# 1963 Sears StratoFlite



## BASHER76

Just wanted to share my 1963 Sears. If anyone has an ad for this bike can you pm me a picture?


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## partsguy

That's a Sears Flightliner or early Spaceliner. The Flightliner was made from about 1958-'61 and the Spaceliner from 1962-'67.


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## BrentP

Looks like a J.C. Higgins (Sears) Flightliner to me (Sears didn't make  anything called a Stratoflite).  The similarly named Murray Strato Flight and Western Auto Strato Flyer were later models that were similar to the Sears Spaceliner.

This image is from the Spring 1963 Sears catalog.  PM me your email address and I'll send you a larger, higher res scan.  Why don't you post the serial number as well, since this will help to confirm what you have.  If my assumption is correct, the model number will be 46900.

BTW, the Flightliner was made until '63 and Spaceliner from 64-68 (not as stated above).


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## Adamtinkerer

Sears also had unnamed cruisers that were essentially the same as the Flightliner. Same tank, but with the later style Murray chain guard. These just said 'SEARS' pn the guard, and were made through the late 60s-early 70s.


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## partsguy

Adamtinkerer said:


> Sears also had unnamed cruisers that were essentially the same as the Flightliner. Same tank, but with the later style Murray chain guard. These just said 'SEARS' pn the guard, and were made through the late 60s-early 70s.




I think I know what you're talking about. There had most of the same features but were not as flashy. They had a standard rack, smaller tank (still had the double lights), later style guard, not much chrome.


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## BrentP

.... deleted ....


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## BrentP

partsguy said:


> I think I know what you're talking about. There had most of the same features but were not as flashy. They had a standard rack, smaller tank (still had the double lights), later style guard, not much chrome.




Exactly.

Here's what they looked like in the 1964 catalog, and on, following the dropping of the Flightliner name and assignment of a new model number.


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## partsguy

BrentP said:


> Exactly.
> 
> Here's what they looked like in the 1964 catalog, and on, following the dropping of the Flightliner name and assignment of a new model number.
> 
> View attachment 281953




You know what seems odd? More of the flashy Spaceliners and Flightliners appear to have survived than these less-extravagant bikes.


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## Adamtinkerer




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## flightlinerflashback

My '63 JC Higgins Flightliner and '65 Sears Flightliner . Had a '64 Flightliner  as a kid. It was identical to the '65.


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## BrentP

flightlinerflashback said:


> My '63 JC Higgins Flightliner and '65 Sears Flightliner . Had a '64 Flightliner  as a kid. It was identical to the '65.



The Flightliner was dropped after 1963 when the Spaceliner was introduced, and was replaced with the generic (no-name) middle weight that's in your second photo.  Those no-name bikes had different model numbers than the Flightliners.


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## jason morton

Here is mine.. They ride quite nice....


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## Goldenrod

My friend wants to give me one of these.  How much are they worth?


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## Searsjchiggins1963-dad

BrentP said:


> The Flightliner was dropped after 1963 when the Spaceliner was introduced, and was replaced with the generic (no-name) middle weight that's in your second photo.  Those no-name bikes had different model numbers than the Flightliners.



Looking for a head and tail lens for my 1963 flight liner I ride it more now than I did then ..


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## Schwinndemonium

Strato Flite was a model name that Murray themselves used only. It was never used by them on bikes they made for other entities. Here is my close to mint 1963 Murray Strato Flite I bought in Trexlertown in 2013.


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## Rivnut

In 1963 and prior years, Sears sold *JC Higgins Flightliners*.  Starting in 1964 and subsequent years, Sears sold *Sears Spaceliners*.  When they dropped the JC Higgins name after 1963, they also dropped the Flightliner name.  In 1964 when the bikes were being sold under the Sears name, they became the Spaceliner.   Look at the names on the side of the tanks.









I have a Hiawatha bike that has the same basic frame but a different tank w/ headlight, and a different chain guard and rear rack.  Murray made small changes in their bikes when sold by different outlets - Sears, Penney's, Gambles, OTASCO, K Mart, Western Auto, and others


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## krateman

flightlinerflashback said:


> My '63 JC Higgins Flightliner and '65 Sears Flightliner . Had a '64 Flightliner  as a kid. It was identical to the '65.
> 
> View attachment 285560
> 
> View attachment 285561



That is one really clean, great looking bike. I'd love to have any of the Fliteliners/Spaceliner, Stratoflite, etc. made by any of those companies mentioned in this thread.


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