# Hiawatha info?



## James nash (Oct 10, 2013)

Can anyone tell me what I got here. I payed $40 for it. So far I know it's a 1964ish and the grips and seat look to be wrong. The bike was painted red an it looks to be on top of a original pearl reddish color underneath. Does that sound right?  And the name badge was painted white and when I removed it there was nothin underneath. Any reason why? Any info on bike is much appreciated. Thanks guys or gals.


----------



## James nash (Oct 13, 2013)

James nash said:


> Can anyone tell me what I got here. I payed $40 for it. So far I know it's a 1964ish and the grips and seat look to be wrong. The bike was painted red an it looks to be on top of a original pearl reddish color underneath. Does that sound right?  And the name badge was painted white and when I removed it there was nothin underneath. Any reason why? Any info on bike is much appreciated. Thanks guys or gals.




Any info????????????????


----------



## rideahiggins (Oct 14, 2013)

Looks like an AMF Flash with a different chain ring. Maybe?


----------



## James nash (Oct 14, 2013)

It does look a lot like that amf. I believe it might be.i was told it was a Hiawatha when I bought it but the badge is just chrome and doesn't show anything. what year is your bike? Have any more pics?  
Any other thoughts from anyone?


----------



## rideahiggins (Oct 14, 2013)

Not sure of the year.


----------



## James nash (Oct 14, 2013)

thanks for the photos! it certainly looks like it may be for sure....


----------



## partsguy (Oct 17, 2013)

That my friend is an early '60s Huffy. Looks similar to the '61 Monark I have (Huffy built)


----------



## James nash (Oct 17, 2013)

Any certain type of huffy? Or just plain huffy?


----------



## James nash (Oct 17, 2013)

Kinda funny! First I'm told it's an early 60s Hiawatha. Then I'm told its probably a amf. Then I'm told its a huffy!  Ha ha dam I know there all kinda the same but I kinda wish I could pin point what it is. Are they just a tough bike too find out exactly what it is. Thanks for all your guys info but I'm not sure who's right. Lol.


----------



## Gary Mc (Oct 17, 2013)

*Huffy*

OK, I took some time on this and my answer still stands at Mid 1960's (1964ish) middleweight built by Huffy. Seat & grips not correct, probably originally had a rear rack. Here's a comparison pic why I still say Huffy & this took some time to do so here it is.  Keep in mind I am NOT an expert on these middleweights & hopefully a real expert will weigh in.  You might want to post the SN.

Also that AMC Flash (not AMF Flash) rideahiggins posted looks Huffy built to me.  I have a 1961 Huffy badged Eldorado with the same tank, same exact graphics on fork, & same chainring.  I have NEVER seen that chainring or chain guard on an AMF bike.  I even went back & looked through every AMF bike pic from this era I have saved & on google, nada/none have it.  Both are on various Huffy built bike pics.

The frame is what has really thrown me off on this bike & looks like a taller frame than I've normally seen on mid 1960's Huffys but I think that is exactly it, it is a taller frame version.  It even has an extended seat post.

On the Hiawatha name, Hiawatha bikes were sold by Gambles Department Store exclusively.  They did not build bikes but bought them from various manufacturers such as Huffy, Murray, Shelby, etc. throughout the years.

OK experts, go ahead & rip this apart as I'm looking to learn too, but to me this appears to be a Huffy manufactured bike.


----------



## James nash (Oct 17, 2013)

Thank you Gary! Hope I learn something. And I'll post a SN.


----------



## James nash (Oct 19, 2013)

SN is located on the lower left rear dropout area and is w343886. Hope this helps to identify what it is. Thanks


----------



## James nash (Oct 19, 2013)

So I scraped off the paint on the chain guard and it says jc Higgins. Anyone think it may be a jc Higgins or just a chain guard thrown on a different bike?


----------



## James nash (Oct 19, 2013)

Ok some info I have been reading after revealing the jc Higgins chain ring and SN makes me to believe that this bike is a 1963 jc Higgins built by huffy! Any other thoughts to my thinking? Thanks.


----------



## partsguy (Oct 21, 2013)

J.C. Higgins was what Sears branded their bicycles. Most of the time Murray built them, but sometimes you'll find a Huffy or two.


----------



## Gary Mc (Oct 21, 2013)

James nash said:


> Ok some info I have been reading after revealing the jc Higgins chain ring and SN makes me to believe that this bike is a 1963 jc Higgins built by huffy! Any other thoughts to my thinking? Thanks.




James,  I think you now know what you have.  A JC Higgins built by Huffy only sold at Sears and 1963 fits.  A Huffy built JC Higgins is a pretty rare bike as classicfan1 said, usually you just see JC Higgins Murray built bikes.  Keep in mind pretty rare doesn't always translate into more dollars when it comes to 1960's bikes but it does make it very NEAT!!!!!!!!!!!  Do you plan on trying to strip off the other paint to see decals or striping?  Are you planning to try to restore it?


----------



## James nash (Oct 21, 2013)

Thanks classicfan1   And Yeah Gary I do plan on stripping all the paint off of it. I believe that's what makes this hobby fun. I'm just getting my ccm put back together cause I just got done locating all the parts for that and cleaning it up. So I haven't had time to mess with the huffy yet! I had just decided to scrape on the chain guard a little cause it looked like there was a decal and behold there was. Yeah can't wait to get the rest of it stripped. 

So do you know we're I could get a photo of this bike? I have know idea what the badge is suppose to look like. Mine was all chrome. 
And did it have a tank possibly?
Or a rear rack? And if so what did it look like?  
Would be nice to have a photo. Anyone have an idea?
Thanks guys!


----------

