1940s Monark-Firestone Super Cruiser for MB!

[datz510]

Found this gem on craigslist this week and picked it up the other day.

This is a late 1940s Monark Firestone Super Cruiser. Its got the important parts including the Monark frontend, the super deep rear fender (the front is the wrong fender), and a sweet art-deco rear rack dating from the 40s. The seat appears to be new old stock, or a good repro of the original.

The bike had been brush painted light blue at one time and also has a spot where the brazing cracked and someone rewelded it. I'll be working with lennyharp to repair this and restore the frame to like-new shape. The original paint scheme appears to be light blue fenders with dark blue frame? I'll know for sure when I take some of the paint off.

The fat fender really makes the bike. I'll be searching for the proper deep front fender to match:

You can see the Firestone logo under the paint here:


The front suspension is in very nice shape. Excellent chrome:


Here is the headbadge. This bike originally had a tank on it, so I'll be looking for one of those to house the fuel tank for an MB build!

[datz510]

Really old tires:


Fat Fender:


Original New Departure Model D rear hub. The wheels appear to both be original too, but have been brush painted silver. The original color for the wheels appears to have been white.


The S/N tag on the frame reads model as "4400E".

[datz510]

The front fender is completely wrong.. You can see how someone forced the fender on the springer frontend:


here is how the frontend should look and the original deep style front fender & light I'm going to look for:

[datz510]

So, I need to figure out what kind of motor to use on this bike. I am thinking a Morini or somethign else that has a lower profile to clear the middle tube.

I'll build a fuel tank inside the fake tank with a filler that comes out the side.

So what kindof ideas do you all have for this one? It's going to be cool, whatever way it goes!

[lennyharp]

That is a great find. I had one but not so complete back in early 1980's.. I think they are one of the better production cruisers, but if you want to see the latest in cruiser action check this one out. The Legendary Joe Murray's new company called Sendero Cycles. We have to design ours around the motor so there is plenty of under the hood room and yet this much style. And all that Jazz.!! Ask me about Joe Murray if you are bored and want to know about the early days of All Terrain Bicycle design and racing. At least click on his video to hear some design features and while you are at it check this historical piece on YouTube called "Klunkerz: Mountain Bike History", in which Joe Is mentioned in passing. I believe that Joe raced for Tom Ritchie, one of the few original Mountain Bike frame builders. Tom calls himself an evangelist for bicycles now, in the interview. This may delude your impressions of the birth of a now great Olympic Sport. This is also the source of our best bike frames for motorizing.

[klunkerbill]

It's Joe Breeze that is profiled in Klunkerz, not Joe Murray...but J.M. is an awesome racer/designer! I had one of the bikes he designed for Marin back in the 80s.
Ride on,
Billy Savage
writer/producer/director
KLUNKERZ

[lennyharp]

Joe Murray is who has a shop in Arizona and was national Champion 1984 and 1985 the first 2 years of Mountain bike organization with NORBA and all. You are right the Joe they mention in the clip was Joe Breeze, a fast downhiller who built some dynamite frames during those formative years (even into the 70's) of Mt Bike racing and they both contributed a lot to geometries that we now use. All this only relates loosely to the Monarch Bike Datz510 started the thread about. The Monarch was a little short for the down hill races and the Schwinn Excelcior was about spot on until Lawill Knight, Joe Breeze, Tom Ritchie, Gary Fisher and a few other frame builders started building Mountain Bike frames. I guess some would not consider these as improved but for function I do as I have logged many miles on many different bikes and can truly say I would rather ride a precision built bike with a light weight frame compared to a tank. Even now if I break down motorized I want to be able to ride home and do. Charlie Kelly's Mountain Bike Hub. All this comes from Charlies Pioneers of Mountain Biking and a mix of my memories. A local shop owner traded me his Stumpjumper 1st edition back in early 1985 or late 1984. My riding buddies both had Lawill Knight bikes, and the shop owner ordered a custom Mootz in their earliest incarnation. I think it was 1985 when I helped put on WATA Races out in Saghuaro Lake / Four Peaks area using CABA club from the road touring community to help.

[klunkerbill]

Lenny,
Sounds like you're steeped in some of this history. Joe Murray and (Jammin') Jimmy Deaton were two of my favorite racers back in the day. Jimmy's racing again! Anyway, you might enjoy watching my film. I'm going to Marin to see CK, Joe Breeze, and some of the other guys next week. PBS will be airing Klunkerz this summer, so I'm heading up to the Bay Area to work with PBS on a 'tame' edit of the film. I can't post links on this site, but if you go to YouTube and search Klunkerz: A Film About Mountain Bike History, you can get a glimpse of my film.
Ride on,
Billy
writer/producer/director
KLUNKERZ

[lennyharp]

After 3 or 4 posts you can put up links in "Go Advanced" Now don't make it to tame but make it family friendly so the kids can see and copy. My 8 year old raced in a race back about 90 and I rode single speed then. I heard a voice as I raced in 2nd that said "Go find Sam, he is lost". After a repeat voice, I went back and found a happy 8yr old boy on a 20" 10 speed with all the cool stuff. He had been lost but found his way onto the course again. That was one tough 8 year old. You njeed to start a new post that tells about your movie
YouTube - Klunkerz: A Film About Mountain Bike History

[NEAT TIMES]

Datz, Congrats On A Great Find. Great Pics. Ron