What is this?

[catfish]

A bad idea.

 

[CURTIS L LINDGREN]

thanks for the non help

OUCH ! Really ? You asked...........................

 

[GTs58]

It's a heavily modified 40s era Hiawatha ladies cruiser... thanks for the non help

You're welcome.

 

[SKPC]

If you really want help with this, take the wheels and tires off and throw the rest in the trash. Best advice you can get, right here on the Cabe.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

look at the brake adapters, looks like 24"wheels on a 26" frame.

 

[piercer_99]

It's a heavily modified 40s era Hiawatha ladies cruiser... thanks for the non help

there may be something on that from the 40's, but the frame is no older than 1963

 

[Allrounderco]

Welcome to the CABE!

 

[fordmike65]

It's a heavily modified 40s era Hiawatha ladies cruiser... thanks for the non help

Non help?? @GTs58 along with a couple others told you exactly what it is. And if you supposedly know what it is...why ask?

Looks like a 60's modified Murray built.

 

[Rambler]

@Jenn_talbott , You are not likely to ever figure this mystery out unless you talk to the creator of this Frankenstein bike. This is clearly not a production model but rather home built from pieces someone cobbled together. As others have correctly pointed out it's a 1960's era 26" bike with 24" wheels and someone following the rube goldberg manual for building things added a three speed hub so they could have three speeds and a coaster brake plus hand brakes. Why on earth they would go through this much trouble to build this creation I'm not sure, but it reminds me of some of the cobbling I did in my youth to create a 30 speed bike by combining a three speed hub with a 10 speed bike. Unless you can find the original owner to explain it you will never know the answer to why this was done.

 

[Scout Evans]

A whole lot of engineering went in to this "machine". AMF star sprocket, Murray frame, Rollfast cranks. The rear chain is skiptooth, the front is standard, I'd like to see how the cogs are set up on the 3 speed hub. It may have been a trike hub. They even went as far to mount a nice aftermarket chain guard. And modified the brake arms to reach the matching 24" wheels, which are older than the 60's bike. I'd keep it like it is for a conversation piece.