Please help me identify this 1940s (?) Tandem

[O. G. RabbleRouser]

Please help me identify this tandem bicycle. Here's what I know:

• I'm pretty sure it's not a Schwinn, as all Schwinn bikes had straight frames without curves.
• From what I can tell, Hawthorne used the same skip-tooth sprocket on Hawthorne bikes until the early 1950s.
• It has lines like a Colton, but I can't find out if Colton made a tandem that front steer only. In fact, it looks like a "woman in front" Colson that has been chopped in half and reversed so that the woman is in back, but again it's not a rear steer bike.
• The serial number has been painted over/obscured.
• Seats not original.
• It has fenders, not shown.

(Not for sale at the moment.)

 

[GTs58]

Sure looks like a backyard creation to me.

 

[fordmike65]

Yup. Looks home-made. Front looks like a CWC bent tank.

 

[Freqman1]

I agree a home grown creation made from many different bikes. An oddity but no collector value. This statement is not true "as all Schwinn bikes had straight frames without curves" and it is "Colson" not "Colton". V/r Shawn

 

[O. G. RabbleRouser]

I agree a home grown creation made from many different bikes. An oddity but no collector value. This statement is not true "as all Schwinn bikes had straight frames without curves" and it is "Colson" not "Colton". V/r Shawn

Thanks for the info. It's an oddity for sure. It also occurred to me that it was a home made creation based on some rough welds.

For clarity, my statement re: Schwinn tandems was made after looking through all of the old Schwinn catalogs online. There were some Schwinns with curves, but i didn't see any tandems with curves.

 

[O. G. RabbleRouser]

Yup. Looks home-made. Front looks like a CWC bent tank.

I noticed the similarity of the front end to the CWC bent tank bicycle, but the curve is a little more like a 1940s Hawthorne, wouldn't you agree? In any case, I agree that it could very well be a homemade creation.

 

[O. G. RabbleRouser]

After looking at old bikes till I've become blue in the face I think the front end is a a 1946ish Hawthorne. The "throwing star" skip tooth crank is another piece of evidence that says it's a Hawthorne. Now, to identify the back end... thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[GTs58]

If you had some good pictures of the rear half maybe the members here could help in the identity. Rear dropouts, seat stays etc. In your last picture above is appears that the right chain stay has been severely modified and a Schwinn built in kickstand tube has been added, it is a section of a Schwinn frame.