Mongoose (bicycles)

Mongoose

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Bicycles
Founded	1974
Headquarters	Madison, Wisconsin
Products	Bicycle and Related Components
Parent	Dorel
Website	www.mongoose.com

A Mongoose head badge.

Mongoose is a brand name of performance bicycles originally designed, manufactured, and sold by BMX Products, Inc. Mongoose merged in 2001 with Pacific Cycle, a subsidiary of Dorel Industries. It produces several models of BMX, mountain bikes, and street bicycles, making ample use of light weight alloys and magnesium. They company is based in Madison, Wisconsin.

History of BMX Products, Inc.

Skip Hess started BMX Products, Inc. out of his home in Simi Valley, California in September 1974 with his first product being the famous Motomag One wheel. As told by Hess, “When the Motomags were the first and only product I produced, I could remain working from my home and garage in Simi Valley. I bought a van to transport the Cragar made heat treated castings to shot peening and then to the machine shop where after machining, the wheels were boxed and shipped. About a 1 ½ years later when I chose to manufacture frames and complete bikes I leased a small industrial shop in Chatsworth. Within the next 2 years we moved three times in Chatsworth to accommodate our rapid growth. We settled in the Irondale facility until April 1984 when we moved to our wholly owned, newly built, 105,000 sq. ft. Moorpark facility”.   

According to Hess, at its largest stage of expansion, BMX Products, Inc. employed about 85 people. In its early years Hess recalled that about 600 frames per day were produced at the Chatsworth location.

RECO (Racer Engineering Company) was a wholly owned manufacturing division created for insurance purposes to be separate from BMX Products, Inc, even though RECO was always in-house. It was headed by Vice President of Manufacturing Hoppy Brooks in his attempt to market motorcycle frames but was viewed by Hess as “totally unsuccessful”. 

Pacific Cycle Years

Since being sold to Pacific Cycle in 2001, the company has expanded to developing a wide range of bikes and performance parts, as well as skateboards, and electric scooters. It is heavily involved in professional bicycle events, and sponsors many riders (such as Eric Rupe) in various competitions, including the X Games and the Dew Action Sports Tour.

Mongoose sells essentially two lines of bicycles. One is a line of discount bikes offered through mass-merchandisers like Wal-Mart, Toys "R" Us and Target. The other featured on their website, are higher-end models sold through specialty bicycle shops.

Products

2007 Bike Models

BMX - Brawler, Expect, Fraction, Legion, Menace, Mischief, Motivator, Pit, Rogue, Shield, Subject, Supergoose, Villain

Downhill/ Freeride Bikes - EC-D, Black Diamond Single, Black Diamond Double, Black Diamond Triple

All Mountain - Canaan, EC-X

Hardtail XC - Amasa, Meteore

Dirt Jump - Fireball, Hardball, Hard Luck

Commuter - Bosberg, Crossway, Koppenburg

2008 Bike Models

BMX - Blaze, Brawler, Expert, Fraction, Legion, Menace, Mischief, Mischief Mag,Motivator,Ace,

Rogue, Pit Crew, Shield, Supergoose, Subject, Villain

Downhill/Freeride Bikes - EC-D, Black Diamond Single, Black Diamond Double, Black Diamond Triple

All Mountain - EC-X, Canaan, Khyber, Otero, Teocali Comp

Hardtail XC - Amasa, Meteore, Rockadile

Dirt Jump - Ritual, Fireball

Commuter - Bosberg, Cipressa, Crossway, Kaldi, Koppenburg, Morzine

2009 Bike Models

BMX - Expert, Brawler, Menace, Motivator, Rogue, Villain, Mischief, Subject, Pit, Supergoose, Shield, Fraction, Legion, Blaze

All Mountain - Khyber, Canaan, Otero

Hardtail XC - Amasa, Meteore, Rockadile

Dirt Jump - Fireball, Ritual

Commuter - Croix, Crossway, Maurice

2010 Bike Models

BMX - Fraction, Legion, Shield, Chamber, Diagram, Thrive, Article, Culture, Capture, Program, Subject, Mischief, Logo, Pit Crew, Shafin ex-z

Downhill/ Freeride Bikes - Boot'r Team, Boot'r, Pinn'r Foreman, Pinn'r Apprentice, Nugget

All Mountain - Teocali Comp, Teocali Elite, Teocali Super

Hardtail XC - Tyax, Rockadle

Dirt Jump - Fireball

Commuter - Croix, Crossway, Maurice, Kaldi

2011 Bike Models

BMX - Fraction, Legion, Shield, Article, Capture, Diagram, Subject, Chamber, Culture, Logo, Program, Thrive, Blaze, Micron

Downhill/ Freeride Bikes - Boot'r, Pinn'r, Nugget

All Mountain - Salvo, Teocali

Hardtail XC - Tyax

Dirt Jump - Fireball

Commuter - Sabrosa

External links

• Official website
• BMX Museum An old school BMX community with forums, photos etc...
• Vintage Mongoose History of Mongoose, B.M.X. Procucts Inc., Vintage Collectors Resources