"Purple Rain" Schwinn Spitfire Cruiser

Venice Motor Bikes · #1 09-02-2009, 07:22 PM

This is a bike that I built for my GF.
It got the name "Purple Rain" from a passer-by the day she bought it. (The name just stuck)

It's a 1980 Schwinn Spitfire that was totally restored, right down to chroming every nut & bolt! (seriously)
It was built up right, with 100% Schwinn parts!
I decided to "double up" the engine mounts, & do all my little tricks on this one... (I wanted it to be extra nice.)
It's also getting a front drum brake next week. I'll post pics...

It's hard to tell from these pics just how purple this bike really is, but the name really fits it!!! (The fires near LA are messing up the sunlight in these pics.)

Kevlarr · #2 09-02-2009, 07:30 PM

Love the gas tank! Ran across one on ebay and thought that it would look better then the teardrop tank problem is they wanted way too much for it because it had the "original B&S sticker on one end!"

Venice Motor Bikes · #3 09-17-2009, 05:29 PM

Here's a little update... I added a springer fork & I laced a drum brake into the schwinn wheel.

diceman2004 · #4 09-18-2009, 11:28 PM

hows that front drum brake ? i just bought a sturmey archer that i was gonna use on my jessie james project , but i think i,m gonna save it for my next bike . just wondering how good it works . i,m thinking of one of those rear band drum units also . thats a pretty clean lookin setup on that springer front you got there

azbill · #5 09-19-2009, 01:00 AM

nice looking ride !!!
good job on the wheel...I like that style of drum for it's old school look....how does it compare to a S/A ?

Venice Motor Bikes · #6 09-19-2009, 10:43 AM

I bought this drum because of it's look... (it looks like a old Schwinn "Atom" brake)
I haven't used a "Sturmey" yet, so I can't compare it.
It stops ok... But the discs work the best!

azbill · #7 09-19-2009, 02:42 PM

good pick on the looks

...sorry, thought you had done the sturmeys before

silverbear · #8 09-21-2009, 09:31 PM

That is a beautiful, clean build and I really like the color.
Silverbear

mechanickid · #9 09-21-2009, 09:33 PM

what air filter? i like the tank too

Venice Motor Bikes · #10 11-05-2010, 09:36 AM

Here's a little update on Jen's bike...
As many of you who've been on the LA rides know, Jen's bike had big chrome fenders on it for a long time... I took 'em off & installed one of my disc brakes on the front for her. (that drum looked good, but it just didn't stop very well.)
I built a whole new front wheel from a nice vintage Schwinn wheel that I picked up at the LB swap meet.

Below is what it used to look like....