# Whatever happened to Whizzers?



## MrColumbia (Sep 8, 2013)

xxxx


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## bricycle (Sep 8, 2013)

They are (were) most desirable to the folks who had them when they were young.... now these folks are too old to care or have expired.
Therefore drying up the demand. Sad but true!


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## Coaster Brake (Sep 8, 2013)

Maybe it's because there are a quite a few out there now, like black phantoms.


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## bikewhorder (Sep 8, 2013)

I was unaware that the value of whizzers had declined.  They have always seemed a little overpriced to me since there is an abundant supply of them.  You don't have to go turning over lots of ricks to find them, just do a quick search and take your pick.   I guess the demand for them has fallen off, maybe because they run on fossil fuels?


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## bike (Sep 8, 2013)

*WZ if you strip off the whizzer kit and ad*

a horn tank- the value is the same +/-  little- well it would still be a whizzer just sayin you get nothing for your motor kit over a b-6


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## thehugheseum (Sep 8, 2013)

im curious how you arrive to a value at all? they are old and anything old has too many variables to say "this is what its worth"............unfortunately we have a kneejerk reaction to want to place a certain value on any old item but each item is different,each buyer is different.......in fact each and every one of us is different 

   im no longer surpised by what an item sells for high or low since we arent shopping at a retail venue on this stuff, that said a restored whizzer sold at the vegas auction for $9500............at the time i thought that was high but i was clouded by trying to make sense of chaos


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Sep 8, 2013)

It is all related to the housing downfall.
Houses are worth 30% or more less than in 2007.


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## MrColumbia (Sep 8, 2013)

xxxx


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## pedal4416 (Sep 8, 2013)

*Thank you for this post!*

I've wondered about this too. When I first got my start in Whizzers you could get $5000 for a bike with an H kit on it, now you can't get $1800 for the same bike. I don't care so much about what it's worth as much as how cool is this bike but it was a drastic decline in collector value in the last 15-20 years. I guess I agree with Bri's conclusion. If a certain age group is after something then it helps the value. As the price of Whizzers go down the price of vintage BMX goes up!!


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## bike (Sep 8, 2013)

*Strangely enough and maybe cause they are 'old'*

I meet a lot of serious whizzer guys at ml and aa- they are not on this forum and I am aware of no whizzer forum that is more active than here.  PARTS seem to command a good price- bikes not so much- I sold a nice older resto WZ I had 3k in for LE$$ in to a CABER cause here was here and serious and I wanted other toys, figured I had to take the time and effort part it to get my money.


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## bobcycles (Sep 8, 2013)

*The Whizzer debacle*

I've watched this market slip and fall as well.  The biggest problem I've noticed with Whizzers is the "Phantom Phenomenon".......where there are more Whizzers now than probably ever made! LOL!  So much aftermarket junk available to build yerself a wizzur.... That any fool can piece one together with repop junk and make a pretty 'passable' looking vintage Whizzer.   The majority of ALL Whizzers I see listed on Ebay  that are passed off as "restored" have so many 'cut corners' wrong parts, cheap seats, No front brakes, wald fenders or worse...  Most are cobbled together junk. 

    I have also noticed that there is an audience of intelligent buyers out there who DO step up when a correct example pops up for sale.  Also need to keep in mind the range of Whizzers.  The Schwinn WZ being the most common and popular (affordable, easy to build) version.   I've been in the hobby since the late 70's and have never seen WZ's bring much over 4000 for mint or correct ones.  The big dollars ones, Sporstmans, Ambassadors, Whizzer Special and to some degree the Pacemaker still bring good money.  I saw a so-so Sportsman sell on ebay for nearly 8G about 6 months ago....Had the right motor and alot of correct parts, but was still not prime example.

   The sea of crappy Whizzers built by hacks is what you see mostly on Ebay these days.  Rarely does a good example or properly restored original turn up on Ebay.
Do a Whizzer search of completed auctions and you will laugh pretty hard.   I never could understand why such a large percentage of Whizzer restorations are junk..
Must be the expense and not wanting to go to the lengths to find the right parts, it can add up pretty quick on those bikes.

my "whizzer" 2 cents


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## bike (Sep 8, 2013)

*Yes I agree*

most on ebay are crappy hacks.


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## bricycle (Sep 8, 2013)

GiovanniLiCalsi said:


> It is all related to the housing downfall.
> Houses are worth 30% or more less than in 2007.




My house lost 60%!!!!!!!!


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Sep 8, 2013)

While Wall Street made huge profits!
Our politicians could have easily put a moratorium on home foreclosure but are always too well paid by the global corporations to pay attention to the working class folks.


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## Coaster Brake (Sep 8, 2013)

bobcycles said:


> The sea of crappy Whizzers built by hacks is what you see mostly these days.
> 
> my "whizzer" 2 cents





Hey, My whizzer resembles that remark!


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## bricycle (Sep 8, 2013)

Sa-wheat!!!!!!!!!


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## MrColumbia (Sep 9, 2013)

xxxx


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## sam (Sep 9, 2013)

Same thing happened to Model As & Ts  some years ago---the guys that wanted them all died and the price dropped----the hot buy moved up to 40s 50s cars.
But then slowly the As&Ts started moving up again as they moved into the "early" class of car
Point being---it's time to Buy---if your young enough to wait 10 years


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## bricycle (Sep 9, 2013)

Bob, I know some of us are old, but I don't think we need LARGE print font quite yet!


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Sep 9, 2013)

bricycle said:


> Bob, I know some of us are old, but I don't think we need LARGE print font quite yet!




I noticed that too... Kinda hard not to....lol


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## WES PINCHOT (Sep 9, 2013)

*Gee whizzers!*

I am going to a get together, where there will be 
over 80 Whizzer enthusiasts, who will ride their Whizzers.
There are a lot of Whizzer guys out there, young, old, 
alive and riding them. 

As the old Packard auto slogan went: 
"Ask the man who owns one".
Wes
PS
How many cabers have heard of Travis bike motors 
made in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from 1948 to 1953?
I just acquired a Travis front wheel drive motor 
to ride along with the Whizzers.


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## bikecrazy (Sep 9, 2013)

I'm sure the re-issue Whizzer motorbike did not help matters either.


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## WES PINCHOT (Sep 9, 2013)

*bikecrazy      I'm sure the re-issue Whizzer motorbike did not help matters either.*

Unfortunately, the Whizzer reissue now has 
a following like the Schwinn Centennial Phantom.
Made overseas! 
But, there is nothing like made in USA!


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## bricycle (Sep 9, 2013)

WES PINCHOT said:


> Unfortunately, the Whizzer reissue now has
> a following like the Schwinn Centennial Phantom.
> Made overseas!
> But, there is nothing like made in USA!




...amen to that!


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## oldwhizzer (Sep 10, 2013)

*whizzer*

Bob is 100 % Correct! Bikes that are Done Right are still bringing Top dollar! I went to Mike George auction this summer with about 15 Whizzers in Various Conditions and they brought strong prices with a lot of interest from New collectors. They are starting to creep back.It costs a lot of money to restore one right.


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## scrubbinrims (Sep 10, 2013)

Maybe it is a smaller niche' of collectors not appealing to motorcycle guys, not appealing to bicycle guys and this segment already has good stuff and can be picky (less demand).
Speaking for myself, a motor is intimidating and I don't know the first thing about what is missing, correct, or how to get it turning again.
Besides, don't you have to f up a bike to get it to whizz?
Chris


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## bricycle (Sep 10, 2013)

...another thing no one's mentioned this go-around is the thing that killed the Whizzer in the first place......Government regulation!
In order to qualify as a moped (and to be able to use with normal car license),
*it must go 25mph or less
*must have a pedal drive
*must have less than 2 hp.
*must be under 51cubic centimeters in displacement
*have valid current liability insurance(minimum cost $99/yr. with Progressive)
*be registered as a motor vehicle
(in Illinois) yea, I know.
oops...aint gonna happen!
For these same qualifications, you could have an import Motordriven cycle or scooter that would blow the pedals off a Whizzer, unless maybe you have the OHV california kit.


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## MrColumbia (Sep 10, 2013)

xxxx


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## Coaster Brake (Sep 10, 2013)

I think Bri is somewhat right as well, the little buggers things classify as motorcycles in Texas as well.
Fortunately I live out in the boonies, so no one ever gives me any grief. The only cops who have ever come up to me about it only do so to tell me how neat it is. Then again, the city marshal does spend most of the day drinking..
Even in larger towns nearby I haven't had any trouble, I just stay off the main roads, and stay out of the way.
But I imagine if I lived in a large city with a more educated police force it would be different.
That definitely puts a damper on the whizzer market, since all you can do is look at them legally speaking....


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