SirMike1983
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
Yes, the red one is a different bike. On a modern, department store bike, one-piece crank usually is not a good sign. It usually is reserved for cheaper bikes with lesser parts. I'm sure there are a few exceptions, but that's the general rule today. In the original Collegiate's time, the one-piece crank was kind of dated and heavy, but the bikes were solid enough. But in a big box store, circa 2020, one-piece crank is usually reserved for the low-end stuff. I'd save my $300 for a vintage Collegiate before going big box. You can sometimes still find them for well less than that.
Edit: I will add one thing - if the plan is to use the same badge or same transfers/logos on both the lower-end big box Collegiate and the higher-end US-made one, that seems like a mistake to me. If you're spending the big bucks on the better model, there needs to be all-around upgrades and clues as to the higher quality. Ford/GM did this for years with their Mercury/Buick and Lincoln/Cadillac cars. One of the things that killed Mercury was the gradual lack of identity, whereas in years past, the "higher" brands on the totem pole had their own perks that raise them above the base models. If you put the same badge, decals, and colors on the higher-end bike, you risk confusing your lower end offerings and the higher ones. The idea is to show they're related, but certainly not the same thing. (End editorial).
Edit: I will add one thing - if the plan is to use the same badge or same transfers/logos on both the lower-end big box Collegiate and the higher-end US-made one, that seems like a mistake to me. If you're spending the big bucks on the better model, there needs to be all-around upgrades and clues as to the higher quality. Ford/GM did this for years with their Mercury/Buick and Lincoln/Cadillac cars. One of the things that killed Mercury was the gradual lack of identity, whereas in years past, the "higher" brands on the totem pole had their own perks that raise them above the base models. If you put the same badge, decals, and colors on the higher-end bike, you risk confusing your lower end offerings and the higher ones. The idea is to show they're related, but certainly not the same thing. (End editorial).
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