just to pick up a LEGO parts pack or two whenever I had earned an extra 50 cents or so. I still remember passing the former Vogue Theatre on my way.
> 
> Today the only bike shop I know of in the city is on E. Warren between Canyon and Opel. I still chuckle reminiscing at a sign they used to have on their front door, which used to get stuck sometimes.... "kick door in gently"...





			
				p69rrh51 said:
			
		

> I remember Earl's very well, my grandparents lived at 5518 Courville and I attended St. Matthews was one of the good bicycle shops on the eastside. Another while not technically in Detroit was Jake's on Kelly which was right on the border of Detroit and Harper Woods, they were most likely the best shop on the eastside at one time. There was also a very good shop in the retail area that was around the Civic theatre but I cannot remember the name.





			
				mikefmich said:
			
		

> I could be wrong....but I'm pretty sure I got my first new Schwinn from Earls on Christmas Day....1959 I think. I was so proud of that thing, I drove it all over the eastside that day, snow and slush be damned.





			
				oladub said:
			
		

> Gistok, I bought a Schwinn Varsity at Earl's in 1962 when 10 speeds were fairly new. It was on it's third set of tires when one of my sons drove it into a dumpster in Eau Claire many years later. The back room of Earl's, I remember, had Lionel trains for sale.



By the way, the bike has compression and the oil is clean. I can't wait to get it started!


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## rickyd (Jan 10, 2015)

Probably get more response about this bike if it was moved to the motorized section, very neat bike! Rick


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## RustGold (Jan 10, 2015)

Hi, rickyd. Yes, I should have posted it in the motorized section. I work nights and I was awake until 3:30 PM researching this bike, so naturally I overlooked that section. Looks like I forgot an "a" in my original post as well. Anyway, thanks for the compliment and the suggestion, and if any moderators feel it appropriate to move this thread, please do so.


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## RustGold (Jan 22, 2015)

Hi, everyone. I have a small update. I've contacted various antique bicycle dealers/collectors looking for information about the Wasp, but unfortunately, none of them have even heard of it. The good news is I ordered a magazine from Ebay called "The Antique Motorcycle" from Spring of 1991 and it features a "1954 Wasp Bicycle Motor." It should arrive in the next two weeks. I'm very excited!


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## bricycle (Jan 22, 2015)

Maybe check patents / parent infringements. bet the "other mfg's" didn't like this coming out....


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## RustGold (Jan 22, 2015)

> *Patented Jan. 3, 1950 Des. 156,692
> 
> UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
> 
> ...



Page 2 of 2

Source: https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/USD156692.pdf


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## bike (Jan 22, 2015)

*I would like to own it!*





put put!  

EDIT this is a scan I had in my archive and do not know the source...sorry!


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## RustGold (Jan 22, 2015)

Thank you very much, bike! If you don't mind, where did you get that scan and do you know the source?

By the way, the bike may be for sale and I'm open to offers.


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## RustGold (Jan 31, 2015)

I have another update. I received the magazine and it has some very good information. Unfortunately, I'm very busy and I don't have access to a scanner at the moment. However, I will post a few interesting facts about the Wasp:

- designed by the late Lowell Caufiel in the 1950's
- very rare, only 1300 produced; there was one complete Wasp at Lowell's place
- the Wasp was a response to the planned discontinuation of Whizzer bike motors


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## bricycle (Jan 31, 2015)

Since we cant e-mail you or pm. I wish to make an offer. Pm me when you get 15+ posts(so you can pm.) thank you.


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## RustGold (Feb 6, 2015)

I changed a setting in my account so I should be able to receive emails from other members now.


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## bricycle (Feb 6, 2015)

Can you make 2 more posts, I can't e-mail from work.....


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## RustGold (Feb 6, 2015)

I'll transcribe and post the Wasp article tomorrow and we'll be good to go.


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## RustGold (Feb 6, 2015)

> *1954 WASP BICYCLE MOTOR DESIGNED AND BUILT BY LOWELL CAUFIEL
> *BY LEE DE GROOT
> 
> At any Maumee Valley Chapter national meet you may have met or seen Lowell Caufiel. Saturday afternoon you'll find him circling the race track, in period costume, on his 1913 Excelsior single. What I have yet to see at a meet is one of the 1300 Wasp bicycle motors that Lowell designed in the 1950s.
> ...



- The Antique Motorcycle, Spring Issue 1991, Vol. 30 No 1, Pg. 36 & 37


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## clunker (Feb 7, 2015)

Great story. Thanks for sharing


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## RustGold (Feb 26, 2015)

Good news, the Wasp runs and it sounds great. It was idling for a while but it needs more work.


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## bricycle (Feb 26, 2015)

RustGold said:


> Good news, the Wasp runs and it sounds great. It was idling for a while but it needs more work.




Thank you for the update!
My address is........


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## RustGold (Mar 24, 2015)

Hi, everyone. I have an update - the Wasp has been sold for $900 CDN. It was smoking around the head and there was a knocking sound. The head could be too tight, compressing the gasket too much, causing the valve to hit the piston...or it could be something worse. If there was no issue with the engine and the job opportunity at work actualized, I probably would have kept it. I'm a little sad to see it go.


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## bricycle (Mar 24, 2015)

Hope it went to a loving home. b.


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## Dennis Smith (Jan 28, 2016)

RustGold said:


> Thanks for the welcome, bricycle.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





I worked as a mechanic at Earl's Bike Shop in the middle 60's while I was in high school.  It helped me to pay for my bike racing.  At that time Earl's had a bike racing club.  It was called Earl's Bike Club and I still have my jersey.


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