Monark Silver King Aluminum Bicycle
Very cool early aluminum cruiser with art deco styling.
This auction is for a Vintage 1930's or 1940's Monark Silver king aluminum mens bicycle with the locking fork option. Unfortunately the key is missing. The aluminum tubing is constructed using "mushroomed" tubes and chromed steel fork blades with no added suspension. Aesthetically the frame is in pretty good condition and has a nice patina (ok, lots of patina) from over the years - fun to polish up and make it mirror shiny. The bike is close to original, but is missing several items.
The fenders have only a few mars and look great, and they do not have the front and rear lamps/accent pieces. The bike is rideable but will require a complete overhaul of the drive train to get back to fully operational. (the hubs are a little loud when spinning)
Mostly original, but might be missing the truss rods - the stack height on the headset looks a little short. Some Silver Kings were produced without the truss rods.
Original chainguard is a bit rough but definitely usable.
Very cool bike and with a little (ok, alot) tlc and elbow grease would make for a great project bike.
Seat is not original.
Year is most likely late 1930's or early 1940's. Narrowed it down to 1936 or newer...
This bicycle has standard square sided rims, round shaped stainless fenders, and a great kickstand.
So, if the fenders are original, which we believe, where did you put a front light? The front fender has no mounting holes for lights or holes for a rear dropstand. The problem here is that the downtube seems to be marked where a battery case was mounted. Where would the light mount? Also, the fenders seem to have all the right spots for frame mounting - there's even a small ridge under the front fender where the bolt screws into the bottom of the fork.
Not sure if the kickstand is original as its rather unique and has an interesting 2 hole mount on the unistay of the frame. There is a large chunk of aluminum near the bottom of the stand, not sure why, but its pretty neat and looks like a silver king item.
Monark was a unique company that had its start as a battery manufacturer from the early part of the century. There are quite a few art deco touches on all of the aluminum models from Monark Silver King. Lights, head tubes, rear stays, bottom brackets. The designers must have had fun going from batteries to bicycles.
Monark began building aluminum bicycles under the name Silver King in the 1930s and continued their production into the 1950s. Their unique style and light weight made them extremely appealing. Silver King also developed a monthly payment plan, making their purchase a bit more palatable for depression era consumers on a tight budget.
Made in Chicago, IL, U.S.A.
The fenders have only a few mars and look great, and they do not have the front and rear lamps/accent pieces. The bike is rideable but will require a complete overhaul of the drive train to get back to fully operational. (the hubs are a little loud when spinning)
Mostly original, but might be missing the truss rods - the stack height on the headset looks a little short. Some Silver Kings were produced without the truss rods.
Original chainguard is a bit rough but definitely usable.
Very cool bike and with a little (ok, alot) tlc and elbow grease would make for a great project bike.
Seat is not original.
Year is most likely late 1930's or early 1940's. Narrowed it down to 1936 or newer...
This bicycle has standard square sided rims, round shaped stainless fenders, and a great kickstand.
So, if the fenders are original, which we believe, where did you put a front light? The front fender has no mounting holes for lights or holes for a rear dropstand. The problem here is that the downtube seems to be marked where a battery case was mounted. Where would the light mount? Also, the fenders seem to have all the right spots for frame mounting - there's even a small ridge under the front fender where the bolt screws into the bottom of the fork.
Not sure if the kickstand is original as its rather unique and has an interesting 2 hole mount on the unistay of the frame. There is a large chunk of aluminum near the bottom of the stand, not sure why, but its pretty neat and looks like a silver king item.
Monark was a unique company that had its start as a battery manufacturer from the early part of the century. There are quite a few art deco touches on all of the aluminum models from Monark Silver King. Lights, head tubes, rear stays, bottom brackets. The designers must have had fun going from batteries to bicycles.
Monark began building aluminum bicycles under the name Silver King in the 1930s and continued their production into the 1950s. Their unique style and light weight made them extremely appealing. Silver King also developed a monthly payment plan, making their purchase a bit more palatable for depression era consumers on a tight budget.
Made in Chicago, IL, U.S.A.
Measurements:
Seat Tube measures 19" (top to center)
Top Tube measure 24" (center to center)
Even though the bicycle has 24" wheels, it fits and rides like a full size balloon tire 26" bike.
Specifications:
springer saddle, needs recover, pan and springs starting to show rust, its also fairly squeaky when you sit on it
Steel Quill Stem, (not the winged stem), no chrome, original?
Steel Quill Stem, (not the winged stem), no chrome, original?
Aluminum Cruiser Handlebars, original
1 Piece steel Crank Set with dogleg driveside arm, original with decent chrome
pedals spin but are probably not original, not marked
Rear hub is a New Departure Model D coaster brake, the front hub is a New Departure W, both need cleaning and overhauling
tires - Goodyear Speedway rear tire and a Goodyear All Weather front tire, 24", showing some cracking - front holds air rear does not
tires - Goodyear Speedway rear tire and a Goodyear All Weather front tire, 24", showing some cracking - front holds air rear does not
Rims - Lobdel triple step 24" steel rims, showing some rust
Serial #37603 (under the unistay chainstay, imprinted on the bottom from our shop back in the 1980's to give the bike an ID as we can't find a serial number
Reference #37603
| Manufacturer | Monark |
|---|---|
| Color | Silver |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Used or New | Used |
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