Murray Strato Flite 1965 questions

[elktonjohn]

Hello all, so I bought this at a local auction for $160 and a member suggested I post my questions here...so what I'm trying to figure out is just what is it missing? It looks to me that it's missing a front fender marker and luggage rack, a handle to rear of seat and I'm not sure from there. I'm also curious to learn what these bikes are worth these days as I can't find anything on that anywhere. White walls would do this bike justice, just wonder what else I can learn from you all. Thanks for looking in

 

[Rivnut]

Best thing to do is to, IMHO, Google the name of the bike then click on images and study what others have. I personally do not think the Murray "Space" bikes had front racks along with the protruding headlights. Chances are the bike did not have a crash rail seat either. Some Strato Flites had a Springer fork. If they had a Springer fork, they had truss rods. These truss rods resembled a front rack, but were not designed as a front rack. From the pictures that I found, your bike looks complete as manufactured.

The Strato Flite, like the JC Higgins Spaceliner and other Murray made bicycles, was sold in different levels under the same name. Some pretty plain, some very well equipped, and others middle of the road. Perhaps a top level bike came equipped with some of the items you mentioned. Sears bikes, JC Higgins and Sears, can be identified by the serial number which corresponds to the Sears catalog number. Find that number in a catalog and you know exactly how it was equipped.

 

[Schwinndemonium]

Except for the pedals, here is what one of these looks like complete. Bought my bike in 2013 at the big Trexlertown PA fall meet. It too, was missing the front fender ornament, but a fellow caber came thru and sent me one he had in a bike that was in much worse shape than mine. In this pic, the bike has a set of pedals from a 1964 Sears Spaceliner. They should have 7 jeweled pedals on it. That means the pedals should have three red jewels on each side and one on the outside end of the pedal, as well. Still trying to locate a set of these for my bike.

 

[Schwinndemonium]

Here is a picture from Murray's 1963 catalog as to what a complete '63 Strato Flite is supposed to look like.

 

[Rivnut]

If Murray marketed their named bikes like Sears, Gambles, JC Penny, Otasco and other retailers who had Murray build bikes for them, you would find bikes built at different levels under the same name. It could be that your bike is complete as it is. You'd need to find a 65 catalog to see what levels these came in.

 

[Rivnut]

I found this page from a catalog dated June, 1965. It shows a Strato Flite equipped like your bike. No front rack, no fender ornament, no crash rail on the seat. The ad states the seat is white vinyl with silver trim. Personally, I think your bike is 100% authentic as manufactured.

If it were a Sears Flightliner, you could match the stamped numbers on the drop out to the catalog number and know exactly how your bike came from the factory. I have a 59 Flightliner with Springer fork. You'd think it was the top of the line for that year, but you'd be wrong. The top of the line Flightliner had a chrome frame as well as everything that's on my bike.

 

[elktonjohn]

Ok, so I guess that since this model came with different options then...it's as likely-as-not original as is. I don't see any sign of anyone monkeying with this bike at all anywhere at all...nada. I doubt it's ever even seen a cloud much less rain...although there is some surface rust on the paint in places but nothing obvious and probably is due to humid storage conditions at some point. The pedals are pretty weak, the photo is of the worst pedal but not sure about the jeweling thing as they have the kind of wear that suggests that they are original...they look to have been worn gently over many years, right in line with the rest of the bike. I would still like to get a general price range, for now I'm guessing $400-ish but would love other opinions... Thanks to all of you for your input...it's a keeper for now, have to fix the wiring though as something is wrong there....lights are barely glowing with new batterys...and what is the deal with the horn? Does it really have one, and where did they hide it?

 

[Rivnut]

If you feel like you could disassemble it, find some of the threads/posts on giving things a bath in oxalic acid. It will dissolve the rust and clean the paint. Get a kiddies' swimming pool for the tub.
I have a laundry sink in the 4th garage in the lower level of the house. It won't hold a bike frame, but it will hold a fender. Which fender got the oxalic acid bath first?

 

[elktonjohn]

Not sure I'm brave enough to play with acids just yet...it'd be over-kill...but I'll start with a good wax/cleaner and see what happens I'm still curious about the wiring for the lights and the switches, horn and such...has anybody had luck making their own modifications to the original design. How it's made from the factory seems kinda poorly designed, especially for longevity...

 

[Rivnut]

Oxalic acid AKA wood bleach.

It's a powder that you dissolve in water. Really pretty harmless. It's not like the stuff you spray on wheels to clean them.