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Info Help Pls on this Hawthorne Flyer from Copake

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Brian R.

Wore out three sets of tires already!
I bought this Hawthorne Flyer in the Copake auction. I have questions I hope Cabers can help me with:

1. I believe the bike is from the 1920s (or teens?), but what year was it made? It says Dayton on the chainring, has metal clad wood rims, an Atherton brake, and a long-spring Troxel seat that looks like one in a 1920s Hawthorne ad.
2. If the serial number helps with the year, where would I find the number?
3. The tank is maroon on the inside, so is maroon the bike's original colour or is it just primer?
4. It has a block chain. I understood these were ditched at the TOC in favour of roller chains. Did some makers continue to use block chains into the teens because they were cheap, or is it obviously not the original chain?

Some pics attached. Thanks in advance.
-Brian R.
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I was wondering about the peculiar looking blue Dayton-geared motorbike, (and now understand that it is a Hawthorne).

It could be an intermediate (~4” head) Snyder-built frame of the late 1920’s to early 1930’s.
Some of the frames of that period had pencil-thin straight seat stay bridges; and sported Hawthorne “Trail Blazer” head badges.
Better pictures might show the bridges/stays, as well as any joint connections on top of the bottom bracket crank hanger.

The serial number “prefix” might help in narrowing down the date; (some bikes of the era have been seen with just a letter stamp).
 
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Thanks, and sorry - I should have posted all the photos in the beginning. I was eager to learn something. Here is a pic of the badge after a good cleaning - it was barely legible - and a pic of the fork crown from the auction listing. If you need a better photo I can take one when it's not dark out. I'll look for the serial number too.


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I just reread Archie Sturmer's reply above and noted: "(some bikes of the era have been seen with just a letter stamp)."

So it's a late '20s Snyder with a P stamp and the wrong crankset?
 
If Snyder skipped "Q" then the bike might be a 1929-P; (have not seen any Q's).

I am calling my own Hawthorne intermediate frame project a 1928/29-P, just to cover all bases.
Plan to use the snowflake chain ring, (but have not decided on the number of teeth 26, 24, or 22).
Also thinking maybe a Rust-Oleum Regal Blue (darker blue; navy?).

I recall also seeing a 1930-R, somewhere on this site.

The catalog pictures (in color) show that Montgomery Ward may have been purchasing from Westfield (wrong chainring) about the same time?
 
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Thanks Archie. Since you have one of these, could you post a pic of the original chainring please? Also, if you have a pic of the original paint scheme for '28 and/or '29 that would be a huge help too!
 
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