# 1931 Schwinn built



## chitown (Sep 22, 2012)

Just picked up this Schwinn built Motobike with a beautiful Mesinger saddle. It was painted red with white stripe on the fender many years ago. I saw a little color underneath and put some citrus based paint remover on and found the oddest of color combinations. "AS 31" on the crank, so I'm assuming it's a '31. Fork has truss rods that are fused to fork and truss plate. Steel clad wood rims with only one tire though. Wards Riverside 28"


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## chitown (Sep 22, 2012)

Very close in serial # to Wing Your Heel's presumed '32 World

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?9058-Dating-Schwinn-Motorbike

Though the headbadge holes seem much longer than the World bike (just over 3" apart)

But how about that color combo!









The one tire it came with looks in decent shape:



 






And the Mesinger saddle is in rough shape on the frame and underneath, but the leather is without major scarring


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## markivpedalpusher (Sep 22, 2012)

Congrats very cool colors!


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## Gary Mc (Sep 22, 2012)

Great bike find & some wild colors!!!!!! Looks like it was Margarita day at the factory but I kinda like it. Would of never believed those colors on a 1931 Schwinn but seeing is believing.


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## tailhole (Sep 22, 2012)

Great bike, neato colors. Gives me hope for finding an unmolested beauty like that.


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## Waterland (Sep 22, 2012)

My 1927 ladies' Schwinn has the same color combo, maroon with green headtube, green darts on downtubes, green stripes down the middle of the fenders with gold pinstriping around all the green.  I'd never seen such a combo before, but it looks like it was used for a few years on a couple models.


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## chitown (Nov 30, 2013)

*Cleaning time*

Made some progress in cleaning the hubs and rims. Both hubs were in good condition under all the hardened grease and dirt. 







 







Before and after:





Cleaning/burnishing tools from my dremel used for rims: 




I'm thinking of just clear coating the rims now that they are raw steel. There are a few spots of nickel left on them but not much.


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## Iverider (Nov 30, 2013)

Great bike! And you're doing a nice job cleaning it up thus far. I think I love the Messinger Script on the saddle most, but all of it is grrrrrrreat!


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## hoofhearted (Dec 1, 2013)

*Very-Special Motorbike .........*

Chris ...those are some really interesting colors together ... you are doing 
a wonderful job as a preservationist.  I like the idea of clear-coating the 
rims ...... have you considered a finish other than gloss ?

WOW .. What A Find !!!!!!!!

...........  patric


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## Nick-theCut (Dec 1, 2013)

Awesome motorbike.  Loving the paint scheme. Great cleaning up work.


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## stoney (Dec 1, 2013)

Like everyone is saying-----loving the colors. Can't wait to see that cleaned up. That bike is going to look fantastic.


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## chitown (Dec 7, 2014)

Well, it took about a year but I hand scrubbed each spoke and finally built up the wheels. I had to throw it together as it's been apart for way too long. Hoping this winter is a productive one in the paint booth. I'm doing some testing with color matching with automotive Sherman Williams stuff and think I'm as close as I'm gonna get (section of front fender and fork were test painted earlier with rattle can enamel). It's amazing those darts were still there! The rest of the frame was mostly the old repaint over primer with very little of the original paint left on much of the frame.


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## coppertonekid (Dec 10, 2014)

Very nice, congratulations on the find, I also dig the colors


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## Freqman1 (Dec 10, 2014)

The colors look pretty darn close to me! I say go for it--can't wait to see it done. V/r Shawn


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