# Am I too fat for this bike????



## silvertonguedevil (Jan 25, 2013)

Ok. I'm a big guy. I get it. I'm 5'10" and about 225 lbs. But.....I just picked up this '56 JC Higgins Jetflow with the Beehive springer and was devastated to see the front tire mash up into the fender as soon as I sat down on the seat!! I can't even ride this thing! My old X53 and my Murray Fleetline are just fine though. I get that those have dual springs but is it really that much of a difference? Do I have to go on a serious diet? Or sell the bike? I really hope not. I love this thing!! What are my options?


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## Strings-n-Spokes (Jan 25, 2013)

Maybe the springer is set up wrong.  Don't give up yet!!!


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## Freqman1 (Jan 25, 2013)

silvertonguedevil said:


> Ok. I'm a big guy. I get it. I'm 5'10" and about 225 lbs. But.....I just picked up this '56 JC Higgins Jetflow with the Beehive springer and was devastated to see the front tire mash up into the fender as soon as I sat down on the seat!! I can't even ride this thing! My old X53 and my Murray Fleetline are just fine though. I get that those have dual springs but is it really that much of a difference? Do I have to go on a serious diet? Or sell the bike? I really hope not. I love this thing!! What are my options?




It should support you fine--spring is probably toast--find another spring and you should be good. I've seen this on the Schwinns more than others. V/r Shawn


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 25, 2013)

Oh good!! This is a grail bike for me so I'm happy to hear that I don't have to get rid of it.


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## scrubbinrims (Jan 25, 2013)

Stick it up in your attic and on to the next one...that's what I do anyway.
You only need on vintage rider in my opinion that just feels right.
Chris


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## fordmike65 (Jan 25, 2013)

*I feel your pain!*

But if you think you're fat, I must be OBESE! It isn't easy finding a comfy vintage rider being 6'4" and 265lbs. I know losing a few lbs will help some, but I don't think I can get any shorter. Love those Higgins bikes, but I just don't fit. Any pics of your ride?


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 25, 2013)

I'll take some pics and post em up this weekend.


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## militarymonark (Jan 25, 2013)

I have a friend that had this issue with the same springer. I suggested that he take the springer apart and add a smaller higher rated spring inside the beehive springer to give it some extra strength. It worked well for him. I did the same thing to my twinflex.


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 25, 2013)

That's an idea too!


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## Bri-In-RI (Jan 26, 2013)

My 49 Higgins has the same issue as yours with the side to side movement of the wheel in the springer fork. I think Im going to try the idea of putting a spring inside the spring, sounds like the perfect fix. If you decide you cant live with that Jetflow let me know, I know a great home for it


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 26, 2013)

I bet you do!


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## srfndoc (Jun 11, 2020)

Resurrecting an old thread.... is there any adjustment that can be made on a Higgins beehive springer front end?  My wife's 1950 JC Higgins has this springer but it seems to bottom out very easy on the front stops.  Seems like there would be some type of tension adjustment but I don't see anything.

Thanks


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## 1817cent (Jun 11, 2020)

I have the same problem and can't ride the beehive springers without them bottoming out on the front tire.  That issue caused me to go to Schwinn's and upgrade the spring.  No problems now!


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## srfndoc (Jan 6, 2021)

My wife's springer doesn't bottom out on the tire, but the rockers bottom out on the fork.  Seen here:




Maybe I have the rockers setup incorrectly or maybe these are not the correct JC Higgins Rockers as they look different than a pair for sale:


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## tech549 (Jan 10, 2021)

the rockers are offset so the wider end goes to the back and will clear the fork on compression.


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## srfndoc (Jan 10, 2021)

Make's sense.  I wonder what the rockers I have are from.


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## tech549 (Jan 10, 2021)

srfndoc said:


> Make's sense.  I wonder what the rockers I have are from.



i have seen them on the muscle bike suspensions


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## HEMI426 (Jan 10, 2021)

A valve spring off a V-8 car engine should fit inside the beehive spring and they are pretty stiff.


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## srfndoc (Jan 13, 2021)

tech549 said:


> the rockers are offset so the wider end goes to the back and will clear the fork on compression.
> 
> View attachment 1336093
> 
> View attachment 1336094



The rockers I had were not offfset:







Not sure what they are from but definitely didn’t work for my setup.


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## the tinker (Jan 13, 2021)

Murray used different type rockers on the 60's springers and I've noticed  rockers on the early Beehive springers are slightly different than the Murray Mercury/ X53 springers. This is why I hate buying springers sold separately from a bike. Sometimes you get a "made up" job, that looks good, but works like crap because it's been just slapped together.


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## mrg (Jan 19, 2021)

I know there are at least 4 different versions of the JCH rockers ( not to mention the Murry versions ) and have had many put together wrong or with wrong year/model parts so you really have to look ( take pictures ) of OG bikes to figure it out.


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## Rivnut (Jan 20, 2021)

I'm about the same size, 5'9" 215 lbs. Old Schwinn springer had a spring too weak to hold the bike in  a good position. I put a Whizzer spring in the fork and everything is hunky dory.


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## srfndoc (Jan 22, 2021)

In my case I had the wrong rockers. Got a correct set from @tech549 and all is good. Rides like a Cadillac now.


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