Hercules Tourist with 24" wheels.

[rickpaulos]

Just received this partially built bike. A Hercules Tourist with 24" wheels. The rims are much newer Ukai 24 x 1 3/8" alloy but seem to fit the bike well. I don't think 26" would fit. Only original parts seem to be the bars & stem and bb. 1973-9 SA AW hub. Sealed bearing Suzue front hub. Non-descript crank arms, not Hercules.
Serial number on the left rear dropout is 12468XT. My www searches keep taking me to some spammer sites that want to download. No thanks.
Anyone have any valid serial number info on Hercules bikes?

Thanks,

 

[dnc1]

Unfortunately, Hercules serial numbers are not useful for dating their bikes.
There is no rhyme or reason to their number/letter sequences used over many decades.
Unless you feel you have an original rear hub with a date stamp or a dated shop receipt/bill of sale it is difficult to date them accurately.
At best you can look at catalogues and establish a date range that a model was in production for.

 

[Threespeedmafia]

That headbadge and decals put it in the 50s and it would have been produced by BCC, the bicycle division under TI. If it was originally a 3 speed it would have had a Hercules B Type hub which was an SA clone. The headbadge looks pretty good. Enjoy the frame.

 

[juvela]

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the machine's headplate is a helpful dating aid, at least from a bracketing aspect

the marque employed several differing designs through the years

it seems this one would not have been employed prior to 1953

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