20” HEAVY DUTY Speedster! Ever see one?

[blakekennedy]

blakekennedy, very nice find! ... You stated that you received from OG owner's niece, does she have any past photos from rides, parades of him having in use. There has to be some local newspaper articles with photos. Local Shriner's archives. If there are multiples of this bicycle that would answer the special order question.

I’ll send her a message seeing if she has any photos. I unfortunately couldn’t find anything online in a quick search.

 

[blakekennedy]

I would like to look at the drilled venting holes on the inside of the tubular sections. This is how the factory blew out the water and acids used during the chroming processes. It's a point you find rust on re-chromed rims because the small chrome shops do not get the liquids all removed from the tubular sections. They might shed more light on if the rims were actually re-chromed.

John

Here’s some photos, hopefully this helps. I also added a photo that is highlighting the stamp and knurling.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

John, I had to post pics of the 1961 "Little but Quick" EMPI Dragster.

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Several members of the DKP VW club restored that race car and it now resides in England the last I heard. Schwinn S-2 Sting Ray front wheels/tires. The entire car weighed something less than 700#.

John

John

 

[Oilit]

If somebody drilled those holes by hand, they knew what they were doing. The spacing and offset from center look very even and consistent.

 

[DrRumack80]

That is a cool bike! Great find. Love the look of the 20" wheels and heavy duty spokes. I would leave it exactly as it is - the modifications are all part of the bike's unique history.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

Here’s some photos, hopefully this helps. I also added a photo that is highlighting the stamp and knurling.

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Those are some very large weep holes, they look to have been enlarged.

 

[blakekennedy]

Here’s it compared to another S-7. Im not sure why they are slightly different in location, possibly something early vs late? The other wheel is off a 68 Sting-Ray. The 68 wheel also looks like they were punched instead of drilled.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Here are some pictures of the S-7 rim from my very original K8 serial Jaguar, that I still haven't got around to cleaning. It's the closest era appropriate rim that I have off of a bike.

Round drain holes, 4 of them, one looks punched in, the others with burs/rust.

Notice the visible diagonal knurling on the inside of the rim.

Schwinn Tubular X-#??(Definitely an S-7 tire that came off!), just to the left of the valve hole.

This is the only flap wheel treated area, at the loop joining weld, 12 holes from the valve hole.

 

[blakekennedy]

That definitely helps clear up my wheel. The way they are constructed are very similar. At some point they must have changed the process of how they did the drain holes. The two parallel by the valve stem and two off centered are also the same, just shrunk down for a 20” wheel it appears.

 

[GTs58]

That definitely helps clear up my wheel. The way they are constructed are very similar. At some point they must have changed the process of how they did the drain holes. The two parallel by the valve stem and two off centered are also the same, just shrunk down for a 20” wheel it appears.

On my 1953 Phantom I have a total of 4 drain holes on each S-2. I know these holes were changed with numbers and probably size multiple times over the years.