50's Hiawatha- afternoon sex change

[Beau]

I had this old Hiawatha women's bike that I robbed the fork off of for my other project. But I just couldn't see it go to waste. This morning I went to the shop and decided to do a "quick" build.

Well, One thing lead to another, and there was a cheap Huffy 3 speed sitting next to it. I just started grabbing stuff, cutting, grinding and welding until I had it the way I wanted it. After a few hours of playing, I have this...(my batteries died so I only snapped two.

I stripped the paint with a wire brush, added new tires and tubes and got it rollable. The fork isn't gonna work. I need to find another one wit a longer steerer. Otherwise it's rideable. I also have a tank that's on it right now, but I need to fasten it.

 

[user 135]

wow....nice transformation.

 

[sensor]

looks good and i have that problem also...........ill spend hours getting something just right and then go to snap a pic and dead batteries :?

 

[ratina]

Nice transformation!

What are you going to do with the tank??

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

awesome.

 

[bigdumbhead]

wow, that looks awsome!

 

[tomb]

I am REALY digging the sissy bar truss rod!
How does it look flipped around so its like a bumper over the light. may look neat too...

 

[ej599]

Very ingenuitive use of a sissy bar. Looks great! And the couch in the shop, another great idea!

 

[Beau]

Ah man, we just got our wood barrel stove built. The shop is now a nice 55-60*. The couch is right next to the stove! We even have a pizza oven, and I'm only need one more piece to finish the kegerator!

The sissy bar was just for fun. It also holds the headlight in. I had it flipped the other way too, but it just didn't look quite right to me.

Thanks for the comments. Hopefully I can come up with a good springer for this thing.

 

[Beau]

Well, I built the fork yesterday. It took a long time. This is the first bike I have ever built. The fork is my first attempt at designing something...and it WORKS!!!!I still need to finish weld it and clean it up.

It is made from three old forks,some springs I picked up from a machine shop scrap pile, a bottom bracket cup, a seat post and a Schwinn front rack.

I'm still working on a tank design. I made a carboard tank last night, but I don't like the width and need to narrow it a bit.

 

[thatismytruck]

I really like what you did there with that fork. Turning it around pulls the wheel nice and close to the frame allowing a long link for suspension travel. Good job.

 

[sensor]

great job on the fork(and the rest of the bike as well.....) :mrgreen:

 

[Dan Jose]

i love this style of bike