# Help/Advice please...



## bdada (Jul 7, 2015)

Hello all- 
I'm a fairly new old bike lover and would like some advice. I have a 1935 travel trailer and belong to a group called the Tin Can Tourists. Throughout the summer I'm at a new campground almost every other weekend. I want to get an antique bike to putz around the campgrounds -I started out looking for a bike to match my trailers age, but I have really tuned into the motobike style of the 20s. I really love that style of bike. Now I'm a pretty normal Joe with a wife and a mortgage, so buying a $2000.00 bike is out of the question right now. I realize I am going to have to get a rusty/rough/Fix-me-up bike to start with, which I am OK with. My questions are these-Would you suggest building a bike e.g. finding a good frame and adding the proper items e.g. seat, tank etc as they become available, or bite the bullet and try to find as complete a bike as my financial adviser (wife) will allow? Some of the earlier motobikes have wood wheels- are these type of wheels usable (if in good condition) or more for display nowadays (should I assume if I find a bike with wood wheels that I should replace them to make the bike useable)? Any other things I should watch and/or watch out for when considering a bike from this age would be greatly appreciated.I've always been fascinated how I am drawn to certain things. I love old bikes, but when I see a motobike, I begin to drool. Your advice is truely appreciated as I am running out of dry shirts. Thanks- Brian


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## Euphman06 (Jul 7, 2015)

Buying complete will save you money. Piecing together a bike costs a fortune. You can ride on the old wood wheel bikes but they take single tube tires which will run you around $250-$300 for a set. I have one for sale that won't break the bank... You can also get new Velocity Blunt rims and have them laced up with the original hubs so you can run modern tires on them which a lot of folks do.


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## Freqman1 (Jul 7, 2015)

I second Euphman concerning buying complete vice building. Motobikes are generally pretty affordable and if you could find one where someone already laced a set of old hubs into some modern clinchers you would be good to go for maybe $700-800. V/r Shawn


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## robertc (Jul 7, 2015)

Don't be too quick on the purchase. Look around and be patient. I purchased a 1935 Hawthorne Motobike at an estate auction for $65. It was rideable as is however covered in an old repaint. There are bargain out there you just have to look. Good luck and happy "tin can" camping.


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## bdada (Jul 7, 2015)

There you go! lacing up modern rims with the old hubs! I looked at a bike over the weekend and the wood wheels were shot- I didn't even think of replacing the rims! This is obvious to you veterans. Unfortunately the frame tubes on the bike I was looking at were so rusted, I didn't believe it could hold up my weight without collapsing! It had been outside a long, long, long time. Pass. Thanks everyone for the advice- I will be patient until the right one comes along. I kind of figured it would be cheaper to get a complete bike instead of piecing. I will keep up my search here, ebay, craigslist etc. Again, thanks-  Brian


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## hoofhearted (Jul 7, 2015)

bdada said:


> Hello all-
> I'm a fairly new old bike lover and would like some advice. I have a 1935 travel trailer and belong to a group called the Tin Can Tourists. Throughout the summer I'm at a new campground almost every other weekend. I want to get an antique bike to putz around the campgrounds -I started out looking for a bike to match my trailers age, but I have really tuned into the motobike style of the 20s. I really love that style of bike. Now I'm a pretty normal Joe with a wife and a mortgage, so buying a $2000.00 bike is out of the question right now. I realize I am going to have to get a rusty/rough/Fix-me-up bike to start with, which I am OK with. My questions are these-Would you suggest building a bike e.g. finding a good frame and adding the proper items e.g. seat, tank etc as they become available, or bite the bullet and try to find as complete a bike as my financial adviser (wife) will allow? Some of the earlier motobikes have wood wheels- are these type of wheels usable (if in good condition) or more for display nowadays (should I assume if I find a bike with wood wheels that I should replace them to make the bike useable)? Any other things I should watch and/or watch out for when considering a bike from this age would be greatly appreciated.I've always been fascinated how I am drawn to certain things. I love old bikes, but when I see a motobike, I begin to drool. Your advice is truely appreciated as I am running out of dry shirts. Thanks- Brian






*bdada ... there are many of us who appreciate the motorbike.  The style can be traced from as early
as 1912 thru 1935 (+/-).

The earlier models may have 28'' wooden wheels .. and those produced 1933 thru 1935 may have 28''
wooden wheels .. OR .. steel wheels wrapped in 26'' X 2.215'' balloon tires.

One beauty is the 1935 Shelby.  The tank is fairly available .. keep peepin' ebay.  Actually, there are probably
more NOS tanks out there than there are frames available.

There is something very-monumental about that frame-design from Shelby.  Of course, this is purely
an opinion.   Check out some o' the fotos, below ......... *


....... patric


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## hoofhearted (Jul 7, 2015)

*1935 Shelby Motorbike ... continued .....*













 
*Some CABE member may have a spare '35 tank.  These show up on ebay, sometimes.*


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## bdada (Jul 8, 2015)

Thanks for all the great pics Patric- The Shelby is a beaut no doubt- although I'd love to find a '35 Lindy- My Trailer is a '35 and the man who built it also built the "Spirit Of St. Louis" for Charles Lindbergh! The connection would be fantastic, but, alas, I assume that is one of those super rare ones, and I have champagne taste on a beer budget. Thanks for the period shot of the tanks- it's good to know those are out there as I've seen a lot of motobikes without them. I'm surprised to learn the motobike style goes back to 1912. Little by little, I'm learnin'. I really didn't need another hobby, but bikes are slowly sucking me inn...


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## scrubbinrims (Jul 8, 2015)

Here is my monumental original '32 Shelby motorbike.
I have a NOS tank, but one of these days, I might patina match it to the bike.
Chris


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## bdada (Jul 8, 2015)

Great Bike Chris! The original paint make this an absolute keeper! The tank will only make it cooler! Was the "FOX" a specific model?


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## scrubbinrims (Jul 8, 2015)

Thanks.
Yes, the Fox was a specific brand for central and eastern VA made for a Richmond based sporting goods store with roots to the teens, although this is the earliest example I have or have seen.
It is an absolute keeper... looks better now that I been through it and with upgrades and might be in a local museum for a time here soon.

I have a '35 Colson "moto-balloon" I might sell in a rare green/green color combo.
My recommendation is to invest in something like this because you get the motorbike style frame with more practical balloon clincher tire wheels.
Chris


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## bdada (Jul 8, 2015)

Yes, another beautiful bike- the Irish in me likes the green, and the obsessed, insane, mechanic/artist in me likes the design! Let me know if you decide to sell. Glad to here your FOX will be on display for others to enjoy. Now I've gotta ask- I've noted a lot of folks take pictures of their bikes without pedals- what is up with that? I can only surmise it is so no -one can ride off with the bike while your back is turned- am I close?


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