ELGIN TWIN 9

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No guess from me, I'm not that 'vintage bike savvy'.

But I do like the direction you are going. Like "what if Shelby / Higgins / Hawthorne made a bike like this" mode.
 
But I do like the direction you are going. Like "what if Shelby / Higgins / Hawthorne made a bike like this" mode.

I'm also a huge fan of the concept of creating a "phantom" model of a bike or car (no, not THAT Phantom). A couple years ago for the MBBO I did a "what if" of a Schwinn Manta Ray II. And I've always wanted to create a 1965 Chevy Caprice coupe with the formal roofline AND the 6 round jet-exhaust taillights (they were only 4-door sedans in '65, the coupe didn't come out till '66). Looking forward to seeing the direction this takes.
 
Here it is: My "Perfect 10" build-off project. A '39 Elgin Twin 20. I do have the complete original bike (with beautiful patina). My initial idea is to make the first Elgin Twin 10 (by omitting some of the luxury items like the fenders, the headlight, and the chrome wheels). But I have many crazy ideas for this rat. I was sooooooo afraid to buy one of these Twins sight unseen, because most of them are bent up. But this one is absolutely arrow straight. And such a cool design!
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Here it is: My "Perfect 10" build-off project. A '39 Elgin Twin 20. I do have the complete original bike (with beautiful patina). My initial idea is to make the first Elgin Twin 10 (by omitting some of the luxury items like the fenders, the headlight, and the chrome wheels). But I have many crazy ideas for this rat. I was sooooooo afraid to buy one of these Twins sight unseen, because most of them are bent up. But this one is absolutely arrow straight. And such a cool design!View attachment 162859View attachment 162861View attachment 162862


You can't go wrong with a Twin Bar. They are super versatile to whatever style you come up with. Don't believe what you hear about them being fragile either. These are excellent frames to play with and to ride. Have run man.
 
You can't go wrong with a Twin Bar. They are super versatile to whatever style you come up with. Don't believe what you hear about them being fragile either. These are excellent frames to play with and to ride. Have run man.
I'm happy to hear that they're not fragile. I'm not small being 6'2" and 250. But no ramp jumping for me anymore, just cruising. My head is spinning with so many ideas for this bike! And you know I like to experiment.
 
I'm about 250 as well and still enjoy riding my two Twins.
 
I am still not completely set on the name being "A Perfect 10". That was just the first idea that came to mind. There are so many other possibilities, especially with the original color being green (my favorite color). Anyway, I had to do a lot of minor adjustments to get the shrouds to fit perfectly. It seems amazing that all of the correct nuts and bolts are still with the bike. Many of the original bolts are the slightly rounded nickel-plated straight-edge type and most of the nuts are the old square type. I cannot believe that this bike hasn't been restored with it being so original and complete.
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Glad to see that you have the BB and HT shrouds and they look to be in great shape.
If there is one weak spot on these bikes, it is the seat clamping system. Don't count on using the flipped seatpost as a laidback post without some additional support. With our weight, it will bend the clamping piece (trust me :D ). Luckily there is a stout flat plate that joins the fender stays together that works great to mount supports from.
 
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