Royce Union MUSCLE bike!

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Fisch

Fisch

Joined
May 18, 2010
Messages
426
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Location
Belchertown MA
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What a great bike day. I was at Brimfield antique fair in MA and found me a 20" Royce Union Muscle Bike. No plans for this one other than possibly a more comfortable glitter banana seat (this is narrow!). Other than that, keep it original!

Is this a pretty rare bike? Searching the interwebs i could only find one other that was far from original. By the construction I am pretty sure it is Japanese. Seems really high quality, much more so than the craptastic Royce Unions after Huffy bought them out. Cottered cranks. Fenders have an interestig flair out along the length. You guys have any idea of a date on it? No reflectors on the pedals if that helps? I was guessing late 60's?

I saw this little beauty on the first day, went back 5 days later and it was still there. It was fate! It looked like it hadn't been ridden in 40 years. Big and little 20" whitewalls that look as old as the bike. Sky high sissy and 3-speed stick shift had me sold. Add to that the saddle bag basket and it was a no brainer.

So I walked this bike on its flat tires the mile stretch that this antique fair covers, to the gas station. 75 cents in air, and I was riding!! Rode all over that place! I can't tell you guys how many comments I got cruising around. Cars stopped to talk to me abut it.


Love the paint!
Such a strange frame geometry. Lugged construction. Sever curve to the middle bars which connect really low on the down tube.
RoyceUnion1.jpg


RoyceUnion4.jpg


THis bike is so original I can't believe it! Down to the grips!
RoyceUnion7.jpg


Pedals are tiny, no reflectors. But even say Royce Union on them.
RoyceUnion10.jpg


Such mojo with the saddle bag basket. Old chain and lock. Note the glitter tassle hanging off of it! That is a 20X2.125 rear tire. I almost think a 20X3 would fit if the fender braces were wider..
RoyceUnion11.jpg


bit of that extra flair on the fender edge.
RoyceUnion5.jpg


Got even better when I found a license plate with my name on it, and from FLA where I was born.
RoyceUnion13.jpg


Love to know what y'all think!
 
Nice find :D I was gonna go but went to an old bike shop instead :wink: Was there any other bikes :?:
 
Tons of bikes this year! Got my wife a columbia 3-speed muscle bike for $10! Granted anything that was chrome on that bike was RUST (and not the kind that can polish out) but the paint looks great No tears in the flower banana seat.

A 50's motobecan moped! $500

THere was a repop Schwinn crate someone was selling for $150. If one asked he would admit it was probably possibly a repop, "I don't know for sure?" he'd claim. But if you didn't ask him... buyer beware.

There was an interesting cross over Free Spirit MX banana bmx bike. But not a suspension MX. I think it was $50.

Some overpriced Schwinn OCC and WCC bikes.

The guy who sells toys on antiques roadshow (white ponytail) Had a girls KIA muscle bike for $50 that was in really good shape.

Bunch of tandems.

A mens columbia 3-speed Muscle bike needing a ton of work for $35. (I almost bought it for replacement parts on my wife's as the chrome looked salvageable.

A "TRIPPER" musclebike which looked sweet! But $150 and not multi speed.

A purple quad bar Sears Spyder 24" Musclebike in really nice shape for $200, but I already have one (though not nearly as nice. Bought mine for $35.)

There was a Yamaha Motobike that had some incorrect parts, was painted blue, but the owner wanted $300 which was too much for sure in that condition!

Lots of ladies tank bikes and english 3-speeds. Some for stupid money when you figure I bought one there as nice for $10 last year.

Almost bit on a 30's Mercury basket case. But is was missing so much I passed at the $300 it probably would have cost.

Tons and tons of folding bikes.

I am biased, but feel like I got one of the more interesting bikes there!

It is kinda funny, I have a hard time spending more that $75 on a bike sometimes cause I know how many yard sale scores there are out there for $10. If you get lucky.

But I fell in love with this bike on day one when it was $95... But I loved it even more 5 days later when the guy was packing up his tent and had come down to $65! SOLD!

I also snagged a lucky 7 seatpost for $8.

I am kinda surprised there isn't a bike specific seller there. I think it would go over well as so many people are riding vintage bikes around that fair. But tents would just happen to have one bike, maybe 2. (One guy must've had 12 though. Nothing too special, truss rod ay the most.)
 
Bobzworld said:
that bike is amazing man, nice score!! :mrgreen:
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Thanks I am thrilled with it! Some of my pals are asking if I am going to restore it, paint, new chrome, etc. But I don't know. I like the mojo that it has as found. Don't want to bury that history!

I work in a studio in my basement and have been scooting it around down here, but I just popped that (possibly) 40 yr old rear tube at the stem. I am bummed to lose even that bit of original equipment!
 
I looked at that bike and debated picking it up but I'm not into the muscle bikes to much. From what I remember though... it looked like it would clean up nice, I wouldn't paint it.
 
highship said:
I looked at that bike and debated picking it up but I'm not into the muscle bikes to much. From what I remember though... it looked like it would clean up nice, I wouldn't paint it.
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Normally I am not a muscle bike guy either, but there was something about this one for me. The color, the sissy, the basket. I couldn't get it out of my head!

I think a lot of guys were nibbling on it. The seller was pretty frustrated it hadn't sold by the time I found him for the second time on sat. I guess it got close many times! According to the seller, it almost went back to Japan where it was made, but that buyer didn't want to mess with transporting it across the ocean. I questioned if I would fit it as it looks so small, smaller than most Muscle. But I am 6-foot and totally fit it fine!

I checked it on the first day, and it was $95, then had my wife check 2-days later and it was $75. Which is what he told me too the day I bought it, but as he was packing up, I got him down to $65 and by that time I had lusted for it for 5-days and had to pop on it.

I wanted it for $50! But I just skipped eating lunch and kettle corn and coffee and figured I saved the extra $15 right there!

That is what we do sometimes, give up eating for bike money!!!
 
WOW! You are not kidding! That bike is a close for mine all the way down to the sissybar! I love the Paris headbadge too. The only difference is mine has smaller front geometry. Look how bent the middle bars look on mine. I am beginning to think it was a factory error though. Like they cut the tubes too short and had to bend them and weld them lower. Thanks for taking the time to grab some pics!

CIMG5068.jpg
 
SCHWINNRAY69 said:
Scott's Cyclery in Willimantic CT :wink:
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that place is great. Scott gave a bunch of us a tour of the basement collection a few years ago after we did a rat ride around Willi. Did he take you down there?
 
Bumping up. Just picked up the girl version. Very cool bike and hardware.

Will likely be a donor for a few other bikes though.

Ukai 20x1.75 rims, good chrome, chain guard is munched and rusty but I think I can make it presentable.
 

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I don't know if mine ever had the 3-spd or if it was swapped or what, but it was definitely ridden a ton and loved. I'm not changing a thing.
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And I got mine in MA too. Cape Cod but it's got a Lexington, MA bike registration sticker.


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