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Hanebrink made Descender survivor!

5K views 25 replies 13 participants last post by  First Flight 
#1 ·
A very rare very early rear suspension bike resurfaces! In great survivor condition!

This is what I have gathered:
From Howleys pics of 1984 Repack there is one pictured so it's 83-84. It's the same as the 1984 MCR Descender from a MTBA mag scan from Repack Rider. Hanebrink made Descender frames before him and Brain Skinner parted ways (thanks First Flight/MOMBAT). And Hanebrink went on to do the aluminum shocker for SE Racing (thanks papawheelie via BMXMuseum) (note the similarity). I could never find any stickered Hanebrinks like this though. I still need to contact Big Bear Bikes to get more info as they are stickered on there also.

The parts. Not all are original:
Hanebrink made Descender frame/swing arm Chromoly dark red only minor scuffs-mostly on swing arm.
SE Racing Landing Gear with brake mounts (and yes this is the OG fork!)
Hanebrink made rear shock
Unknown 26" Front rim with Suntour SE hub
Pro Class 24" rear rim with SR hub
Both tires Tioga Farmer Johns. 24x1.95 and 26x1.95. A little dry rotted but gnarly tread and still have some of the molding nipple things
Shimano cranks FC-B124 Biopace chain rings
Suntour beartrap pedals
Specialized seat
Sugino SP-H fluted post Sugino clamp
HL bars
Toad stool grips
Sunline brake levers
Dia-Compe centerpull brakes
Shimano Shifters
Shimano w/ Elk head derailleurs

Any more info/comments would be awesome.
And now the pics:






 
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#3 ·
That's Greg Rawuka's bike that used to hang on the wall at Big Bear Bikes! Where'd you get it? Those motocross levers are off my old Breezer! Sure is funny to see this here.

Greg built that up about '91 using a frame and fork and assorted parts that Dan Hanebrink had in his Big Bear shop.

If I remember correctly it was the usual story with Dan (gotta love him!)...he owed Greg a few bucks for something or other and gave him the frame and parts instead.
 
#4 ·
Crazy! It's now at AZ Bikes in Flagstaff, AZ. I asked if I could display it there for the time being and they were stoked. It's going to be hung next to an original Breezer and original Cooks. I'm glad I could find out the exact origin-with a good story behind it to boot. What else can you tell me? Does Big Bear Bikes not exist anymore? I called a place named that but the lady I talked to said they never were a bike shop?
 
#9 ·
Big Bear Bikes opened in April of '92. It was on Big Bear Blvd. in Big Bear Lake, right across from the KFC. I was a partner, Greg Rawuka was the main owner. I sold out my interest and Greg kept it for a while, but I hear he sold out about 2000 or so and then the new guys eventually closed it. Not sure on the dates since I moved from Big Bear in '99.

Anyway, Greg got the frame and fork from Dan, did a rattle can paint job on it behind the shop and built it up to be more or less period correct for 1984-85. The derailleurs and cantilever brakes came off of his mid-80s Ritchey Timber Comp. The wheels I believe came with the bike...the rear is a 24" with drilled-out rims. The crank was some BioPace take-off from a customer's bike. Tires were something from out of stock that happened to be about the correct vintage. The brake levers are motorcycle levers that had been on my Breezer. The The handlebar/stem and thumb-shifters also came from Greg's Ritchey...he'd put a titanium Girvin Flex-Stem/Handlebar on the Ritchey.

When Dan designed the suspension he basically copied the Kawasaki Uni-Trak motocross bikes of the time. The shock is simply an air chamber with the only damping being the internal friction and the added friction of a quick-release on the upper shock mount...crank it tighter for more damping, loosen it for less!

I rode the thing around a bit, but that particular run of frames was a bit underbuilt and hard landings could damage the swingarm. Sideways landing could knock the swingarm right out of alignment...something I learned first hand. Greg wasn't too happy about that!

Dan could tell you a bit more. He's easy to find...just Google him. He'd probably be tickled to talk about it.

Bigfoot.

jmmorath said:
Crazy! It's now at AZ Bikes in Flagstaff, AZ. I asked if I could display it there for the time being and they were stoked. It's going to be hung next to an original Breezer and original Cooks. I'm glad I could find out the exact origin-with a good story behind it to boot. What else can you tell me? Does Big Bear Bikes not exist anymore? I called a place named that but the lady I talked to said they never were a bike shop?
 
#14 ·
#16 ·
Figured I would resurrect the original thread as opposed to starting a new one. We got out hand on this bike and added it to our Descender and SE Shocker. Makes for a nice display of the changes. Anyway, we did switch out a handful of parts. I just couldn't leave the blue brake levers on there and laced up a matched set of rims (RM 25) and hubs (Deore XT). Also upgraded the crank to the 6206. Other than that, just gave it a bath.

More pictures and details @ https://mombat.org/MOMBAT/Bikes/1984_Hanebrink.html











 
#18 ·
"Figured I would resurrect the original thread as opposed to starting a new one. We got out hand on this bike and added it to our Descender and SE Shocker. Makes for a nice display of the changes. Anyway, we did switch out a handful of parts. I just couldn't leave the blue brake levers on there and laced up a matched set of rims (RM 25) and hubs (Deore XT). Also upgraded the crank to the 6206. Other than that, just gave it a bath."

Um, if you aren't going to use my brake levers, could I get them back, please? :p
 
#24 ·
Bigfoot said:
"Figured I would resurrect the original thread as opposed to starting a new one. We got out hand on this bike and added it to our Descender and SE Shocker. Makes for a nice display of the changes. Anyway, we did switch out a handful of parts. I just couldn't leave the blue brake levers on there and laced up a matched set of rims (RM 25) and hubs (Deore XT). Also upgraded the crank to the 6206. Other than that, just gave it a bath."

Um, if you aren't going to use my brake levers, could I get them back, please? :p
Postage and they are yours:thumbsup: I did feel a twinge of guilt since they had been on there for 20 years but just couldn't leave 'em on, sorry;)
 
#26 ·
jmmorath said:
Looks great! I'm glad it's there now. I'd take the Pro Class rim back, if you're not using it.
We've got several other Pro Class rims here as well (26") so we'll probably hang on to it. If it had been silver, I would have just matched it with a 26 front but they would have been different colors.
 
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