The Tote Gote is an

off-road Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicl ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

that was produced from 1958 to 1970. It was developed by Ralph Bonham.

History

Bonham created the Tote Gote to relieve the exhaustion of walking through the

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

mountains while hunting. First called the "Mechanical Goat", it was renamed to refer to its ability to "tote" (carry) deer out of the woods while climbing inclines with the skill of a

mountain goat The mountain goat (''Oreamnos americanus''), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a hoofed mammal endemic to mountainous areas of western North America. A subalpine to alpine species, it is a sure-footed climber commonly seen on cliffs and ...

. The first Tote Gotes could reach speeds of only 5 mph (8 km/h), too slow for functional use, and the front wheel rose off the ground when too much

throttle A throttle is the mechanism by which fluid flow is managed by constriction or obstruction. An engine's power can be increased or decreased by the restriction of inlet gases (by the use of a throttle), but usually decreased. The term ''throttle'' ...

was applied. The design was eventually perfected in November 1957. The first Tote Gote was sold on 1 June 1958. After entering

mass production Mass production, also known as flow production or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. Together with job production and batch ...

, 3,700 Tote Gotes were sold in 1960. The second version of the Tote Gote entered the market in 1959, called the Model A or the "Scamp". Brent Bonham's father, Bond Bonham, became president of the Bonham Corporation while Brent focused on research and development. Improvements were introduced, such as rear and side screens to protect the

wild game Game or quarry is any wild animal hunted for animal products (primarily meat), for recreation (" sporting"), or for trophies. The species of animals hunted as game varies in different parts of the world and by different local jurisdictions, th ...

and drivers, and lighting systems. New variants were also created, such as the Loadstar III, a three-wheeled Tote Gote for use in warehouses and

plant nurseries A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to a desired size. Mostly the plants concerned are for gardening, forestry or conservation biology, rather than agriculture. They include retail nurseries, which sell to the general p ...

; a street-based model called the Collegiate for use on college campuses; a

minibike A minibike is a two-wheeled, motorized, off-highway recreational vehicle popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, but available continuously from a wide variety of manufacturers since 1959. Their off-highway nature and (in many countries) typically enti ...

called the Mini Gote; and a shaft driven series called the NOVA. After producing Tote Gotes for thirteen years, the Bonham Company closed in 1970 and sold its remaining stock of parts. A community of Tote Gote enthusiasts is still active.

Manufacture

Tote Gotes were painted with a low pressure flow of paint. The frames were placed over a large tub of paint with hoses on either side. The paint was pumped through the hoses while workers directed the flow of paint over the frame. Excess paint ran off the bottom and back into the tub. The frames were rotated while drying to minimize runs. Most were red, fewer yellow, and some green (mostly for the Forest Service). Novas were aquamarine. The paint used was lead-based

Sherwin-Williams Sherwin-Williams Company is an American Cleveland, Ohio–based company in the paint and coating manufacturing industry. The company primarily engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of paints, coatings, floorcoverings, and related p ...

Models

*B:

Chain drive Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles. It is also used in a wide variety of machines besides vehicles. ...

. The original model, also called the model A, the "Scamp," and the "Trail Skeeter". The Trail Skeeter included louvered sheet metal sides instead of side screens and a

Briggs & Stratton Briggs & Stratton Corporation is an American manufacturer of gasoline engines with headquarters in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Engine production averages 10 million units per year as of April 2015. The company reports that it has 13 large facilit ...

engine. The first models used the "Duster" clutch and

continuously variable transmission A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios. This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. T ...

made by Deepco, originally for snowmobiles. Later models used a similar clutch, by Salisbury. *P: Chain-drive. As for the later Model B, except with a larger frame, a engine, and an arch design above the

clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...

mount. ''The first digit in each model number is typically the

horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...

of that particular model; for example, Model 600 has six (6) horsepower.'' *303 "Collegiate": Street- and trail-based college campus bike. This model had rear taillights as a stock option and optional front headlight. It used a Briggs and Stratton engine and Bonham now produced their own "Climb-Away" clutch and transmission, with a broader range of ratios. *403: Chain drive *404: Chain drive *430: Chain drive *430-5: Chain drive *431: Chain drive *431-5: Chain drive *500 "Mini Gote": Competitor to the minibike movement of the 1960s. This model was designed with children in mind, with chain drive, front and rear suspension. The early models used a Briggs & Stratton engine and the later ones utilized a Tecumseh engine. *501 Charger 3-wheeler: Light duty tricycle, for recreation or light commercial use. *502 Charger 3-wheeler: The "big brother" to the 501/504; the second-most-powerful model with a low gear ratio and ability to pull of cargo. *503 Charger 3-wheeler: A six-horsepower tricycle, this model featured the "Climb-Away" automatic transmission, split rim wheels and roller bearings, a larger bed and a swing-down tailgate. *504 Charger 3-wheeler: A four-horsepower tricycle designed as a people mover. *505 Charger 3-wheeler: Same as Model 501, but with load capacity increased to . *531: Chain drive, full suspension. Climb-Away transmission. *530: Chain drive. Similar to 531, except with lower gearing. *600: Chain drive, Briggs & Stratton engine, double-

jackshaft A jackshaft, also called a ''countershaft'', is a common mechanical design component used to transfer or synchronize rotational force in a machine. A jackshaft is often just a short stub with supporting bearings on the ends and two pulleys, gear ...

, Climb-Away transmission, lighting system. *610: Chain drive. Similar to 600, except with a rear wheel. *665: Chain drive. Similar to 600, except with full

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...

. *666: Chain drive. Included rear wheel and full suspension with lower gearing. *670 Nova: Bonham worm gear drive. The fastest model, with a top speed of . Lighting system. Several deluxe variants with white-wall tires and red seats and grips were also made. *671: Similar to 670, except with lower gear ratio and slower speed and possibly, after 1968, a rear grab bar. *675: Same frame and engine as 670, however, gearing was lower. Was released in 1962. *680 Nova: Bonham worm gear drive, deluxe model made with large frame, full suspension, 12" rear tractor tire, front brake, tear drop gas tank, rear grab bar, Sold in 1964 for $794 *660 Spartan snowmobile/dune buggy: this was Bonham's version of the snowmobile. It utilized a rear track and front skis. The front skis could be replaced with Tote Gote wheels for spring and summer use. They were intended for recreation and patrolling areas inaccessible to road vehicles. *700: Chain drive. Only model using flat-cast metal on the swing arm and its mount. Included steel tubing on front of the frame and a mounted teardrop gas tank.

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...

. One large seat instead of two separate seats. Similar to Model 500. *706: Chain-drive. Briggs & Stratton engine. Climb-Away transmission. Commercial grade 8"

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

-type tires, resulting in increased stability. *750: Chain-drive. Briggs & Stratton engine. Climb-Away transmission. Full suspension, tractor tire on rear wheel. A 5.70-8 front tire was offered as an option. *760: Chain-drive. Similar to 750 except with 8" rear wheel. *770: Chain-drive. Briggs & Stratton engine. Climb-Away transmission, 12" rear wheel, one-piece foam seat; only model that did not have a back fender. *780 "Nova": Same as Model 675, but with a slightly different frame. Full suspension; grab-bar in back; frame slightly chopped to utilize swing arm. Aircraft-type rear disc brake. This model was supplied to the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

, painted in forest service green. *781: Similar to 780 except with taller gearing. *Dune Gote: A tricycle designed for family fun, some variants used the same shock absorbers in the front as those used in the rear of the Model 500. It was known to have been produced in soft tail and hard tail versions. *Trail Skeeter, also made by Bonham Tote Gote: It was the model B frame but with sheet metal side covers and more options. This was the Later Deluxe Model B, released in 1959. Bonham made several one-off and rare prototypes, such as four-wheeled vehicles for military use and several prototype Tote Gote Trail Bikes. (The most recent Trail Bike was auctioned on

eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...

in November 2005.)

Trailers

*101 (trailer): Lightweight, two-wheel trailer with sheet metal sides that could carry four Tote Gotes. *102 (trailer): Medium duty, three-wheel trailer (two wheels in back, one in front) with sheet metal sides that could carry four Tote Gotes, with a fold-away

storage bed A storage bed is a multifunctional furniture consisting of a bed which utilizes storage space which often otherwise is lost, for example by having drawers on its underside or a mattress which can be flipped up to access a storage space beneath ...

. *103 (trailer): Heavy duty (500-lb rated) trailer with sheet metal sides that could carry four Tote Gotes, or two Chargers

Advertising

Among some of the photo advertisements there were images of Ralph Bonham on a Tote Gote shooting a rifle, a man jumping a Model B over a small sand dune, two Collegiate Tote Gotes parked on a lawn with people having a picnic in the background, and several other photos of people having picnics. Advertising illustrations included a family on Trail Skeeters, and a man riding a Tote Gote Spartan snowmobile to a mountain cabin.

Accessories

* Metal box in front for fuel can or other items * Front "Grab Bag" saddle bag * Six-volt Delta headlight, or sealed-beam General Electric headlight * Rear "Pak Rack" folding cargo rack * Snub Downs, later called Snubber Rubbers, or Rubber Snubbers * Front and rear tire chains for snow * Snow plow blade * Front buddy seat or a rear buddy seat with rear foot pegs * Taillights (standard on the Collegiate) * Rubber foot pegs * Sidecar * Front brakes (for models on which this was not standard)

External links

Tote Gote Land
nbsp;— Tote Gote information and message board

nbsp;— stories, parts manuals and registry {{DEFAULTSORT:Tote Gote Motorcycles of the United States Motorcycles by brand Off-road motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 1958