Some things have changed in the size of my collection so I wanted to do an update video. I show what Krates I’ve kept, changes I’ve made, and answer a few frequently asked questions. Thanks for the view!
I had a green krate with a high sissy bar on it when I was a kid. In 1972 a friend of the family gave it to me…I was 11…I left it outside…it was stolen…I only had it for a few days..today yeah I own a 1970 Chevelle my dream car..but I’ll always remember the chopper I had as a kid…it lead to a lot of motorcycles in my life also.
I have a BRAND NEW ORIGINAL 1970 Cotton Picker 5speed NEVER EVER been ridden it has never rolled on concrete . Over the years when I move it I carry it and walk it only on carpet. It has the tool kit bag , Stingray speedometer and headlight ,the triple horn, baseball bat holder that is still in the box . Streamers , rear reflector (2) sets of pedals w/and w/o the mandatory reflectors . I figure its the only brand new Cotton Picker in the world. It still has the paper warranty and info tag hanging on it. Around 20 years ago I changed the inner tubes because the original ones to my surprise disintegrated . Its in my bedroom closet under a custom cover. I appreciate your passion for these bikes and I want you to know that you never know what can turn up unexpectantly . In 1970 I was in high school and driving a 6 year old corvette that I bought from a Chevy dealership for $1800.I hope your Mopar project is progressing well stay safe and God bless.
love your page i was a collector in the early 80's in san diego information was scarce i just bought all i could find just to make 2 good ones for my sons...they hated them they wanted diamondbacks!
I have a 1964 violet , Sting ray; a black Ramshorn ; an Orange Krate ; a blue 5 speed sting ray and a ; japan sting ray dark violet.... All but the last are original mine since new
Great collection. I didn't know color-coordinated tires were available..really cool. And I wondered why the 'Krate re-issues' do not have the derailleur rear end with the frame-mount stick shift until I found out the stick shift was 'outlawed' some years ago. (lawsuit paranoia?) Just picked up a Schwinn Classic Sting Ray Schwinn 125th Anniversary edition: blue/silver with the dished white sparkle/blue 'S' logo with racing stripe seat. When I was a kid many years ago the Schwinn Sting Ray was 'the' bike to have (especially the Fast Back and Krate versions) and this adult is a kid again after many years of wanting a Schwinn Sting Ray. The Krate re-issue by Pacific Cycle is pretty cool but too rich for my taste so I settled for the plain Sting Ray version..fun to bop around town on.
Great bike collection! I'm old school and grew up in the 70s and love the Krate bikes. I have a question, what would you estimate the value of these bikes (each) in today's market? (2020)
Hard to say just because each bike is different in condition and additional accessories that can add value to the bikes. If I had to throw values out on these based on what I see through eBay and other pages, I’d probably value the Cotton and Ghost around $1500/each and the other 4 at about $2000 each. But like anything it all depends on condition and who wants it bad enough.
If you don't mind I would like your opinion; What ballpark value would you put on an original Grey Ghost -- everything is original, chrome is clean, paint is darn nice. I am like you, I like it original, and this one I am looking at is as nice as the one on Ebay now that they are asking $6K for ( I hope he gets it!) -- thanks, I appreciate your input.
What is the thing that looks like a sleeve of gray foam that’s wrapped around the down tube just below where it meets with the head tube? I see it on a lot of bikes and I just don’t know what it is. Thanks!
Most likey they have it there so when they turn too far the forks don't chip the paint on the frame. I might be wrong, but I've seen those on a lot of lowrider show bikes as well.
@@Beastly82Fox You sir have excellent taste!..I love that year most , for the tailights and that full sinister grille! ..I've got a 68 framed (pieced together) Pea Picker, and a 67 GTO to fill my desires...but 68 Chargers rock!...hope it turns out great!
Well last year (I was 12) I found a 2006 schwinn manta ray in my neighbors trash sure it’s not an original but it’s still a sick bike I get a lot of weird looks as I ride, when I found it the bike had no wheels and part of the rear fork was missing along with tons of rust, I took it back to my house and I then found a 12” wheel and tire for the front and a 20” by 3 1/2 inch wheel for the back on eBay I welded a new frame piece on and mounted rim brakes, the bike rides great... for a cheeper bike to find this is what I would go with some you can find for about $600 online out of the box new I know it’s not the original but it could still get your collection of stingrays started
I love old bike I got couple old bikeI got 2 banana sit bike but low rider classic I got 1952 small bike and 2 1970 rubber tired bike old I still love have more bike I'm gonna put them on a car show this 2021 may 1👍
Short answer is find a seat you don’t care about and switch it out when you want to ride one lol. In all honesty, saving original seats means not riding them most of the time. The vinyl gets brittle and easily cracks under stress. Most collectors that do ride their bikes will often buy a restored seat recovered with new vinyl that mirrors the original color and stripe of what the bike had.
I don’t think it’s around the name as it was the color. There wasn’t anything flashy about a white frame compared to the other colors available. It showed scratches easily and as bad as it would be to say it, the name was not viewed in the same fashion in the 60s as it probably is now.
Sorry I never saw this, the tires are made by Good Year and we’re accessory tires back in the days of muscle bikes. They can be found on eBay every now and then.
Krates are a sub-category of the Schwinn Sting-Ray. Their look and parts they feature are not offered in the same fashion as any other Sting-Ray. The easiest way to try and describe it would be to say that the Krate is the most deluxe optioned stingray you could get.
So I've got a made in December 1969 Orange Krate, serial number starts with "ME" and is on the rear wheel dropout. Schwinn pages gave me the serial # decode. It's all original except it has a yellow line Schwinn Slik rear tire. Would this bike be considered a 1970 and have the Slik with the raised white letters (which I DO have one) or would it have the orange line "Gripper Slik" that the 69's came with?
To my belief the bike should have the raised white letter slik as well as all the other 1970 model features. Just as with cars, production on the next model year started late in the year. Typically November they would change from the current year to the next…
Sorry but BG is the correct code for February/1971. I explain the decoding process towards the end of the video. The Grey Ghost was a single production year bike that was made in 1971 only. You could have a 1970 dated frame for a Grey Ghost, however, the model year of the bike would still be considered a 1971.
@@Beastly82Fox You're right, I'm sorry, I missed a year. Are you going to do a video on authentic Krate parts? I haven't been able to find one on RU-vid and I really want to make sure the Krate I'm buying has all original parts, such as derailleur, handle bars, rear shocks, etc. Ty.
I’m active but haven’t posted any new videos because nothing has changed with the collection and the weather is still iffy where I am. I still have all the bikes in the video from above but adding more is a challenge. Prices are up and more people are interested than ever.
