Vintage Airman
- Thread starter TheJadedFool
- Start date
Jaded,
I wish I had your luck. That has so much potential. Congratulations and have fun. It'll make a sweet ride, no doubt.
Tom
I wish I had your luck. That has so much potential. Congratulations and have fun. It'll make a sweet ride, no doubt.
Tom
I have a 66cc HT that I just put on the bike below...
I would like to custom restore the Airman and move the motor to it...
Peace
I would like to custom restore the Airman and move the motor to it...
Peace
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Nice bike! The Airman line of bikes was made for the Spiegel Catalog by a number of different bike manufacturers. Looking at some of the salient details of yours leads me to believe yours was built by Monark.
That is what I was thinking I did some research and saw some Monark's that looked just like it... they were just pimped out a bit more... =)
That's a great pick for a vintage motored ride. Yes, great lines, a place for an in frame tank, lots of room for the motor, truss rods, I even like the chain guard. That's a winner for sure. If you found an older seat with the solid 7 post it would sit you back a bit. That's what I did with my current Worksman build and reversed the 7. It required shims to make it fit the larger seat post, but looks so good, vintage because it is and all on a limited budget. Mine was from a 41 ladies Elgin in terrible condition when I got it. Took it apart and repaired a broken piece in the metal, put everything under the wire wheel and painted it black, gave it some new padding and covered it in harness leather. With the big springs it is a great seat which I'd take over an expensive new Brooks but breaker any day of the week. I'll be following your progress on this one. Good choice!
SB
SB
Dang. Yours is in way better shape than my Higgins was when I found it. (But then, they were ready to toss it out with the trash.) I see the torpedo headlight went missing, but then for as good as the bike looks, who cares. I'll bet the same people who made yours also made the Higgins, I've been trying to spot differences between them, and only the chainguard stands out. Every other tiny little detail is the same. Hmmm...
I take that back: the stem, and where the fork mounts to the headtube, those are different too. Frame looks a lot like Cleveland welding tho'.
Definitely not a Cleveland Welding frame, as their frames have an upsweep to the chainstays before they meet the rear dropouts (see pic below for an example). Yours is also a Monark-built example. Murray was also a major contractor for the Higgins bikes, but there aren't any of the typical Murray design touches on yours.
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I see the upsweep now. I missed that. Jeez, to the trained eye, there are quite a few differences. Goodness knows I don't claim to be a pro at that but, man!, we've got some real masters here. This sort of frame must have been the most common style back then, the trend of the time for these cruisers.
Naked Airman =)
Ok... Things are progressing nicely... She was mostly non-ridable when I got her... Front crank was bent... chain was shot... and the rear wheel needed rebuilding...
I tend to be a minimalist in style... dont like all the fenders and guards and such... so here she is...
The Naked Airman... new front crank, arms, peddles, chain, seat... I rebuilt the rear wheel and tuned it up... Took her for a ride down a steep hill to check for wobbles and such... Solid as a rock at 25 to 30mph... 30mph is my target cruising speed... as it is illegal here to go faster than 30mph on a motored bike...
Oh... I replaced the stem that holds the handlebars... it was bent slightly... I used one that gets the handlebars out a few inches... I need some space... I am a big guy... lol
I would really like to get the seat back and down a bit... but I still have not come up with a plan... ANY IDEAS OUT THERE ?!?!?!? =)
Let me know what ya think...
Here is the before and after...
She is just about ready for the motor!
Peace
David
Ok... Things are progressing nicely... She was mostly non-ridable when I got her... Front crank was bent... chain was shot... and the rear wheel needed rebuilding...
I tend to be a minimalist in style... dont like all the fenders and guards and such... so here she is...
The Naked Airman... new front crank, arms, peddles, chain, seat... I rebuilt the rear wheel and tuned it up... Took her for a ride down a steep hill to check for wobbles and such... Solid as a rock at 25 to 30mph... 30mph is my target cruising speed... as it is illegal here to go faster than 30mph on a motored bike...
Oh... I replaced the stem that holds the handlebars... it was bent slightly... I used one that gets the handlebars out a few inches... I need some space... I am a big guy... lol
I would really like to get the seat back and down a bit... but I still have not come up with a plan... ANY IDEAS OUT THERE ?!?!?!? =)
Let me know what ya think...
Here is the before and after...
She is just about ready for the motor!
Peace
David
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David,
I liked your bike a lot when I first saw it. The fenders and guard looked in nice shape and I thought to myself that it wouldn't take much to bring them back to looking great. Even the paint didn't look too bad. I'm a guy who likes fenders and chain guard for the reasons they were there in the first place... don't like mud or dirty water coming off the tires and onto me. But that's me and the bike is yours. I have to admit it looks nice with your minimalist approach and will look even better with the engine in place. Seat is much improved. It's going to be a nice one!
SB
I liked your bike a lot when I first saw it. The fenders and guard looked in nice shape and I thought to myself that it wouldn't take much to bring them back to looking great. Even the paint didn't look too bad. I'm a guy who likes fenders and chain guard for the reasons they were there in the first place... don't like mud or dirty water coming off the tires and onto me. But that's me and the bike is yours. I have to admit it looks nice with your minimalist approach and will look even better with the engine in place. Seat is much improved. It's going to be a nice one!
SB
Hey SB,
I have been doin a bit of thinkin on what you had said... and I was lookin at the pic that KilroyCD posted a few posts back...
My original plan before I ever got an engine kit was to make a old military motorcycle inspired MB... BUT... when I got to building the first incarnation of my MB on the AMF frame... It just wasnt the right shape and look... However... this frame and build seems to fit the bill... I have set the guards and fenders off to the side... When I get the frame powder coated this winter I am gonna have him do the guards and fenders as well... I think I may put them back on but with a few little custom modifications =)
Hopefully I will get the motor on her tonight... Having to do a little creative engineering on the motor mounts... I spent about 3 or 4 hours scouring the forums and I think I have a plan.. Off to FleetFarm for lunch =)
Peace
David
P.S. --- The attached pic is the Inspiration =)
I have been doin a bit of thinkin on what you had said... and I was lookin at the pic that KilroyCD posted a few posts back...
My original plan before I ever got an engine kit was to make a old military motorcycle inspired MB... BUT... when I got to building the first incarnation of my MB on the AMF frame... It just wasnt the right shape and look... However... this frame and build seems to fit the bill... I have set the guards and fenders off to the side... When I get the frame powder coated this winter I am gonna have him do the guards and fenders as well... I think I may put them back on but with a few little custom modifications =)
Hopefully I will get the motor on her tonight... Having to do a little creative engineering on the motor mounts... I spent about 3 or 4 hours scouring the forums and I think I have a plan.. Off to FleetFarm for lunch =)
Peace
David
P.S. --- The attached pic is the Inspiration =)
Attachments
David,
That's an inspiration alright!
Regarding your mounting problem. If you set the engine in place and post a photo someone will have a bright suggestion based on their own experience. One frame is not like another, so sometimes we have to get creative. What has worked for me several times on old Schwinns and now this Worksman is to use two of the stock rear mounts stacked together with longer studs. This pushes the motor more forward to better reach the front down tube. 6mm metric all thread is available at Fasten-all if you have one near you... good for all manner of nuts & bolts fairly priced. What engine are you using? Some suppliers are sending motors set up for the fatter frame tubes which makes it difficult to mount on an older bike. I got a motor last year from BGF which had mounts for the smaller tubes, but a PK-80 from Pirate was for fatter diameter tubes. Justin sent me a mount for the smaller tubes and a shim for the front tube... both perfectly answering my problem, so Pirate Cycles has them. I don't like to do anything to the frame on an old timer to permanently alter it if I can avoid it. You'll figure out what is best for you. If there is an issue with the pedal clearance there are ways to work around that, too. Just state your problem here and somebody will help. Great forum. Great bike. Have fun!
SB
That's an inspiration alright!
Regarding your mounting problem. If you set the engine in place and post a photo someone will have a bright suggestion based on their own experience. One frame is not like another, so sometimes we have to get creative. What has worked for me several times on old Schwinns and now this Worksman is to use two of the stock rear mounts stacked together with longer studs. This pushes the motor more forward to better reach the front down tube. 6mm metric all thread is available at Fasten-all if you have one near you... good for all manner of nuts & bolts fairly priced. What engine are you using? Some suppliers are sending motors set up for the fatter frame tubes which makes it difficult to mount on an older bike. I got a motor last year from BGF which had mounts for the smaller tubes, but a PK-80 from Pirate was for fatter diameter tubes. Justin sent me a mount for the smaller tubes and a shim for the front tube... both perfectly answering my problem, so Pirate Cycles has them. I don't like to do anything to the frame on an old timer to permanently alter it if I can avoid it. You'll figure out what is best for you. If there is an issue with the pedal clearance there are ways to work around that, too. Just state your problem here and somebody will help. Great forum. Great bike. Have fun!
SB
Thanx SB!!
I will post pictures tonight... If my plan works the pics will be of a successfully mounted motor... If my plan doesn't work it will be a plea for help ;-)
I hope to have her goin this week... Then I can get her broken in the rest of the way...
I am hoping to get up there and do some riding with you before the snow flies... Do you have any campgrounds nearby where I can pitch a tent for a few days?? It has been almost 30 years since I lived in Ely... I think its time for a trip home =)
Peace
David
I will post pictures tonight... If my plan works the pics will be of a successfully mounted motor... If my plan doesn't work it will be a plea for help ;-)
I hope to have her goin this week... Then I can get her broken in the rest of the way...
I am hoping to get up there and do some riding with you before the snow flies... Do you have any campgrounds nearby where I can pitch a tent for a few days?? It has been almost 30 years since I lived in Ely... I think its time for a trip home =)
Peace
David
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I live on Eagles Nest Lake #3 midway between Tower and Ely and off the Bearhead Rd leading to Bearhead Lake State Park, a small park of great beauty with a shower house, sandy beach, etc. If you don't mind a swim with a bar of soap in the lake you're welcome to pitch your tent here... outhouse, well with a hand pump, pretty much like the state park. The road between here and Bearhead is perfect for bike rides... A1 road without potholes, little to no traffic and winding through the forest of paper birch and white pine. I feel so fortunate to live where I do. My trailer may not be much, but I have a lake in my backyard and the woods stretch all the way up into Canada. I intend to be here until around the ninth or tenth of September... enough time to get to Maryland, unpack and then on to Delaware for a bike rally.
Yes, do come if you can. And good luck with the install.
SB
Thanx again Silverbear!
I don't mind a bar of soap and a lake at all... matter of fact I welcome it. Sounds Perfect!!! I would love to camp at your place.
Well I have a bag full of parts and a bike thats lonely in the garage... Be back later with pictures...
Peace
David
I don't mind a bar of soap and a lake at all... matter of fact I welcome it. Sounds Perfect!!! I would love to camp at your place.
Well I have a bag full of parts and a bike thats lonely in the garage... Be back later with pictures...
Peace
David