BMXmuseum.com Bikes / General Bicycles / 1988 General Osborn Pro

It has taken me roughly two years (in 2007) to get my trusty old '88 General Osborn Pro and make look like it finally does. During those years it has been "completed" few times but i haven't been happy with the final result until now. The only major issue was the missing General forks, the bike simply didn't look right with any other forks than the original. There was ups and downs during the process of searching the forks but in the end i found them (thank you so much "Bronx Styler"!)

So what happened to the original forks anyway? I sold mine in the early 90's to a friend who rode street and was notorious for trashing everything he touched. End of story, stupid me.

At the time i bought the frame & fork it was more less substitute for an Ozone for me, it does look kinda similiar but ofcourse it wasn't "the same". I remember well when it arrived and how i went to the local postal customs office to pick it up. It was magic. This isn't a catalog specific build (by the way there isn't even an '88 General catalog that i know of) so i built it the way it looks best to me. I used both NOS and used parts, but tried to keep the overall quality level high, nonetheless. 

The 180mm Redline cranks were purchased around 1990 or 1991, they are late 80's edition single pinch and came with sealed bottom bracket. I sold them to a friend in late 90's but ultimately managed to buy them back couple years ago at the time of this rebuild. I still can't see why i even ended up selling them anyway back then. Makes no sense. The cranks themselves had remained in perfect shape and i had kept the decals to myself, a little scuffed, but kep them anyway. The original aluminum tech-whatever bottom bracket was ruined while away from home, so i had to replace it with a Tioga 28T bb which looks better actually in nice shiny chrome. HUGE thanks to Pauly for the ACS Pro Rotor, you know i was expecting just the cup that i was missing for the other build a while back but little did i know i was going to get the complete set! Can't thank you enough Paul. The silver Nippon with allen bolt axle was found from a German guy, it cleaned and polished up nicley and is now looking almost like new. On the rear there's a Shimano u-brake that was missing the other dust cap, so i made one myself. You can't really notice the difference unless you look really close. 

The GT layback post (or any layback) looks best in this bike. The seatguts are modified and turned around so that you can slide the seat down on the layback section for optimal distance with the bars without affecting the "looks balance". With a straight post the seat would've have been jammed as far back as it would go and that would've looked goofy. On the other hand without modifying the guts there would'vew been "too much" layback and i didn't want to start cutting the layback section either. So modifying the guts was a compromise that works and looks great. And for the record, the guts are "hidden" on top of the rails. It's rocket science setting up the seat for the "perfect balance of looks and functionality" you know...

As for the seat itself, i was slightly disappointed with it when i got it. I was expecting a genuine VISCOUNT DOMINATOR, not a cheap taiwanese clone without "Viscount" stamped anywhere on it. Oh well, as for its shape and color it looks OK though and i can't see myself paying for another one just to get the "Viscount" or "Dominator" logos alone. It's a seat and it's red and the black rails look good, fair enough, end of story. 

The chrome Super Pros seem to be the best choice for this bike, there was silver rims earlier but somehow they didn't look as good. There's also the red aluminum nipples for that "custom" looks. In 1990-1991 i used to have a set of black Bully bars with Odyssey RX-5 levers on this bike. Thanks to Raul and Yasser, i was able to combine a one near perfect set of one of the most tech looking levers there was and they feel great! Like in so many Generals, the rear framestands were cut off back then for better performace. I kinda regret it still but only because now they would be cool bonus but come on, they were useless and what's done is done, there's no point crying about it anymore. Atleast it adds to the "custom" looks if anything and now you can actually USE the rear pegs for tricks if you want without the silly framestand getting in the way.

The General Osborn Pro has seen a few local competitions and bikes expos in its time so there is lot of personal memories in it. It didn't look like this back then though. There used to be black Peregrine Q-bars, Bully stem, white Skway Grabber seat, 1-pc Sugino cranks etc. Some of the modifications then were quick release brake levers, a homemade cable clamp under the downtube and there's a hole drilled on the twin top tube brace which i can't really remember why. I am assuming it was made to mount a cable adjuster on it for Pitbull because i didn't have a u-brake on it at one point.

Parts & Specs:

• Frame: 1988 General RL Osborn Pro w/original paint & decals
• Serial#: T9032465
• Fork: General 1" threaded w/upper and lower peg bosses
• Handlebars: Peregrine Q-Bar 28"
• Stem: ACS 55 Rotor stem
• Grips: A'me Round (new production)
• Seatpost: GT layback 22.2mm
• Seat: generic and modified (Dominator copy)
• Seatpost clamp: Odyssey RX-2
• Brake levers: Odyssey RX-5
• Front brake/pads: Dia Compe 883 Nippon w/Weinmann Semi Automatic adjuster/cable locking system and ACS Z-pads
• Rear brake/pads: Shimano BR-M453 U-brake w/ACS Z-pads
• Gyro/Rotor: ACS Pro Rotor (the one with the bearing unit)
• Gyro/Rotor cable upper: Odyssey Slik Cable
• Gyro/Rotor cable lower: black teflon coated Shimano cable with Odyssey Slik Cable housing
• Headset: Tioga MX-2
• Cranks: Redline Flights 3pc/180mm late 80's wrap-around single pinch arms
• Pedals: MKS Grafight-X
• Sprocket: Peregrine Compact Disc sprocket 44T
• Bottom bracket: Tioga 28T
• Chain: KMC ½ x 1/8"
• Freewheel: Suntour 16T
• Wheels: Peregrine Super Pro 48's double wall, chrome plated
• Front hub: chrome plated Peregrine/Suzue 48H sealed bearing high flange, 3/8" axle
• Rear hub: chrome plated Peregrine/Suzue 48H sealed bearing high flange, 3/8" axle
• Spokes: 184mm chrome plated w/anodized red aluminum nipples
• Pegs: Tioga Roll-On Axle Extenders 26T
• Tires: Odyssey Barefeet gumwall 20 x 1.75
• Tubes: ..whatever

Previous updates: 

• Freewheel replaced in july 2007. I thought it was a good idea to restore an old Suntour freewheel only to find out the teeth were busted beyond help and the chain got stuck. 
• Also had to sand down the ACS Z-Pads a bit in order to create larger friction area to make them work with the chrome rims a little better. Crazy huh? But now, they grab almost too well.