I think I figured out how to date AMF Roadmasters, this may work on other AMFs too!

[partsguy]

Well, I started digging in to my Muscle Bike. It is an AMF Roadmaster. Date unknown, model unknown, however, as it turns out, it seems like nobody knows how to date AMF Roadmasters. I am very very certain that this is the way to identify them and possibly other AMFs (if there are any) as well. I was taking apart my bike when I found the serial number-it could not be "decoded". I continued to dismantle my bike then I came to the sprocket (big gear) and crankshaft (bar that connects pedals and sproket) assembly. I finally got it pulled out and cleaned, then right in the center of the crankshaft was a code, and it looks alot like a date. It reads:

171978

This to me appears to read Jan. 7, 1978 OR July 1, 1978. Given the design of the bike, I say this HAS to be true.

Take a look at your AMF Roadmaster and/or other AMFs and see if there is a code that looks like a date in the same location. If this is a date code, maybe we can start a guide or something. To my knowledge, a chart for these does not exist-at least not yet

Doesn't this look like a '78?

 

[ColsonTwinbar]

It's probably just coincidence, although Schwinn did put dates on their cranks it was only the last two numbers of the year. If they printed a production date for the day it was made they would have had to make a new casting for the cranks every single day.
-Nolan

 

[partsguy]

It's probably just coincidence, although Schwinn did put dates on their cranks it was only the last two numbers of the year. If they printed a production date for the day it was made they would have had to make a new casting for the cranks every single day.
-Nolan

If making new cranks every day is the case, maybe thats my I can't find any pictures of this bike-maybe few were produced.

Actually, come to think of it, I haven't seen many pics of AMF muscle bikes at all. Unless I'm looking in the wrong places.

 

[partsguy]

P.S.: the fenders are plastic, not metal. Could this defend my case in anyway? I would think plastic fenders would be made towards the end of the Muscle Bike Era ('77-'81 I think).

 

[30thtbird]

You may be on to something. But i agree with Nolan as well. Why not compare the knowledge of the crankshaft date with the serial number now. The next step would be start finding others with AMF built bikes and see If they will share there serial numbers or at least the first so many digits and start comparing. I am the person who started the breaking of the Murray serial numbers for the musclebikes and It can be very rewarding when you accomplish something like this and share It with others. Come on over and visit the musclebike forums and I'm sure a few guys would jump In and help you get the ball rolling. Keep up the good work. Kenny.

http://www.musclebikeforums.com/

 

[ColsonTwinbar]

You are correct in the general age of the bike, little clues in the styling are very helpful and the more time you spend looking at old bikes the better you will get a determining an age. To narrow it down, try and find catalogs for AMF of that time period.

 

[justeric1agn]

im new but we have alot of it on amf let me go thru threads

 

[anders1]

Carbon dating the paint is the answer!