BMX bikes

It's hard to tell when BMX bikes first came on the scene but by 1984 the BMX bike craze was in full swing and nearly every kid had one. BMX bikes were quite different from anything ever seen before - they only had one gear, they were lightweight and tough and if you were a proper BMX rider you didn't have any brakes and would use the pedals to slow the bike.

The BMX was, and still is, the ultimate street stunt bike and was used for all sorts of tricks and jumps. Some riders would perform acrobatic tricks on the bike (a bit like skateboard freestyle) and others would use them on half pipe ramps to achieve somersaults and other impressive tricks.

The BMX is an incredibly versatile bike and can be used off-road, on ramps, in the street, in races and on dirt tracks.

Comments




1984? NO WAY! That was fashion victim time! The only REAL BMX mentioned above was the PK Ripper. Harrow Freestyler was the daddy too. No one has mentioned the Grifter either. BMX came out of California and was born in the skate-parks. Stripped down home made track bikes used for vert ramp action. We were doing the same thing here but lacked the resources. Took a few years for the good kit to cross the pond. By the time ET showed EVERYONE on a BMX looking bike the market was flooded with crappy heavy copies. Just like "mountain bikes" now. Skate boarding is the same. Kids Think Tony Hawke is some innovator but he's a new kid on the block. The true pioneer was Tony Alva-first frontside air for a start.'70's ROCKED!
DRAGONAUTA12-Oct-2010, 08:14:27 PM

icon of the 80s! i have a diamondback now!
thebhoywonder06-Apr-2010, 03:46:32 PM

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE MEGA,MEGA EXPENSIVE BOB HARROW FREESTYLER? A MATE OF MINE HAD ONE AROUND 1984/85 THEY WERE THE TOP BMX OF THE DAY AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY WERE DELIVERED TO THE DOOR IN BITS!! THEY ALSO CAME WITH 'Z-RIMS' (FLEXIBLE WHEELS) HARD TO BELIEVE IT WAS 25 YEARS AGO.....
d.richie16-Sep-2009, 11:38:16 AM

used to own a p.k.ripper back in 85,sold it in 89 and got a zx spectrum (big mistake for which i still reget to this day!)
rich7113-Apr-2009, 03:41:47 PM

my first bmx bike was a raleigh burner this was the thoughest bike ive met these days it made me so happy and ive jumped a lot with it without any damage occuried waw thats a bike men congratulations
fecorast29-Aug-2008, 11:12:36 PM

My mate had the super tuff burner Blue with yellow pads and wheels.I nagged my mum for one which she got out of the catalogue and it was a "fireballer"(was that it mxledge?)it was red with yellow pads and wheels but definately not as good as the burner.
Al
scantheman26-Jun-2008, 10:48:10 PM

I had 2 BMX's in the 80's, 1'st was a blue and yellow Burner. I had to get the b&y cause my mate had the red and yellow one. I later customised it with 'mag wheels' and a 'lay back' seat post not to mention 2 finger brake levers and 'mushrooms' grips etc, etc, etc!!! My 2nd BMX I won in a Dr Pepper competition, it was an Ammaco Team Special! It had 'cromoly' tubing and 'shimano dx' brakes etc. As not many people had heard of Ammaco I peeled off all the stickers and replaced them with Sky Way's instead!
shepster25-May-2008, 09:42:07 PM

Does anyone remember a bmx fram called a fire something, like fireblade but not that i don't think, the one i'm thinking of was chrome with pink stickers
mxledge10-Oct-2007, 08:21:11 PM

i do believe that the bike you had sounds like the ultra burner , gold frame , black pads , black seat ect
steve edwards10-Oct-2007, 05:01:30 PM

i have just bought a raleigh rebel , its the same as a burner but not as sought after its silver and blue and is only for spares /repairs , so thats what im doing , im repairing it , new tyres , new grips , new tubes full service and a major clean up ...oh by the way im now 37...and the problem is ?????????????
steve edwards03-Oct-2007, 05:03:44 PM

Remember getting my BMX for Christmas.It Had a shiney gold frame and black pads.I loved it everyone had red or blue ones so I was very proud of my gold one
Fionnān in Čire24-Jun-2007, 04:37:31 PM

I loved my Bmx, i think it was called "Striker"?. I t had a yellow frame and blue wheels, and i absolutely loved it. My sister was really pissed because she had a really girly pink bike with a basket on the front(and one on the back). I absoulutely thrashed the hell out of it on school holidays(building ramps out of anything, riding down the steepest hills FOR FUN!!!!) Later on i won a Muddy Fox with the discs that cover the spokes, it was pink with pink paw prints on the discs(ALL my mates were jealous HA HA!!) Mind you , so was my sister she had a Chopper!! She was always falling off bikes and injuring herself really badly so my mum wouldnt buy her a new bike. "This bike is not constructed to carry passengers" or something like that and that weird gear stick in the middle. BMX rules. Just one more go.
Leanne24-Jun-2007, 05:35:57 AM

I think my bro had a vektar (or whatever it was called) with the computer on the handlebars and white plastic everywhere. It was pretty sweet from what I recall. My bro who is ten-years younger than me is currently doing up my original Burner.
James08-Jun-2007, 02:23:31 PM

I used to thrash a Raleigh BMX Burner around the grotty estates of Bracknell as a kid. It was my ultimate weapon of the 80s - it took me everywhere and I absolutely loved it.
Anon.10-Mar-2007, 03:53:37 PM

Pete - you're thinking of the Raleigh Vektar. Back to BMX - my first was a Raleigh Burner GS from a bike shop in Canvey. It gradually got upgraded bit by bit (skyways, CW bars etc) but I always hankered after a P.K. Ripper. Now I have an early 90s GT Performer.
Mulletino21-Feb-2007, 01:49:47 AM

my first bmx was a viceroy and was about the same weight as a panzer tank. Oh the memories. Hence that was the start of my official membership into the accident and emergency record books.
will28-Jan-2007, 03:35:12 AM

does anybody remember an 80's bike that looked a lot like a bmx, i think they were all white with white plastic wheels and it had what was supposed to be futuristic styling with lots of bolted on plastic trim. There was a "computer" where the handlebars connected to the headset. I think it was called something like a Raleigh laser or vector or something like that, its doing my head in! does anyone know it??????
pete25-Jan-2007, 10:20:35 PM

i remember when i got my first raleigh burner in 1979. It was the best. I still have it in my attic somewhere and i got it out last week and my wife went mad. Her first boyfreind had one and dumped her for her best freind, I think it brought back bad memories for her, but not for me ohh no. It was deffinately the ULTIMATUM of bmx.
mattspayne03-Sep-2006, 09:45:41 PM

I remember getting my first bmx in 1979 - weren't many around at all but since I'd missed out on the rollerskating fade, my dad thought he'd get me in quick with the bmx's. They were brilliant! I was 10-11yrs old and had 1 friend with one as well. We met up with a small club in the area and we did the 'hotting up' customising thing like mad. Chroming frames and colour matching forks, racing seats, pedals handle bars etc etc. Still remember my racing plate number 756 on the front. Then there were all the clothes Fox, Diamond, umm.. yeah but by 1982 we were far more interested in the opposite sex to be seen riding around on them :( Oh well (should have stuck with the bikes! :)
Defoe05-Aug-2005, 03:13:40 AM

concerning bmx's - there was only one range - the raleigh burners. wasting time on the net accidently brought me to a fan's homepage. then the repressed memories came back. why do people have a soft spot for the chopper? they were c**p. 1984 was the year of the burner. the ultimate kid's bike.
feisal02-Aug-2005, 02:12:41 PM

The film ET made this little bikes popular. I remember having ET rides. This simply meant sitting on the handle bars while someone else cycled. No we didn't take off!
Batman09-Jun-2004, 02:53:52 PM

Buy our new 80s book!

Tag this memory

  • (Multiple tags can be added using [space] to seperate words)