TORKER RACING · FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA · EST. 1976
▸ THE OFFICIAL RECORD
THE #1 TEAM
IN AMERICA
The Complete Torker BMX Factory Team History
1977 – Present
From Kevin McNeal's Grand Nationals win in 1977 — through Eddy King's legendary #1 plates, Clint Miller's Barbarian era, Steve Veltman's World Championships, the Torker Twins, and Matt Hadan's national titles — this is the story no one has ever told in full. Every rider. Every year. Every title.
CHAPTER 01 — THE ORIGIN
Born in a Garage.
Built to Win.
Before there was Torker, there was a family that refused to let their son race a bad bike. Doug Johnson was lining up at the Lincoln Avenue track in Anaheim — most kids on stripped-down Stingrays — and he wanted something faster. His father John, an experimental airplane test pilot for the FAA who knew chromoly tubing and fabrication better than almost anyone alive, built the first prototype in 1975 from aircraft-grade tubing salvaged from a small airplane fuselage.
The company started as Texon, became Johnson Engineering, and was finally renamed TORKER around 1976 — a name coined by Steve Johnson from the word torque. The factory ran out of Fullerton, California. The design that defined everything: the unmistakable twin top tube. A frame like no other on any track in America.
"Steve took the name from the word Torque. I think it was a good name."
— John Johnson, Torker Founder
THE AD THAT PROVED IT
TORKER FACTORY TEAM
WAS #1 IN AMERICA
1979 — The race results proved what the ad declared.
Steve Johnson (President) · Eddy King · Jason Jensen
Doug Olson · Mike Aguilera · Doug Davis
Fullerton, California · Twin Top Tube · Yellow & Black
CHAPTER 02 — THE RIDERS
Every Rider. Every Era.
The Complete Factory Team.
This is the most complete Torker factory team roster ever published — every rider confirmed across Torker Racing's official history pages, Bicycle Motocross Action, BMX Plus!, the definitive Gamstetter history, BMXmuseum.com, Wikipedia, and USA BMX records.
"The Original" · 1977
Torker's first big-name factory rider. Rode the original MX Big Bike — twin top tube, built for power. While on Torker, became California State Champion and won the NBA / Mongoose Grand Nationals. The original proof that yellow and black won races.
FIRST TORKER FACTORY RIDER · GRAND NATIONALS WINNER"King Edward" / "Silver Bullet" · Fall 1978 – Sept. 1980
The rider most synonymous with the Torker name. Full factory from Fall 1978. Earned two #1 number plates on Torker. First rider with a Torker signature frame — the LP Eddy King Replica. Had input on top tube length and head tube angle. BMXA cover, June 1980 — five-page pictorial. Left for Diamondback in October 1980 but the legacy was permanent. Wikipedia →
★ ABA BMX HALL OF FAME — 1989Mike King
"Mikey King" · ~1979–1981
Younger brother of Eddy King. Rode alongside Eddy on the legendary 1979–80 golden era team. Featured in the landmark BMX Plus! Torker team feature, May 1980.
★ BMX HALL OF FAME INDUCTEEThe Tall Man · ~1979–1981
At 6-foot 3-inches, towered over every teammate. Part of the official 1979 #1 team photo. Built custom LP versions with 4"–5" longer front ends — "everyone that rode it fell in love." His work directly influenced the 280X long-frame concept.
"Aggie" · ~1979–1981
Joined the factory team at just 13 years old. Part of the official 1979 #1 team and the landmark May 1980 BMX Plus! team feature. Toured the country on the factory program. His words: "Life on the Torker Team was a dream at the age of 13."
"Juicy Jaws" · ~1979–1982
Joined as a 9-year-old mini rider. His 1979 copper/black mini Torker appeared on the cover of Bicycle Motocross Action. Part of the May 1980 BMX Plus! team feature. Steve Johnson personally brought Jensen to the 1981 Anglo-American Cup in England.
~1979–1981
Part of the official 1979 #1 Factory Team — the photo that told America what yellow and black was capable of. Competed at USA BMX nationals throughout the peak LP era.
"The Barbarian" / "Miller Time" · Late Dec. 1979 – Dec. 1982
The first and most notorious Torker Pro. Star of the legendary "Torker the Barbarian" full-color ad — shirtless, war-painted, à la Conan the Barbarian. Dominated Pro Cruiser: first raced Torker's 26" cruiser April 1981 (took 1st immediately), then the 24" from 1982. BMXA cover, February 1983. Traveled to England for the 1981 Anglo-American Cup. Left for Kuwahara January 1983 — went on to win the IBMXF BMX World Championship in Slagharen, Holland. Wikipedia →
★ BMX HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE"The Heart Throb" · ~1980–1982
Elite Women factory rider. Featured in the landmark December 1980 BMXA 12-page Maxflyte team feature. One of the early women to hold a full factory ride in BMX history.
PIONEER OF WOMEN'S FACTORY BMX RACINGPatti Gammill
~1980–1981
Women's class factory rider during the LP era. Listed in the December 1980 BMXA Maxflyte team feature as an active member alongside Cathy Hanna, Clint Miller, and Jason Jensen.
Harold "Magoo" McGruther
1979–1981 (rider) · 1982–1984 (factory employee)
Raced for Torker 1979–1981, then worked at the Fullerton factory until its closure in November 1984. Key first-person source in Torker's documented history. Co-designed the Torker Freestylist frame with Martin Aparijo.
The Rad Jumper · ~1981–1983
International factory rider. Traveled to the 1981 Anglo-American Cup in England with Steve Johnson, Clint Miller, and Jason Jensen. Race photos confirm him on the new Pro-X frame in 1982–83. Later founded Hot Shoppe Designs.
Kelly McDougal
~1982–1984
Added to the team in 1982. Race photos confirm McDougal on the new Pro-X frame (19.5" top tube) at nationals — one of the first riders on Torker's performance flagship.
"The King of the Skateparks" · ~1980–1982 (equipment)
Born September 28, 1964, Bellflower, CA. In his own words: "My first sponsor was Premier helmets, then Torker — they just gave us bikes." Rode Torker LP equipment in the earliest King of the Skateparks events — the competitions that invented competitive freestyle BMX. Won the King of the Skateparks title 6 times. Later a Hollywood stunt rider in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Bourne Legacy. Wikipedia →
★ ABA BMX HALL OF FAME — 2009, FREESTYLE PIONEERMartin Aparijo
The Original Factory Freestyler · ~1983–1984
First officially factory-contracted Torker freestyle rider. Co-designed the Torker Freestylist frame with Harold "Magoo" McGruther — the first production freestyle-specific frame sold under the Torker name. Very few produced before the November 1984 bankruptcy.
DESIGNER OF THE TORKER FREESTYLIST FRAME"The Human Dragster" · Oct. 1, 1983 – Nov. 1984
Joined October 1, 1983 from Powerlite. Rode the Pro-X. Won 4 Pro races in 1984. Lived with Miranda in a Fullerton apartment directly above team manager Mike McLaughlin. Torker went bankrupt while the team was racing on the East Coast — Brackens found out from other racers at the event. After Torker joined GT. Won the 1987 BMXA NORA Cup (17.91% of vote). The new Torker Pro-X is his tribute frame. Wikipedia →
★ ABA BMX HALL OF FAME — 1991"Hollywood" · Jan. 1984 – Sept. 14, 1984
Joined specifically to ride alongside his best friend Tommy Brackens. Shared apartment, trained together, traveled the world as a unit. Won 4 Pro races in 1984. Won the 1986 BMXA NORA Cup — #1 Racer in America — beating Greg Hill by exactly 3 votes. Wikipedia →
1986 BMXA NORA CUP — #1 RACER IN AMERICARichie Anderson
"The Avalanche" · July 1984 – Nov. 1984
Joined July 1984 as part of Steve Johnson's final roster rebuild. Left November 1984 when Torker disbanded. One of the top Pro racers of the era.
★ BMX HALL OF FAME INDUCTEECraig Bark
~1983–1984
Part of the 1983–84 rebuild. Torker developed the 1984 Mini Pro frame specifically for Craig Bark — never mass-produced due to the bankruptcy. The only rider in Torker history with a frame built solely for them (serial # ending in "RP").
NAMESAKE OF THE 1984 TORKER MINI PRO FRAMEAlso on the 1984 Final Team:
Willie Huebner · Jennie Zeuner · Todd Corbitt · Jason Foxe · Jason Theodore
All part of Steve Johnson's final 1984 roster — featured in the Super BMX November 1984 team profile published just as Torker was entering bankruptcy.
Bob Haro
The Godfather of Freestyle · ~1980–1983 (business relationship)
Rode a modified Torker LP in early freestyle demos. By 1982 Haro Bikes was Torker's biggest single frame customer — Torker's Fullerton factory manufactured the Haro Freestyler (serial #s ending "F"), the first purpose-built freestyle BMX frame, through late 1983. USA BMX's 2012 HOF induction for Steve Johnson specifically cited this partnership.
★ BMX HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE — BOB HAROSteve Veltman
"Spider-Man" / "V-Dog" · Oct. 1996 – Nov. 1997
Born August 4, 1969, Philadelphia, PA. One of the most decorated BMX racers in history, riding for Torker during the Seattle Bicycle Supply era. First rider ever to win ABA National #1 Amateur and Cruiser titles in the same year (1982). IBMXF Double World Champion, Junior Men 20" & 24" (Ohio, 1982). IBMXF World Champion, Junior Men 20" (Slagharen, Holland, 1983). IBMXF World Champion, Elite Men 24" Cruiser (Australia, 1989). Won both the NBL and ABA Grand Nationals as a Pro. 1993 ABA National #1 Pro. Competed in three X Games. Raced the top class for 15 years. The only BMX racer ever to appear on a Wheaties cereal box (1983). Wikipedia →
★ USA BMX HALL OF FAME INDUCTEEONLY BMX RACER ON A WHEATIES BOX · 1993 ABA NATIONAL #1 PRO
Cheri Elliott
SBS / Torker era
Competed in the women's class on Torker during the Seattle Bike Supply era. Listed on Wikipedia's official Torker team roster. After BMX, became a full-time real estate broker — a career she shares with fellow Torker alumnus Eddy King.
"The Master" / "The Diesel" · ~Late 1990s – c.2001
Born June 4, 1970, Azusa, California. The face of Torker's mid-school SBS era. 1986 BMX World Champion (junior pro, Gainesville, FL). Held national rankings as high as #7 Cruiser and #17 AA Pro (ABA 1999). Co-sponsors included ODI, Oakley, Troy Lee Designs, Tioga, and Crupi. Last great factory pro to carry the Torker name before the brand's dark period. The new Diesel Frame Set is named in his honor. Wikipedia →
1986 BMX WORLD CHAMPION · LAST TORKER FACTORY PROCurrent Factory Rider · 2024–Present
First active factory rider of the re-launched Torker brand under Supercross BMX / Bill Ryan ownership — Apple Valley, California. Carrying the tradition forward that started with Kevin McNeal and the original MX Big Bike in 1977.
CURRENT TORKER FACTORY RIDER · 2024–
CHAPTER 03
The Hall of Fame Record
No other original-era factory BMX program produced more Hall of Fame inductees than Torker. When USA BMX inducted Steve Johnson himself in 2012, the citation specifically noted the caliber of riders his program attracted over its eight years. The record:
Kevin McNeal
First factory rider. California State Champion. NBA / Mongoose Grand Nationals winner, 1977.
Eddy King — ABA BMX Hall of Fame, 1989
Two #1 plates on Torker. First Torker signature frame. June 1980 BMXA cover. Wikipedia →
Mike King — BMX Hall of Fame
Rode alongside brother Eddy during the 1979–80 golden era. Part of the May 1980 BMX Plus! team feature.
Clint Miller — BMX Hall of Fame
The Barbarian. Pro Cruiser dominant. Star of Torker's most iconic ad. Later won the IBMXF World Championship on Kuwahara. Wikipedia →
Tommy Brackens — ABA BMX Hall of Fame, 1991
The Human Dragster. 4 Pro wins in 1984. 1987 NORA Cup winner. Wikipedia →
Mike Miranda — 1986 BMXA NORA Cup, #1 Racer in America
Hollywood. 4 Pro wins in 1984. Beat Greg Hill by exactly 3 votes. Wikipedia →
Richie Anderson — BMX Hall of Fame
Joined July 1984. Part of the final factory team rebuild.
Bob Haro — BMX Hall of Fame
Torker built the Haro Freestyler — the first purpose-built freestyle BMX frame — in Fullerton, 1982–83.
Eddie Fiola — ABA BMX Hall of Fame, 2009
6x King of the Skateparks. Rode Torker equipment as freestyle BMX was being invented. Wikipedia →
Steve Veltman — USA BMX Hall of Fame
Rode for Torker (SBS) Oct. 1996–Nov. 1997. 1993 ABA #1 Pro. Multiple IBMXF World Champion. Only BMX racer on a Wheaties box. Wikipedia →
Steve Johnson — National BMX Hall of Fame, 2012
Inducted for building the Torker brand, factory team, and his foundational role in the development of freestyle BMX. The man who built it all.
CHAPTER 04 — THE LEGACY
The End — and the Return
Torker filed for bankruptcy in November 1984. At the auction, Seattle Bike Supply bought the Torker name for $3,000. Harold "Magoo" McGruther bought his wooden desk and chair for $25. For two decades, the name drifted through unicycles, beach cruisers, and townie bikes. The BMX community never forgot.
In 2015, Bill Ryan and Supercross BMX (Apple Valley, California) began acquiring the Torker name from Accell North America. After nearly a decade of restoration, research, and development, Torker officially relaunched on April 12, 2024 — with frames honoring every era: the EK, the LP, the Barbarian, the Pro-X, the Diesel, and a full freestyle line.
This page is a work in progress. And is not 100% complete. If you have information on this, or you were a Team Rider back in the day - Please contact us, we want this as complete and as accurate as possible. Please e-mail - bmx@torkerracing.com
"It couldn't be in better hands with Bill Ryan and his team. I can't believe 43 years later I'm still as excited to be part of the Torker legacy as ever."
— Alan Woods, Alan's BMX UK — Torker's UK Importer Since 1981
READY TO RIDE?
Race the Legend.
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SHOP TORKER FRAMES →FULL TEAM HISTORY →
Sources: Torker Racing official history and rider pages (torkerracing.com) · "To the Max: The History of Torker 1975–1984" by Michael Gamstetter (BMX Action / Forty Four 16) · BMXmuseum.com forums and reference entries · Wikipedia: Eddy King, Clint Miller, Tommy Brackens, Mike Miranda, Eddie Fiola, Steve Veltman, Matt Hadan, Richie Anderson · USA BMX National BMX Hall of Fame 2012 induction for Steve Johnson · Alan's BMX UK Countdown to T-Day series (2024) · Steve Veltman LinkedIn (Torker tenure Oct 1996–Nov 1997 confirmed) · Cheri Elliott listed per Wikipedia Torker team page. Years marked "~" are approximate. If you rode for Torker and aren't listed — contact torkerracing.com. This history is ongoing.