# CL Find: Western Flyer Roadmaster Skyrider



## Leroy Ostrander (Aug 11, 2012)

What's yalls thoughts on this bike? Is $150 fair? I know some members here have had Roadmaster Skyriders but I haven't been able to find any info on this particular frame. 

I greatly appreciate your help and input.










http://mankato.craigslist.org/bik/3136032421.html


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## MR D (Aug 11, 2012)

Decent find. I'd bite if there was a little room to haggle (down). OG paint it seems. Many people would take a bike with that straight bar and rat rod it out. throw a set of spring forks on it and call it a day of riding fun!


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## BlueTarp (Aug 11, 2012)

I’m surprised this bike is still out there, it was offered on eBay a while back and apparently no one saw or wanted the rare 1935 Shelby big-tank moto-balloon frame at the core of the bike. The frame is worth the price of admission and the rack is also a factory fitment for that bike. The drive train and the sheetmetal are all from a virtually worthless late 50’s Roadmaster but the asking price is about half what the package will be worth when someone figures out what it is and flips it on.


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## Leroy Ostrander (Aug 11, 2012)

BlueTarp said:


> I’m surprised this bike is still out there, it was offered on eBay a while back and apparently no one saw or wanted the rare 1935 Shelby big-tank moto-balloon frame at the core of the bike. The frame is worth the price of admission and the rack is also a factory fitment for that bike. The drive train and the sheetmetal are all from a virtually worthless late 50’s Roadmaster but the asking price is about half what the package will be worth when someone figures out what it is and flips it on.




BlueTarp, you are the man. I am so thankful for people like you. 

Leroy.


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## Leroy Ostrander (Aug 12, 2012)

Bump. 

Bought the bike. The frame is stamped M230 160 beneath the bottom bracket. It looks like it was repainted a while back. 
I swear, the whole bike frame (beneath the paint) looks brass. The spring rack on the back looks like it was originally blue. 
Front fender brace stamped 1727, back brace 1737. Has a Perry B100 coaster.


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## OldRider (Aug 12, 2012)

Sort of strange how a British hub ended up on that bike.........watch the braking on the Perry, they don't like sudden stops!


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## Leroy Ostrander (Aug 13, 2012)

Thanks Old Rider. Looks like it may have been someone's ratrod. The seat is a Troxel and the kickstand was patented in 1950. Nevermind the fact that the chainguard is off an AMF Roadmaster Skyrider. 

The inside of the grips are embossed with "30". Any indication where those came from? 

Would this not be a Huffman chainring?

Was this a Schwinn rack?


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## Mole (Aug 13, 2012)

BlueTarp said:


> ...1935 Shelby big-tank moto-balloon frame at the core of the bike. The frame is worth the price of admission...




I was wondering about that.


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## RMS37 (Aug 13, 2012)

This bike is clearly a mash-up of two bikes, a circa 1935 Shelby and a late fifties/early 60's AMF Skylark (sic - make that rider). The frame and the rack (and I believe the fork) are all from the 1935 bike and everything else is from the AMF including the wheels and all of the rest of the drive train (explains the Perry hub). 

Now that you have the bike you have the options of recreating the Shelby around the core frame, fork and rack, finding an appropriate AMF frame and recreating the Skylark, or both.... along with a million other possibilities. 

I stand by my assessment on the value to someone regarding the Shelby part of the package, Many of the Airflow crew will want a bookend for their collection. It is an uncommon frame and there are some of the appropriate tanks floating around (the debate is whether those tanks are originals or repops.) The Shelby when accurately restored is a gem (ask Cafarro) and is well worth the effort to build. The AMF not so much so.

If you decide to flip the bike and make an unseemly large profit from my tip to buy, you can donate my share to the children's benefit charity of your choice.

Best,

BT/RMS37/PGM


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## Nickinator (Aug 13, 2012)

Its parted together from an Amf Skyrider. here is a picture of what
a restored Skyrider looks like its also mine.


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## RMS37 (Aug 13, 2012)

Nickinator said:


> here is a picture of what
> a restored Skyrider looks like its also mine. View attachment 60970




That is a really nice restoration, My somewhat disparaging comments on the AMF portion of the cocktail were more on the relative rarity of the two halves. One exemplary thing about your restoration is it is exceedingly rare for people to take on a quality restoration of a middleweight and even rarer for the result to look so spot-on factory. So often what passes for restoration is really more of a personal taste, custom pastiche than a tribute to the original.  

Bravo!


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