Bird Lark

J

jimh

#1
#1
Here's another one. This is the Lark I got with the blue Sears bike. I stripped it with Aircraft Remover and a sanding sponge, then a good pressure washing.
Primed it with a high zink primer for better rust prevention.Painted it Crossfire Hunter Green then Crossfire clear spray bombed the handlebars, then Crossfire clear. The engine is a much newer H30 side popper.
I've ordered a new complete rear wheel assembly and I have the original front wheel. The original rear wheel had a rust hole.:thumbdown: I didn't realize these frames were this small. The H30 fills it pretty good.
 
Randy

Randy

#3
#3
I've personally have never seen a lark. Do you have the original seat and hardware? The only one's I've seen are in the Old "vintage" MiniBike magazines. The ad's show a Schwinn type banana seat. I think the only differance between the Lark and a Duck is the seating and rear shocks. I would love to see your bike assembled. Very Nice! I put a Briggs 5 on my Duck, the frames are tiny!
Randy
 
J

jimh

#4
#4
Going with a solid steel rear 5" wheel with 4 bolt hub and bolt on sprocket. Pretty much exactly the same as original. I have the original 5" front wheel.
The wheels will be painted white. I also have new fenders, which are going to be white with green stripes.


I dont have the original seat and sissy bar. I'll probably modify one from a bike. The 20" may be the same thing. This could possibly be a Drover. They look the same other than the seat. I think the Ducks have 6" wheels, but other than that they look the same. I think if I use a taller sissy bar, it would be the same as the Sears Spyder. I'll have it done sometime this month. I'm working on 3 others at the same time.:doah:
 
Randy

Randy

#5
#5
Yep your rite. My duck has 6" wheels. That is excellent! I'll watch for more pics. The styling of the frames on them is just awesome. I love the "hardtail" look of the frame, the way it sweeps back.
 
deezildennis

deezildennis

Active Member
#7
#7
Did you add the Round tube on the seat post? If its Stock with the round tube its a Bird Duckmodel and Not a Lark.

To be a Lark it would need a straight post.

Heres my As found Lark Bird with the Nanner Seat. Its stock with the straight handle bars.

Also your is early like mine. Notice the single steering support on your neck. They really beefed this up on the later bikes. They tend to shear off at the neck after a while.
 
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gbones

gbones

New Member
#9
#9
are these pics original on the duck's. i know some of my bird isnt stock, like the scrub brake brackets (they are crooked with nasty welds) , and the seat. how about the years, when where ducks and larks made and what are the differences?
 
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J

jimh

#10
#10
I think mine is a Drover,after looking at the brochures. The Drover and the Duck look the same, but the Drover has 5" wheels and the Duck has 6". The Drover was Sold by Sears and maybe Penneys. The Larks, Drovers and Spyders in the brochures have 5" wheels. I'm going to take the top off the seat post and add a straight post, and banana seat, to make mine a Lark. I got the new rear wheel and tire on today and the new tire mounted on the front wheel. I found Carlisles, but they don't have the Indian head. I also put on new fenders. The original ones were shot. gbones, the neck bracing on yours looks like Roper bracing, like the Sears/Ropers. Roper may have made a few with leftover Bird frames????????? That's the second one I've seen like that lately.
 
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deezildennis

deezildennis

Active Member
#11
#11
gbones said:
are these pics original on the duck's. i know some of my bird isnt stock, like the scrub brake brackets (they are crooked with nasty welds) , and the seat. how about the years, when where ducks and larks made and what are the differences?
Click to expand...
I think yours is a sears bike and not a Bird. They had different names and minor frame differances.

Here's My Buddies minirat I Made a few years ago it was a sears branded bike with the same neck brace.

http://stlsrt.com/images/minirat/1.jpg

Heres the late Bird Branded bike neck brace.
This is randys Duck BTW.
 
J

jimh

#12
#12
The Mini Rat looks like a Wren with Roper bracing at the steering head. The frames changed over the years. The original Wrens looked nothing like the Birds made in the late 60s.
 
deezildennis

deezildennis

Active Member
#13
#13
I Assume they changed Because they always broke! LOL!

I Had a super Early Wren a few months ago that looked like it broke at almost every joint. Man what a Super flimsy little frame.
Thank God I Made my Money back off it :)
 
deezildennis

deezildennis

Active Member
#16
#16
I assume its just like my buddies bike. Made by bird but a sears only sold bike.
Its data tag said "Sears.... Model**** Mfg by Bird Eng"

My Bird Lark has "Bird Engineering.. Model *****......"
They apperently had differant names to some of their similiar bikes. And specific models for each seller IE Sears...
 
jmbmini

jmbmini

New Member
#20
#20
Don't forget Foremost sold threw JC PENNEYS and had models that looked the same because they were made by BIRD ENGINEERING. On my Formost there is a big "F" stamped in the motor plate in the back left corner if you are sit on the bike looking down at the motor plate. My SEARS model has a serial number stamped in the motor plate in the top left corner if your sitting on bike looking down at the motor plate. Both frames look the same but have small differences like the clutch cover brackets that are welded to the motor plate and the rear of the frame. The SEARS frame has a scrub brake bracket that only lets it go back so far with the return springs disconnected before resting on the lower frame rail. The Foremost frame has a scrub brake that will spin all the way around if the return springs are disconnected. That is with the back wheel off.
 
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