'56 Racer - tophat? (lil help)

[49autocycledeluxe]

are those the right brake levers for 56? did they use both bladed and tubular forks on these in the same years? I thought a 56 would have the different fork.

I have a Racer with all the wrong parts. I like these bikes.

 

[rennfaron]

Racers should have never had the tubular forks, only blade. Travelers had the tubular forks. That said, I have come across a junior model with a tubular fork and a really early racer with tubular forks but I don't know what is up with those...

These should be the grips and brake levers on '56.

 

[GTs58]

Did the lightweights use the oval grips that far in the 50's? The flush tear drop grips were being used at least as far back as 1953 and for sure in 1955 on the balloon and middleweight models.

53 Phantoms

 

[rennfaron]

From what I have

Did the lightweights use the oval grips that far in the 50's? The flush tear drop grips were being used at least as far back as 1953 and for sure in 1955 on the balloon and middleweight models.

The tear drop red one are the best looking tear drop color!

From what I have seen, the higher end lightweights all move to tear drop grips (traveler, deluxe racer) and the base racer still got the oval (at least in '56). The image I attached above is from a '56 racer (not deluxe). My thought was they were just trying to exhaust the last bit of stock they had on the ovals. I have found examples up to 1959 with ovals.

@schwinnlax racer with ovals

Here is a late '56 deluxe racer in black

And a late '56 deluxe racer in green

Said to be a 1957 (with ovals)

Said to be a 1957 JR (with ovals)

Said to be a 1958 (with ovals)

This should be a '59 (with ovals)

Just confirmed this May 1960 stamped racer (with ovals)

 

[Siestabikes]

I recently picked up a 56 racer and like yours there is no evidence of a built in kickstand.

 

[Lobi]

Ooo, it looks good in red!

 

[GTs58]

@rennfaron That's pretty interesting and crazy that they were still using the oval grips on these thru the 50's.

 

[rennfaron]

@rennfaron That's pretty interesting and crazy that they were still using the oval grips on these thru the 50's.

I know. I don't think it was obvious because it was hidden away on the base model lightweights on the second half of the 50s.