# $10,000.   Flying Merkel



## catfish (Mar 27, 2015)

https://www.mecum.com/lot-detail/EJ0315-211514/0/1916-Merkel-Bicycle/


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## Iverider (Mar 27, 2015)

Whoa nellie!


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## hoofhearted (Mar 27, 2015)

*Ten-Thousand Simoleons for a 1916-era, American bicycle ?

Can almost hear bitchin', pissin' and moanin' from the 
huddled masses ... but for the few ... well, it sold ... right ?!!

The Earth-Dweller can either grab it while available - or walk on ....

Found these downloadable fotos on google images ....*

Great find - this is, Catfish .... thank you .....


....... patric
















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## Iverider (Mar 27, 2015)

It's a great lookin' bike for sure! Should it have a front fender??? 

Sometimes I think these really nice uncommon bikes need to be priced at crazy numbers to keep them safe from parting or over-restoration. 

Who's going to spend 10k on this bike and part it or restore it? Only a complete &@#$* moron!


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## hoofhearted (Mar 27, 2015)

Krautwaggen said:


> It's a great lookin' bike for sure! Should it have a front fender???





*If peepin' the catalog ... the page shows a front fender.*

...... patric


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## bikewhorder (Mar 27, 2015)

Is that what it sold for?  I don't see a sale price.


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## hoofhearted (Mar 27, 2015)

bikewhorder said:


> Is that what it sold for?  I don't see a sale price.




*Just joined that auction site to gather more info ..."estimate $9,000 to $12,000" .... actually sold for $10,000 ... 
not including any premiums. *


..........  patric



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## dave the wave (Mar 27, 2015)

it sold on ebay years ago.


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## bikewhorder (Mar 27, 2015)

dave the wave said:


> it sold on ebay years ago.




Any recollection of what it brought?


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## fordsnake (Mar 27, 2015)

Very Cool! The 1916 catalog reference the standard color to be black…orange was an option!  Also note the painting of the fork, styled like the Racycle? Isn't this the same frame that's in Nick's collection?


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## barracuda (Mar 27, 2015)

Beautiful bicycle.



fordsnake said:


> Isn't this the same frame that's in Nick's collection?




I bought one of those from Nick, that's the bike I'm trying to find crank hardware for... will pay cash or trade, just wanna get it on the road again:

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?70010-WTB-or-WTT-teens-Miami-crank-hardware

(okay, crap, I'm reduced to begging now... oh well.)


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## cyclingday (Mar 27, 2015)

The entire E.J. Cole auction was full of record breaking prices paid.
The Cyclone Racer once belonged to Steve McQueen who had it restored by pre sixteen historian, Steven Wright (best guy for the job at the time)
sold for $875,500.00
The buyer was the same guy who bought another Cyclone racer a few years ago for over $500,000.00
I guess he's trying to corner the market on those little gems. Probably just upgrading the collection though.
My personal favorite was seeing the 1929 Excelsior Henderson KJ sell for $97,000.00 These classic bikes are definitely not getting any cheaper.


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## fordsnake (Mar 27, 2015)

barracuda said:


> I'm trying to find the crank hardware for... just wanna get it on the road again.




At the moment I'm occupied with another project. But once I'm done, (in a few days), I'll run over to my storage and see what I have.


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## bikejunk (Mar 27, 2015)

20 odd years ago when I would bring my motorcycle/bicycle collection to AMCA shows at first most people would just smirk and keep walking it took a few years for any kind of real interest from the biker crowd


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## Wcben (Mar 27, 2015)

fordsnake said:


> At the moment I'm occupied with another project. But once I'm done, (in a few days), I'll run over to my storage and see what I have.




Hey Carlton, take a look and see if you might have a cool stem for my Racycle too?


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## fordsnake (Mar 27, 2015)

Will do.


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## Nickinator (Mar 27, 2015)

I had a 16 scout but as stated in the thread by barracuda he bought it from me, nice solid bike I just wasn't fond of the diamond frame. I still have my 1917 motorbike which I like more though. There is actually one other original paint 16 scout out there but a little bit less complete, oddly enough it is also missing its front fender, when it was found it had no rims.





Nick.


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## mikey-motorbikey (Mar 28, 2015)

anyone else notice the split crank case????? did your have this Nick/Barracuda


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## barracuda (Mar 28, 2015)

mikey-motorbikey said:


> anyone else notice the split crank case????? did your have this Nick/Barracuda




No, but I understood mine to be a '16 Scout rather than a Roadster model. However, the '16 Merkel catalog does seem to make an issue of the split crankcase in their literature:


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## barracuda (Mar 28, 2015)

This is what I have:













Seems right enough. No evidence of badge holes. But no split crankcase.


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## bikewhorder (Mar 28, 2015)

barracuda said:


> This is what I have:




I have an almost identical frame, and it is identical to my pair of mead crusaders.  The only difference I can see is that all mine have the little crescent cutouts for the Fauber bottom bracket.  http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=743


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## fordsnake (Mar 28, 2015)

Different dropouts.


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## barracuda (Mar 28, 2015)

bikewhorder said:


> I have an almost identical frame, and it is identical to my pair of mead crusaders.  The only difference I can see is that all mine have the little crescent cutouts for the Fauber bottom bracket.




I see a few other things, such as the lack of chain tensioners. Nice bikes, btw.

fordsnake beat me to it.


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## Lux Low (Mar 30, 2015)

The Flying Merkel seller is the Same Guy that sold me a Grip of Racycles and Ivers.
HMMM


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