HBS

 

Around the same time, there was another CW clone called an HBS (Hesperia Bike Shop) which had two vertical tubes that went from the top tube to the down tube, just behind the head tube. Their handle bars were CW's with a Powerlite style bend".

 

This is a nos HBS frame & forks, picture courtesy of Tone at Vintagebmx.com

The following information about HBS was emailed to me:

Hey my name is Mike and I grew up in Hesperia, CA where the HBS guys were based. I knew them quit well. Here is some info that you might like to use on your site.

Bill and Belinda Johnson owned the Hesperia Bike Shop, they had a few kids that raced. Billy was my friend and their son who in 1982 would have been 11 or 12 he was the fastest of their 4 kids. Their daughter Jennifer raced and was like 9 or 10 and their son Nick raced a mini I think he was 5. Again these ages were in '82. We all raced Norco/Snipes and the San Bernadino Y as well as a little non sanctioned track in Apple Valley called Horsemans Center. In the summer of '82 the family opened the Hesperia BMX track which had ABA sanction and was in the Cal-16 region. In '83 Bill approached CW about making a frame that he could sell on his own at his shop and a few select other places. That lead to the bars and forks and I remember grips too, but I can't remember for sure. HBS supported a couple of local guys, their son Billy, Phil Leon and Lee Bogacki (Sp?) and I got the hand me downs. The entire team did really well at the Lake Ellsinore ABA Nationals in '83.

In late '84 the whole thing went south. I am not sure what the problems were, I had moved to Redlands, CA and rarely saw them anymore but I heard it was because they went to far out on a limb to create the HBS line and over extended themselves. 

Since about '86 I have only seen a set of HBS bars in person. In fact the only frame I have seen is on your site. Thanks for posting it.