# Mosh Up Home Made Tandem Frame Identification



## Krakatoa (May 27, 2020)

Got this crazy grafted & cobbled together tandem recently... I think its frame is destined to be wall art but I wanted to show it to you all to see if we could identify the front men's bike and the rear ladies bike and their approximate eras. I also thought some might find interesting the modifications done to accomplish the graft...


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## GTs58 (May 27, 2020)

Never seen a tandem reproduced like that before. Interesting piece.


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## Archie Sturmer (May 27, 2020)

Front end looks Miami built; there appears to be remnants of a wider seat stay bridge; about 1920? (Was also thinking Iver Johnson with the chain tensioner area, but the dark black bottom bracket looks of normal size)?
The circle bar on the girls looks peculiar.


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## New Mexico Brant (May 28, 2020)

Archie Sturmer said:


> Front end looks Miami built; there appears to be remnants of a wider seat stay bridge; about 1920?
> The circle bar on the girls looks peculiar.



@bentwoody66


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## bentwoody66 (May 28, 2020)

I dont think that the front mens half is Miami, the rear dropouts just dont look right to me. The way the chainstay and seat stay connect to the axle plates look different.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## gkeep (May 28, 2020)

The rounded finish where the rear dropouts enter the chain stays on the motorbike frame are somewhat Westfieldish but not the chain tensioners compared to my frame.


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## Archie Sturmer (May 29, 2020)

I may have been fooled by the small truss tube size again, (in less than 1 week). I had thought that there were only 3 manufacturers with the smaller truss tubes:  Emblem; Iver; Miami.  Looks like some earlier Westfield Columbia bicycles also have such feature.  Or maybe my eyeballs are failing to see the tube diameters.


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## Krakatoa (Jun 2, 2020)

Here are some images of the cranks found in each position. 

Front position men's 1st... The chainring was sawed and drilled to adapt to 2nd position home made dual ring shown in next post. Dimensions for bearings cups and cranks noted on plastic bag.


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## Krakatoa (Jun 2, 2020)

Second position ladies frame crank...Note interesting ball retainer setup in cup...key dimensions and notes also noted on plastic bag...small crescent cutouts in bottom bracket facilitated removal of cups using a brass punch...single piece crank has curved crank arms and Colson-like dimple...wondering if welded up chainring was original to this crank or not.


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## stezell (Jun 2, 2020)

Hey Nate I think the ball retainer set up is Fauber, pretty wild mashup brother. 

Sean


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## Kombicol (Jun 3, 2020)

I'm going to say the first crank set is Iver Johnson/lovell.


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## Cooper S. (Jun 3, 2020)

Judging by the bb on the rear frame, I’d say the rear is great western built. Also if you want to sell the crankset from it let me know


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## Krakatoa (Jun 3, 2020)

Men's frame serial as suspected Iver Johnson. Can anyone date it?


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## Krakatoa (Jun 3, 2020)

Women's frame serial...note bb cutouts...


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## Kombicol (Jun 3, 2020)

Late 20s









						iver johnson serial number list | Antique Bicycles Pre-1933
					

I heard there is a catalog so to speak of iver johnson serial numbers. Have a couple to maybe add to the list. How do I go about that?




					thecabe.com
				




Any evidence of headbadge screws?


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## ivrjhnsn (Jun 4, 2020)

Krakatoa said:


> Men's frame serial as suspected Iver Johnson. Can anyone date it?
> 
> Late 20's
> 
> ...


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## Archie Sturmer (Jun 4, 2020)

Girls 1917-C Great Western Mfg.?
Crank looks heat treated to create a dogleg, which may have left softer (bendable) steel.
GWM used the undersize 45mm BB cups (1.79"); proprietary 45mm x 68mm bottom bracket.


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## Mike Rosseau (Sep 13, 2020)

Krakatoa said:


> Men's frame serial as suspected Iver Johnson. Can anyone date it?
> 
> View attachment 1205000
> 
> View attachment 1205001


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## Mike Rosseau (Sep 13, 2020)

Late '27 or early '28 would be as close as I could come on the Iver frame.  It's worth saving. You would just need the fender bridge off of the girls bike.


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## all riders (Sep 14, 2020)

I agree, as much as I appreciate looking at someone's homespun handy work(and I do), I think I would free the mens frame from its entanglement.


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