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Identifying Hiawatha

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Who or what is/was CWC?
Cleveland Welding Company. The made bike starting around '36 and were bought out by AMF in the early 50's. (51?). They made bikes badged Roadmaster, some Western Flyers, some Hawthornes, and 20 +/- other lesser known badges. My favorite bikes!
 
Cleveland Welding Company. The made bike starting around '36 and were bought out by AMF in the early 50's. (51?). They made bikes badged Roadmaster, some Western Flyers, some Hawthornes, and 20 +/- other lesser known badges. My favorite bikes!

I believe somewhere about mid-53 they were bought by AMF. If that is a pic of the bike it is missing the headlight and has the wrong chain guard on it. V/r Shawn

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I will upload photos as soon as I can.

I have what I think is a post WWII but pre 1950 Hiawatha. It has a springer front end, tank with horn button and presumably a horn inside, a battery box, and a rear rack. The serial number on the bottom bracket appear to start with "G56" and end with "A". I cannot tell the letters or numbers in between. The headbadge does NOT say Gambles on it nor is there a serial number on it.

My research has lead me to think it is post WWII and pre 1950. The serial number references I have found show serial numbers ending in "F"

The bike is in need of a full restoration. I may not fully restore it an may only get it running mechanically again and donate it to the historical museum/society in the community the original owner grew up in. but first I need to track down as much info about this bike as I can.

Any info. would help. Thanks.


would u be interested in selling this bike??

thanks Ben
 
would u be interested in selling this bike??

thanks Ben
No. Not going to sell it. It belonged to my father in law who passed away in 2009. It was given to him as a Christmas gift when he was a boy. If I do anything with it is either going to be fully restored and entered into bike shows. Or will be made mechanically restored by my local bike shop and donated to the historical society/museum in the community he was from if they will accept it. But I am not going to sell it.
 
I believe somewhere about mid-53 they were bought by AMF. If that is a pic of the bike it is missing the headlight and has the wrong chain guard on it. V/r Shawn

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Which is why I need to find out when it was manufactured. I need to know if it was made by CWC or AMF.

I knew it has the wrong chain guard before I started this discussion thread. I did buy a correct one from EBAY a few years ago. I also know the speedometer is not original to the bike. I think my father in law added it sometime in the 1960's or 1970's. My wife remembers it always being there and she was born in 1971.
 
If you post the complete serial number, or better yet a picture of it, you will probably get a more accurate response.....I dont think that bike was born with a skiptooth chain, but I dont know much.
 
A couple of more questions I have are:

Would the battery box have been original or after market intended for any type of bike from the era?

The chain guard I purchased from EBAY is mostly chromed with fewer parts of it painted. As you can see in the photos of the bike there is no chrome on the fenders. But the handle bars and other parts may have been chromed at one time. Would a chain guard with more chrome than paint have been used on a bike with few chromed pieces?
 
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