# Gambles hiawatha. But not sure the date.



## purplemom (Nov 10, 2022)




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## purplemom (Nov 10, 2022)




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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 11, 2022)

purplemom said:


> View attachment 1729621



Need to see the serial on the rear drop out. I have the same bike badged as a Western Flyer. The BMA sticker on the seat post makes it a '73 earliest. Mine is a 1976 it has same fade 2 tone paint.


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## HEMI426 (Nov 11, 2022)

Welcome to the Cabe.


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## Drosentreter (Nov 11, 2022)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> Need to see the serial on the rear drop out. I have the same bike badged as a Western Flyer. The BMA sticker on the seat post makes it a '73 earliest. Mine is a 1976 it has same fade 2 tone paint.



I thought the BMA was 71?

Welcome to the Cabe.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 11, 2022)

Drosentreter said:


> I thought the BMA was 71?
> 
> Welcome to the Cabe.



Yes you may be right I could not remember exactly when.


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Nov 11, 2022)

It was either '73 or '74 when BMA/6 was formed & stick shifters were outlawed. I think '74 was the first year they did not come stock on bikes but could be added aftermarket. Perhaps I'm a year off.....


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## Oldbikeguy1960 (Nov 11, 2022)

Mr. Monkeyarms said:


> It was either '73 or '74 when BMA/6 was formed & stick shifters were outlawed. I think '74 was the first year they did not come stock on bikes but could be added aftermarket. Perhaps I'm a year off.....



Bikes came with BMA6 stickers starting 1971. Schwinn did not participate.
1973 was the end of stick shift top tube mounted shifters.
We can thank the CPSC for that fiasco.
I don't know about the rest of us but my gonads made it thru the 1970s with stick shifters on every bike I built.
I didn't need no stinkin' CPSC.


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## Grey Ghost (Nov 11, 2022)

1974 was a bad year for musclebikes.
1975 was even worse for musclecars.

Both got emasculated.

Cool Hiawatha though!


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 11, 2022)

Grey Ghost said:


> 1974 was a bad year for musclebikes.
> 1975 was even worse for musclecars.
> 
> Both got emasculated.



Yep


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## purplemom (Nov 11, 2022)

Thanks for all the info


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