The Prowler

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Ok, I don't have any photos of the small bit of progress my friend Allan and I made on the Murray, but he helped me loosen the cone nut that held the Schwinn mag sprocket tight on the crank, and he straightened the best-looking sissy bar I have in my collection, so I may be using that on this bike.

Today, we mostly worked on my RRBBO16 entry, The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle. We actually got the bike fully assembled and even riding! All that was missing was the tank, because it's not finished being painted, and the pedals, because I accidentally left them at home.
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_glory_and_defeat_1.jpg
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_glory_and_defeat_2.jpg
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_glory_and_defeat_3.jpg
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_glory_and_defeat_4.jpg



So, how does this Schwinn relate to the Murray? Well, after the first test ride, I took it for another spin around the airport... and in less than a minute, all heck literally broke loose. The fork steerer tube snapped right around where we had repaired it months ago, causing the front wheel to jump ahead of the frame, and causing me to scrape my hands, knees and elbow against the tarmac.
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_glory_and_defeat_5.jpg
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_glory_and_defeat_6.jpg


The crash didn't damage the bike too bad. Aside from the fork, most of the damage was cosmetic. I'll want to get a new fork, sandblast and powder coat most of the parts again, and maybe replace the seat and handlebar grips. I, on the other hand, got banged up worse than I've experienced in a long while. I didn't break anything thankfully, but I'm really sore, especially in the entire length of my right arm.
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_glory_and_defeat_7.jpg


Left hand got a blister and some road rash, and I'm a bit sore at the wrist too. Thankfully, it's not too bad.
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_glory_and_defeat_8.jpg


On the other hand, my right hand got scraped really bad on 3 of my fingers, and my wrist, elbow, and even shoulder are all sore and stiff. This is particularly bad, as I write, draw, turn wrenches, and do pretty much everything with that arm/hand. I hate to say it, but because of what happened today, I'm going to need to take a break from working on bikes while I let this heal up.
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_glory_and_defeat_9.jpg


While it's painful enough to have been injured like this, it's even more painful knowing that my bike was this close >< to being done, only for it to break before I could really enjoy it. And I wasn't the only one who was seriously bummed out about it. My friend Allan, who helped me fix this bike and helped me put it together was so stoked to see this bike come together, and equally disheartened to see it break in two. Mom and Dad were pretty shocked to hear what happened too. Despite the emotional crush this crash dumped on us, none of us want to give up on this bike. My family wants to see this bike completed, my friend Allan wants to see this bike completed, and I want to see this bike completed. So, whenever I'm in better shape, I'm going to fix up this bike again, probably after I finish my MBBO entry, if I can get back to work on that bike soon.

Until then, my plan from this point on is to let my body heal, and to keep an eye on everyone else's progress on their MBBO entries.
 
Wow, bud that is pretty intense! Can't imagine what it would feel like to have a bike break in two underneath you. Glad it wasn't worse. Good luck with recovery, hopefully it's quick enough to keep you in the game
 
That's why I don't trust forks that have been repaired or bent. That part of a bike takes more stress than any other part of the bike, right at the crown.

Perfect time to get a springer.
 
Wow, bud that is pretty intense! Can't imagine what it would feel like to have a bike break in two underneath you. Glad it wasn't worse. Good luck with recovery, hopefully it's quick enough to keep you in the game
It happened so fast, I didn't even have time to comprehend what happened until I was already on the tarmac. Thanks Matti, I appreciate it.
 
That's why I don't trust forks that have been repaired or bent. That part of a bike takes more stress than any other part of the bike, right at the crown.

Perfect time to get a springer.
Yeah, I have one other bike with a repaired fork, but so far I've had no issues with it. That said, I have been thinking of switching that fork out too, mainly so I could fit a 26" tire up front.

Oddly enough, one of my previous ideas for this bike did include using a springer. I don't think I'm going to go that route, as I really loved how the bike looked with the solid (yeah, "solid") fork and full orange fenders on it, but this is what it might have looked like if I went that route:
BftD_Dreamcycle_RRBBO_mockup_scaled.jpg
BftD_Schwinn_Dixie_RRBBO_early_mockups_2.jpg


Oddly enough, you just gave me an idea: Whenever I get all healed up, I'm more than likely going to work on my MBBO entry first, since that Build Off will hopefully still be active. What I can do with this bike in the meantime, since I won't have much of the time or energy needed to work on it, is I could put the springer fork back on this bike. Since the bearings are already greased, I could just pop that fork on and at least have the bike rideable while it waits its turn for repairs.
 
If I find I'm in a pinch and pressed for time, I can easily see myself doing that. Part of why I want to make my own rockers is for spoke clearance, but the other reason is for style and consistency. Note how on my sketch I made the rockers match the shape of the frame itself?
View attachment 176826
I love this drawing. Reminds me of my days in design school studying industrial design.
 
I'm still feeling sore and stiff from my crash on Saturday, but I did feel better enough Monday night to make some more progress on my bike. I wanted to mock up the Schwinn mag chainring on the bike, so I needed to take apart the bottom bracket. This is when I learned that the pedals were cross-threaded to the wrong sides. I was able to bust one pedal free, but not the one that allowed me to remove the crank. So, using a wrench, some zip ties, and a hacksaw, I cut the crank arm so I could disassemble the rest of the bottom bracket. Turns out the frame had a bit of sediment tucked away inside, which I should've taken a picture of. I then mocked up a few new parts before heading to bed.
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_1.jpg
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_2.jpg


I mocked up the seat post, banana seat and sissy bar from Poison Apple, since that project isn't going anywhere for a while. I also mocked up the mag sprocket and a different crank. But there's one newer part that I mocked up that I'm really excited about. Can you guess what it is?
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_3.jpg
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_4.jpg
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_5.jpg
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_6.jpg
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_7.jpg


If your guess was the 20"x2.4" TCS Prowler tire mounted on the rear wheel, you win! Granted, it's just over 2" wide fully-inflated, but I love it so much more than that Duro slick I had on there before! I just got it in the mail on Monday, and I just had to see how it looked on the bike.
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_8.jpg


It's just big enough that I had to gently squeeze it to clear the chain stays as I installed it, which is big enough for me.
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_13.jpg


It may not have that squared-off profile most drag slicks have, but I feel the zig-zag tread pattern helps maintain a vintage, almost period-correct look.
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_9.jpg


This tire also helped me decide on a name for this bike: The Prowler. Reasons why I chose the name (aside from the tire) include:

1. One of the coolest cars from my childhood, at least in my opinion, was the Plymouth Prowler, especially in purple. Yeah, I know now that it was basically a cheap knock-off of one of Chip Foose's original designs, it should've come with a V8, and the bumpers somewhat took away from the overall look of the car, but to see a modern-day factory-produced street rod back then was, and still is, one of the coolest things I had ever seen.
1998-plymouth-prowler-front-three-quarter-tt.jpg

2. The Spider-Man villain/ally, The Prowler, who dressed in a purple and black costume, and even rode a bike (though it was more "cafe racer" than "chopper") in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I'll be honest, I know more about Marvel/DC characters through their movies and cartoons than the actual comic books, so my introduction to The Prowler was the Aaron Davis version from Into the Spider-Verse. Awesome movie, awesome character, scary theme music.

3. The Prowler just sounds like a period-correct name for a 1960s muscle bike, or even a 1960s muscle car. Heck, 1960s-era Plymouth could've called one of their muscle cars The Prowler, and it would have fit right in with the Plymouth Barracuda or the Dodge Demon as far as model names go.

So, with all that said, I hereby dub this Murray muscle bike, "The Prowler."

------

One major issue I'm having right now is that the Schwinn sissy bar, as nice as it is, doesn't mount to my frame very well. The mounting brackets on the frame stick out too far for the mounting brackets on the sissy bar to sit flush. Worse yet, none of the other sissy bars in my collection have good chrome on them, and figuring out how to clean those up might not be that easy. I still want to try it, but I have no idea if it'll work. None of the aftermarket sissy bars I've seen are the right length, and the seat mounts are too low on all of them. And there don't seem to be many folks selling vintage sissy bars around Tulsa, Oklahoma. I might be able to find what I need on either here or the C.A.B.E., but I'm worried about the shipping costs. Maybe if I could trade for one...
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_10.jpg
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_11.jpg


I had to flip the mag sprocket so it'd clear the frame, but thankfully this chainring is in nice enough shape that it looks good this way. I also put my cardboard back plate behind the chainring, which I think has a neat look.
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_12.jpg


Unfortunately, the crank I picked doesn't clear the frame. I'm going to try mocking up a few other cranks in my collection, so hopefully one of them will work.
BftD_murray_muscle_bike_112321_14.jpg


I'm not sure what else I'll be able to do on the bike this week, as I'll be spending time with my family during Thanksgiving weekend, but I'm glad I made what little progress I did earlier this week.
 
what if... that faux tank curved up gracefully from the downtube, and then down to the same ending point it has now, in an attempt to compliment/mimic/be parallel (concentric?) to the top curve of the chainguard?
 
I'm still feeling sore and stiff from my crash on Saturday, but I did feel better enough Monday night to make some more progress on my bike. I wanted to mock up the Schwinn mag chainring on the bike, so I needed to take apart the bottom bracket. This is when I learned that the pedals were cross-threaded to the wrong sides. I was able to bust one pedal free, but not the one that allowed me to remove the crank. So, using a wrench, some zip ties, and a hacksaw, I cut the crank arm so I could disassemble the rest of the bottom bracket. Turns out the frame had a bit of sediment tucked away inside, which I should've taken a picture of. I then mocked up a few new parts before heading to bed.
View attachment 179107View attachment 179108

I mocked up the seat post, banana seat and sissy bar from Poison Apple, since that project isn't going anywhere for a while. I also mocked up the mag sprocket and a different crank. But there's one newer part that I mocked up that I'm really excited about. Can you guess what it is?
View attachment 179109View attachment 179110View attachment 179111View attachment 179112View attachment 179113

If your guess was the 20"x2.4" TCS Prowler tire mounted on the rear wheel, you win! Granted, it's just over 2" wide fully-inflated, but I love it so much more than that Duro slick I had on there before! I just got it in the mail on Monday, and I just had to see how it looked on the bike.
View attachment 179114

It's just big enough that I had to gently squeeze it to clear the chain stays as I installed it, which is big enough for me.
View attachment 179119

It may not have that squared-off profile most drag slicks have, but I feel the zig-zag tread pattern helps maintain a vintage, almost period-correct look.
View attachment 179115

This tire also helped me decide on a name for this bike: The Prowler. Reasons why I chose the name (aside from the tire) include:

1. One of the coolest cars from my childhood, at least in my opinion, was the Plymouth Prowler, especially in purple. Yeah, I know now that it was basically a cheap knock-off of one of Chip Foose's original designs, it should've come with a V8, and the bumpers somewhat took away from the overall look of the car, but to see a modern-day factory-produced street rod back then was, and still is, one of the coolest things I had ever seen.
View attachment 179121
2. The Spider-Man villain/ally, The Prowler, who dressed in a purple and black costume, and even rode a bike (though it was more "cafe racer" than "chopper") in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I'll be honest, I know more about Marvel/DC characters through their movies and cartoons than the actual comic books, so my introduction to The Prowler was the Aaron Davis version from Into the Spider-Verse. Awesome movie, awesome character, scary theme music.

3. The Prowler just sounds like a period-correct name for a 1960s muscle bike, or even a 1960s muscle car. Heck, 1960s-era Plymouth could've called one of their muscle cars The Prowler, and it would have fit right in with the Plymouth Barracuda or the Dodge Demon as far as model names go.

So, with all that said, I hereby dub this Murray muscle bike, "The Prowler."

------

One major issue I'm having right now is that the Schwinn sissy bar, as nice as it is, doesn't mount to my frame very well. The mounting brackets on the frame stick out too far for the mounting brackets on the sissy bar to sit flush. Worse yet, none of the other sissy bars in my collection have good chrome on them, and figuring out how to clean those up might not be that easy. I still want to try it, but I have no idea if it'll work. None of the aftermarket sissy bars I've seen are the right length, and the seat mounts are too low on all of them. And there don't seem to be many folks selling vintage sissy bars around Tulsa, Oklahoma. I might be able to find what I need on either here or the C.A.B.E., but I'm worried about the shipping costs. Maybe if I could trade for one...
View attachment 179116View attachment 179117

I had to flip the mag sprocket so it'd clear the frame, but thankfully this chainring is in nice enough shape that it looks good this way. I also put my cardboard back plate behind the chainring, which I think has a neat look.
View attachment 179118

Unfortunately, the crank I picked doesn't clear the frame. I'm going to try mocking up a few other cranks in my collection, so hopefully one of them will work.
View attachment 179120

I'm not sure what else I'll be able to do on the bike this week, as I'll be spending time with my family during Thanksgiving weekend, but I'm glad I made what little progress I did earlier this week.

You had me at Spiderverse! :thumbsup:
 
Push the bolt through the clamp, fit nut one and tighten, push the bolt through the frame bracket, fit nut two and tighten. Or you could use a thick washer instead of nut one.

I would also be tempted to file that bolt head to fit the clamp better.
Thicker washers... Good grief, the answer is so easy and obvious, yet somehow I didn't connect the dots. Thanks, I'll run by Lowe's and Hone Depot and test that out.
 
what if... that faux tank curved up gracefully from the downtube, and then down to the same ending point it has now, in an attempt to compliment/mimic/be parallel (concentric?) to the top curve of the chainguard?
That's a neat idea, but a curvy tank and chain guard would look weird on a mostly straight barred frame, at least in my opinion. That chain guard isn't staying the way it is currently. I just havent modified it yet.
 

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