# Hi all! A original paint Sterling Westfield with Clipper tank



## BSAlifer (Jul 11, 2019)

I just finished greasing and excess rust removal but no touch ups to paint and was stored for 40 years. Stand in rider wheels I made from hubs I have good rolling og wheels stored now. Added pre war chain adjusters for ease of use from a UK bike. Will post some of the barn finds as I clean them up. I am a fabricator and life long BSA BMW no car license motorcycles only guy so riding is my life....or death LOL! Trying to resize pics to post, sorry 1 pic posted 2 times could not find delete func. 1947 by L #


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## BSAlifer (Jul 11, 2019)

Next up may be this Westfield made Derby ladies bike. Or a cool Hercules popular.
Thanks to this site resource







 I am now fully nuts, I switched to BMW bikes and compared to the BSA's I have too much free time now!


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## stoney (Jul 11, 2019)

Welcome, the Westfield looks great. Nice clean bike. Stay in touch.


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## catfish (Jul 11, 2019)

Welcome to the Cabe!


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## CURTIS L LINDGREN (Jul 11, 2019)

Welcome !    Your in GOOD Company !


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## Mercian (Jul 12, 2019)

Hi, and Welcome.

The Sterling looks to be a 1945 or 1946. If you want to post the serial number, we can date it.

Best Regards,

Adrian


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## BSAlifer (Jul 12, 2019)

Thanks everyone. I will add these for reference as it was pictures of this bike that drew me here. Life's a trip like that!
Looking for good westfield any brand frame like this to build up as well with TA skip tooth as I have a huge stack of 5 screw-2ba crank sprockets and ccm triangle taper crank.
The serial number is an L series which showed as a '47, very well spray painted at factory must have been a monday or tues my guess :o) workers were paying attention LOL! 
Steve


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## BSAlifer (Jul 12, 2019)

Some things I wanted to ask were is there an archived brand variation production count record?
Who ordered the Sterling variations and what years?
Did they ever come with tank graphics?
You know the most impossible to answer type questions LOL!
I used to think there were a lot of mass produced balloon tire bikes but then I researched Westfield and they account for a great handfull of small bike sellers. Masterful business plan, they are all Westfield Columbia's to me. Although this '36- '38 clipper tank has less space around it with this '47 frame jig they used. Shortened frame by 1" it seems.
S


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## Freqman1 (Jul 12, 2019)

You will find no such production records. The best you might find is total Westfield production for the year.


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## BSAlifer (Jul 12, 2019)

Well, mr  crazy just got onto ebae and now I have this challenge on the way! Will be good paired with the red Westfield. Offer was over 400. but the shipping was very good and fingers crossed I don't need to fab or source the missing bits forever. Ad said 1953 Roadmaster but lacking springs on front trusses?, rear rack stay maybe, a fender stay, headlight, tons of missing org bolts more derusting than the red westie 4 sure but the rear wheel stays wow, industrial deco 







design art that is. Critique away! who else was eyeing this or thought it was too much? I will post good pics when it arrives. No pedals, I have a spare set of wheels if needed spokes look harsh. Think it is blue but colourblind am I   cue 6million dollar man inspiration theme. Looking at it it looks more 40's even prewar to me but I am a Canuck everything rusts away up here.
Steve


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## Freqman1 (Jul 13, 2019)

The serial number will tell you the year and ‘53 seems about right. This model came with or without spring fork. Overall looks fairly complete and original. V/r Shawn


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## fordmike65 (Jul 13, 2019)

BSAlifer said:


> Next up may be this Westfield made Derby ladies bike. Or a cool Hercules popular.
> Thanks to this site resourceView attachment 1029023
> 
> View attachment 1029024
> ...



Looks like a ladies Murray to me. Not Westfield.


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## BSAlifer (Jul 13, 2019)

fordmike65 said:


> Looks like a ladies Murray to me. Not Westfield.



Looks but Derby is on the Westfield list of badge names. I also thought at first Derby was Murray made. They were all copying each other pretty close back then. From an online site....
"The Westfield Manufacturing Co. of Westfield, MA has origins dating back to 1877 with the founding of the Pope Manufacturing Co. Many brands were manufactured under Westfield but their in-house brand was Columbia. Westfield bought many bicycle companies such as Miami who made the Flying Merkel, and Racycle among others. Some of the most desirable balloon tire bikes ever made were produced by Westfield for Sears under the Elgin brand to include the Bluebird, Skylark, and Robin. Westfield was also the primary contractor for making bicycles for Hendee/Indian Motocycle Co. until World War II. The company enjoyed postwar success but like other American companies succumbed to imports and production cost and ceased operations in 1987.
Badges: Columbia, Westfield, Elgin, Corsair, Seminole, Indian, Viking, Tribune, Derby, Fleetwing, Imperial, Crescent, Flying Merkel, Racycle, Sterling, Stormer, Rambler, Waverly"


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## fordmike65 (Jul 13, 2019)

BSAlifer said:


> Looks but Derby is on the Westfield list of badge names. I also thought at first Derby was Murray made. They were all copying each other pretty close back then. From an online site....
> "The Westfield Manufacturing Co. of Westfield, MA has origins dating back to 1877 with the founding of the Pope Manufacturing Co. Many brands were manufactured under Westfield but their in-house brand was Columbia. Westfield bought many bicycle companies such as Miami who made the Flying Merkel, and Racycle among others. Some of the most desirable balloon tire bikes ever made were produced by Westfield for Sears under the Elgin brand to include the Bluebird, Skylark, and Robin. Westfield was also the primary contractor for making bicycles for Hendee/Indian Motocycle Co. until World War II. The company enjoyed postwar success but like other American companies succumbed to imports and production cost and ceased operations in 1987.
> Badges: Columbia, Westfield, Elgin, Corsair, Seminole, Indian, Viking, Tribune, Derby, Fleetwing, Imperial, Crescent, Flying Merkel, Racycle, Sterling, Stormer, Rambler, Waverly"



Derby is not a Westfield specific badge. It is a bike sold at Pep Boys. Stores & shops would regularly have several bike manufacturers build bikes for them & attach the shop's badge. Similar to Sears who had Elgin bikes made by Westfield, Murray & Monark. There were others early on. This bike pictured is most definitely Murray built.


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## BSAlifer (Jul 13, 2019)

I think this site VintageAmericanCycles needs to do more research just like Wiki most websites have fake info these days. LOL!
https://vintageamericanbicycles.com/index.php/company-histories/


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## fordmike65 (Jul 13, 2019)

BSAlifer said:


> I think this site VintageAmericanCycles needs to do more research just like Wiki most websites have fake info these days. LOL!
> https://vintageamericanbicycles.com/index.php/company-histories/



How's that? It was never stated that these badges were _specific_ only to Westfield build bikes...

@Freqman1


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## BSAlifer (Jul 13, 2019)

fordmike65 said:


> How's that? It was never stated that these badges were _specific_ only to Westfield build bikes...
> 
> @Freqman1



Not a forum fighter but they omitted Derby at that site in Murray description so who is right in a world on fake history footnotes I guess. This hobby has opinions just like the vintage motorcycle forums I see. LOL!  Most people don't believe it took Canadian workers to produce the first electric start Indian motorcycle in 
Ontario my pal owns one and a Pope, so maybe Westfield farmed out the design to Murray? 
Steve


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## Freqman1 (Jul 13, 2019)

Steve that is my site. I probably do more research in a week than a lot do all year. The company history section is only to give an overview of each company and not a comprehensive history. Once you’ve spent the money I have on references and the thousands of hours of research then maybe you’ll have an understanding. Like Mike said many companies used the same badge name. For example you can find a Cadillac badge on Schwinn, Shelby, and CWC bikes. It would be impossible for me to list every badge used by every manufacturer. Hell Barry just wrote a 300 page book--just on Schwinn badges--and that was just Volume 1! Many of these same names or companies can be found on other mfrs bikes.


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## fordmike65 (Jul 13, 2019)

BSAlifer said:


> Not a forum fighter but they omitted Derby at that site in Murray description so who is right in a world on fake history footnotes I guess. This hobby has opinions just like the vintage motorcycle forums I see. LOL!  Most people don't believe it took Canadian workers to produce the first electric start Indian motorcycle in
> Ontario my pal owns one and a Pope, so maybe Westfield farmed out the design to Murray?
> Steve


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## BSAlifer (Jul 13, 2019)

See ya later your wrench is obviously bigger than mine. Step back think how welcoming your post was. Update your other site as well maybe instead of attackin mocking a visitor offering reference pics. Now I know they will probably just be stolen for some nickle and dime ebay item. Later enjoy your fence post here. You set a great example. 
Posting gifs is grade nine disrespecting, forums back to lurking.


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## piercer_99 (Jul 13, 2019)

well then, that seemed to go well.

also, yes indeed, this is a Murray built bicycle.








Just like the Murray built Elgin


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## Freqman1 (Jul 13, 2019)

Unfortunately BSAlifer failed to read the intro to the company histories on my website or he would have seen this:

Before 1900 there were hundreds of companies in the United States producing bicycles. Between about 1900 and the mid-1920s the field narrowed considerably as companies like Schwinn and Westfield bought out other makers but carried their brands forward. While some of the companies listed here certainly predated balloon tire bicycles the following are the most prolific builders of balloon tire bicycles.

Following the story of each manufacturer is a list of _some _of the badges known on the bikes. These listings are only examples as some companies are known to have used hundreds of different badges. Distributors or retailers such as tire stores, department stores, hardware stores, or any number of retail establishments that sold bicycles many times had their own badges made. It is important to understand that the badge was merely a brand and not necessarily the manufacturer. For example the brand “Elgin” was used on bicycles Sears sold before World War II. Sears never made any of its own bicycles. Neither did Firestone, Goodyear, or B.F. Goodrich. In the case of the Elgin bicycles many were made by Westfield but some made by Monark and Murray as well. Colson, Monark, Cleveland Welding, and Schwinn made the bikes for the tire companies.

https://vintageamericanbicycles.com/index.php/company-histories/ 

V/r Shawn


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