Lets See Some Muscle Bikes (banana seat bikes)

[ProStreetOnTheStrip]

I know most of us have had, or still have one. I've got a Schwinn Stingray, but its a repop

but yesterday I bought a 1967 Iverson Roadrunner, in all original condition for a grand total of $47, it may of cost me my first johan, but lately ive been wanting bigger things I can sit on/in.

Tommorow im going to the local muscle bike expert to get a rear tire and a carriage bolt to make this beauty all vintage.

I will get some pictures soon,

But in the mean time lets see some of your bikes, Full sized or scale!!

 

Oops!!! Sorry mods wrong thread!! Just realized this should be in off-topic.

 

Edited August 1, 2016 by ProStreetOnTheStrip

[DrKerry]

I'll try to find pics of my Murray Chopper that I rebuilt years ago. They are on my desktop.......

[DrKerry]

Ok this is my Murray chopper, found in a junk yard many years ago and bought for $10.00. Brought it home, sanded the frame down and repainted it. Cleaned up the chrome. Asked the maintenance guy at where I used to work if he could weld up the kickstand for me and he asked if he could have a little fun with it and I said sure.... He made a twisted metal kickstand and put a devils tail on it..

Had the seat recovered in purple flake....

Ordered chrome fenders and put them on it... Along with the white walls...

The sprocket hanging on the front forks is what I was going to put on it but it didn't fit....

[ProStreetOnTheStrip]

That's a nice bike Kerry!! Hopefully my schwin will be like that when I'm done with it

[DrKerry]

Yeah I hope so.... Just have fun with it!!!!!

[Jantrix]

but yesterday I bought a 1967 Iverson Roadrunner, in all original condition for a grand total of $47,

Very cool. My first bike was an Iverson Roadrunner, in orange with the two piece handlebars and banana seat. Man, I loved that bike. Since I got it for my 5th birthday it was likely a 1972 or 73 model.

I wish there was more info on the web about Iverson. Rumor has it that Barris did some design work for them on some models. 

[W-409]

A legendary Finnish bicycle manufacturer, Jopo, produced Jopo Rodeos somewhere in the early '70s. They're very rare nowadays and if you find one, they're way too expensive, but I wanted one anyway. So I took my regular model Jopo and turned it into a replica. All I'm missing is the shifter. I have a three speed rear wheel but I haven't found the shifter yet. When I find one, I'll install it together with that new rear wheel. We've been using this to move around in the Drag Race pits.

 

[Tom Geiger]

That's me, Christmas 1969 with my new Raleigh Chopper.  I had this orange one and when it got stolen it was replaced with a yellow one.

[ProStreetOnTheStrip]

Very cool. My first bike was an Iverson Roadrunner, in orange with the two piece handlebars and banana seat. Man, I loved that bike. Since I got it for my 5th birthday it was likely a 1972 or 73 model.

I wish there was more info on the web about Iverson. Rumor has it that Barris did some design work for them on some models. 

Barris designed  the chain over on them. Didn't get a tire but I did wash it and got a patina'd bolt that way the new hardware wouldn't stand out. I've got a fascination with rat rods and patina, what can I say... ha ha.

rode the schwin down to my neighbor that is of buddy of mine, talked to him about cars, and told him it was  my birthday 2 days ago. He gave me a model box FULL of anything and everything 32 ford. 

Expect a build thread here soon!! 

[ProStreetOnTheStrip]

That's me, Christmas 1969 with my new Raleigh Chopper.  I had this orange one and when it got stolen it was replaced with a yellow one.

that's a nice looking bike, wish I had a Raleigh chopper now!!

I think a bug may have bite me, because I'm diving Im head first into these muscle bikes!!

[935k3]

I had the Schwinn Orange Crate when I was a kid. I think it was the best of this style bike.

 

[SfanGoch]

I had the Apple Krate

Today, my son and I have matching Grey Ghosts

[DrKerry]

Kool stuff!!!!!

[Snake45]

I never had a Sting Ray as a kid, but in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s I picked up a very clean all-original 5-speed at a yard sale for $35. Ran the serial number a while back and it’s a ’73 or ’74, I forget which. It’s strawberry red (original paint) with a white metalflake seat, which has some rips at the sewed seams. It also needs a rear tire. I need to decide if I want to put a slick or a knobby on it, and to decide whether to stay with white metalflake for a new seat, or go with plain black, which would also look good on it.

Haven’t ridden it for a while. I need to drag it out of the shed and tool it around the neighborhood before summer’s over.

[High octane]

"Muscle Bikes," yeah right. I gave up bicycles back in '63-4 and started driving.

[Snake45]

"Muscle Bikes," yeah right. I gave up bicycles back in '63-4 and started driving.

But not model cars?

Me neither.

[XJ6]

I had the Schwinn Orange Crate when I was a kid. I think it was the best of this style bike.

 

I had one has a kid, left it on the Porch after 3 days it got stolen mom was very upset with me 

One week later the cops return the bike to me week later it got stolen again never to be found 

[SfanGoch]

That sucks. Mine was also stolen. Teenagers from another block saw the thief with my bike, beat the living cr ap out of him and brought the bike back to my house.

[Tom Geiger]

My orange Raleigh Chopper got stolen.  We lived in that grey building, which was a 4 family house on the US Army Post in Pirmasens, Germany.  The Px  sold  Raleighs and German made bikes, I guess so they didn't have to pay to ship American brands to Europe.   All the kids in our house  stored our bicycles in the basement.  The way in and out was a back door with a ramp.  The key to the back door was in a hiding place we all knew. And we all knew to lock that frickin door!   One night the little jerk upstairs didn't lock it and both my bike and my sister's bike (Both Raleighs) got stolen... not the little jerks bike!  He was told to say he was sorry, no more compensation than that.   The Px didn't get in bikes often, usually around Christmas.  So I had to walk for the better part of a year until they showed up in the store again!

[SfanGoch]

Surprised you didn't tie numbnuts up to one of the Nike-Hercules missiles on post.  

[SSNJim]

When did these become "muscle bikes"? I've heard them called Stingrays, banana seat bikes, 20 inchers and other things, but never muscle bike. I was a pre-teen or teen during the years these were popular. I never had one (I had a 26 inch 3 speed), but my brother and many of my friends did.

[Sixties Sam]

As a teenager, I had a Ross Barracuda, a Sting Ray imitator. About 25 years later my sons found a similar Barracuda in an abandoned stone quarry near our home. People used to toss old bikes, stoves, refrigerators, tires, etc. in there. The bike had a badly twisted rear wheel, which I straightened enough that the kids could ride it. They messed around with it for a year or two, then it sat in my basement for 15 years. In 2011, I dug it out and rebuilt it into this rat rod type bike with new wheels and tires (slick on the rear) and a new banana seat. It's fun to ride around the neighborhood!

Edited August 3, 2016 by Sixties Sam

[Snake45]

When did these become "muscle bikes"? I've heard them called Stingrays, banana seat bikes, 20 inchers and other things, but never muscle bike.

I think last Sunday, about 11:27 PM.

[ProStreetOnTheStrip]

That sucks. Mine was also stolen. Teenagers from another block saw the thief with my bike, beat the living cr ap out of him and brought the bike back to my house.

wow, that right the is a good story!!

When did these become "muscle bikes"? I've heard them called Stingrays, banana seat bikes, 20 inchers and other things, but never muscle bike. I was a pre-teen or teen during the years these were popular. I never had one (I had a 26 inch 3 speed), but my brother and many of my friends did.

Ive always called them that, mostly because (at least with bikes that apply) have bigger wheels out back, smaller in front, and slicks, and sometime  the stance mimicked them too

[DrKerry]

As a teenager, I had a Ross Barracuda, a Sting Ray imitator. About 25 years later my sons found a similar Barracuda in an abandoned stone quarry near our home. People used to toss old bikes, stoves, refrigerators, tires, etc. in there. The bike had a badly twisted rear wheel, which I straightened enough that the kids could ride it. They messed around with it for a year or two, then it sat in my basement for 15 years. In 2011, I dug it out and rebuilt it into this rat rod type bike with new wheels and tires (slick on the rear) and a new banana seat. It's fun to ride around the neighborhood!

Kool bike Sam!!!!!!!!