The Sarge – The ExhaustNotes Blog

By Joe Berk

Back in the day when Steve Seidner and CSC Motorcycles were running full tilt on building replica Mustangs, the custom bikes were rolling off the production line fast and furious. Most buyers were in love with the little repliStangs, and most accessorized their bikes heavily. The bike’s list price was something like $3,995 or $4,995 (I forget which), but it wasn’t unusual for buyers to run the price up to $10,000 with accessories, extra chrome, and more. The typical buyer was 70- or 80-year-old person who had wanted a Mustang as a teenager back in the ’50s but Dad said no. It was time to get even with Dad, and get even they did.

We also did a few custom bikes on spec and it was great for me. I wrote the CSC blog back in the days, and with the constant stream of customs there was always plenty to photograph and blog about. One of my favorites, and one of my favorite photos, is a bike Steve built for himself. He christened it “The Sarge” for obvious reasons.

The Sarge had a lot of custom touches, including .50-cal ammo cans as saddlebags, a near complete dechroming, lovely OD green paint, brown leather seat, and more. It was a stunning motorcycle. My El Cheapo Bell helmet and its Army Air Corps livery completed the package. I found a stone wall somewhere in the hills above the CSC plant when the plant was at the La Verne airport, and that made for a nice backdrop. The Sarge photo at the top of this blog has always been one of my favorites.

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Would you like to know more about CSC’s early days, the evolution of the Mustang replicas, and what it was like importing the Chinese RX3 to America? Read 5000 Miles At 8000 RPM!

Earlier Phavorite Photos? You bet! Click on each to get their story.

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Like everyone else who read the “Back in the Day” Bell Star piece, I greatly enjoyed Gresh’s blog. I never owned a Star, but I bought one of the modern Bell helmets Joe referenced about 10 years ago from my good buddy Mike over at NoHo Scooters in Hollywood. It was a lightweight, inexpensive full-face deal with artwork that made it an instant “I want” item. The Boss was with me and she gave the nod, and Mike gave me a good price, so I bought it.

Not politically correct. But cool. I liked it. Bombs Away!

The helmet had a World War II aviation motif. It’s not politically correct, so if you’re going to get your shorts in a knot over the artwork, my advice is this: You’re young. Go to your safe space and take a nap. You’ll probably get over it.

The military theme worked perfectly, I think, with a CSC motorcycle Steve Seidner (CSC’s CEO) built. He called it “The Sarge” and it was his personal bike. I liked both the motorcycle and the helmet so much that as soon as Steve’s bike came together (and he wasn’t around) I raced off to a spot I knew would make for a good photo…

The Sarge and my Bell helmet. The motif worked. For me, anyway. Cue in the music from “Off We Go, Into the Wild Blue Yonder…”

I wore that helmet all the way down to Cabo and back on the CSC 150 Baja run. It was a nice hat. I really liked it. It made me taller, thinner, and faster. Better looking, too, if I kept the visor down.

The Bell on my CSC 150. I called my bike the Baja Blaster.

They say you are supposed to replace a motorcycle helmet every three years (“they” are the guys who make helmets, of course). I don’t know if that’s really necessary, but it’s what I do. After three years the insides of my helmets get pretty funky, and in my case aromatic reasons drive the need for a new lid.

But the three-year rule wasn’t what ended my relationship with the Bell you see here. It was a different reason: The outside surface got tacky. Not in the good taste or politically correct sense (if that’s what you’re thinking), but tacky in an adhesive sense. It got sticky to the touch, like flypaper. I think it was because the adhesive bonding the wrap (the thin layer of artwork) to the helmet’s shell seeped through to the outside. Whatever. It would stick to my hands when I picked it up and I don’t like a clingy thingy. A Bell guy told me he knew of the problem and it had been fixed, but they no longer offered the helmet I had come to love.

I sure wish Bell still made that helmet. I would buy a new one and it’s what I’d be wearing today.