1946 Monark Silver King ‘Hextube’ Motorised Custom
144-Spoke 26″ Wheels
V-Rroom Hot Rodder Engine
Lowered motorcycle saddle
Schwinn fenders
Front:
Twin headlights
Ahooga horn
Delta battery can
Rear:
Cadillac tail-light
Delta hub lights
(Now sold)
SILVER KING: ORIGINAL SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL: 1946 Silver King
MANUFACTURER: Monark Silver King Co, Chicago, Ill
PRICE NEW: $77.95
FRAME: Special Monark design. All-aluminium alloy tubing ‘mushroom welded’ into aluminium castings. No welding.
FINISH: All natural silver colour. Frame polished and factory-coated with clear preservative. Stainless steel fenders polished, spring fork and all other bright parts chrome-plated.
RIMS: Lobdell-Emery, drop centre design.
DRIVE TRAIN: Half inch pitch roller chain drives New Departure Model D coaster hub with specially-modified brake arm.
PEDALS: Torrington #8.
TYRES: 26 x 2.125 U.S Royal Master ‘redwalls’
SADDLE: Special sponge-padded Lobdell-Emery.
WEIGHT: Approx 57lbs
The Monarch-Silver King Company went into the bicycle business in June 1934. Its first offering featured an all aluminum-alloy frame with stainless steel fenders. In 1946, the company introduced the “Hextube” model and the series lasted until 1949. Several details changes took place over the series run, but these were largely limited to carriers and tyres. While the earlier Silver King models had 24″ wheels, the 1946-1949 series came only in 26-inch boy’s style. The Hextube was the final model made of aluminium, the subsequent Monark models being made of steel.
ALUMINIUM & CHROME DISPLAY AT AMBERLEY VETERAN CYCLE DAY, APRIL 2012
Next to the Hextube is the 1936 Silver King Flocycle
Below, on the left, is the 1950s Mecadural Duralumin, and on the right is the 1978 Raleigh All-Chrome ‘Boss Bike.’
Although the French aluminium and British chrome bikes are glamorous, it’s hard to outdo 1930s/1940s American bikes when it comes to bling.
Above, you can see the bike when I bought it, in November 2010. Thanks to Tom for the bike; Santi for the twin headlights and bracket; Nate for the battery can; Mike for the hub lights; and Baz for fitting all the custom parts.
Thanks also to Lefty and George for this photo of the 1938 Silver King, which I pinned up to inspire me while I hunted parts to complete it.
FOOTNOTE
In America a bicycle has fenders. Here they are called mudguards. If an American bicycle is now in England, are they fenders or mudguards?
