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Great bike, pics & story...those pics are making me nostalgic for a time that I never knew.
What is that contraption in the lower right corner of the 2nd pic? A modded Cycle Truck?
 
Thanks Guys!! I thought y'all would enjoy the pics! As for the cycletruck, I dunno? I guess they took the basket off and made 'em a stake bed out of it? No telling what they hauled on it? It looks like it was well used. Thanks!!!
 
Morrow Madness!!!
Morrowwheel.jpg

Morrows were among the favorites of the old timers. This one has a P1 date code. I saved this one from the scrap pile about 30 years ago. One thing about this old wheel that caught my eye besides having a Morrow hub was those wonderful old Torrington spokes. And they all turn thank God! I like my wheels to be quiet when I'm riding. I don't want a bunch of snap crackle and pop. The Torrington spokes had a step down design. Meaning they weren't the same diameter all the way. This made them act like a rubber band and it allowed the wheel to flex without making the spokes dance around in the wheel.
Morrowbendix.jpg

It still looked good inside!! The drive shoes and brake expander are HUGE compared to the guts out of a red band Bendix sitting behind it. The brakes are adjustable. It has a little more free-peddle than the Bendix, but you are always confident in knowing that the brakes are there and that they are good!! Thanks!![/img]
 
cashman said:
Morrowwheel.jpg
Click to expand...

Ei, these spokes don´t cross under the last one! They all go over the other ones! Maybe this is the way they did it back in the day... Hhhmmm, you and markm may be on to something... Old-school lacing...

Hugo
 
Thanks Hugo!!! I took that pic before the spokes were removed. I'm certain thats how the wheel left the factory. As they are in the pic is the only way I've ever done it. I took those spokes out and scrubbed each one with an SOS pad and gave them a coat of chrome-aluminum spray paint. I did the same on the F. wheel.
 
IIRC, Morrows were prized among the proto-mountain bikers (klunker riders) for their indestructability. Sure looks like it's got some cojones! I have a Morrow brake lever that I found in the garage of my old house & it fits the Bendix hubs. I may use it on a build someday, just to see if anyone notices...either that, or wear it around my neck on a chain :wink: When were they made anyways?

BTW, if you've got any more pics of your dad's shop, by all means, please post!!! I love these little windows into the past. Like the bit about how he had to scavenge chains & innertubes--amazing. Knowing what I know about scrap drives & rations & all the sacrifices people made back then, it doesn't surprise me, but contrast that with nowadays. Even though the country is at war & at least where I am, the economy sucks, working class people will throw away a bike that needs almost nothing & just go to Wallyworld & buy another one, (made in China) & put it on their credit card & think nothing of it...ok, sorry folks starting to rant here...but am I right?
 
Markm said:
... I wish I had a time machine :D :D
Click to expand...

My sentiments exactly, as long as it were big enough to fit at least a dozen bikes, & if we're setting it for 1946 a flathead Ford or two & a few Dobros & Gibson guitars...forget changing history--too risky. :wink:
 
Thanks Guys!! According to posted charts on the web, Morrows were made from 1931 - 1950. Interestingly, Both Morrow and Bendix hubs were manufactured in Elmira NY. The Bendix, although smaller, represents I think, the progress made at that point in metulurgy that allowed fewer and smaller components. It was just as reliable for the average rider and required less maintenance. It's basic design is still copied today. Bendix had a coaster that was older than the red band. It had spacer bars that went from the drive cone to the brake arm cone and the brake shoes rested against the spacers. I don't believe I've seen any of those on the web. I have some more pics! It has been a technical speedbump for me to get pictures on the web, but I think I've figured most of it out now. My Introduction to Computer Science class that I took in 1975 doesn't help me much now!!!! The two pics posted were made from negatives made on a Kodak Brownie camera and I almost threw away!! They were heavily cropped because I couldn't find anyone with the proper enlarger fixture to make prints. Now there are scanners!!! I concur with you on the way the world is nowdays! I guess I'm old fashion, out of date, and proud to be here with you guys too!!! Thanks!!!
 
emanon said:
Markm said:
... I wish I had a time machine :D :D
Click to expand...

My sentiments exactly, as long as it were big enough to fit at least a dozen bikes, & if we're setting it for 1946 a flathead Ford or two & a few Dobros & Gibson guitars...forget changing history--too risky. :wink:
Click to expand...

maybe a lottery or two to fund the mission!!
 
Markm said:
emanon said:
Markm said:
... I wish I had a time machine :D :D
Click to expand...

My sentiments exactly, as long as it were big enough to fit at least a dozen bikes, & if we're setting it for 1946 a flathead Ford or two & a few Dobros & Gibson guitars...forget changing history--too risky. :wink:
Click to expand...

maybe a lottery or two to fund the mission!!
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the ticket...I've got some raffle tickets FS...
I am working on a flux capacitor right now that runs off of a bike light generator...I'm going to return some bottles tomorrow so I can buy some more solder.
 
This is the fork that I will be using.
NOSFork.jpg

This fork was included in a bundle of parts that we got in a buy-out of another shop in the early 1970's. I never knew what it fits until recently after I saw a Roadmaster bike on the web. I think it was made by Cleveland Welding?
Zep-perfork.jpg

I recon it to be NOS. I can't tell that it was ever mounted in a bike. It had an old price tag at one time. If I remember right, it had $10 on it. It fits the Murray frame just fine. You can see the 50+ year old crud it has gathered. I took it apart and it cleaned up real well and I spray bombed it black.Thanks!!! and good luck to all!!! [/img]
 
Thanks VicXsaN! Yes, the springs are functional. The lower struts thread into retainers that you can just see at the bottom of each spring. The upper struts thread into a similar retainer on the top. The way the fork is hinged, places the load on the springs. BTW, VicXsaN, you have a cool project!!! I have always loved old motorcycles and especially BMW's. One of my former co-workers once had a 1969 BMW R-series. It had that neat ignition key that plugged into the headlight housing. That bike had over 50K miles on it when he traded it. I think it's great that we have an international community on this forum!!! Thanks!!!
 
cool! The headlight rhing sounds cool, I may have to incorporate that to the bike in some way.... :)
 
Heres a peek!!
blackfork.jpg

Here is the fork partially assembled. After I scrubbed the frame down with car wash soap, I found those sweet little pin stripes on the frame that I hadn't notice before. It's starting to come together.!!! Thanks!!![/img]
 
Looking good!
What is the stand thing you have it on?
Does the BMW R series have the big chrome tank on it that looks like an old toaster? I love the looks of those bikes, even though I don't know much about them.
 
Thanks emanon! The stand is an old ANJ cycle stand that is ancient. I had three of them at one time. Someone has another one similar to it posted somewhere in the buildoff. This is the only one I have left. I sold the others several years ago when my parents sold the business. It had a F wheel holder at one time, but we sold a lot of lightweight Raliegh bikes with painted fenders back in the 1970's and it tended to scratch the paint on the fenders, so I removed it. I have wailed away with a big hammer at bent frames etc. while in those things and they held up great. It has been a good one and it has held a bunch of bikes. The old BMW motorcycles I remember had black tanks with white accent pin striping. I don't remember any having chrome tanks. I have my wheels done! Work is invading my free time of late and I hope to show you guys some more old pics before long. I have to do media conversion to get them on the web and that takes time and dollars which I don't have much of either!!! Also the bike is probably going to be a little more ratty than I wanted, but there are no funds for it, so no money is going to be spent to do the things that would make it better. I hope y'all like it. Everyone is doing great in the build off. I lol at times and I have cried at times. Thanks!!!and good luck to all.!!!
 
cashman said:
This is the fork that I will be using.
Click to expand...

Wow.... that's IDENTICAL to the one that's mounted on my buildoff bike.

Planning on doing something similar, mounting it without the lower truss rods. Tho I'm idlly wondering if that'd put undue stress on the fork blades....

Anyway, awesome.

-St. Septum
 

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