JC Higgins?

[dnorton1336]

Can anybody out there tell me anything about this one?

 

[oddrodal]

Welcome!!!! Cant say for Shure but looks mid 60's... Post the serial number and I bet someone can tell you.

 

[CrazyDave]

Man thats really clean, nice bike. From what I've seen its prolly worth a few hundred tops and not terribly desired. That is a excellent example of whatcha have though.

 

[deorman]

Yeah, 60s Murray in great condition.

 

[dnorton1336]

serial was hard to read but 02462010179167. I paid $250. I replaced the tires, grips and pedals. I basically want to know if I'd be a fool to continue to modernize the components and spray paint it. I like the vintage look, but this is my daily rider.

 

[CrazyDave]

I dont know if you would be a fool, but your $250 dollar bike would become a $50 one....but its yours, if your gonna keep it, do as you please with it! Kinda sad to see that clean of examples to be altered though....

 

[RustySprockets]

Not a Higgins...it's more recent than that. Say, maybe 1965? Looks like the Sears version of the Murray Meteor Flite. I'll reconfirm what the others have said--it's an uncommon example of an otherwise common bike. You paid for condition, not rarity.

 

[Wildcat]

Sears bikes were labeled J C Higgins until 1963, afterward they were labeled Sears, so yours is 64 or a little later. A 50 year old american made bike!

Even the chain guard isn't scratched. Fenders chrome looks perfect. The seat is amazingly good. For an everyday rider, I would put a newer seat on and save the original. I'll bet the lights work too. I would check to see if there were old batteries in the tank, they might corrode and damage the tank.

 

[kingfish254]

It's worth about what you paid for it. Please don't paint it. That original paint is in amazing shape and the chrome looks great also.
I agree that it's mid 60s. Murray built for sure.
Great looking example of a 1960s Middleweight.

 

[dnorton1336]

Sears bikes were labeled J C Higgins until 1963, afterward they were labeled Sears, so yours is 64 or a little later. A 50 year old american made bike!

Even the chain guard isn't scratched. Fenders chrome looks perfect. The seat is amazingly good. For an everyday rider, I would put a newer seat on and save the original. I'll bet the lights work too. I would check to see if there were old batteries in the tank, they might corrode and damage the tank.

Yea, man. I've had this for a year. The lights work. Needed a little sanding, but they were otherwise clean.

 

[kingfish254]

Also if you still have the original grips and pedals, hang on to them to keep with the bike.

 

[dnorton1336]

It's worth about what you paid for it. Please don't paint it. That original paint is in amazing shape and the chrome looks great also.
I agree that it's mid 60s. Murray built for sure.
Great looking example of a 1960s Middleweight.

Thanks for the advice. That's what I was looking hear. I was worried about covering up the original paint.

 

[dnorton1336]

Also if you still have the original grips and pedals, hang on to them to keep with the bike.

That's not what I was looking to hear. If the grips are valuable, how about the tires? I'm pretty sure it had the original tubes in it. But, I disposed of all that stuff.

 

[kingfish254]

It's not that the grips or pedals were valuable. It's just if they were in decent condition, someone that wanted it original would probably prefer grips and pedals that match the era/style of the bike. Keep the seat on it.

 

[Wildcat]

I was thinking to keep the seat in great condition by saving it. A daily rider probably needs a little more padding, at least for me it would!
But most new seats don't come with the narrow size bracket the older bikes use, so a padded seat cover would protect the seat and give a better ride. That's keeps the seat on the bike and looking new.

 

[sludgeguy]

Personally, I would leave this one alone and use it as my Sunday bike and pick up a thrashed one make it into the rat I want to ride everyday. It's a lot more fun and comfortable to have something with little "true"value and a lot more hard work and sentimental value to ride all the time. Plus if it doesn't fit, modify no worries.
Thats just me. I ride a 1920's Rollfast everyday. It was thoroughly roach, couldn't turn the handlebars kind of roach. Resurrected it into my bike, mostly new parts. and its a blast to ride.

 

[deorman]

You could flip the seat post to use a modern seat and guts and put the stock one in the closet for safekeeping.

 

[piercer99]

my money is that it is a 1965.

I built the girls version of that bike for my daughter in February.

yours is sweet.

If you want to use a modern seat, order a Wald 940 seat post, it fits in the frame and works with a modern seat, just save your stock ones.

 

[East Park]

I hope it is alright, but I'd like to join in on this one. I just picked up a similar bike, Murray built, that I am seeking a build date. Any ideas where I could look this up with the serial number of 20X6 296461 as pictured. The first part seems to indicate that it was sold by Otasco. I would really like to know when it was sold. Thanks in advance for any leads.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[piercer99]

One year only, based on the Murray Meteor Flite, branded for Otasco. That particular tank / headlight design was used one year only.

1962 Flying O Express

They changed the design to the space flite look in 1963, the same design that is used on the 1964 Spaceliner.