1975 Fox Corperation Montgomery Ward's Silver Fox OG

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Have you ever rode a 50 pound BMX bike up a dirt hill?

  • Yes

    Votes: 2 40.0%
  • No

    Votes: 3 60.0%

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Here is a rare original Silver Fox in rider condition.
The 2nd generation of BMX after the Schwinn Sting Rays.
In the early days of BMX people/kids tried to mimic motorcycle dirt bikes. People like Dan Gurney started to produce high end Cr-Mo Mono Shock BMX bikes for pro off road BMX racing. Soon after Huffy, Free Sprit, and other companies started the department store bikes. Fox Corporation in USA, built two of these styled department store spring BMX bikes that people today confuse the Free Sprit as being a Silver Fox. One style for Wards 1975, and a similar one for Sears 1977. The Sears Free Sprit of 77 offered side pull brakes, and a more true to scale motorcycle style fork. The way to tell the two identical frames apart is the Sears Free Sprit has a welded on rear side pull brake mount, seen in picture advert located just in front of the rear wheel, the ward's Silver Fox does not have this brake mount addition.
The cool thing is the original chain tensioners, and if you think about it; the double top tube, both of witch went out of style and reappeared and were reinvented and used in the 80's to 90's on freestyle bikes (Torker) and the chain tensioners are found on just about every bike today after a reprieve of 20 years.
Today a following of people use this bike as a platform for building Café Racer Style 2 stroke motorized bicycles. They install a 2 stroke engine, and low swung handle bars and a café style gas tank. pretty cool indeed.
Below the 1975 Fox Corporation Montgomery Ward's Silver Fox. Kids back in the day would paint these black, so many of them are in black today.
These bikes weigh around 50 pounds, this one is 48.4 pounds. "The struggle was real"
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Below the Sears Free Sprit version.
29_1977searssilverfoxandscreamer_jpg_fp5b134b9ea6_lg.jpg
 
Cool stuff! Had a Yamaha suspension MX bike for a while back then. They would wear you out on level ground. Not only were they heavy but the marshmellow suspension would absorb almost all of the pedal power. Perfect for a motorized build.
 
They had beefier rear springs for this one as an upgrade. Stock I can see it holding up a 85 pound 8-12 year old kid but for 16 and up motocross I don't know. 48 1/2 pounds of metal. For 40 plus years old it really is not that bad spring wise, ya just kind of bounce up and down with it lol.
The pic of the motorized one has the upgrade rear springs. The springs were stiffer and longer.
 
I am starting to think mine is a Fox public offering as it is slightly different from Wards and Free Spirit.
 
We just got this one. Looking for rims and seat. Number plates. John Brain found these ads for help to restore it
 

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