Schwinn Quality? Schwinn Hurricane?

GoldenMotor.com

scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
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Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
I was in Toy-R-Us with my youngest son this past weekend and checked their bike selection too see if anything was worth motorizing.......I saw two Schwinn cruisers. They were both the same model (Hurricane) and were selling for $139.99. The more I looked at them, the more I was convinced I would not put an engine on one.

Then I had too laugh seeing the Schwinn Quality emblem on the seat tube.....what a joke! Those things are so poorly thrown together in China, some of the tubing bends looked like they crimped in a vice and then yanked on. I wouldn't pay $139.99 for the both of them, let alone stick an engine on them.

The only thing I can say nice about the Schwinn "Hurricane" is the color scheme......kind of a semi-gloss/flat black with blood red graphics and accents.

JUNK!

 
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happyvalley

New Member
Jul 24, 2008
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upper Pioneer Valley
These, and most of the Pacific brands, are made to a spec that just barely eases liability and built with a customer in mind who will only ride occasionally and pedal at 10 mph.
Dorel Industries main business is home furnishings.
 

scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
6,505
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Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
That's about the only way they can fetch $140 for this piece of junk......branding it with a peel-n-stick Schwinn head badge and Schwinn logos. Pedaling it at 10mph is a risk....putting a motor on it is out of the question.

JUNK (jus sayin')

dnut

These, and most of the Pacific brands, are made to a spec that just barely eases liability and built with a customer in mind who will only ride occasionally and pedal at 10 mph.
Dorel Industries main business is home furnishings.
 

happyvalley

New Member
Jul 24, 2008
784
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upper Pioneer Valley
Ugh, Schwinn, a once proud name, now a slippery licensing agreement to enhance an off-shore profit center.

I'm currently doing a full refurbish on a 1976 Schwinn Paramount road bike, not to motorize, just to rideeeee. Hand built in Chicago lugged frame, Reynolds 531, full Campy component group. Now thats a bicycle, and made to be taken apart and put back together.
 
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Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
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Indianapolis
Ugh, Schwinn, a once proud name, now a slippery licensing agreement to enhance an off-shore profit center.

I'm currently doing a full refurbish on a 1976 Schwinn Paramount road bike, not to motorize, just to rideeeee. Hand built in Chicago lugged frame, Reynolds 531, full Campy component group. Now thats a bicycle, and made to be taken apart and put back together.
I rather like the older Schwinns myself. My wife's bike is a Chicago-built cruiser. It felt really heavy as I was putting it back together. But after all the grease packing and adjusting, I hopped on - and it felt light and relatively responsive for a big heavy bike. I was expecting sluggish. No wonder my wife won't part with it.
 

scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
6,505
24
38
Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
Yes, the Schwinn Paramount was a king in it's time......so was the DH6, the plush full-suspension team downhill bike Schwinn produced once-upon-a time, not so long ago! Guess what?

dnut
 

happyvalley

New Member
Jul 24, 2008
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upper Pioneer Valley
Yeah, the Schwinn Straight 6 mountain bike, a classic especially with the early, pull shock, Lawwill frame design, unfortunately it was part of the Yeti debacle, so they squandered another opportunity to build something great in the US and dumped the company.
 
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scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
6,505
24
38
Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
Yeah, the Schwinn Straight 6 mountain bike, a classic especially with the early, pull shock, Lawwill frame design, unfortunately it was part of the Yeti debacle, so they squandered another opportunity to build something great in the US and dumped the company.
Exactly.....sad and so true. The Straight 6 and Yeti ARC's were the bomb in their day (not so long ago).
 

happyvalley

New Member
Jul 24, 2008
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upper Pioneer Valley
Heh, you know the bikes Scotto, Yeti hooked up with Easton tubing to make the ARC, forerunner in a sub 5 lb. alu frame hardtail mountain bike.....or looptail as they called it, lol.
I had one and wish I still did. The lead welder on that for Yeti back in the day was FTW, (Frank the Welder) Frank lives and still runs a shop about 20 minutes up the road from me.
 

scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
6,505
24
38
Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
Yeppers, and you know of what you speak.....love the Yeti A.R.C....was fortunate enough to get to race one for Cantina Mtn. Bikes years ago. FTW, an awesome welder too say the least....thanks for sharing some quality news!

dnut

Heh, you know the bikes Scotto, Yeti hooked up with Easton tubing to make the ARC, forerunner in a sub 5 lb. alu frame hardtail mountain bike.....or looptail as they called it, lol.
I had one and wish I still did. The lead welder on that for Yeti back in the day was FTW, (Frank the Welder) Frank lives and still runs a shop about 20 minutes up the road from me.