I've been collecting X-53 Western Flyers and everything about them since the 1960s. I even have the original dealerbooks from Western Auto. And I knew the guy who designed them. Perhaps you may have seen my original in
Cyclist magazine back in the 1980s.
One thing always mistaken by collectors today is about the grips. Several Black/Gold edition X-53s have appeared on CABE and are often claimed to be "completely original." This one shows red Flex-Grip grips. Another recently posted shows gold W-F arrow-dart grips. But the factory never installed these.
I am attaching a photo of the proper grips– the only ones used by the factory on the Western Flyer Black/Gold edition X-53. Tough to find, but the only ones correct original for the Black/Gold edition X-53. Important to remember: different years and editions of X-53 had different grips (and colors).
Also these models originally came equipped with bowed pedals. See the
Cyclist magazine article in the "Historical Articles" section of NBHAA.com.
Leon Dixon
National Bicycle History Archive of America (NBHAA.com)
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