Schwinn Cruiser retro look

This is a one year old Schwinn Landmark cruiser.I never liked the orange color it was so I painted it, added chrome fenders, a chrome Springer front fork, a cloud 9 seat and an HDwheel from Spooky tooth. The front springer has cantilever brake bosses so the standard brakes worked well. The rear wheel has a 44t freewheel with a band brake. The tires were switched out for whitewalls. The box on the rear carrier is a 12 volt marine battery 8ah to power the LED headlight and the LED turnsignals. Easily get 20 hours run time on them. The headlight will be moved down to the front fender, the peanut gas tank will be replaced with a round one where the light is now. The horn tank sides are made of wood and hand fitted, they will be fiberglassed. The battery and an old oooooga horn will be enclosed in a red and white box on the carrier. I do not like the freewheel drive sprocket, it eliminates pedal starts as an option and sometimes is jerky when the engine slows and speeds up. The gray engine will be switched to an 80cc PK 80 and it will be black with and equipped with a pull start and centrifugal clutch. The springer fork and cloud nine sead made a big difference in the ride. The HD rear wheel's band brake moves the sprocket further to the right than I like. I cannot get the alignment with the engine that I'd like. I may make a new engine mount and shift the engine over half an inch toward the pedals.
Every where I go people stop and point and ask me to sell it to them (until they hear my minimum price that is) It's been a long slow process and is not completed yet. I'm rather proud of her as she sits now.
Woody

 

[arkives1]

Schwinn Cruiser, retro look

I'm dabbling with copper sheeting formed into a gas tank and battery box. Might be able to use brass as well but I have to learn a whole new set of skills to do much with either of them. One of my friends on here used an apple juice can for a gas tank and it looks great. I have to ask him how he vented the cap with out it splashing out. I want to move my headlight down to the top of the fender and attatch to the down tubes on the Springer. That would give me room for a round tank up front.
The springer did definitely smooth out the ride quite a bit and the big cloud nine seat helped a lot too.
Larry

 

[Irish John]

Some guys don't think a springer fork improves the ride. Mine works good and lengthens the wheelbase a bit for stability at speed.

A good springer is a more comfortable ride but the tapered steel forks on the older model Schwinn cruisers are quite twangy as well and to tell you the truth I prefer them because I don't like trusting my life on the spring bolt & nut. Those nuts on the Schwinn springer come undone frequently with catastrophic results and even though I use a locnut I never know if the bolt through the spring might snap which is an instant accident akin to losing a front wheel. Some springers have a split pin through the nut but not on Schwinns. I also like the alloy Schwinn cruiser because it is so much lighter.
That's my experience.

 

[Nuttsy]

A good springer is a more comfortable ride but the tapered steel forks on the older model Schwinn cruisers are quite twangy as well and to tell you the truth I prefer them because I don't like trusting my life on the spring bolt & nut. Those nuts on the Schwinn springer come undone frequently with catastrophic results and even though I use a locnut I never know if the bolt through the spring might snap which is an instant accident akin to losing a front wheel. Some springers have a split pin through the nut but not on Schwinns. I also like the alloy Schwinn cruiser because it is so much lighter.
That's my experience.

Oh GREAT! Now I have something new to worry about. I J, is this something that happens frequently? Examples? I've never heard of that bolt breaking or nut coming undone before. Ya think it could be replaced with a beefier bolt?

 

[Irish John]

It's only on the Schwinn Deluxe Seven. The nut unscrews off the end of the bolt and I've known it to happen twice to customers who bought D7s off the same shop as me. I've bought 10 of them and I replaced the nut with a nyloc nut which seems not to want to unscrew itself. I've not known the bolt to break but it's Chinese steel and therefor I don't really trust it but the real danger is the nut and I suppose you could try a nyloc nut like I do. The fact that Schwinn sell a bike that can and does fail in a totally catastrophic way horrifies me and is indicative to me that what used to known as ethics has been replaced by the bottom line. According to my bike shop Schwinn's response BTW is that if the bike is serviced at the proper intervals the nut will be tightened before it comes completely undone. That just reinforces my point above. Use a Nyloc nut Nuttsy and stay safe.

 

[Nuttsy]

Thanks for the info Irish John. I was just looking at my springer the other day and it is NUTLESS! LOL I mean the bolt threads directly into the bracket off the headset. There isn't even room for a nut. Although this is a reproduction springer and not a Schwinn original. I guess a touch of threadlock couldn't hurt just to be on the safe side. In 2.5 years riding this springer the only thing I've had is a squeak at the rubber spring bumper. A little silicone lube now and then kills that noise.

 

[james65]

Thanks for the info Irish John. I was just looking at my springer the other day and it is NUTLESS! LOL I mean the bolt threads directly into the bracket off the headset. There isn't even room for a nut. Although this is a reproduction springer and not a Schwinn original. I guess a touch of threadlock couldn't hurt just to be on the safe side. In 2.5 years riding this springer the only thing I've had is a squeak at the rubber spring bumper. A little silicone lube now and then kills that noise.

I had a major squeek in my repo springer. Ended up putting a bronze bushing in the front of the spring support. Glad to hear that silicone works also.

 

[Nuttsy]

It works, albeit temporarily.

 

[Irish John]

I was slightly wrong about the Schwinn springer. It came without a nut - the bolt just screws through the thingy off the head tube. Putting the nut on provides added protection and a nyloc nut a bit more. Ideally I'd like 2 thin nuts and then lock one against the other but there isn't much room and that mightn't be possible. What I do say however, is it is culpable of Schwinn to sell a bike on which the springer not only does come undone but will eventually come undone. It's not as if it's an inconvenience or something - it would probably be fatal if it happened at any speed. I suppose I'm just shocked at such commercial conduct and I wish we could be better protected from these criminals in suits.