Kreamsicle Krate

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Sorry for the slow response. Haven't checked in on this build in a long time. December is just a blur because I am a postal worker. This one is finished. It will be entered as the Krate version. I want to get better pictures of it, so I will have to convert it back from the pre-bmx version. When does this build-off end???
I think Feb 1st, buy not 100% positive. @Rat Rod , are we ready for a Finished Builds thread yet? I know there are probably a half dozen of us that are done with at least one build.
 
A couple facts for those who don't know their muscle bikes.
The original Krate bikes did not use a 26" fork. Do the math. A 16" wheel is 4 " smaller than a 20"wheel. Thet would require a 24" fork to put it back in balance. I have but them with 26" forks, they do not sit the same.
The steer tube is not 4". All boys StingRay/Krate frames used a 5-1/2" steer tube. That is why they made the "hybrid" fork. Measure the steer tube on even a reproduction Krate. A side note. The original fork you call a springer was actually a knee action girder fork. The pivot points did not go thru the tubes, they were welded on the tubes in back. The Krate forks were drilled thru the tubes as a cost cutting measure. When Frank Schwinn Jr took over he did a lot of these of moves. That was the beginning of the end for Schwinn.
The Orange Krate used here was not a Walmart Black Friday bike, it was most likely a 1998-99 reproduction bike. These Krates have the Electroforged welds on the front welds just like the originals. The Black Friday bikes looked like the cheaper frames like the Bratz bikes and the junk eBay Lowrider frames. The top and bottom tubes look like they were attached to the head tube as if by magic.
I am 61 years old and have built, ridden and restored these bikes since 1974. I have owned every version of the original Krates including rarities like a December 1968 Pea Picker, a December 1971 Orange Krate Disc Brake bike, another 1971 Orange Krate Disc brake bike in 1974 that was I believe a September built bike. Our local Schwinn dealer got it in for a floor display and it was sold to my cousin when the regular shipment came in. He didn't lock it up much and one day it was stolen. I cannot explain how, but I saw it in my mind at a local used bike shop. When I got there it was under a tree waiting to be repaired just like it was in my mind. He was a very honest man, gave it back and would not accept even the money he paid for it. My uncle told my cousin he lost the bike twice and gave it to me. I owned it for 3 years, changed frames several times and it was stolen twice (lock cut both times). Both times I got it back from the local police stations within a month. The third time it was stolen I never saw it again, although parts I made turned up at a house up the street when the tenants moved. I also owned a few 1998-99 reproduction bikes and a Grey Ghost with the Sturmey Archer internal hub 5 speed and the half drum front brake (I hated it).
I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion about this topic. I have a lot of dealer info, brochures and specs on digital media to reference on these bikes and still own a couple Krates, an Apple and an Orange, an orange BMX replica of my bike from 1975, a couple Fastbacks including a 1966 5 speed with the snowflake sprocket like the one in the early ads. Most are dismantled for rebuilding but they are here.
 

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