Original Schwinn Marman twin engine motorbike

[Reddindian]

So @Reddindian maybe you can clear this up for me. The ad for a MP97clearly shows a cantilever frame and you show a cantilever frame bike at the bottom of your post but the bike the engine is mounted on is a DX frame? What gives? V/r Shawn

To be honest I am really not sure. I will see if I can find something on my research

 

[Freqman1]

To be honest I am really not sure. I will see if I can find something on my research

I'd be interested to see what the serial is on your bike. What years exactly was the MP97 made--'48-9? The ad clearly calls out B model for both so, as shown, the motor isn't on the correct frame. V/r Shawn

 

[Reddindian]

I found this on Mikey bike:
1948 Marman Twin Motor Bike
"The Only Bike Motor With Extra Twin Cylinder Power"
1948 Marman Twin Motorbike kit above is installed on a Schwinn MP97 bicycle.
Schwinn designed the MP97 specifically for the Marman Twin motorbike kit.

Features:

-3 1/2 horsepower, balanced, horizontally opposed motor
-Chrome plated gas tank, glove compartment, belt guard, exhaust pipes, and muffler
-Positive clutch.....automotive type multiple plate, dry disc clutch allows immediate pickup without pedalling and easy idling at stops
-Steel cable V-belt drives throughout
-Top pickup, cruising, and climb ablilty, gear ratios set to get exceptional pickup at low speed, easy cruising speed of 30-35 miles per hour and superior hill climbing ablilty
-Over 100 miles per gallon
-Manufactured by Marman Products Company, INC. P.O. Box 89, Inglewood, California

 

[birdzgarage]

Nice bike. by looking at the marmon tank and motor,it doesnt appear that it would fit the canti frame very well.im guessing the ad just uses the pic of the whizzer frame but is advertising both models.i could be wrong.looking at both set ups,it looks like the marmon is more fit for a double bar frame while the whizzer seems more at home on a cantilever frame.

 

[kentercanyon]

http://goodsparkgarage.com/zeppos-marman-twin-motorcycle/

This article includes the same engine on different frames, including a nice-looking Monark straight bar. Perhaps the cantilever Schwinn is for the Whizzer and the Marman fits best on a DX style?

In any case, built by Mariyln and owned by Zeppo? You can't get much cooler than that! That tank/glove box is as cool as the muffler, too. If you don't know the story, the defense plant photos of Norma Jean were her first ever public photos, that led to her career first as a model and then as an actress. She really did just work there, and the the photographer picked her out for obvious reasons.

 

[kentercanyon]

https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0120-391100/1948-marman-twin/

shows the glove box. DX style frame again.

 

[kentercanyon]

Rare picture of the Marmon twins themselves, lol

url here, extensive Marman documentation including instructions

http://zabytkowemotocykleirowery.pl/marman_twin_schwinn/en!

 

[Freqman1]

I found this on Mikey bike:
1948 Marman Twin Motor Bike
"The Only Bike Motor With Extra Twin Cylinder Power"
1948 Marman Twin Motorbike kit above is installed on a Schwinn MP97 bicycle.
Schwinn designed the MP97 specifically for the Marman Twin motorbike kit.

Features:

-3 1/2 horsepower, balanced, horizontally opposed motor
-Chrome plated gas tank, glove compartment, belt guard, exhaust pipes, and muffler
-Positive clutch.....automotive type multiple plate, dry disc clutch allows immediate pickup without pedalling and easy idling at stops
-Steel cable V-belt drives throughout
-Top pickup, cruising, and climb ablilty, gear ratios set to get exceptional pickup at low speed, easy cruising speed of 30-35 miles per hour and superior hill climbing ablilty
-Over 100 miles per gallon
-Manufactured by Marman Products Company, INC. P.O. Box 89, Inglewood, California

http://goodsparkgarage.com/zeppos-marman-twin-motorcycle/

This article includes the same engine on different frames, including a nice-looking Monark straight bar. Perhaps the cantilever Schwinn is for the Whizzer and the Marman fits best on a DX style?

In any case, built by Mariyln and owned by Zeppo? You can't get much cooler than that! That tank/glove box is as cool as the muffler, too. If you don't know the story, the defense plant photos of Norma Jean were her first ever public photos, that led to her career first as a model and then as an actress. She really did just work there, and the the photographer picked her out for obvious reasons.

According to the ad this isn't the case. It clearly states both models are built on the "B" (cantilever) platform. So the straight bars and DXs' are not MP97s. V/r Shawn

 

[kentercanyon]

So far I haven't seen any examples of a Marman or J&H branded twin engine on any cantilever frames.... but perhaps it fit both. Pretty sure Schwinn put their best efforts towards supporting the popular Whizzer brand first and gave attention to newcomer Marmon second. I'm only guessing but the Marmon seems to have mostly sold kits, not completes and so individual dealers probably did the builds however they saw fit.

What I always loved about my motorized bike kits is that they managed to annoy everyone but the rider/owner. They were loud, and so the neighbors (and the womenfolk of your own house) hate you. They were fast, so the other kids on bikes hate you. They were not THAT fast, so the cars hated you on the hills. And they were not really motorcycles so the motorcyclists hated you, too, lol. Most of all (self-important) "serious cyclists" hated you for profaning their beloved human-powered machine, usually knowing very little about the long illustrious history of the internal combustion engine and the safety bicycle's concurrent development, and the parallel development of "motorcycles" and bicycles in general, esp the ballooners/ board track racers, etc. and a teenager's kit motor was usually the gateway drug to learning about all that wonderful history. A great many of the kit bikes outran the anemic braking systems of the frames they were paired onto, so the doctor was always happy to see you too, assuming you were in repairable condition! I've bought kit motors from old timers and kids alike who confessed to test-riding them first, and only then learning they had no brakes, or useless brakes! "Go fever" got the best of them, WHAM BANG BOOM and then they were ready to sell. Live and learn, donor-cycle style.

 

[cyclingday]

Schwinn did build a Whizzer specific DX type frame, in the same WZ type configuration.
I’m not sure what year/s that was, but it was fairly limited.
That advertisement states that both models used B model components.
So my guess,(and that’s all it is) was that both frame types were used, with B model fenders, bearing assemblies etc.