# Western Flyer help.



## Sulley

I picked up this very nice Girls 26" Western Flyer. #MOS 2053    114134 its all original and even the lights work. Can some one tell me a year and model. There is a faint WESTERN FLYER on the chain guard with no other words on the chain guard. Thanks  Sulley










It defenitly says WESTERN FLYER


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## rhenning

It is a mid 1960's Murray built bicycle and badged for sale at Western Auto stores.  Rger


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## krateman

Nice find, Sully. I love the tank bikes. I'll get one someday for me and the misses. You gonna keep it and fix it up. Looks like it doesn't need much. Do those 2 lights on the rear rack light up?


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## Sulley

Thanks, no they are reflectors on the rear. Sulley


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## Sulley

Well i have found out from this site it is a 1953 ,no model yet. Sulley


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## Rivnut

I agree with Rhenning identifying it as a 60's era Murray made bike (your bike has the same frame, chainring, and chain guard as my '67 Murray made AMC Caravan.)  Same frame, drop out, saddle, chain guard, and chain ring as so many other Murray made bikes from that era.  

Open google and click on the images link.  Type Western Flyer in it and start looking at the pictures. Keep narrowing your search using data you find in the pictures you find that look similar.  Find a bike with matching headlight/tank and see what other facts you can come up with.  If you type 1953 Western Flyier in the images link, you'll see nothing but balloon tire bicycles.

Ed


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## Sulley

Got my info from here, page 8.  Sulley


http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?7014-Murray-serial-number-project


The Murray-Ohio Bicycle (WF) numbers begin with the following letters:

YEAR
 1937 M-O-B Plus Serial Number
 1938 M-O-C Plus Serial Number
 1939 M-O-D Plus Serial Number
 1940 M-O-E Plus Serial Number
 1941 M-O-F Plus Serial Number
 1942 M-O-G Plus Serial Number
 1943 M-O-H Plus Serial Number
 1944 M-O-I Plus Serial Number
 1945 M-O-J Plus Serial Number
 1946 M-O-K Plus Serial Number
 1947 M-O-L Plus Serial Number
 1948 M-O-M Plus Serial Number
 1949 M-O-N Plus Serial Number
 1950 M-O-P Plus Serial Number
 1951 M-O-Q Plus Serial Number
 1952 M-O-R Plus Serial Number
 1953 M-O-S Plus Serial Number    My bike is MOS 2053
 1954 M-O-T Plus Serial Number
 1955 M-O-U Plus Serial Number
 1956 M-O-V Plus Serial Number or M-O-T-V
 1957 M-O-T-W Plus Serial Number
 1958 M-O-T-X Plus Serial Number
 1959 M-O-R Plus Serial Number


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## Sulley

Im thinkin its not a 50s bike eigther, more like a mid to late 60s. Sulley


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## rhenning

They did not make the size tires that are on that bike in 1953.  The first 1.75 tires were about 1955.  MO in MOS means Murray of Ohio and I believe the S is what part of the decade the bike was built.  What kind of rear hub is on the bike as that is another way to date it.  I am sorry the bike just screams 1960s Murray no matter if you want it to be older or not.  Bike companies are also known to reuse serial number often.  Schwinn in the 1950s did this about every 3 years.  Roger


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## Rivnut

*Big question*

Sully,

Where did you find the serial number? Was it on the bottom of the crank tube or on the drop out where the rear axle bolts in?  Can you post a picture of the serial number?  I have a theory but I need to know where the number is stamped.

Ed


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## Sulley

It is stamped on the bottom of the crank tube, im sure its a 60s bike i was just going by the thread that i show above. Thanks  Sulley


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## Rivnut

Sulley,

I spent some time looking at pictures of Murrays on Google images, and all of the bikes that have pictures posted on the original Murray serial number post.  I didn't find one other bike that has the same frame as yours.  On yours the top bar goes all the way back to the bars that connects the seat post to the drop outs.  Makes me wonder if this is even a Murray.  Did anyone else notice that or seen other bikes with this frame?

Ed


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## jd56

Serial prefix "MO" is without a doubt Murray.
I think I understand what you mean about the top dual tubes extending to the rear of the frame. Western Flyers had this feature in the early 60's on the ladies I think. So did Columbia I also think...but, I cant verify this point.....I to am always learning.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## Sulley

I did find this but the rear rack is different. Sulley

http://treasuresmyhh.blogspot.com/2012/05/1960s-murray-meteor-flite.html


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## rollfaster

*western flyer*

yes,absolutly mid 60s,i have one like this in the teal/white color combo.mine sold very fast.also,thank you to whoever put up the western flyer/murray built serial number chart.i thought my bike was a 1949,when it is actually a 1947. MO-L. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE INFO.


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## Sulley

Well from that chart mine is a 53 and i know its not a 53 some im not sure how accurite that chart is.  Sulley


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## Rivnut

Sully,

Could that possible be and MO8 rather than an MOS?  That would at least put it in the right decade  and the rest of the numbers would work for MO8.

I don't know much about Murray built bicycles, but perhaps small changes in racks, etc. could be specified by Western Auto, Sears, et al to make their bikes just a hair different from others built by Murray.  Food for thought anyway.

Ed


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## Sulley

I thought the same thing but it is defenitly an S  . It would make sence if it was an 8     Sulley

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?7014-Murray-serial-number-project


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## rhenning

Perhaps the fellow who did the stamping that day put the S in the die holder instead of the 8 as he/she did not have his/her glasses on that morning.  Bikes were toys not Corvettes that had to be licensed by the state they were sold in and they certainly were not worried about what future collectors would worry about.  Roger


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## Rivnut

I've found something else that's an anomoly if this is a 60's era Murray built bike.  If it were a 60's era Murray built bike, the serial number would be on the left side drop out, not on the bottom of the crank tube.

Ed


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## Sulley

Theres nothing on the drop downs, i checked inside and out.   Sulley


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## Adamtinkerer

Notice on that chart, that 1959 goes back to R again. I'd bet Sulley's bike is a 60. I know by 1963 they changed the coding, and it would be something like 'MO 3'+ 63.


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## Sulley

Well i put some tightey whiteys on it, had a chain guard decal made for it, got the seat post decal , shes done. Thanks for all the help.  Sulley


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## jd56

Looks good Sulley!!
Did you get the tanklight working?


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## Sulley

Yep it works great, i  made a lens for it from an old JC Higgins one i had.   Sulley


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## dbaughman

Rivnut said:


> *Big question*
> 
> Sully,
> 
> Where did you find the serial number? Was it on the bottom of the crank tube or on the drop out where the rear axle bolts in?  Can you post a picture of the serial number?  I have a theory but I need to know where the number is stamped.
> 
> Ed



I recently acquired the same model of Western Flyer, serial # MOS 2053. It has a three piece rear rack (painted top, 2 chrome steel support rails). Does this date the bike as an older model?


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## Adamtinkerer

dbaughman said:


> I recently acquired the same model of Western Flyer, serial # MOS 2053. It has a three piece rear rack (painted top, 2 chrome steel support rails). Does this date the bike as an older model?
> 
> View attachment 1624023
> 
> View attachment 1624024



To revise what I said 9 years ago, Murray's coding is a mess from 1960-64. The letter codes are known from '30s-1959. In '65, they started with "MO 5" and so forth. And also, the serials moved from the BB to the rear dropoout during that time. So, I'd still say around '60. If you could find some Western Auto catalogs online somewhere, they'd probably fill in the gaps.


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