# Bike identical to 1915 Arrow except the headbadge is a Star- Miami Cycle- HELP anyone



## fattommy (Jun 6, 2010)

I just joined the forum, so please bear with me.  My old bike is identical to a 1915 Arrow but the headbadge is Star.  It is just like a Harley Davidson except for the sprocket and the headbadge, I think.
Has anyone out there ever seen a bike like mine and can you give me any insights.
Thanks, Fattommy


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## dave the wave (Jun 6, 2010)

sure.post a pic.and i will help.


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## fattommy (Jun 6, 2010)

Thanks dave the wave.  I'll get some pics up tomorrow.


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## fattommy (Jun 7, 2010)

*Pics of Star bike like 1915 Arrow- Harley*


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## eazywind (Jun 7, 2010)

Not my forte, but its sweet and in nice condition for sure!!


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## redline1968 (Jun 7, 2010)

looks like the forks been repaired and the frame is not harley.  alot of bike companys built frames of similar design  and some sold bikes with different names but came from the same company.  fenders are cool might be used on harley  if they are one inch in width.   the name of the company is miami bicycle company as stated on your badge. nice bike.. mark


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## DonChristie (Jun 7, 2010)

So, uh, Tommy, put it together, lol It appears rims are newer. I would guess it takes 28 inch diameter. Something that is interesting, the rear stay is rear loading, but there does not appear to be an adjustment screw. The sprocket is probably newer also, only because it is not a skip tooth. The pedals, seat, neck/bars and forks seem beautiful and correct. I am only guessing, I am not familiar with this model.


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## ejlwheels (Jun 8, 2010)

The sprocket seems legit to me.  I have seen 1/2" pitch at least as far back as the teens, which is about the time of this bike.
I have seen that fork on bikes like Chief and Elgin sold by Sears in the teens and 20's.


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## fattommy (Jun 8, 2010)

Thanks for the info guys.  Yeah, the forks were repaired, I still have to do something about the steer tube, as someone (a long time ago no doubt} overtightened the quill bolt until it actually stretched the tube out and broke the quill.  I found a new one (not pictured).  Also, I'm D E S P E R A T E to get a set of long pull back handlebars- anyone able to suggest a source?  The adjusters on the rear stays are a threaded screw with a little cap that goes over the stays so that the screw works against the axle somehow- can't rtemember that part real well right now.  The brake is a Musselman- Armless Wonder.  No arm, just a knurled face on the outside of the hub that binds against the frame.  Really don't care for that part a whole lot, especially going down a steep hill.  The rims are new 700c with 
42mm tires (almost an exact match sizewise to the old 28 inch wood rims with 1 1/2 inch tires).  I still have the old rims, but they're shot.  Many of the spokes were broken and the old tubular tires were totally rotted.  Threw them away- Mabey a mistake, but I couldn't see any good in them.  I laced the new wheels up with the original hubs so I could ride it around, which I did for a while.  I don't know if it's proper form to change the things I did or if I should have left it as it was.  Could never have ridden it before.   It's funny, but I really love this old bike.  Someone once said, "if she was a hooker, she'd starve to death".  But I can't help myself, I'M IN LOVE.  I thought about painting it, but I don't know...  To me she's a pretty cool old horse the way she is, What do you think?


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## dave the wave (Jun 8, 2010)

see how the top tube and lower tube is lugged to the headtube? it's good stuff bro.i'd say that bike is miami made all the way and very rare.you can tell by how the frame is lugged and how the dropouts are.rare stuff.and the pedals,bayonett crank,and spocket are all miami too along with the fork and fenders.that's at least a $500 bike the way it sits. now all you need is wooden rims.and the correct long pullback bars.all in all it's a great find.


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## Adamtinkerer (Jun 8, 2010)

"I laced the new wheels up with the original hubs so I could ride it around, which I did for a while. I don't know if it's proper form to change the things I did or if I should have left it as it was. Could never have ridden it before. It's funny, but I really love this old bike."

We understand! Original, useable rims are hard to find, and repop single tube tires run about $125 each! The 700C's are the saving grace for these bikes, many would just be wall art otherwise! I have an early 30s Westfield built bike w/a Reggie MacNamara/Davega Sporting Goods badge. and I found a deal on some 28x1 1/2" Flying Pigeon rims & tires for it. ...And the bike/love thing, we ALL have it, bad!!! )


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## RMS37 (Jun 8, 2010)

I’ve posted on the subject of motorbike identification a number of times. Many of the bikes produced during this time period (approximately 1912-1935) are almost impossible to 
identify if they no longer have a badge. Even badged bikes can be difficult to attribute to a specific manufacturer because the overall designs were similar and special features used by one manufacturer at one time may have been dropped the next year by that firm and copied by someone else later.

If you took a look at the Miami Cycle built Flying Merkel that was sold on eBay recently you would note that it wore a Miami Cycle decal on the seat tube, a Miami/Flying Merkel badge, and the bike had the same hairpin top/single bolt truss rods and a drive train with oversized front and rear sprockets.

Miami Cycle was the company best known for producing Racycle bicycles which are also known for oversized sprockets and chain rings. The company was an important independent just before the motorbike period and seems to have gradually drifted into obscurity by the mid twenties.

Initially I would have thought this might be a Dayton built frame because of the lugged construction (lugs are not exclusively a Dayton trait nor do all Dayton’s use lugged construction) but the badge, the fork and the drive train all proclaim the bike to have been produced by Miami Cycle. As usual, it is possible that the frame is the odd part out in this assemblage but if the badge holes and mounting looks to be original then it is likely that the later Miami products also used lugs.


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## rustyspoke66 (Jun 8, 2010)

How about some paint and pinstrip action on those rims to give a more vintage look?


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