I decided to change the tubes and tires on the AMFlite Falcon this past weekend, and that gave me a chance to see the underside of the bike and its overall condition. There is hardly
ANY rust on the underside of either fender! I mean, I could stick them in Evaporust and it'd look like nothing ever happened here! This bike is arguably the nicest one I've ever bought!
Even the underside of the seat looks clean! This bike was really taken care of!
While there is some rust on the underside of the frame, just like with the rest of the bike, it's very minimal, and it just helps to show the bike's age.
Unfortunately, due to one of the original lock washers, I'm not sure what the serial number ultimately says. I don't know if that's a "K," an "H," or an "R" up front. That might be an "I" that comes after it, though. Does anyone here know how to I.D. AMF bikes?
Here's what the bike looks like with fresh tires and tubes. I used whitewall tires because I already had them. I was saving them for another project, but since progress has been slow on that one, and this one actually rolls, I figured I'd just use those tires on this bike. I've got to say, they really add to the look of the Falcon! So much so, in fact, that I'm not sure I want to turn it into a 26 inch muscle bike now. This bike is really unique as it is, and the whitewalls just make it look nicer than I could have ever anticipated. All this bike really needs to be fully ridable is a coaster brake service, and a more comfortable seat. I'd still like to explore some non-destructive customizations, but this is already an attractive bike as-is.
What's really funny is that that family, who usually don't care as much about old bikes as I do,
really like this bike. I'll show my parents whatever bikes I'm working on, and they're supportive of my hobby, but I know they're just not into it like I am. But then I brought
this home, and put some whitewalls on it, and everyone in my family, even my brother, opted to take it for a spin around the cul-de-sac without hesitation! They've all been quite vocal about how much they like this one bike of mine, and I really like that. So, I might just focus on making this bike into a reliable rider for now, and worry about the modifications later.