picked up this up from the original owner today!! it has a bendix 2 speed manual and works great i put about 3 miles onit this afternoon and rides awesome!!
A '54 with a Bendix 2-speed lever action would be the oldest bike I've seen with a hub like that. I wonder if it's original to the bike? The lever action ended about '60 but I've never been able to determine when they first came out. Gary
Nice bike! One can never go wrong with a middleweight Schwinn and I have one just like this. The Corvette didn't actually premier until the '55 model year but a late '54 date would be right as they released them a month or so before the end of the year for christmas shopping.
I have a blue Aviation 2-speed with a serial that matches a Nov. '54 date as well as a '56 date. Mine's likely '56 but I still like to think it's one of the first Corvettes ever out of the Schwinn factory in christmas of '54 8)
Post the serial from the rear dropout. Or dig through the Schwinn serials online; they're easy to find and can normally narrow it down to the day. My bike just happened to be from one of the few serial number blunders that double dipped.
Enjoy! They're great riding bikes and an original owner one is very cool! I had a Spaceliner that was original owner; new from his twelfth birthday.
You have a nice Bike there! I didnt know too much about these manual 2 speeds (still don't) but I know more then I did last week when I got a 55 american off CL How does your coaster brake look? the Bendix logo on mine is painted bright red.