# Another bike to ID



## Stinky_Sullivan (Mar 2, 2015)

A friend's wife has a bike her grandmother used to ride. It's 60's or 70's based on the banana seat and plastic basket. The little old lady didn't have a driver's license so she rode this bike all over Cincinnati. The ladies granddaughter now has the bike here in Memphis. The serial number is on the head tube which makes me think Huffy build but the serial number isn't quite like what I'd expect for a Huffy number. The serial number is M45247X7. That's followed by a 6 digit number but I doubt that will help identify the year. The head badge says Challenger. The chain guard says B.F. Goodrich Spoiler 2.

Any thoughts?


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## rustjunkie (Mar 2, 2015)

Could it be a Murray?

http://murrayeliminatormusclebikes.yuku.com/topic/115/Decoding-Murray-serial-Numbers#.VPU0P40tGvE


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## Stinky_Sullivan (Mar 2, 2015)

I knew the chain ring looked Murray. After looking at that site, I'm certain it is. The X7 at the end of the serial number indicates BF Goodrich which we already know it is.


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## Stinky_Sullivan (Mar 5, 2015)

Doesn't the reflector in the spokes indicate the minimum manufacture date? When were those first required on bikes?


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## rustjunkie (Mar 5, 2015)

Looks like 1972 was the first year for the serial # on the headtube. For the date code M0 was 1969, so maybe your M4 is 1973?

***edit*** M0=1970


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## Stinky_Sullivan (Mar 6, 2015)

According to the info that you linked to, 1969 would have been M9 so M4 is 1974.


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## rustjunkie (Mar 6, 2015)

Stinky_Sullivan said:


> According to the info that you linked to, 1969 would have been M9 so M4 is 1974.




hehe! What I get for trying to think at 3:09am I guess


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