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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 13, 2018 21:42:05 GMT -5
JR,
Speaking for every member, THANK YOU for bringing some sanity here! This never-ending trashing got me to lose my own temper a few times, and for that, I truly apologize.
Most sincerely,
Leo
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 15, 2018 0:04:41 GMT -5
Cheesh! I forgot to share pix of my very LAST bike build... MOTOR? We don't need no stinking MOTOR! Oh, yeah... I truly am lost in the fifties... Not a bad place, either!    Yeah... NO motor at all... But definitely a fun build!
And surely the Old Chopper Guy's last...
A few years back, I was not able to get around much all winter, so I made it my "mission" to create my childhood "Dream Scwhinn"... LOL! And determined to fab it up from the most authentic and period-correct parts I could find... No real reason except for the challenge.
THIS is my daily "go get the mail" ride... And what a cornucopia of parts! Frame is authentic pre-war Schwinn, as is the chainguard, chainwheel, pedals, chopped fender and such... The spring-fork and wheels including the sweet 7-speed in-hub rear are second-issue Schwinn from the 1990's.
The headlight is a NOS 1930's unit complete with original ribbed-glass lens. I converted it to 6v LED using the LED and reflector from a Wally World lantern. Juice comes from a 1960's NOS generator. And seriously, it's BETTER than the headlight on my old Chinese 150! The bars and long gooseneck are actually NOS from when I was around 9 years old... Still had them in a shed! The hairpin spring seat and chain are new re-pops. All the reflectors are authentic pre-war glass.
If you search eBay long enough, you can find ANYTHING! 
The decals are my own originals... The fictitious "Schwinn Yellow Jacket" a spoof on the old "Phantom" series. In the limited exposure this thing has had, it's a real HOOT how many guys want to know about this phony model... THAT has been serious FUN! I'd encourage anyone to try making their own original waterslide decals! It's easy and impressive!
The TIRES are actually NOS from the 1940's! Yes, the FORTIES... "Union" brand, the tread being the word "UNION" repeated over and over. Found them on eBay. Factory-wrapped in waxed paper! Amazingly they are still soft and pliable with no dry-rot! When they fail, I'll never find another set for sure...
This "bobber" will likely be the last scratch-build these old hands will tackle... Not a motor vehicle, but definitely one of my best creations! Rides like a Lincoln Town Car! Couldn't leave it out!
Yeah, it's a BICYCLE... But, it's 110% ME through and through... 
Hmmm... If I ever end up too far over the hill to even ride "Minnie Mouse" THIS ride will definitely receive a Whizzer conversion! Heck, I just might do THAT anyway! Guess I'll call her "Old Yeller".
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Post by SylvreKat on Sept 15, 2018 7:09:41 GMT -5
You and your whitewalls....
That really is a beautiful machine! Love the curves of the frame. And the colors. But Old Yeller doesn't seem the right name for her--she's way more elegant than that thievin' lop-eared old yeller dog.
Btb, that is one of my fave scenes--Chuck Connors confronting Arliss. Perfect camera work, making the already-tall Connors appear even taller, per Arliss' viewpoint. Wonderful!
>'Kat
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Post by wheelbender6 on Sept 15, 2018 7:58:03 GMT -5
I love a beach cruiser bike with a Springer fork, Leo. That one is a real gem.I like those Nexus multi-gear rear hubs because you can get them with a coaster brake, which eliminates the need for a lot brake cables and gives the bike a cleaner look.
-When I was a kid, that curvy cantilever frame was just called a bicycle. Now they are almost called beach cruisers, even if they are sold in Tulsa.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 15, 2018 19:11:12 GMT -5
You and your whitewalls.... That really is a beautiful machine! Love the curves of the frame. And the colors. But Old Yeller doesn't seem the right name for her--she's way more elegant than that thievin' lop-eared old yeller dog. Btb, that is one of my fave scenes--Chuck Connors confronting Arliss. Perfect camera work, making the already-tall Connors appear even taller, per Arliss' viewpoint. Wonderful! >'Kat
I've been a fan of fat-tire Schwinn bikes since before I could walk! They had it in spades! When you're a little nipper riding one of these, you own the schoolyard! This one DOES incorporate some neat old stuff! Those wide whites ARE original pre-war NOS. Took two days of scrubbing with bleach to turn them from "tan" to white! It's a miracle they are still rideable. Yeah, Chuck Connors was a BIG rascal! Something like 6' 5" and a LOT of muscle! I almost got the scoot out today, but no sooner than I got the tarps off and tires aired, it clouded up and the monsoon began... Cheesh! I've about forgotten how to ride. Ride safe!Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 15, 2018 19:51:20 GMT -5
I love a beach cruiser bike with a Springer fork, Leo. That one is a real gem.I like those Nexus multi-gear rear hubs because you can get them with a coaster brake, which eliminates the need for a lot brake cables and gives the bike a cleaner look. -When I was a kid, that curvy cantilever frame was just called a bicycle. Now they are almost called beach cruisers, even if they are sold in Tulsa.
Any guy (or gal) who likes Harleys, choppers, etc. just HAS to appreciate cruiser bicycles!
You're spot-on about the 7-speed hubs with coaster brake. Mine has that and it really does keep the old single-speed Bendix hub look! The only thing I am not crazy about with the Schwinn springer is that it "bounces" forward and backward. It DOES work, but for handling AND cosmetics, I'd prefer the old Monarch springer that copied the Harley springer... Check picture below... Is THAT cool or what?Now picture it on a Schwinn cruiser frame with a real drum-front brake... Broomsticks or "mustache" bars, headlight perched on top of the bars... Bates narrow hairpin seat, bike-sized pillion pad... And the "just right" motor with big drive-belt to a huge sheave on the rear spokes. Maybe one of the Honda pull-start OHV mills, or even a salvaged Chinese 50-125cc clutch n' gears engines.
Whew! Be still my beating heart!  
Part Whizzer, part flat-track board-racer and part fifties bobber... Could ANYTHING not capable of more than 40mph be more addictive? Of course, you'd have over a grand in it, but WHAT a classy ride!!! Just do NOT call it a "MOPED"...
Ride safe, even if the ride has pedals!Leo |
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Post by SylvreKat on Sept 15, 2018 23:25:08 GMT -5
Shall I make you cry?
We used to own a banana-seat Schwinn with the fat smooth back tire and the high handlebars and pedal-brakes. Sold it in a garage sale decades ago for probably $20. I named it the Dragon 'cause it was metallic green.
We still have Mom's old Schwinn. It's a 5-speed, lady's frame, metallic green with a small green & white seat and short handlebars. It used to have white walls but unlike our Leo I don't care either way.
>'Kat
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Post by wheelbender6 on Sept 16, 2018 21:56:46 GMT -5
"Part Whizzer, part flat-track board-racer and part fifties bobber..."
There is a Whizzer NE5 on my local craigslist for $250, Leo. Runs, but not for long. Its all there. Even if the motor is fully scorched, I could replace it with an industrial type motor like a Harbor Freight 212cc.
Unfortunately, business is great these days, so I would not have time to get started on the Whizzer until the Thanksgiving weekend.
I considered buying that Whizzer just to pedal it, after engine removal. It comes with a front drum brake and many other nice-to-haves.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 16, 2018 22:06:03 GMT -5
Shall I make you cry? We used to own a banana-seat Schwinn with the fat smooth back tire and the high handlebars and pedal-brakes. Sold it in a garage sale decades ago for probably $20. I named it the Dragon 'cause it was metallic green. We still have Mom's old Schwinn. It's a 5-speed, lady's frame, metallic green with a small green & white seat and short handlebars. It used to have white walls but unlike our Leo I don't care either way. >'Kat Kat, That banana-seat Schwinn is probably one of the "Crate" series. Green ones being the "Apple Crate". Coolest bikes of their day! "Stick" shifter, ape-hangers, rear slick, springer fork and sissy bar. They still have a major following today and bring collector prices! Every so often the "American Pickers" find one! Your Mom's bike is a nice one, but "girl's bikes" don't bring the bux the "boy's bikes" do... Girls took better care of them so there are too many around! LOL... Nothing with pedals rides quite so smooth as a good old fat-tire Schwinn... Other makers are now making similar bikes (in China)… and they are still classic and fun to ride! Ride safe! Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 16, 2018 22:14:42 GMT -5
"Part Whizzer, part flat-track board-racer and part fifties bobber..."There is a Whizzer NE5 on my local craigslist for $250, Leo. Runs, but not for long. Its all there. Even if the motor is fully scorched, I could replace it with an industrial type motor like a Harbor Freight 212cc. Unfortunately, business is great these days, so I would not have time to get started on the Whizzer until the Thanksgiving weekend. I considered buying that Whizzer just to pedal it, after engine removal. It comes with a front drum brake and many other nice-to-haves.
For $250 I'd go for the Whizzer!I believe there are NEW Whizzer engines available for the current reproductions. The engine is a major part of the cosmetics, but if you could "Frankenstein" in a Harbor Freight motor it would be MUCH more reliable and faster. You'd have to do some fancy mount-fabrication, and hook it up with the Whizzer belt-clutch setup, but the end result would be GREAT! The "real" Whizzers on Schwinn frames often do have the rare and pricey drum front brake, and likely the super-heavy-duty thick spokes. They were REAL motorbikes. Made us wanna vomit every time we heard the totally European term "moped"... Whizzers were the po' kid's Harley!I'd go for it! Ride safe!Leo
PS: Here's some "eye-candy" to get the juices flowing! Any guy or gal from ten to ninety would love to pull up on THIS bad boy... |
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