# Incoming...  Orient Tandem



## Crazy8 (Jan 24, 2015)

Picking this one up tomorrow morning.  Another long trip.  Basically the frame and drive train, everything else looks 60/70s.
Will post better photos when I get back with it.


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## catfish (Jan 24, 2015)

Nice find!


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## Crazy8 (Jan 25, 2015)

Just got back with the Orient tandem.  Good frame.  No clue if it's original paint, but it looks good.  Of course some missing paint and has some rust.  Rear right crank arm is bent inward and very close to the sprocket.  Rear sprockets look straight.  Front sprocket has some curving to it and the right crank arm also bends in.  Original seat posts are there.   I'm guessing these are the original hubs on a newer set of rims.  Has the rear block chain, but no front.  Pedals, seats and bars are recent additions.  Rear stem is broken, but screws together which is a bit strange.  No clue on the date as this is my first TOC bike.


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## Crazy8 (Jan 25, 2015)




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## Crazy8 (Jan 25, 2015)

Removed the seats for better shots of the posts.


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## dempsey (Jan 25, 2015)

It is unfortunate that the porcelain is chipped on the head badge. It must have looked beautiful when it was all intact. My instincts tell me that the bicycle was in fact painted at some point because there appears to be blue paint on the head badge. Most, if not all, of the turn of the century bicycles I have encountered in tintypes and other old photographs always have highly polished and shiny head badges. I doubt it would have been painted over by the manufacturer. As for the age, I am not the one to ask - but for what it's worth I have the same exact fork on one of my turn of the century bicycles, which dates to 1906 on the earlier side. I would tend to think yours is earlier but, again, I defer to more experienced members. Good luck! I am interested to see what others know about it.


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## Crazy8 (Jan 29, 2015)

Got all the parts off the bike, except the rear seat post (1/4 inche square allan wrench type hole).  Everything is soaking in vinegar or OA.  Badge was the last part to come off.  Did a light clean up.  Will hit it a bit harder after I've taken a break.  Might just remove all the paint from the frame and have it repainted black in the future.


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## corbettclassics (Jan 30, 2015)

And now the badge and parts are on EBAY. UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Why on earth would someone pull this rare frame apart and sell the badge and other pieces???????????????????????????????????????????

Now someone will buy a frame with no identification.  Unless he's putting on another Model 82 badge ( unlikely though )


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## Crazy8 (Jan 30, 2015)

corbettclassics said:


> And now the badge and parts are on EBAY. UNBELIEVABLE!!!
> 
> Why on earth would someone pull this rare frame apart and sell the badge and other pieces???????????????????????????????????????????
> 
> Now someone will buy a frame with no identification.  Unless he's putting on another Model 82 badge ( unlikely though )




1.  The frame is painted.
2.  Front sprocket and crank arms are bent.
3.  Correct parts are nearly impossible to find.
4.  Rear Hub isn't original (pretty sure it's a english racing 40 hole racing hub or Canadian), front hub probably isn't either, but haven't taken a close look at that yet.

If you think I'm ridiculous, the one person who was interested told me to cut the frame in half to save on shipping.

Personally, between me and you.  I think you over stepped your boundaries by making it a point to blast it all over Cabe.  And what gives you the right to tell me what to do with my property?


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## corbettclassics (Jan 30, 2015)

I guess you're right.  Cutting it in half is pretty stupid isn't it!!!!  ( what did you tell him? )
Parts that are bent are easily put straight ---- try it some time. 
Correct parts are nearly impossible to find you say ……………. but not impossible!!!!!

PRESERVATION!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( This is an easy preservation and restoration for someone who understands this sort of thing )

Some people understand the preservation historically of these old bicycles …… and some don't I guess. That's my 2 cents 

But again …… why on earth would someone pull the badge off this beautiful frame and sell it?  

This is definately one for the "Pet Peeve" thread on this site!! ( already spoken about )

I would have just pulled the bars off, the pedals off and those ugly seats.  What's left is a really decent start to a restoration.
Seats are easy to find as they come up ALL the time.  Pedals are always found and the bars aren't that difficult.  Other members
always have hubs for sale.  Crikey ….. what's left?

Good luck with your sale.

Oh … love your avatar - yikes!


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## filmonger (Jan 30, 2015)

This is what the an Orig 1897 Orient looks like.... Just a FYI.


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## THE STIG (Jan 30, 2015)

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showth...t-bike-parts-any-condition-tandem-even-better


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## Crazy8 (Jan 30, 2015)

filmonger said:


> This is what the an Orig 1897 Orient looks like.... Just a FYI.




Awesome photos!  

If this bike had original paint, I'd probably be all over restoring it, but parting it out will allow others to get the parts they've been looking for, and I'll be able to use the money to help complete other bike projects I'm working on, and hopefully find a single person Orient some time in the future.  I'm a stay at home dad, and the money I get from selling parts is the only way I can afford to enjoy this hobby.  I keep the ones that can be completed, like my Panther, and my Rollfast, but the painted, wrecked, and missing too many parts, get broken down.

Sorry if I come off a little bent on this site.....  Just get a little tired of the insulting offers I get when I post a bike on here.  Actually, it's the "Hey, are you interested in selling that bike", in which I reply, "make me an offer", only to be answered by "what do you want for it?"  Too many people hoping for stupid, and that's the usual case when I get the question answered by another question.  A few months back, one person actually told me he was hoping I didn't know what I had so he could get it cheap.  He didn't want to make an offer, was hoping I would give him the "I have no clue, price".   I'm not going to sell something for $200 only to see it parted out for 5x's the money and I'm sure you wouldn't either.  Love sharing my finds, but I'll probably stop because it somehow always leads to unpleasant conversations.


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## 66TigerCat (Jan 30, 2015)

Original Orient stove enamel paint is pretty tough stuff. Was the frame black under the badge ? 

I agree that finding parts is not impossible but it's not inexpensive either especially for a tandem.


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## Crazy8 (Jan 30, 2015)

66TigerCat said:


> Original Orient stove enamel paint is pretty tough stuff. Was the frame black under the badge ?
> 
> I agree that finding parts is not impossible but it's not inexpensive either especially for a tandem.




Yes, black under the badge.  Correct, not impossible, but they sure don't show up often.  They barely show up on here over the history of this forum, and their hasn't been an Orient part on ebay over the past few months in the completed/sold history.


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## 66TigerCat (Jan 30, 2015)

Agree, Orient stuff is scarce. 

The blue paint can probably be removed carefully to save the OG paint.

Good luck with your sale. The badge will go big for sure. The enamel inserts alone go for $50.-$100.


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## gben (Jan 30, 2015)

Crazy8 said:


> Love sharing my finds, but I'll probably stop because it somehow always leads to unpleasant conversations.




   I am interested in TOC bikes and am here trying to learn about them, but I am not new to the world of antiques.

    At this point in time most collectible items from the mid-20th century and earlier are valuable and scarce and getting more so as people throw them away, do amateur restorations that erase their history or destroy them for money by parting them out. An intact TOC bicycle for instance as a historical document is more important than most of the people who own it, unless they are part of it's history. Historic items that are in the hands of collectors and museums will outlive those who own them or are presently taking care of them.

   The most noble collectors and participants in the world of collectibles are those who are in it for love of the items and their history, they know it is important to preserve history and they work at it. 

   The participants who destroy history in exchange for money or to secure their ego are the bottom-feeders of any genre they participate in. 

    In the last year I have seen repairable, rare and irreplaceable motorcycles parted out on Ebay for money, motorcycles that no-one can by for any price now as they are gone forever. 

    It is average and common to participate in destroying things for profit, and probably ignoble. It is a commentary on those who participate in it that they do not know what they are doing and are even surprised and offended when someone points it out to them. 

    To spell it out:  It is pathetic and common to have to get a sense of self-worth from material objects that you own, and it is sad to destroy things more important than you, history, for profit. 

     Ask not what your TOC bicycles can do for you, but what you can do for TOC bicycles and their history. You come last.....


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## THE STIG (Jan 30, 2015)

crazy8 said:


> sorry if i come off a little bent on this site.....  Just get a little tired of the insulting offers i get when i post a bike on here.  Actually, it's the "hey, are you interested in selling that bike", in which i reply, "make me an offer", only to be answered by "what do you want for it?"  too many people hoping for stupid, and that's the usual case when i get the question answered by another question.  A few months back, one person actually told me he was hoping i didn't know what i had so he could get it cheap.  He didn't want to make an offer, was hoping i would give him the "i have no clue, price".   I'm not going to sell something for $200 only to see it parted out for 5x's the money and i'm sure you wouldn't either.  Love sharing my finds, but i'll probably stop because it somehow always leads to unpleasant conversations.




eggggzakleee !!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Crazy8 (Jan 30, 2015)

66TigerCat said:


> Agree, Orient stuff is scarce.
> 
> The blue paint can probably be removed carefully to save the OG paint.
> 
> Good luck with your sale. The badge will go big for sure. The enamel inserts alone go for $50.-$100.




I actually did take a look at the areas where paint was missing when I first got it.  If I had to guess based on those areas, the black paint was removed from everything but the front where the badge is probably because they didn't want to remove the badge.  Looks like blue paint with red primer underneath, then rusty bare metal.

I actually tried to remove paint from a '46 Autocycle I found.  Wasn't fun, gave up and sold the frame and springer.


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## Crazy8 (Jan 30, 2015)

66TigerCat said:


> Agree, Orient stuff is scarce.
> 
> The blue paint can probably be removed carefully to save the OG paint.
> 
> Good luck with your sale. The badge will go big for sure. The enamel inserts alone go for $50.-$100.




Who has those enamel inserts?


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## 66TigerCat (Jan 30, 2015)

Catfish may have some. I saw some on Ebay a while back.


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## Crazy8 (Jan 30, 2015)

66TigerCat said:


> Catfish may have some. I saw some on Ebay a while back.




Thanks.  I actually ended that ebay listing because I wasn't happy with how much blue paint was still on it.  Kept looking at those photos and was going nuts.  3 hours later....Much better!

Will put it back up tonight.


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## 66TigerCat (Jan 30, 2015)

Nice job. It's cool how the enamel insert is soldered to the bezel.


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## Crazy8 (Feb 1, 2015)

Slowly working on this one.  Front sprocket was sold to a Caber who needed it to complete his project, so as this one dies (gets parted out) as people are saying, others will be complete!  Can't complete others without parts bikes like this one.

Anywhere, cleaned up the big sprocket from the back seat rider.  Noticed a slight curve in it, but not too bad.


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