Vintage treaure hunt... woohoo!
- Thread starter silverbear
- Start date
Hey Baird, I'm here to second the idea that you guys drive up. Life begins after a full day of fun when you sit in the lake up to your neck in water and watch the ducks glide by 10 feet away as if you are part of the normal every day lake. Beautiful state parks, charming towns and a great host. Does anyone need more?
Steve.
Steve.
it's a long way from california, but i've got a long time to work out how i can get down there. maybe a coast to coast endurance test on a 2 stroke.
(i wonder which has more endurance, my bike, or me?
)
(i wonder which has more endurance, my bike, or me?
)
Thanks, Norm. Then I will consider it a late birthday present. 1/8/1945 I was six, didn't have a two wheeler yet and wouldn't have been able to reach the pedals on that one, so it's good that I have it now that I can reach the pedals. But I want to know who beat the crap out of my bike and where has it been for the last sixty years? Talk about waiting forever for the man in brown... And I asked Santa Claus for a red one and that bike no longer has a color. I wonder if it was insured.
SB
Some new developments...
I learned from another thread that parts are available for the springer front fork on my birthday bike Schwinn and they are very reasonably priced. So that bike is going to be a winner and is getting bumped up for a do over this winter if I can manage it. I want to get the frame stripped and painted, build new old wheels for it, rebuild the springer and have it ready for a motor next summer and let a customer decide if they want a 2 stroke or a 4 stroke. Or if I have the funds it will get a four stroke. Fenders and Hornet chain guard will come from the black middleweight Schwinn.
I found a couple pictures of the Gambils Hiawatha. Pictured is the mens Hiawatha Arrow of the 1930's with a Shelby frame and also the womens Hiawatha of the same time frame and what my beat up Hiawatha would have looked like back when. Pretty neat bike. If I found a mens frame I could switch fenders over to it, but I imagine as rare as they are that a lot of money is involved. And even finding the gas tank for the womens model would no doubt cost a small fortune. But I still think the bike has a lot of potential, especially after seeing what they looked like new. I do have a second Hiawatha I brought home, a "Seminole" which must be early sixties or so a the pedals have reflectors... no 7 seat post like the old one, and generally cheaper and 24"... but with the same rear rack the old one came with. I can make the old Hiawatha into a neat bike and that, too, is a candidate for a four stroke. Ladies too, should have bikes which ring their bells. I'm talking about older ladies (the kind I like) who have some money and like to indulge themselves... so something cool to putt around town with that starts easily with virtually no maintenance and since it is a Hiawatha, give it some nice fringed leather grips with some bead work, a cushy leather seat and maybe a cut down canoe sidecar to hold her shopping bags and foo foo dog. An expensive toy for a rich lady. In the summer a lot of tourist and summer vacation money flows through little Ely, MN. So that one, too, is a keeper.
And the Monarch is finding a new home...
SB
I learned from another thread that parts are available for the springer front fork on my birthday bike Schwinn and they are very reasonably priced. So that bike is going to be a winner and is getting bumped up for a do over this winter if I can manage it. I want to get the frame stripped and painted, build new old wheels for it, rebuild the springer and have it ready for a motor next summer and let a customer decide if they want a 2 stroke or a 4 stroke. Or if I have the funds it will get a four stroke. Fenders and Hornet chain guard will come from the black middleweight Schwinn.
I found a couple pictures of the Gambils Hiawatha. Pictured is the mens Hiawatha Arrow of the 1930's with a Shelby frame and also the womens Hiawatha of the same time frame and what my beat up Hiawatha would have looked like back when. Pretty neat bike. If I found a mens frame I could switch fenders over to it, but I imagine as rare as they are that a lot of money is involved. And even finding the gas tank for the womens model would no doubt cost a small fortune. But I still think the bike has a lot of potential, especially after seeing what they looked like new. I do have a second Hiawatha I brought home, a "Seminole" which must be early sixties or so a the pedals have reflectors... no 7 seat post like the old one, and generally cheaper and 24"... but with the same rear rack the old one came with. I can make the old Hiawatha into a neat bike and that, too, is a candidate for a four stroke. Ladies too, should have bikes which ring their bells. I'm talking about older ladies (the kind I like) who have some money and like to indulge themselves... so something cool to putt around town with that starts easily with virtually no maintenance and since it is a Hiawatha, give it some nice fringed leather grips with some bead work, a cushy leather seat and maybe a cut down canoe sidecar to hold her shopping bags and foo foo dog. An expensive toy for a rich lady. In the summer a lot of tourist and summer vacation money flows through little Ely, MN. So that one, too, is a keeper.
And the Monarch is finding a new home...
SB
Attachments
Yes, I'm passing the Monarch along. I gave it serious thought and for one thing realized I would not have the money or skill required to do this bike justice. So I toyed with the idea of putting it up for sale on ebay for the collectors out there, but decided against that, too. There are people on our forum who have a kind of love affair with certain makes and models of bikes. Bairdco comes to mind with his line of Colson jewels, one great build after another. I'm guessing if Barely ran across another Rollfast he'd be tempted. I know he really likes his build from last winter. And why not? It is a Rolls Royce of motored bicycles. Then I think of Norm of Venice Bikes and I know how much he likes the straight bar Schwinns (Sportscarpat, too), and when I think of Worksman Crazy Horse comes to mind with his passion for board track racers. I have my own love affair with old Elgins, but most are out of my reach. I think every so often though I will do one of the 1930's step through models with the art deco skirt guards like my 39 that burned last spring. I have a 34 which is getting the treatment this winter as a real ladies bike this time with the idea of selling it. Now I know how to build them right. So some of us have real preferences in what we like to work with.
And when I think of Monarch I have to think of Fasteddy. He restored a 1950's Monarch Silver King Super Deluxe this past winter and super it is. Steve worked as a restorer of antiques in his working life and is meticulous with the skills, knowledge and patience to make things perfect. He also restored furniture and is a master woodworker. He built a replica of a Chris Craft 40's or 50's speed boat, scaled down to be the sidecar for his spectacular Monarch... gleaming mahogany deck... oh man. When Steve visited last summer to help me build my canoe sidecar he spoke of being a boy in Canada and seeing all the wonderful cruisers which came along with the young tourists from the United States... Schwinns and Roll Fasts, no doubt some Colson's and Shelbys... and the shining Monarch Silver King, a jaw dropping display of Chrome doo dahs suggesting speed and class. He said all the boys he knew only had the single speed plain Jane bikes from England which were not so cool. It took him half a century, but Steve got the fancy bike of his boyhood dreams and did it up first class.
So that's where the Monarch is going, this time to become a gas bike. His other is electric. So this is perfect. I don't have to spend a dime or do any work at all to see this bike come alive and ride off into the sunset under motor power. Plus I get to further feed an addiction, contributing to the delinquency of a senior adult, a partner in crime. I'll spend some more time today in dismantling it to send off to Canada. I can't think of a better fate for this old bike... saved from the dump by my Indian friend who passed it along to my friend of twenty years ago, Scott, who gave it to me and now it is being passed along to my friend Steve from another Indian giver. The Monarch will live on. It will be fun to follow Steve's build thread this winter.
I think we did OK on this treasure hunt. And all winter I'll be wondering what is in those sheds...somewhere around a hundred and fifty bikes to look through... I can hardly wait.
SB
And when I think of Monarch I have to think of Fasteddy. He restored a 1950's Monarch Silver King Super Deluxe this past winter and super it is. Steve worked as a restorer of antiques in his working life and is meticulous with the skills, knowledge and patience to make things perfect. He also restored furniture and is a master woodworker. He built a replica of a Chris Craft 40's or 50's speed boat, scaled down to be the sidecar for his spectacular Monarch... gleaming mahogany deck... oh man. When Steve visited last summer to help me build my canoe sidecar he spoke of being a boy in Canada and seeing all the wonderful cruisers which came along with the young tourists from the United States... Schwinns and Roll Fasts, no doubt some Colson's and Shelbys... and the shining Monarch Silver King, a jaw dropping display of Chrome doo dahs suggesting speed and class. He said all the boys he knew only had the single speed plain Jane bikes from England which were not so cool. It took him half a century, but Steve got the fancy bike of his boyhood dreams and did it up first class.
So that's where the Monarch is going, this time to become a gas bike. His other is electric. So this is perfect. I don't have to spend a dime or do any work at all to see this bike come alive and ride off into the sunset under motor power. Plus I get to further feed an addiction, contributing to the delinquency of a senior adult, a partner in crime. I'll spend some more time today in dismantling it to send off to Canada. I can't think of a better fate for this old bike... saved from the dump by my Indian friend who passed it along to my friend of twenty years ago, Scott, who gave it to me and now it is being passed along to my friend Steve from another Indian giver. The Monarch will live on. It will be fun to follow Steve's build thread this winter.
I think we did OK on this treasure hunt. And all winter I'll be wondering what is in those sheds...somewhere around a hundred and fifty bikes to look through... I can hardly wait.
SB
Once again I forgot the photos. Here's some eye candy of what an original Monarch Silver King Super Deluxe looked like The light on the front fender is a speeding train engine... Ha!
SB
SB
Attachments
hey sb. if you can make it through ohio on your way east, i'll take all the 20" stingrays you can make room for.
Hey Cam,
I don't know that there were any actual sting rays, but there were a couple kind of like that which Scott pulled out for his brother. Too bad you're not into cheap ten speeds. I could bring you about 50 of those. But I'll be on the lookout for you and who knows what next summer will reveal or what I might run across at a yard sale up here. Scott did say that some of the bikes in better condition went into the sheds so we'll hope. I am going back to look for a 20" fender for my sidecar wheel before everything gets hauled off by the recycler. I forgot to look for one when I was there, so I'll look through to see if there's anything like a stingray. Does it have to be an actual stingray or is a clone OK?
SB
I don't know that there were any actual sting rays, but there were a couple kind of like that which Scott pulled out for his brother. Too bad you're not into cheap ten speeds. I could bring you about 50 of those. But I'll be on the lookout for you and who knows what next summer will reveal or what I might run across at a yard sale up here. Scott did say that some of the bikes in better condition went into the sheds so we'll hope. I am going back to look for a 20" fender for my sidecar wheel before everything gets hauled off by the recycler. I forgot to look for one when I was there, so I'll look through to see if there's anything like a stingray. Does it have to be an actual stingray or is a clone OK?
SB
anything like the red one in this pick will do, dosen't have to be a schwinn.
if you have the time you might want to start a for sale add and plot a route east where you could drop off bikes to members who want some old stuff, could pay for your gas and a little pocket money.
if you have the time you might want to start a for sale add and plot a route east where you could drop off bikes to members who want some old stuff, could pay for your gas and a little pocket money.
When Silverbear was showing us the Hiawatha I spotted the Monark in the background and thought of all the parts I had left over from my build that I could pass on to him when he built his up.
It was more than a bit of a surprise when the question came "Do you want the Monark".
I had kicked the idea around about building a gas powered Monark to use when I'm in the US. Gas motors are illegal in Canada.
It won't be the full tilt restoration that the electric one was. This is going to be a fun build with small departures from stock form. It will be powder coated and a not stock gas tank built. I'll build a separate, different style sidecar for this bike.
It will have an EZM set up with a Honda motor and Worksman wheels with brake drums.
The plan is to build the bike/sidecar here in Canada and put the motor in when I go to see Silverbear this Summer. He also offered me the other half of the canoe we made the sidecar out of this summer. I felt that it should go with the Hiawatha bike. How else can he reach the shores of Gitche Gumee.
The electric bike is almost finished. I had to change the mounting system so it would mount to the bike in a solid manner and not tilt. I hope by the end of the week to have it finished and running.
Steve.
It was more than a bit of a surprise when the question came "Do you want the Monark".
I had kicked the idea around about building a gas powered Monark to use when I'm in the US. Gas motors are illegal in Canada.
It won't be the full tilt restoration that the electric one was. This is going to be a fun build with small departures from stock form. It will be powder coated and a not stock gas tank built. I'll build a separate, different style sidecar for this bike.
It will have an EZM set up with a Honda motor and Worksman wheels with brake drums.
The plan is to build the bike/sidecar here in Canada and put the motor in when I go to see Silverbear this Summer. He also offered me the other half of the canoe we made the sidecar out of this summer. I felt that it should go with the Hiawatha bike. How else can he reach the shores of Gitche Gumee.
The electric bike is almost finished. I had to change the mounting system so it would mount to the bike in a solid manner and not tilt. I hope by the end of the week to have it finished and running.
Steve.
Cam,
Next time I'm in town I'll take a look at the orphan pile and see if there's anything like the red one. I'm going to just have the Cherokee and on the rear rack will have the 50 Schwinn Motorbike and on top two projects for the winter, a 34 Elgin step through and a 51 Schwinn cantilever framed Hornet. Inside will be tools, belongings, parts and Aaniimoosh The Wonder Dog. Not much room, but if there are any of the bikes for you I can strap them up top.
Dan,
Good to hear from you. I've been wondering how your four stroke Worksman News Boy is coming along. Did you manage to get the EZM in there? Gonna be a cool ride. Hope to see you when I get back to Maryland.
Steve,
I'm looking forward to your build, seeing what you do with it. You mentioned in an email today the possibility of a tricycle. I'm trying to visualize the world's only Monark Silver King Super Deluxe 4 stroke gas powered three wheeler... awesome! We are going to want pictures, lots of pictures. Wait til Scot sees what his throw away bike looks like by next summer...
i did some creative staring at that Hiawatha today and the sweep of the down tube is not real low as on the old step through Schwinns and Elgins, so a four stroke in that frame is out. Even a 2 stroke is pushing it. I may just let it sit under cover until the day I find a bare men's frame and use this one as a donor. On the 51 Schwinn I removed the banana seat and in it's place is the cool seat from the very first photo in this thread. Looks good on there. I will rebuild the springer front fork and will work on the bike this winter preparing it for a motor next summer. I set the peanut tank on there an it looks OK, but I think it is time for me to try making a copper in frame tank this winter. It will be a neat bike, so I'm happy with the treasure hunt, just for that alone.
SB
Next time I'm in town I'll take a look at the orphan pile and see if there's anything like the red one. I'm going to just have the Cherokee and on the rear rack will have the 50 Schwinn Motorbike and on top two projects for the winter, a 34 Elgin step through and a 51 Schwinn cantilever framed Hornet. Inside will be tools, belongings, parts and Aaniimoosh The Wonder Dog. Not much room, but if there are any of the bikes for you I can strap them up top.
Dan,
Good to hear from you. I've been wondering how your four stroke Worksman News Boy is coming along. Did you manage to get the EZM in there? Gonna be a cool ride. Hope to see you when I get back to Maryland.
Steve,
I'm looking forward to your build, seeing what you do with it. You mentioned in an email today the possibility of a tricycle. I'm trying to visualize the world's only Monark Silver King Super Deluxe 4 stroke gas powered three wheeler... awesome! We are going to want pictures, lots of pictures. Wait til Scot sees what his throw away bike looks like by next summer...
i did some creative staring at that Hiawatha today and the sweep of the down tube is not real low as on the old step through Schwinns and Elgins, so a four stroke in that frame is out. Even a 2 stroke is pushing it. I may just let it sit under cover until the day I find a bare men's frame and use this one as a donor. On the 51 Schwinn I removed the banana seat and in it's place is the cool seat from the very first photo in this thread. Looks good on there. I will rebuild the springer front fork and will work on the bike this winter preparing it for a motor next summer. I set the peanut tank on there an it looks OK, but I think it is time for me to try making a copper in frame tank this winter. It will be a neat bike, so I'm happy with the treasure hunt, just for that alone.
SB
Attachments
Creative staring, I love that term and I did a lot of that today. Rained a good part of the day so that ruled out welding outside. So what to do but sit inside and look for batteries for the electric bike and parts for Silverbears Monark.
A great way to slack off for the day and not feel guilty about what you really should be doing.
While trying to build the Monark on paper I kept seeing trike kits and my brothers constant "You should have built a trike" when I was building the sidecar kind of collided in my brain. No further damage was done fortunately. Then the, what if you built a Monark based trike and the, you already built a sidecar, started working and the trike won hands down. Less fabricating and far more riding. I would have swapped the sidecar from one Monark to the other but the electric hub motor is mounted on the side car and I would have to strip the wiring to use it and change out the motor wheel.
Just a lot of work.
So the race is on to get the sidecar Monark finished before the new Monark lands here and I have to hear about. I live with my brother and family and use the garage when I'm not traveling. Just about the time I wear out my welcome I'm on the road again and when I show up again they have forgotten.
Steve.
A great way to slack off for the day and not feel guilty about what you really should be doing.
While trying to build the Monark on paper I kept seeing trike kits and my brothers constant "You should have built a trike" when I was building the sidecar kind of collided in my brain. No further damage was done fortunately. Then the, what if you built a Monark based trike and the, you already built a sidecar, started working and the trike won hands down. Less fabricating and far more riding. I would have swapped the sidecar from one Monark to the other but the electric hub motor is mounted on the side car and I would have to strip the wiring to use it and change out the motor wheel.
Just a lot of work.
So the race is on to get the sidecar Monark finished before the new Monark lands here and I have to hear about. I live with my brother and family and use the garage when I'm not traveling. Just about the time I wear out my welcome I'm on the road again and when I show up again they have forgotten.
Steve.
You know, I have enough work to do with my Higgins. And I did promise my wife that I would keep only one MB. But, man oh man, I could have so much fun just looking. That is a treasure trove if ever there was one.
Steve,
I think the trike is a wonderful idea. I have your Monark all taken apart and will now be on the lookout for a suitable box. By the end of the week I should have been able to find either a bike box or make one from an appliance box or something. Will pack it up carefully and try to have it shipped next week. I'll be following your trike conversion closely since I anticipate doing one sometime in the future, probably with that 42 Schwinn step through I got when you were here this summer. By the time you're done I'll know how to go about it.
Allen,
I think of you sometimes when I'm riding, knowing you are not as you heal up from the accident. Your mishap was a reminder to me of how quickly things can go wrong. I, too, always wear a helmet. Last week I came close to having a bad one... had been riding along on the new Motorbike build thinking about other things and in a kind of blissful state... riding along in sunshine admiring the art show of leaf change at peak and had looked in the mirror a minute before... my turn around spot was coming up on the left and I failed to check the mirror again at that moment, turned and there were two cars right behind me. They braked and I could have been killed if one had chosen to pass me at that point. For a little bit there I questioned whether I should be riding one of these. Maybe I'm too old and starting to go senile or something. A lapse in attention like that could be my last lapse. It was a sobering moment. I didn't signal either. Just turned. I can't believe it. Anyway, I'm still here but must be more attentive or I won't be. I know your accident was the faultof someone else. This would have been entirely of my own making. I hope you're mending well. Are you up and around now, mobile somewhat? Wishing you well, Allen.
SB
I think the trike is a wonderful idea. I have your Monark all taken apart and will now be on the lookout for a suitable box. By the end of the week I should have been able to find either a bike box or make one from an appliance box or something. Will pack it up carefully and try to have it shipped next week. I'll be following your trike conversion closely since I anticipate doing one sometime in the future, probably with that 42 Schwinn step through I got when you were here this summer. By the time you're done I'll know how to go about it.
Allen,
I think of you sometimes when I'm riding, knowing you are not as you heal up from the accident. Your mishap was a reminder to me of how quickly things can go wrong. I, too, always wear a helmet. Last week I came close to having a bad one... had been riding along on the new Motorbike build thinking about other things and in a kind of blissful state... riding along in sunshine admiring the art show of leaf change at peak and had looked in the mirror a minute before... my turn around spot was coming up on the left and I failed to check the mirror again at that moment, turned and there were two cars right behind me. They braked and I could have been killed if one had chosen to pass me at that point. For a little bit there I questioned whether I should be riding one of these. Maybe I'm too old and starting to go senile or something. A lapse in attention like that could be my last lapse. It was a sobering moment. I didn't signal either. Just turned. I can't believe it. Anyway, I'm still here but must be more attentive or I won't be. I know your accident was the faultof someone else. This would have been entirely of my own making. I hope you're mending well. Are you up and around now, mobile somewhat? Wishing you well, Allen.
SB
We all suffer the occasional lapse silver - it's so long as it's a lapse and not a continuous state, it only serves as a reminder of the realities, a shocking reaffirmation of the chances we all take living life instead of simply watching it go by. In fact, your very ability to question yourself, your awareness of the potential hazards and the intimidate realization of your error gives me cause to think you're well suited to the task of maintaining a reasonable amount of personal safety while surrounded by those that may not be as astute.
At least in that particular instance those two car drivers weren't on their phones, texting about some irrelevant inanities as seems to be the norm lol
...and I'm filled with envy, jealously coveting the trove of forgotten treasures you've found BTW - but I'm very glad they've found a worthy home with someone that appreciates such
At least in that particular instance those two car drivers weren't on their phones, texting about some irrelevant inanities as seems to be the norm lol
...and I'm filled with envy, jealously coveting the trove of forgotten treasures you've found BTW - but I'm very glad they've found a worthy home with someone that appreciates such
SB, Finished the motormount and I have just enough height clearance. I tacked it in and have cut and widened the chainstays for clearance. Hope to do a final mock-up, so I can make sure the chain is gonna clear, and weld everything up this weekend. Then we'll see if I need the wide crank I asked you about. I suspect so just eyeballing it. Hope to be able to take it out for a pedal then and make sure everything is lined up. Then on to the tank. If I get lucky maybe it'll be running by Thanksgiving. Let me know when you head this way. Dan