Classic & Vintage - Chrome Schwinn on eBay

It's item #7146356653. Can somebody identify this bike? I'm not really into Schwinns (other than Paramounts), but I've always admired chrome bikes. The seller obviously has no clue.

i think the seller dose have a clue.

i think the seller dose have a clue.

Guess that would depend on your definition & perspective. The auction has no indication of the model, the year was admittedly guessed at, there's very little in the way of information about the componentry.

No doubt the seller is doing their best, with the knowledge they have, but there are plenty of things they could have done to help increase the ultimate price they'll get for it.

Not a paramount, certainly. My guess'd be a Voyager SP. I think I remember that they were all chrome-plated beneath the paint...that would be a Panasonic-made bike, maybe? Those are altus derailleurs and, I think, a super-maxy crank. Altus was an 80's thing. Pretty good stuff, really. Way worth $20...

wait...after looking at the schwinn data book I wanna change my vote...super le tour, but early 80's, after the end of the catalogs in the data book. That one had altus, super maxy, and weinmann 605 brakes. could be that we have a match, here, except for the shimano brake levers.

My guess would be a Voyageur 11.8 from 1980. Definitely not a Panasonic.

1980 Voyageur 11.8 would be my guess also(I have one). The Super LeTour 12.2 was also available in chrome about this same time. Kerk, I thought this Voyageur 11.8 was made by Panasonic. Who made it if they did not? I know that "Dopey" on the Schwinn forums says that some of the Schwinn Japanese imports were made by Bridgestone, but every other source that I have seen says Panasonic.

Duh!! I meant to say definitely not a Chicago! I've heard different storys about Panasonic, Bridgestone and I think Giant for the 11.8, but all Japan.

I could be wrong, but I think Giant is from Taiwan and didn't start supplying bikes to Schwinn till later than this one.

I could be wrong, but I think Giant is from Taiwan and didn't start supplying bikes to Schwinn till later than this one.

Giant is from Taiwan. And they started supplying in 1980 I believe. They have a serial code on one of the rear dropouts that starts with G (according to oldschwinn.com R.I.P.).

You guys are right, Giant is in Taiwan. That's where some of the later Voyageurs came from. I have one from 1984. It's an ok ride, but not like the 73's. Good thing this chrome bike isn't my size, or I wouldn't be able to stop myself from bidding! I don't have an 11.8....yet.

FWIW I think the bike is a Super LeTour 12.2 about 1979 vintage. I "worked" (too young for it to be legal) in a Schwinn shop then and remember a bike like that sitting in the racks. Beautiful bike with a princely price of about $300.

For $112 someone got a nice bike imho.

:beer:

i had my bike with me when i was staying at the hilton (in calif)for a month...i was in the elevator when this guy tells me that i should ride a giant....we talked for a bit ..turns out he was prez...lol

FWIW I think the bike is a Super LeTour 12.2 about 1979 vintage. I "worked" (too young for it to be legal) in a Schwinn shop then and remember a bike like that sitting in the racks. Beautiful bike with a princely price of about $300.

For $112 someone got a nice bike imho.

:beer:

$142 after shipping but I still think I got a nice deal on it. I don't know much about Schwinns but have always wanted a chrome road bike. I might fix this one up but we'll see. What can I provide by way of markings on it to definitively identify this baby?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Look for the date code stamped into the headbadge. Four digit number. Look close, the numbers are pretty small. Also look for the manufacturers name on the dropouts.

Sierra--

How do you interpret the date code on the headbadge? I posted yesterday about my Schwinn Superior. I did notice 4 digits there, but with help discovered the serial number on the left rear dropout. You're first to mention the significance of the numbers stamped on the front ofthe bike.

Much appreciated! :)

I have seen only two chrome Schwinns up close -- a Paramount and a 1961 Continental that my friend's father chrome-dipped at his oil tool manufacturing plant.

Jazz Lover, the first three digits are the sequential day of the year. The last digit is the year of the decade. The decade must be guessed, but is usually the eighties. If you decide you want to sell your Superior, I may be interested. What is the frame size?

Look for the date code stamped into the headbadge. Four digit number. Look close, the numbers are pretty small. Also look for the manufacturers name on the dropouts.

I'll keep you posted once it arrives.

Thanks.

Jazz Lover, the first three digits are the sequential day of the year. The last digit is the year of the decade. The decade must be guessed, but is usually the eighties. If you decide you want to sell your Superior, I may be interested. What is the frame size?

Thanx for breaking the code! 0942 = April 1982.

The size is 23" (my wife was 5' 7").

I'm thinking of bringing it to my LBS for a quick clean-up/tune-up (with clear instructions not to mess with any of the stickers/decals) and then selling on e-bay.

Sounds like a good plan. Selling the bike on ebay will probably maximize the selling price. Ebay brings you a very large market. I will watch for it, but it will undoubtedly go for more than I am willing to pay. I have my heart set on an '83 model with the silver/grey paint and gold art deco decals.

Sounds like a good plan. Selling the bike on ebay will probably maximize the selling price.

Ebay is pure supply and demand. I have got some great deals on Ebay, but you need to know what something is worth and then wait for the right moment. Bikes with odd sizes/brands tend to offer the best deals. Sometimes bikes (and other things) come on the market with low "buy it now" prices: these are also good buys if you get them before someone else. That's the risk of "buy it now" when the seller doesn't know the real value of something.

But a 23" Schwinn is fairly mainstream, so it will probably fetch a good price. Much much higher than the classifieds or a garage sale for sure.

Look for the date code stamped into the headbadge. Four digit number. Look close, the numbers are pretty small. Also look for the manufacturers name on the dropouts.

#1150 is the number stamped on headbadge. That would make it April 1980 correct? The bike is really dirty. It also has two noticeable dents on the top tube. I'm thinking of returning it.

1150 means it was made on the 150th day of 1981. Don't let the dirt deter you, that can be cleaned. The dents are a different story. They should have disclosed that for sure. You might try for some of your money back. Sometimes that is easier than reshipping.

"1150 means it was made on the 150th day of 1981"

I think it actually means the 115th day of 1980. I'm pretty sure that the last digit signifies the year.

Not a paramount, certainly. My guess'd be a Voyager SP. I think I remember that they were all chrome-plated beneath the paint...that would be a Panasonic-made bike, maybe?


WAIT, WAIT...DON'T GO AWAY!
Can you (or anyone) tell me more about the Voyageur SP? I bought one off ebay last fall. What does the SP stand for? Also, about this chrome-plating beneath paint...I just had my frame powder coated and had no idea about the chrome beneath the paint, not that I would have changed my mind except this must have been a good rust preventative. The powder coat guys sand blasted the frame except for the visible 1/3 chrome front forks and rear stays. I'm very excited to see it. I've done various searchs on this forum and others and find extremely little on the V SP. Can anyone offer more info on this model? I'm embarrased to say I've yet to pin down it's age but when purchased the seller said he thought it was an '81. After seeing some of the dating clues here, I'll be looking more closely when getting her, hopefully tomorrow. I'd appreciate any info on this touring bike. Thanks Much.

my wife is still bitter because i traded her voyager sp off shortly after we were married for a bike that fit her. I''ve offered several times to replace it (with the appropriate size), but after gaining some perspective, I realize that she needs the incident to beat me every now and again. Anyway, it was a really nice bike. And very pretty. Look for the Schwinn Lightweight Data Book on the web. It'll have everything you need.

Luker,
Been there...the data book only goes to '79. (Unless there's another chapter I can't find)
Thanks,
Take the beating and love it.

"1150 means it was made on the 150th day of 1981"

I think it actually means the 115th day of 1980. I'm pretty sure that the last digit signifies the year.
Damn that dyslexia!

skid - I believe the SP stands for Sport. What year is your Voyageur?

1150 means it was made on the 150th day of 1981. Don't let the dirt deter you, that can be cleaned. The dents are a different story. They should have disclosed that for sure. You might try for some of your money back. Sometimes that is easier than reshipping.

We'll see what seller says about some money back on it. I can probably live w/the dents but as you cite, seller should have disclosed that. Caveat emptor I guess?

So is this the Voyager SP model then? There were stickers on it at one point but those are gone.

Skid,

Eric (Sierra) will correct me if I'm wrong, but the SP comes from the use of Columbus SP tubing used in the frame.

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

Bob, I never thought of that, and it seems true for the '84 & '85 models, but it may not be true for the previous two years.

The Voyageur SP was offered from '82 through '85. The catalogs list the frame materials as follows;

'82 Voyageur 11.8 - 4130 Chrome-moly. Double butted top & down tubes.
'82 Voyageur SP - Same

'83 Voyageur - Tange Champion #2 Chrome-moly. Double butted
'83 Voyageur SP - Same

'84 Voyageur - Champion #2 Extra Chrome-moly, custom blend, double butted.
'84 Voyageur SP - Columbus SL & SP mix. Double butted.

'85 Voyageur Columbus Tenax chrome-moly custom blend. Double butted main tubes.
'85 Voyageur SP - Same as '84 model(vertical dropouts though)

Eric,

Thanks for correcting that. Is the SP more of a sport touring model that the "plain" Voyageur (different geometry, and/or lighter tubing, etc.) or just just a component upgrade? These '80s models are past my cutoff date.

Bob

It looks like in '82 the SP is more a full touring bike than the 11.8 which is sport touring. The difference is in the components though(SP has a triple) as the frame geometries are the same.

In '83 both models are full touring bikes. The SP has cantilever brakes though while the Voyageur has side pull. Geometry is the same for both. SP components are higher end in general.

In '84 the SP costs $200 more than the Voyageur and weighs 2 lbs. less. Geometry is the same and both have cantilever brakes. SP has more braze-ons and again, generally higher end components.

In '85 the bikes are very similar. Same weight, same geometry. Again, both are full touring bikes. Price is not listed. Higher end components on the SP.

Hey,
You guys are great...thanks for all this info. Kerk, I don't know for sure what year my bike is. I've yet to do the code inspection that I just discovered here, and she's still with the powder coat guys. Sierra, my SP came with side pull Dia-comps but I'm not the original owner. She does have the triple and extra brazings for racks and very rugged looking Weinman rims that are a concave design rather than convex. I also have a '76 Schwinn Super LeTour 12.2. The two frames appear to be identical in all aspects other than the extra brazings on the front fork and also the SP fork is more "square shouldered".

With side pull brakes and a triple, it is probably an '82 model.

Finally had time to retrieve my new powder coated frame Voyageur SP. She's a beautiful steel blue with the chrome stays intact. I've never had anything powder coated before. If you could call a paint job bomb proof, then this is it, cause it certainly looks that way.
Anyway, thanks for the code info. My head badge says this is a Chicago frame with #3501 stamped. Close enough to be an '82, Sierra.
There is another difference between this and the Super LeTour besides the extra front fork brazing since the rear stays also have small brazings above the brakes.
Can't wait to get this baby completed and on the road.

The front forks are stamped "Tange". I did a quick search found some info on Tange. Was this an upgrade or just generic buy or both? Thanks

'83 Voyageur - Tange Champion #2 Chrome-moly. Double butted
'83 Voyageur SP - Same

'84 Voyageur - Champion #2 Extra Chrome-moly, custom blend, double butted.
'84 Voyageur SP - Columbus SL & SP mix. Double butted.

I'm trying to date my recent CL find and found this thread. I appreciate your help. Serial number is stamped into the bottom lug of the head tube: 3F03511. The components on this Voyageur date to 1983 and it has Tange Champion #2 tubing. I'm not sure if it's an '83 or an '84. I don't know if its an SP or not. I'll post photos once Flickr comes back online.
It has braze-on for three bottles and fork crown braze-ons for panniers. Here's the rest.
Crank - Sugino AT triple
Front der. - Suntour Mountech
Rear der. - Suntrour AG
Brake calipers - Dia Compe cantilever
Brake levers - Weinmann (Schwinn approved)
Stem - CB
Post - Avocet
Shift levers - Suntour
Rims - Araya
Bar - SR World Custom

You should be able to find your bike here...
http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1980_1990/

We would also like to see photos of your bike. The Voyageur touring bikes were sweet!

Sounds like an SP. What are the headbadge numbers? They will tell you the date.

Sounds like an SP. What are the headbadge numbers? They will tell you the date.

3F03511
Finally found my way to the correct catalog. It's an SP, 1983.... 19 1/2" frame. Is it typical for bikes of this size to have a sloping top tube? This one does.
I don't think the rack is original....on the hunt for original racks, front and back.



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2367/2190889152_a6cf7bf2a7_b.jpg