Flightliner, Crazy serial number.....

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CrazyDave

CrazyDave

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A pal heard i wanted a old bike with a tank and pulled one out of his barn he had hangin there for 25 years. It's certainly a JC Higgins Flightliner. I searched and searched and can not identify the serial markings. I also am having problems uploading pics as jpegs, ill look into that later. Its real close to this though.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161943751208?rmvSB=true&rmvSB=true

This is what is says "MUU 162229 50246088" I sanded it down and the letters are perfect, im 100% confident on the accuracy.

Anyone out there have any info? I've followed all the links and searched many sites....No info on any "MUU" designated bikes like this that i can find....would a kind guru help a curious newbee to this site out?
 
SSG said:
The letter U is probably a "O" stamped lightly. It could have even been a chipped numbering die. The MO means Murray Ohio. It's probably MOxxxxx
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That seems very unikely.... it is clearly stamped "MUU" I greatly appreciate the response however...The "MUU" is on its own "line" and has nothing directly before or after it. There is very slight chance it could read "MUD", but I am 99.99% on the MUU and 100% on the MU part.....I suppose if it was a broken mold it could be a "O" but it would read MOO (insert cow noise here) or MOD if the 0 and the D mold was badly deformed.....Ive had a magnifying glass on it for clues and have it polished to the bare metal. I dunno man....Your information certainly matches everything I've read, but doesn't match what my eye balls are tellin me....
 
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Well, it lets me load pics now....perhaps these will help?
 

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Yup, that's a Flightliner alright...1958-63. Murray-built with the very distinctive long spurs on the rear dropouts. I don't know if one can narrow the date any more based solely on what's provided here. Can't be newer, though, because Sears dropped the Higgins name thereafter.
 
Sometimes you find extra letters/numbers stamped there from police departments. It's hard to tell from your pictures, but if someone added them later, you will not see any paint in the letters (unless the bike has been repainted). Your bike looks like original paint.
 
Clamdigger, Thanks for the link! Thats the best one I found! Unfortunately my silly bike dont wanna conform to their information! lol

Renaissance man, I am nearly certain all number were applied at the factory as I sanded off original paint from all of them, and they look very uniform...but that is a interesting piece of information that i never heard before! Maybe the stamping guy had a few beers at lunch the day mine was made?!

Thank you everyone that has taken the time here, it is much appreciated. I rubbed black marker over the numbers and wiped off the excess and tried the "macro" setting on my $100 camera. Perhaps that'll help? DOH, now it wont let me load pics again!! hahaha. I do have some good shots though! :p
 
The picture loader is having a good laugh at my expense. lololol. anyhow, here they are.

Could it be a MO as SSG said and the U at the end making it a 62 Murry (Ohio) Flightliner? and the rest is just non informative.... Im just curious, this was taken from the Cabe link provided above "1955 M-O-U Plus Serial Number" So maybe its a '55? Thats what im thinkin....Ive wanted a tanked bike for so long I want to know all about it :D Thanks guys.
 

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Looks like MOD stamped on a curved surface, where the top of the letter O did not engrave, making it look like a U . Typically the 502 prefix number is a Sears catalog department number. Some folks have luck searching online Sears Roebuck and Company - Wish Books for the time period that they think the bike might be from to get a date for the J C Higgins Flightliner model number that they have.
 
Thanks everyone, im declaring it a 55 from sears, Looks like SSG hit the nail on the head but i didnt want to believe it. Lots of good info came out, hopefully this helps someone else too :D
 
clamdigger said:
Looks like MOD stamped on a curved surface, where the top of the letter O did not engrave, making it look like a U . Typically the 502 prefix number is a Sears catalog department number. Some folks have luck searching online Sears Roebuck and Company - Wish Books for the time period that they think the bike might be from to get a date for the J C Higgins Flightliner model number that they have.
Click to expand...

This is really probably the best answer here.

That style tank came out in 62, you can go through the Murray catalogs and see that. They didn't even have the space weight frames in 55'.

The 502 is the Sears designation from Murray Ohio.

The bike looks like the Sears version of the Meteor Flite from 1962. Or it could be based on the Missile, as that bike came with painted fenders, not chrome.

http://murrayeliminatormusclebikes.yuku.com/topic/82/1962-Murray-Bicycles-Catalog#.VrSfzxgrIdU
 
Thanks! It says "flightliner on the chain guard and looks more like a flightliner than those bikes....hmmm.. Its a bicycle, i guess thats close enough!
 
'MOD 502' was a standard Murray/Sears code. 4608 or 46088 is the Sears catalog #, they generally went to the 6 digit around '63. The frames usually have an extra 0 or 1 stamped after the cat. #. -Adam
 
Interesting thread. I have a recent EBAY purchase that has BFG Silvertown 880 on the chain guard. Also a bracket on front fender--now I know what that is for. Anyone have the appropriate fender ornament available? I've done a lot of internet searching but so far haven't found a rear rack like on mine. Anyone know what the hole is for or have a picture showing how it's used? Thanks. http://www.ebay.com/itm/371579914898?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
 
Pat McMahon said:
Interesting thread. I have a recent EBAY purchase that has BFG Silvertown 880 on the chain guard. Also a bracket on front fender--now I know what that is for. Anyone have the appropriate fender ornament available? I've done a lot of internet searching but so far haven't found a rear rack like on mine. Anyone know what the hole is for or have a picture showing how it's used? Thanks. http://www.ebay.com/itm/371579914898?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
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Pat.... You may want to start you own thread for that question rather than tack it on to this one.
Good luck to you! And welcome!
 
the hole is for the tail light, most common on Strato and Astro Flites, the Goodyear is a branded Murray bicycle.

here is one on a complete Astro Flite

Astroflitecompleted018.jpg



here is the tail light from a Strato Flite, when they sell, they usually sell for over a hundred dollars u.s. for a complete working tail light assembly.

strato tail.jpg
 
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