# How old is my Hawthorne(?)



## markofdbeast (Oct 19, 2010)

I purchased a balloon tire cruiser that was said to be a Pre war Hawthorne. It is missing the head badge, and has been repainted. It is a skiptooth and has rear dropouts. It looks similar to this. (this is not mine, I just don't know where my camera is right now)







Serial # 7h252416

Any help would be great! Thanks.

Mark


----------



## markofdbeast (Oct 19, 2010)

It also has a musselman model m rear hub. (still have not found that camera)


----------



## WEAKFISH (Oct 20, 2010)

I'm not an expert by any stretch, but my guess is that it's from the 40s.


----------



## RMS37 (Oct 20, 2010)

Hi Mark,

The serial number you posted most resembles a postwar Huffman serial number. It is actually critical that you post a picture of your bike if you want information that has value. Serial numbers alone do not provide enough information to accurately date a bike and even to experts many bicycles look similar so a picture of a similar bike may be the same model or it may be a bicycle made by a completely different manufacturer at a very different time. Ultimately, it is the specific details of your bike, coupled with the serial number that will define what you actually have.


----------



## markofdbeast (Oct 20, 2010)

Thanks for the speedy reply Phil, I will get pics uploaded as soon as I can. Are there certain pictures of parts that I should include to help with the ID?  Also I found that the ball bearing retainer(?) (piece that holds the bearings apart in the rear hub) was rusted and disintegrated. Is there a place to order bearings for the musselman model M or is it better to just find a new (NOS) hub?


----------



## markofdbeast (Oct 20, 2010)

Here are some of the pictures i took. But since you said it is a huffman and looking up the current info on serial numbers I'm guessing it is a 47? Am I close?


----------



## RMS37 (Oct 21, 2010)

The serial number comes through! Yes, that is definitely a Huffman produced bike, while I hesitate to ascribe any bike to a manufacturer based on a serial number alone, postwar Huffman serial numbers do have the characteristic number followed by an H pattern that seem to be unique to that company. The accepted translation would be 1947, 1957, and so on. Your bike has a frame that was based on slight modifications to a prewar frame and was offered through about 1948/49 before a new postwar frame replaced it so 1947 is a good translation of the date for your bike. Many manufacturers started the postwar years with a mildly warmed over version of their postwar bike before restyling in the late forties for their 50’s offerings so it is not surprising that people often mistake them for pre-war bikes. For more information on your bike you bight post it on the Classic Bicycle Fanatics site, Scott Seymore, who runs that site, is an avowed Huffman fanatic.


http://www.classicbicyclefanatics.com/

Oh, and the hub, N.O.S. replacement parts for you hub or a replacement hub should be available by asking for them in the want ads section of this site. Coaster brake hubs are fairly easy to rebuild and depending on wear to the hub shell bearing races and how much you intend to ride the bike you may want to rebuild what your have or purchase a new hub.


----------



## zx6rdr (Nov 4, 2010)

*????*

Can anyone please help me identify the model and age of this hawthorne I just picked up?

Thanks


----------

