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King size production numbers

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coasterbrakejunkie1969

Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
I have a couple KSHD bikes they may be my favorite middleweights. We often talk about rarity with bikes and a lot of time the word gets used incorrectly. These bikes I'm starting to see are exactly that, rare. I'm trying to get an rough idea of what amount were made. There are lots of rare bikes out there some based on color (black stingray), components (5 speed corvettes). But in this case the frame itself is different lending to a whole different level to its rarity. The KS registry now stands at just under 50 bikes. Considering the amount of bikes Schwinn produced through the years '61/'65 which these bikes are, it is crazy to think how few have surfaced. I'm sure plenty of them were sold to factories and commercial accounts and never put in a basement or garage just disposed of at some point. But not enough to offset the rarity of the frame. Is there any way we could come up with an estimation of how many were produced. Many other rare bikes can be copied or produced with existing parts and often it is hard to tell if they are original. This is not the case with the KS no way to fake it. Though not a high priced rare bike I tend to believe they are trending up quickly, certainly on this site. Lets try and work together on this one, the infighting among the Schwinn crowd is getting depressing. I just want these bikes to get the props they deserve as a truly rare bike. Thanks CBJ
 
I have a couple KSHD bikes they may be my favorite middleweights. We often talk about rarity with bikes and a lot of time the word gets used incorrectly. These bikes I'm starting to see are exactly that, rare. I'm trying to get an rough idea of what amount were made. There are lots of rare bikes out there some based on color (black stingray), components (5 speed corvettes). But in this case the frame itself is different lending to a whole different level to its rarity. The KS registry now stands at just under 50 bikes. Considering the amount of bikes Schwinn produced through the years '61/'65 which these bikes are, it is crazy to think how few have surfaced. I'm sure plenty of them were sold to factories and commercial accounts and never put in a basement or garage just disposed of at some point. But not enough to offset the rarity of the frame. Is there any way we could come up with an estimation of how many were produced. Many other rare bikes can be copied or produced with existing parts and often it is hard to tell if they are original. This is not the case with the KS no way to fake it. Though not a high priced rare bike I tend to believe they are trending up quickly, certainly on this site. Lets try and work together on this one, the infighting among the Schwinn crowd is getting depressing. I just want these bikes to get the props they deserve as a truly rare bike. Thanks CBJ

Here are my thoughts, and opinion on the topic.

The basic HD model in itself was not a bike marketed towards the general consumer, but more so to the commercial/industrial market. And I would assume the King Sized frames were not a huge volume sale for the few years they were made, and that would lead to the rarity of that particular model. The King Sized frame was long gone in the years I was working in the shop. But I would say 90% of our sales of these HD bikes went to commercial accounts in the late 70's & early 80's. And when these bikes were no longer needed, I would assume they were just thrown in the dumpster, or a scrap pile? The other 10% were sold to people wanting a cruiser at that time, but wanted a bike with fenders.

I would say there is no real way to "Estimate" the number of the KSHD bikes that were sold. But I would be inclined to say there may be some accurate sales records out there that may lend to the total amount of the bikes Schwinn sold to its dealers. We just need for someone to dig up that info.........

As for the infighting, I just recently blocked a couple of members I was having harassment issues with. So that problem is now solved for me!

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Couple things, These not being high volume items do you think they were complete partially assembled shipped from the factory to dealers? Or maybe bulk frames shipped to warehouses around the country waiting to be assembled? Or maybe a hard sell sitting in shops possibly a couple years?
 
I know that a lot of HD bikes were for commercial use and never made it to the general public. The oddity of the larger frame was so different from the millions of MW bikes sold I can not believe that they would have produced them and had them sitting around. I would think they were assembled soon after production at factory shipped to dealers and sold directly to corporations and factories. I'm finding it hard to believe they were produced in large numbers like the other MW bikes.The fact they they were low production numbers and many were used in settings where they were disposed of and not hung in a barn for later use makes for a low number of available bikes. I know that rarity does not equal value or collect ability. I'm holding on to the couple I have knowing that the interest in these will someday be what they deserve as a truly "rare " bike
 
I've wanted one of these for a few years, but they sell fast and I just kept missing them.

But sit back and you'll see where I'm going with this.

Back when I first started working/driving I would drive past this industrial park. There was a large building with a different architecture that stood out. Later in the 80's I worked in this park, still drive by it often so the picture is in my head. Recently picked up a copy of American Bicyclist from 1965. Flip in a couple pages and here is that warehouse. Its not just a warehouse, its a Schwinn warehouse. I've driven by it thousands of times.. never knew. In my small little world growing up there was 7 Schwinn shops within about 8 miles south of it. I don't know how many dealers it served or if dealers had to only receive through it or could buy direct from Schwinn?.

Lot has been going on here, want to move toys have been being sold and I really shouldn't be bringing anything in. LOL But I've wanted one of these and was going to be picky as there is something specific I am looking for. Really don't want to buy collect or flip, really don't have the time or room.

Well I came across one. Original owner and has no idea where or what the SN is. Seller says its a 64, got it for Christmas in 64... sure of it. I go and look at it and its a C2 SN and it has chrome fenders. I have seen other 62's in the KS thread with chrome fenders but the American model didn't have chrome fenders in 62. I think the chrome fenders started in 63.

So here is a bike that sat for 2.5 years somewhere has chrome fenders, others from then that have chrome fenders... Were they custom orders, dealer installed, dealer built or built at a later date? IDK, but there was a large facility in this area that had a stock pile of parts.

I could be totally out to lunch with this, just thinking out loud. :)


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I've wanted one of these for a few years, but they sell fast and I just kept missing them.

But sit back and you'll see where I'm going with this.

Back when I first started working/driving I would drive past this industrial park. There was a large building with a different architecture that stood out. Later in the 80's I worked in this park, still drive by it often so the picture is in my head. Recently picked up a copy of American Bicyclist from 1965. Flip in a couple pages and here is that warehouse. Its not just a warehouse, its a Schwinn warehouse. I've driven by it thousands of times.. never knew. In my small little world growing up there was 7 Schwinn shops within about 8 miles south of it. I don't know how many dealers it served or if dealers had to only receive through it or could buy direct from Schwinn?.

Lot has been going on here, want to move toys have been being sold and I really shouldn't be bringing anything in. LOL But I've wanted one of these and was going to be picky as there is something specific I am looking for. Really don't want to buy collect or flip, really don't have the time or room.

Well I came across one. Original owner and has no idea where or what the SN is. Seller says its a 64, got it for Christmas in 64... sure of it. I go and look at it and its a C2 SN and it has chrome fenders. I have seen other 62's in the KS thread with chrome fenders but the American model didn't have chrome fenders in 62. I think the chrome fenders started in 63.

So here is a bike that sat for 2.5 years somewhere has chrome fenders, others from then that have chrome fenders... Were they custom orders, dealer installed, dealer built or built at a later date? IDK, but there was a large facility in this area that had a stock pile of parts.

I could be totally out to lunch with this, just thinking out loud. :)


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The serial numbers on the older frames are indicative as to when the frame was made, and not when the bike came off the assembly line as a complete bike. It is only used as guestimate when dating the model year of the bike. You need to look at the sum of the whole when dating the older bikes, since they never used the head badge dating code that was created in the mid 70's.
 
The serial numbers on the older frames are indicative as to when the frame was made, and not when the bike came off the assembly line as a complete bike. It is only used as guestimate when dating the model year of the bike. You need to look at the sum of the whole when dating the older bikes, since they never used the head badge dating code that was created in the mid 70's.
True, but to sit 2.5 years? That's the longest I've heard till.... well I don't know when it was actually built. I saw people question the chrome fenders on the 62 KS in the KS thread, but these are 60 year old bikes anything could have been swapped.

I did pull the front wheel off tonight and noticed an 11-3 on the fork. Cant make out whats on the front hub its just pitted enough not to read. Kinda looks like it might say Schwinn around it. Its not bad and should clean up nicely.
 
11-3 on the fork
I find it hard to believe that there was any lag with the use of the fork. No other bike used this fork. They would not have had an over abundance of these sitting waiting to get used. But a 11/3 would lead me to believe it was used on a 1964 model. To short of a turn around for a 1963. I could be wrong (a not often enough used phrase)
 
Well, I had talked to this man selling the bike and he said he got it for Christmas in 64... talked about it remembered the day well. I went to see the bike, leaned it over and saw a C2 SN. I said its a 62, but he was sure he got in 64. Before Randall posted I was getting curious what the fork numbers were and was expecting to see 62 forks. I was surprised to see a Nov 63 fork but that's still a year before it was bought.
It gets better.
Pulled the crank today and its a 64 crank. Anything else I can date?
So you tell me. The bikes complete looks all original except tires. Most of the paint is there and with shine to it. Crank doesn't look like it was ever messed with, bearings were a little dry.
 
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