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What do you consider the ultimate muscle bike?

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German engineering.
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I grew up with the Sting-ray, and watched others mimic it, or create newer versions modeled after, custom modifications, many kids I knew, along wit myself were building. We were Customizing Sting-rays, and the industry was following the trend.. Albeit it wasn't necessarily for Muscle but for looks, street bikes. So, back in the day, the various things, ram horn handlebars, stick shifters, smaller front rims etc, were not so impressive to me. The basic sting ray could handle whatever dirt, bump hill etc and with modifications you'd loose the muscle. . However, Not that Schwinn was not the best in the group because, they were, the most durable hands down. However, when I thinks in terms of Muscle, none of those fit what I'd consider the description. ..

Yet, this type is what I expect a Muscle bike is like. Although, by the time these were made I was years past consideration


Even as a rusted hunk of junk this bike screams muscle to me.

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Another ultimate muscle bike would be the 1963 Huffy Penguin, only 50 were built and it was a California-only bike that predated the Stingray-by only three months.
 
Interesting as the time frame of the penguin takes me down memory lane.

Here's a photo on the net of a replica:

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Personally, I don't recall seeing a Penguin. Nor did I realize that Huffy was just up the street from me, or up-town, in Azusa. (Azusa originally the scrap yards of east LA which was named to mean ''everything from A-Z in the USA, but also had the drag strip track! ) During the period, a kid would not get caught dead on a Huffy, they were cheap then, rust buckets and unlike Schwinn easy to bend fork and or frame. However, in my neighborhood, only a lucky kid could have a Schwinn, which is more reason why I should-a, could-a, might-a seen them but don't recall. Except, never was there an unavailable Huffy or Murray in a parts junk pile that nobody wanted. Chopping their forks to create extensions on Schwinn's was freely, easy find.

However, I do recall before then, teens with ape hangers on 26 inch bikes, and black was the chosen color. Yet, absent awareness of the Penguin, my first build of a Custom Sting-ray, complied of anything Schwinn, my chosen color was black. Or, moreover, pre-sting-ray days, the cool muscle bike, baring other modifications, would have been this:

Of one the reasons why I snatched this bike at a flea market 25 + something years ago. It being, since my departure of Schwinn bikes around 1972 for Peugeot, the first Schwinn 'collectible' bike I owned. Replaced the seat fer comfort and added china rear carrier. , and I always figured the ape hangers on it predated the sting-ray or were installed before then, yet I've never checked.

Moreover, if penguin was the first muscle bike, it's predated by Custom mods of regular styles, especially in black if only by exchanging too 'illegal', or offensive handlebars. . I especially recall, while my brother and I were sticking girls skates on 2 x 4's. the seemingly scarier teens looked so due to simply, having ape hangers on their bike.
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