# New (to me) Colson Motorbike



## brucejr (Feb 15, 2011)

So I just picked up this Colson, which I got because it is the match to my 33 Colson tandem.  I think this is a 33 as the serial number starts 3J3XXXX.  I have the last 4 digits somewhere but don't remember them.  Is there a Colson expert that can confirm that?

I am excited to have the bike.  It is very original, except for the added red paint on the bars and rims.  

A couple of questions for you all.

This bike has decent paint left, but the rusty areas are pretty crusty.  Still on the surface but crusty.  Most techniques I know for removing the crusty stuff would compromise the adjacent paint which I don't want to do.  Any suggestions?

This is my first bike with metal clad wood rims.  These are clinchers so at least finding tires won't be too tough.  I will actually ride the bike so will likely get some repop tires.  The Allstate that is on the back looks pretty nice.  Anything out there with a similar tread design and sort of squared off section, or do any of you have an Allstate that is rideable for sale?

Also the rims are pitted so I will probably repaint them, but does anyone know what they would have looked like originally?  It seems like there is some pretty weak chrome underneath the red paint.

Last, and honestly not that important, but why was I the only one who bid on this?  Is the rust enough that it made the bike overpriced ($685)?  I'm happy with what I paid but honestly thought I might have ended up bidding against someone.  







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[IMG]http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/malibubikes
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Here is a photo of the tandem too.  It's much cleaner than the new one.






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Thanks for your input.

Bruce


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## bud poe (Feb 15, 2011)

Great score!  My buddy actually bid on that very bike at an estate sale several months ago.  The bidding went beyond what he thought he could re-sell it for, so he dropped out.  I think you have a great piece considering all the goodies and condition of the saddle, fenders and grips.  I'm guessing most didn't bid due to the high cost of shipping, I know that is a huge factor for me when shopping for bikes on ebay.  I'm guessing you were able to pick the bike up?  Also, these motorbikes, although super cool (they are my favorite type of old bike) just aren't that desirable right now (save, of course, the Indians/Harleys/Chiefs, etc).  I think if you love the bike, you did fine, if you want to flip it, your not gonna make much unless you part out...My sense is that you love it and want to keep it...As for the paint, I'd say start with a gentle soap and water cleaning and see what you've got.  Post some detailed pics of the trouble areas at that point and I'm sure someone will chime in with some techniques...Good luck!


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## slick (Feb 15, 2011)

I would have bid if I saw it listed. I love Colsons. I have a 35 Colson Flyer motobike. I honestly wouldn't bother washing it because it might disturb that original tank decal. It's so old the water might loosen it up and cause it to peel off or disentigrate. Old water slide decals loose their adhesion after quite a few years so i would just replace the tires and ride it if it were mine. O and be sure to store it inside a climate controlled area like in the house. Drastic changes in temperature from hot to cold can cause paint and decal deterioration. That's just from my experiences.


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## brucejr (Feb 15, 2011)

Thanks for the cleaning advice.

I've had good luck with a Meguire's product on old paint.  The tandem paint came up amazing well but it was in much better shape.  You're right about the decal, that area is pretty dicey.

The chrome is also pretty rough so i will just leave it as is.  There isn't much left to polish.

I keep the bikes in my garage, better than outside but not conditioned.  I am in SoCal so they don't undergo any real temperature swings and the air is pretty dry.  

Since I've never sold anything I doubt I will start now, and I'm glad to hear that the motorbikes aren't very desirable right now as they are some of my favorites.  That does also present a problem though as I already have too many bikes.  

Some of you might be able to relate to that.

Does the serial number sound right for '33?

Thanks and I will try to show some progress shots as I go along, but I will do very little.


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## ozzmonaut (Feb 16, 2011)

I wish i could help with the serial. Also I may have bid if I had seen it, as I'm looking for a 26" motorbike right now. Although I think I should try to keep the price a bit lower. While you do want to be careful with cleaning the paint, I would probably try to remove the paint from the handlebars. The paint looks like it was applied a pretty good while back, and you may find that the chrome has been decently preserved underneath. But then again you might just like painted bars. I doubt that it would bother me, although I would probably paint them white on that particular bike.


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## ozzmonaut (Feb 16, 2011)

Also, as far as the rims are concerned, the metal they are clad with would probably look a grayish silver at that level of patina. If you can find it, there is a simulated nickel plate that comes in a spray can. It is basically paint, but with a high level of actual nickel in it, that would probably make the rims at least LOOK correct. I think it was manufactured by plasti-kote. There are probably tons of options, but I noticed that this finish  matched the metal on some 28" wood rims i had a while back. Just a thought.


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## npence (Feb 16, 2011)

I was wondering if you can get me a nice picture of the tank decal. I need it to finish my restore job on my colson. Thanks


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## IJamEcono (Feb 16, 2011)

I didn't have a problem with the price. I had a problem with not having the money to pay for it. Glad you got it though!


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## scrubbinrims (Feb 16, 2011)

Just my my opinion and .02...

First of all, I like your bike and wish I had it.  I have been scanning national ads for many months now searching for the right Colson after one slipped through my fingers out of WI when my internet connection dropped in the final moments on ebay.  Typically, 5-6 items are displayed acrosss the country and they are either an Evans Colson middleweight girls or a tricycle, so Colson's in my experience are extremely rare.
I know what you mean being the only bidder, it's not the endorphin rush you get from capturing it in competition...instead you are quickly wondering if the absence of a body buzz is due to overpaying once you look around the room and only see yourself.
Your bike did not get the action for a few reasons, a couple of which Bud mentioned: being a motorbike style (not affiliated with a motorcycle brand), the condition, and the seller's pricing strategy.
Maybe it's because many motorbikes have singletube tires that many folks have steered away from them (pun intended).  With my Elgin motorbike, it took me a full year before I found a pair of singletubes without surrendering to a 350.00 dummy pair and it saddened me that not only was my bike standing on it's rims for such an extended period of time, but that it really never should be ridden if kept "correct."
You are fortunate yours are clinchers and although not a concern of the above, still in general this style is associated with them.
Now the condition...with little variance between the bent/camelback frame styles of the period, original paint is even more critical and key differentiators such as rear drop outs, seat tube junctions, and truss bridges are not that sexy... at least to me. I think your frame and fork are in nice expected condition and a plus, but all of the rechroming is not and the investment of labor.  Currently, I have a number of projects in various states with a batch of metal at the chromers and another batch on the way and I really would not want to incur yet another restoration of this magnitude.  So for me, the condition was a factor now, maybe not so a little while ago or in the Spring when I am caught up.
As an ebay seller, I am sort of like a Las Vegas oddsmaker, keenly aware of what something should go for and my introductory price is usually about 25-33% less of what I think it would land at to encourage bidding.  Your bike was priced on the high end, because it was probably acquired high and the seller needed a particular margin and it would had had far more interest had it been set differently. Again to Bud's point being outside of my pick up range, I had a 100.00 handicap and the risk of damage that you did not.  
For what this is, I think you got a fair price, but in a down market still a good investment and if properly and wisely restored, you'll get your mojo back baby!
Thanks for sharing, Chris


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## slick (Feb 16, 2011)

I do think you are right with it being a 33 since it has a 3 in the serial. Someone on here identified mine as a 35 because of the 5 in the serial. At least that's what i'm sticking to anyways!! It's a gorgeous bike you bought. It is very hard to find an original paint bike in any year in my opinion so the original paint bikes are a great investment and should be left alone and not restored unless they are way too far gone. It's only original once afterall. If you really wanted to you could just nickel plate the chromed parts and that would still be nice in my opinion.


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## brucejr (Feb 16, 2011)

thanks again.  it is rougher than ideal for me.  had it not matched the tandem i would have probably passed.  i also thought it might have been even rougher as the photos were really poor.

what is your opinion about riding on the metal clad rims from time to time?  i wouldn't ride it a lot, but would like to ride it a few times a year for 5-8 miles at a time.  i weigh 175 if that matters.

i really doubt i will rechrome as that gets pretty cost crazy.

i will get a better shot of the tank in the next couple of days and post it to help out with the other restoration going on.


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## Luckykat32 (Feb 16, 2011)

I've been using a WD-40 type spray to clean up my bike & get paint off chrome...that w/ a brass brush...& it works pretty good, but you still have to be gentle w/ it.

I have a pre-balloon tire Hawthorne Flyer that is very similar to your Colson &  a 37 Colson Imperial...I really would like a Colson motorbike just because I think Colson makes one of the best bikes...ever.  If you ever decide to part w/ it, I'm in So. Cal too...let me know!


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## Metal Militia (Feb 18, 2011)

awesome bike.  good project.


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## rustyspoke66 (Feb 18, 2011)

I could be wrong but as far as I know 34 was the first year for 26" balloon tire bikes. Your bike is incredible, like every one else has said clean gently. Your rims are some of the first deluxe clincher rims used on early balloon bikes and I believe they stopped using them due to manufacturing cost. I also believe they used the triple step rim at about the same time or maybe even a year or two longer, after that they started using the drop center rims which had a few variations and lasted into maybe the 60's. As I said this is my take on dating the bike by using one of the major features. You can also remove the crank and check for a date stamp. Here is one I had for a while with the triple step rims.


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## brucejr (Feb 18, 2011)

I've been looking in the Colson 'book' put together by John Polizzi.

He shows the first year for the tandem as 1933, and a motorbike that looks like mine the same year.  26" and 28" wheels are available but I don't know if the 26's are ballooners.  The standard colors mentioned in '33 are red and orange though.

In '34 the standard color for the Deluxe is black.

Both years mention the wheels for the Deluxe as 'steel wood lined rims, chromium nickel plated.'

This is a photo of the rim on the tandem that I have.  I have always wondered if it was original to the bike.  Is it the 'triple step rim' that you refer to?






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## brucejr (Feb 18, 2011)

One more thing from the 1934 catalog.  

It mentions Troxel seats on all Deluxe 28" and balloon tired models.

That seems like balloon tires were around at least as early as 1934.

This does assume that the Polizzi book is accurate.


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## rustyspoke66 (Feb 19, 2011)

From what I can tell 34 is the first year for ballooners. I would hope that if I am off that someone would correct me. Judging from the info above I would say it should be a 34. As far as the rims on your tandem they look to be 28" European which is a great way to make a 28" wheel bike ridable. I don't think the rims on the tandem are original but once again I might be off. I do have a set of 28" clinchers on about a 1933 motobike and Lobdell did make this rim. I found that you can mount a 27X1-3/8" cyclocross tire on this rim.


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## rustyspoke66 (Feb 19, 2011)

And who knew you could get a aluminum rim that early?


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## brucejr (Feb 19, 2011)

You're probably right that the tandem rims are not original but they take 26x2.125 tires.

Npence here is the close up shot of the tank decal.  Hope it helps.






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For cleaning the bike I am looking for something that can take the rust off without damaging the paint.  You can see from this close up that the rust that is there is pretty crusty but actually hasn't completely spread into the paint.  So far the best seems to be the Menotomy cleaning solution from Old Roads.  Does anyone have experience with that or another recommendation?  i have used it before with some success and it has not hurt the paint.


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## rustyspoke66 (Feb 19, 2011)

Boy, must the scale of the tandem that made me think they were 28's. I looked again and it still kinda looks like 28's. What kind of tires are you running on the tandem?


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## brucejr (Feb 19, 2011)

Right now they are the 26x1.75 gumwalls (National Tire Company) that were on it when I bought it.

I spent a ton of time detailing the bike and then put the old tires back on it and haven't changed them since.  I bought a set of 2.125's and ended up putting them on another bike and haven't picked up anything else for the tandem.


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## rustyspoke66 (Feb 20, 2011)

Nice, I think that might be what threw me off "skinny tires" kinda makes it look like a 28" wheel bike from a distance. Now you just need a matching girls bike.


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## brucejr (Feb 20, 2011)

Absolutely.

A girls bike and a 20" version.

If any of you have one for sale let me know.


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## Luckykat32 (Mar 3, 2011)

You can see balloon tires in Hawthorne ads from as early as 1932.  Schwinn (& their followers) have often claimed to "invent" the balloon tire in 33, but in fact it was Hawthorne that introduced them.
    I have the Hathorne Flyer (which is very similar to the Colson) & I know it predates 1932 because I got it from the original owner & it came w/ 26"x1.5" (or 1.75"...not sure about width) on metal-clad rims.  If they were clinchers & could hold a tube tire, I would buy the tire.  But, unless I want to spend $150+ each on an original 26" single tube tire, I won't be able to replace the tire, I'll have to replace the rim...to make it rideable again.


I love your tandem & I love your Flyer...I would love to have both!  Your tank decal is great, but I think I enjoy the aviation theme of the Hawthorne a bit more, but that definately doesn't discount your decal.

As far as the bidding & price...I think you did pretty good because the Colson Flyer is tougher to find than the Hawthorne flyer & most motorbikes in the market today aren't worth more than $800, even though there are a lot of sellers that would disagree.  I agree w/ everyone else...if the seller would've started the bidding lower I think you would have recieved more competition in bidding...I for one thing would have paid $500-600, but that would've had to include shipping.
  So, you win, for living close enough to pick it up! well done.


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## DonChristie (Mar 4, 2011)

Sweet ride. As far as the paint, WD40 abd xxxx steel wool. I have had good luck with this method.


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## 30thtbird (Mar 4, 2011)

I used a product called Evaporust. Found it at my local autoparts store. I soaked a chrome and painted chain guard that still had a nice screen on it for 2 or 3 days and only the rust was removed. Safe on paint. Kind of expensive though at around $25.00 a gallon.


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