# Lightning Flyer    a real bike?  Or no



## kyle (Oct 10, 2010)

I have a womans bike apears to be from the 40s and it as a lightning flyer head badge and I can't find any info on this bike... Serial number is H 231173 S


----------



## Tidewater (Oct 11, 2010)

Kyle,
I'm a new member here also. If you use the search option at the top right of the page you often will find what you are looking for.

Heres a link I think you will find helpful. 

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?10640-Huffman-Lightning-Flyer


----------



## kyle (Oct 11, 2010)

thanks but I've read that before...thats a mens also though. Anybody else out there? 40 people read our post and one person, you, responded...  What else can I do to furter my knowledge of these relics


----------



## Flat Tire (Oct 11, 2010)

Post a picture and someone can tell ya, sounds like a Huffman made bike.


----------



## SailorMac (Oct 11, 2010)

Yes, its a real bike. See this thread for some more info.  http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?207-Was-the-Lighting-Flyer-a-Dayton-Badge


----------



## kyle (Oct 11, 2010)

our camera is lost or stolen... Working on photos, will be up today.. What do I value these at? We ride them everyday, they're so much fun!


----------



## 37fleetwood (Oct 11, 2010)

I don't mind helping but I was busy yesterday. sometimes it takes a day or so to get to some of the questions posted, please be patient.
your serial places your bike between 1939 and 1944. to get any closer we need photos. getting at a date on a Huffman isn't an exact science. also we need the number on the back of the fork crown, sometimes it can help if the fork is original. as for value, girls bikes don't carry a lot of value. it will depend heavily on condition. the value could be between $25.00 and $200.00 depending.


----------



## kyle (Oct 11, 2010)

thank you! I appreciate it when people come through... I'm a newbie at this... But I trying right.i bought them so sell, then buy a car... Any advice by chance I could squeeze out of 'ya ?


----------



## jeep44 (Oct 11, 2010)

To me, the Huffman is the more interesting and original bike,aside from the paint. Like I mentioned in another thread, it would be good to know if the parts like the cranks,sprocket,and handlebars are really chrome underneath the paint, or if they are really 'blackout' items produced during the war or shortly after,when chrome was reserved for military uses. The hubs might be 'blackout' too. Chances are the front hub will be a New Departure, and the rear hub will either be a New Departure or a Morrow. Morrow would be great, because like Scott said, there is a code on them that can pin down the year and quarter of the year it was produced in. The fenders look real nice and straight on that Huffman,too.


----------



## kyle (Oct 11, 2010)

yeah..ive seen pics of others and they're banged up..these were stored with love. Did I mention we'd like to sell them both?


----------



## 37fleetwood (Oct 11, 2010)

I would say rather than that they were stored with love that someone wanted and built a couple of war bikes. I'm still withholding judgement on whether the Huffman is a real WWII era bike, I think it's clear the boys isn't and that both bikes have been re-painted. several things lead me to think the girls bike is a civilian model that has been painted green, however it may still have been of the proper age to have been built during the war.


----------



## kyle (Oct 12, 2010)

the huffman is indeed unique.. The columbia IS  indeed a columbia everybody...   Go do some side by side photo comparison with 30 photos and you'll see the huffmans  bars grips and chaingaurd and MAYBE the sprocket and definetellly the forks go on the columbia. Take a minute do that then come back and let me know what you guys think. So the serials line up... The huffmans earlier, at about 1940 ish.. The columbia is at early 46.. I KNOW they were painted underneith that drab coat..


----------



## kyle (Oct 12, 2010)

I think one was a certain kind of olllld red primer on the womans.. And the mens used to be blue.. If the mens turns out to be civilian turned military, cool.. Then damn it's a good replica you guys, I believe the mans story whome we bought them from.  The mens is real. The womans is real..  I have so man un answered questions.. I wish somebody had one like it to tell me more!


----------



## 37fleetwood (Oct 12, 2010)

Ok, moment of truth, all, and I do mean all, all military bikes have the year stamped into the bottom bracket next to the serial. if you post the new photos showing this to be true on both bikes we move to the next test.





next test,
All military bikes to my knowledge were arc welded together, not brazed. the welds on your frame should be uncleaned arc welds not smooth fillet welds (brass was only used for munitions). all cranks were also unfinished and have grinder marks on them.




next test,
To my knowledge all wartime civilian Columbias are lightweight "Victory" bicycles, not balloon tire bikes, if your mens bike was ever a civilian color it is not real. Most civilian Huffmans were also lightweights though there are a few known balloon tire Huffmans out there. If your womens is a civilian model, it is no more valuable than any other womens bike from around that period, I have 2 of these wartime Civilian Model Huffmans and they are about the same value of any 1941-1947 comparable huffman out there. the only value is in true military issue bikes.
in case you haven't seen it here's my 1944/45 mens Civilian Transport Model Huffman


----------



## kyle (Oct 12, 2010)

I'll get detailed photos up asap....      What's a damn good re sell for them if they are really good replicas? Any interest's?


----------



## 37fleetwood (Oct 12, 2010)

it is my opinion that there is no special value to a fake war issue bike. most valuable would be an original paint bike, next would be a properly restored bike then lastly any other condition.
I would be only moderately interested in the girls bike, more interested in a few parts off of it. I would put it on ebay and answer questions as best I could and see what happened.


----------



## kyle (Oct 12, 2010)

everybody has been rude here.. And misleading and uninformative... Your all a little to critical.. Even if tese turn up to be non military issue, which sounds good, EVEN the ligtning flyer headbadge is worth 100


----------



## kyle (Oct 12, 2010)

82.50 on ebay I believe...   Buncha low ballin liers man..   I may be dumb, but I can read guys...dont tell me they're worth 75-100 each.. Rediculous


----------



## jeep44 (Oct 12, 2010)

You're way out of line. You came here,and asked our opinion of your bikes,and we told you. All the wishing in the world is not going to make these into valuable WW2 military contract bicycles, and if you don't believe us, post them at G503.com or usmilitariaforum.com and ask them. Girl's bikes don't bring any money. That blackout girl's Huffman on ebay for $250 has been reposted many times with no bites. I paid $100 for my men's Lightning Flyer just a few months ago, and it was still in original paint. If you really think those bikes of yours are worth big money, post them up on eBay,and let the market decide what they are worth.


----------



## 37fleetwood (Oct 12, 2010)

I wasn't trying to be rude, just every time we talked to you you went further out there. my advice was to put them on ebay, if they are worth tons that's where you'll get it. I didn't even make you any kind of offer on any of it, and I won't because I don't want it, not even for the $75.00 range I wouldn't take the girls bike, it isn't worth that to me, someone else may want it and it would be worth it.
http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=30229
here's the pm I got back on the stuff I was interested in. and this badge is waaayyyyy nicer than yours.
"OK, i'll go ahead and box up the mtb shock, chain guard, fork and badge (I managed to save the rivits for the head badge too  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 ).  Also, I don't have the frame any more.  How about $50 for everything shipped?"


----------

