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1954 Schwinn Deluxe Hornet

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Price
gone
Location
usa
Zipcode
55389
Yeah but no, the light was replaced, Issued original was same color as frame.

Yet, most interesting here is that, there are no catilogs with a 54 Hornet deluxe and even more importantly the Springer to match frame. All known Deluxe Hornets have the 1955 'New Style' Springer and yet you have an Old Style on it: Pre-1955.

Your pin stripes should verify whether it's real or something mixed together B/C Deluxe were 2 colored. (In some circles, white, black and clear are not considered colors) Pin stripes would be a light shade of blue and the primary blue is Opalescent blue. It's not Metallic blue yet,, due to the layers Schwinn put on them, it's metallic looking. However, It's 1950's 'Candy' painted Opal blue.. . Other than the obvious difference on your rack, They look correct in your photos but, can you do better?

The first model issued, {not 'Thee" 1st bike} The first run of the newly designed Deluxe Hornet? You may find the serial numbers dating mid summer of 1954 too December 54.

Can U post a good clear photo of chain guard, tank and side view of the head post area that U can see all of secondary colors? Is frame white and blue or light blue and blue?
Jeff- The bike is in original condition other than things i put in ad, not a mis match. I'm not going to do better. Come look at it if you want to buy it. If the light was replaced it is vintage part not repop, long before i acquired it.
 
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Jeff- The bike is in original condition other than things i put in ad, not a mis match. I'm not going to do better. Come look at it if you want to buy it. This is what a repaint looks like Shiny new! Pretty even!.
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I'm actually not concerned except the interest of the date made, Old Style Springer fork and Pin Stripes on chain guard.

Finally The serial numbers are up, Nov. 29-30. For a Deluxe it is a bit early and would be of the first release that does not appear in catalogs. Just a month or so, it became a 1955. Because the frame and fork are no different than most other models only for the decal it's a Hornet. Yet the same is true on most all Schwinn made, it's all interchangeable in one way or another.

The pin stripes on your guard are curious as Photos of others reflect the area where your stripes are. For this, I hunted down every verity to try and find this model with a Springer and the same chain guard with pin stripes on any other mid 50's Schwinn. They can appear to have strips but it's just the angles on the guard reflecting light. That is, it seems that, of all colors, this darker blue can reflect images of pin stipes, on this type of guard, better than other colors.

BTW, that repainted bike has a deluxe guard, (fantasy) it is not correct.

However, there is a 1956 that appears to have pin stripes, the photo is too small to be sure yet, doubling its size then, they appear to be just a reflection. That's why, weeks ago, I asked to see photo of chain guard; or an adoption from similar photographs that are not factory pin stripes. Most certainly any with them is very rare or do not exist. Yet to the contrary, this 56 may have them: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1956-schwinn-built-bf-goodrich-deluxe-171226899
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It will not let me link the photos but, apparently was generated some time back at Ebay, and the description of details appear to be very accurate that, it's completely, (give or take its tires and the names of colors) original, on the money. New Style springer, light blue light, the seat, all match a 56 build and model description. Otherwise, there are other colors that were built with Old Style Springer and none, with old or new style, on the net, that I could find, (Looked at lots and lots) in any color, have pin stripes on Chain guards.
I also found your other photo of chain guard, where pin strips are painted on.
20210618_233303-2-jpg.jpg

So, this guard is surely a curiosity. Did the guy who 'Professionally" touched up the paint do that? Otherwise, it appears to be a very rare thing to have any guard of this type, in any color, with pin stripes.
 
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Maybe I can clear things up a little. First off the serial number dates are the date the number was stamped on the bikes component before that component was used in building a frame. And from my research, the time from the serial stamping date to a finished product was roughly two months. Some a little sooner and many later. Serial stamped components from different days in November and all of the December stampings were used on the next years models. Any stamping in the last two quarters of November were definitely on the next years build/model. So this piece is actually a 1955 model. And since there were no Deluxe versions of the Hornet in 1954, it's undoubtedly a 1955 model Deluxe Hornet. As far as Jeff's concern with that fork, it wouldn't be out of the norm for the first batch or two of the 1955 models (with a late 54 serial) to still be equipped with the older style fork with the pivot bolt behind the fork legs. It wasn't a cut and dry change at the beginning of the 1955 production. Also, any deluxe model or higher cost equipped model with a feather guard would have had the pins where as the Spitfires and other budget models may not.
 
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Maybe I can clear things up a little. First off the serial number dates are the date the number was stamped on the bikes component before that component was used in building a frame. And from my research, the time from the serial stamping date to a finished product was roughly two months. Some a little sooner and many later. Serial stamped components from different days in November and all of the December stampings were used on the next years models. Any stamping in the last two quarters of November were definitely on the next years build/model. So this piece is actually a 1955 model. And since there were no Deluxe versions of the Hornet in 1954, it's undoubtedly a 1955 model Deluxe Hornet. As far as Jeff's concern with that fork, it wouldn't be out of the norm for the first batch or two of the 1955 models (with a late 54 serial) to still be equipped with the older style fork with the pivot bolt behind the fork legs. It wasn't a cut and dry change at the beginning of the 1955 production. Also, any deluxe model or higher cost equipped model with a feather guard would have had the pins where as the Spitfires and other budget models did

Maybe I can clear things up a little. First off the serial number dates are the date the number was stamped on the bikes component before that component was used in building a frame. And from my research, the time from the serial stamping date to a finished product was roughly two months. Some a little sooner and many later. Serial stamped components from different days in November and all of the December stampings were used on the next years models. Any stamping in the last two quarters of November were definitely on the next years build/model. So this piece is actually a 1955 model. And since there were no Deluxe versions of the Hornet in 1954, it's undoubtedly a 1955 model Deluxe Hornet. As far as Jeff's concern with that fork, it wouldn't be out of the norm for the first batch or two of the 1955 models (with a late 54 serial) to still be equipped with the older style fork with the pivot bolt behind the fork legs. It wasn't a cut and dry change at the beginning of the 1955 production. Also, any deluxe model or higher cost equipped model with a feather guard would have had the pins where as the Spitfires and other budget models did not.
If serial is 1954 date it is a 1954. That is when the frame was built. Doesn't really matter when Schwinn put the rest on. You don't 100% know that they didn't release some early, as Schwinn did that all the time. The colors are different on this one than any other i have seen.
 
If serial is 1954 date it is a 1954. That is when the frame was built. Doesn't really matter when Schwinn put the rest on. You don't 100% know that they didn't release some early, as Schwinn did that all the time. The colors are different on this one than any other i have seen.

That couldn't be further from the truth. A piece of metal was stamped into the drop and then it was stamped with a serial number. That stamping date was recorded. Then that drop out was thrown into the parts bucket and only god knows when it was use to build a frame. Here's an extreme example. In late 1980 Schwinn workers joined a Union and then went on Strike for 13 weeks. No bikes were produced, but Schwinn was making parts and they produced a known 998,000 head tubes with the MR serial numbers, December 1980. During the entire production year of 1981 those 1980 serial stamped head tubes were used on the 1981 production. A serial number is a serial number, nothing more.
 
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That couldn't be further from the truth. A piece of metal was stamped into the drop and then it was stamped with a serial number. That stamping date was recorded. Then that drop out was thrown into the parts bucket and only god knows when it was use to build a frame. Here's an extreme example. In late 1980 Schwinn workers joined a Union and then went on Strike for 13 weeks. No bikes were produced, but Schwinn was making parts and they produced a known 998,000 head tubes with the MR serial numbers, December 1980. During the entire production year of 1981 those 1980 serial stamped head tubes were used on the 1981 production. A serial number is a serial number, nothing more.
Then serial numbers are useless? If that's the case you have no idea what year any bike is. Of course production resumed where it left off after a strike. A friend was curator of the Schwinn history center and museum. He taught me a great deal. I understand exactly how they work.
 
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