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Krate handlebar year question
- Thread starter Grey Ghost
- Start date
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Grey Ghost
Wore out three sets of tires already!
As Stingrayrider mentioned, the narrow bars don’t historically match up with the shifter anyway so putting the awesome 69 bars on makes it visually “correct”. It’s what I remember seeing as a kid, that’s what I’m going for.
So, if the dropout SN#s aren’t necessarily date correct to the actual build date, its a free for all when correctly dating these late year bikes eh? Apparently, Schwinn may have put a 70 handlebar and a 69 shifter on the same “November 69” bike. If they did, that’s a pretty big mismatch and somebody didn’t care.
Crank date? Meh, just throw one on from that batch and call it good!
Maybe I got a unicorn Krate and didn’t know it? Ha!
Well, if so, I cut that horn off this baby!
Maybe that’s why Schwinn changed the SN marking location to the head tube, liability issues and all.
I always wondered why they started putting the SN on the front of the bike where it looked like a big zit on the nose.
Wow, I could have spent hundreds of dollars on “correct” 1969 Orange sparkle grips and lever covers and be putting them on a 1970!
Glad I passed on that ridiculously expensive option.
Besides, I recall seeing Kool Orange grips and levers on 69 colorline tire models as well as sparkle units, so who knows what Schwinn did for that particular bike? Both could technically be “correct”.
I’m trying to stay faithful to the original and not take too many liberties but I know in my mind what I saw as a kid and am trying to replicate that as best I can.
“This my Orange Krate. Their are others like it but this one is mine.....”
So, if the dropout SN#s aren’t necessarily date correct to the actual build date, its a free for all when correctly dating these late year bikes eh? Apparently, Schwinn may have put a 70 handlebar and a 69 shifter on the same “November 69” bike. If they did, that’s a pretty big mismatch and somebody didn’t care.
Crank date? Meh, just throw one on from that batch and call it good!
Maybe I got a unicorn Krate and didn’t know it? Ha!
Well, if so, I cut that horn off this baby!
Maybe that’s why Schwinn changed the SN marking location to the head tube, liability issues and all.
I always wondered why they started putting the SN on the front of the bike where it looked like a big zit on the nose.
Wow, I could have spent hundreds of dollars on “correct” 1969 Orange sparkle grips and lever covers and be putting them on a 1970!
Glad I passed on that ridiculously expensive option.
Besides, I recall seeing Kool Orange grips and levers on 69 colorline tire models as well as sparkle units, so who knows what Schwinn did for that particular bike? Both could technically be “correct”.
I’m trying to stay faithful to the original and not take too many liberties but I know in my mind what I saw as a kid and am trying to replicate that as best I can.
“This my Orange Krate. Their are others like it but this one is mine.....”
Last edited:
Robert Troub
I live for the CABE
It's on the inside .....
coasterbrakejunkie1969
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
They are my favorite style
Grey Ghost
Wore out three sets of tires already!
Been looking at several 1969 Krates online.
Many happened to have Nov-Dec SN# codes.
They all looked like original builds.
The Dec bikes had the narrower bars.
One Dec had narrow bars and the 1970 straight cutout shifter.
The Nov bikes had narrow or wide bars, and all the bikes I saw had the bent handle/ barrel grip shifter.
Looks like Schwinn didn’t put a high priority on continuity towards the end of the model years, at least not in 1969.
I also found a 1969 dealers accessory catalog, not for sale, that had colored pictures of all the handgrips, as well as brake lever grips.
It was neat!
They were offering glitter colors, as well as the monochrome Kool colors, so seeing either of these types on 69, or even 68, Krate wouldn’t have been out of the norm if the buyer wanted to change styles.
I figured Schwinn switched from one color type to the other with no overlap but this wasn’t the case. You could purchase either one at this time.
You guys probably already know this stuff, but I didn’t, and found it interesting.
Seems “period correct” may not necessarily be, on the late month bikes.
Many happened to have Nov-Dec SN# codes.
They all looked like original builds.
The Dec bikes had the narrower bars.
One Dec had narrow bars and the 1970 straight cutout shifter.
The Nov bikes had narrow or wide bars, and all the bikes I saw had the bent handle/ barrel grip shifter.
Looks like Schwinn didn’t put a high priority on continuity towards the end of the model years, at least not in 1969.
I also found a 1969 dealers accessory catalog, not for sale, that had colored pictures of all the handgrips, as well as brake lever grips.
It was neat!
They were offering glitter colors, as well as the monochrome Kool colors, so seeing either of these types on 69, or even 68, Krate wouldn’t have been out of the norm if the buyer wanted to change styles.
I figured Schwinn switched from one color type to the other with no overlap but this wasn’t the case. You could purchase either one at this time.
You guys probably already know this stuff, but I didn’t, and found it interesting.
Seems “period correct” may not necessarily be, on the late month bikes.
GTs58
I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
November serials at different dates are on bikes that were built the next year. Check your crank and see if your brake caliper is dated.
Grey Ghost
Wore out three sets of tires already!
Now that’s what I’m talking about!
Grey Ghost
Wore out three sets of tires already!
One decal to go and I’m done!
C’mon mailman.....
C’mon mailman.....
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