Is this a Bird?

[celticroots]

Trying to figure out what this frame is nearest I've found on the web is a bird minicycle. Except the ones I'm finding have a spring front end and the fuzzy pics on a few look ike they might also have rear springs.

Thanks
Sammy

 

[SimpleTom]

Yes. Its a Bird Thunderbird. It looks like someone removed the front springs from the forks. You can see the small area, about 2 or three inches, at the top of the forks that would be where the springs went over the lower forks. See brochure pic. It appears your lowers are pushed all the way up to the triple trees.

 

[celticroots]

Seeing that brochure pic its a Bird alright. The front end is solid tube welded to the top and bottom of the tree.

 

[SimpleTom]

Someone might have slid the fork lowers up and welded them up to the triple tree. It could also be a model that might have been sold through Sears. But basically a Thunderbird.

 

[markus]

They made them like that as well, didnt find a brochure but heres another members, This one would have been built in the first of the 1980's becuase of the pressed foam seat, some of the names that bird used for them were thunderbird, nighthawk, spoker, think there was others too! they started in mid 70's and went up into the 80's with the frame design.

 

[WrenchDad]

They made them like that as well, didnt find a brochure but heres another members, This one would have been built in the first of the 1980's becuase of the pressed foam seat, some of the names that bird used for them were thunderbird, nighthawk, spoker, think there was others too! they started in mid 70's and went up into the 80's with the frame design.

Thanks for using my bike as an example! It makes me feel important ( I know how much you like those ugly birds).:laugh: However Every thing I found on that model pointed to the ones without the springs being the early models, like 71 and also found some numbers on the motor that pointed to the same thing. I'm not saying your wrong just telling you what I saw. If it had high rise bars it was the Nighthawk, If it had the MX bars it was the Thunderbird The tank and wheels stayed the same between the two models but the seat and graphics changed thru the years at any point in time the seat and paint would be interchanged thru the years but the identifying difference was the bars. They originally had a Tec HS4. and they do clean up nice.

 

[markus]

Thanks for using my bike as an example! It makes me feel important ( I know how much you like those ugly birds).:laugh: However Every thing I found on that model pointed to the ones without the springs being the early models, like 71 and also found some numbers on the motor that pointed to the same thing. I'm not saying your wrong just telling you what I saw. If it had high rise bars it was the Nighthawk, If it had the MX bars it was the Thunderbird The tank and wheels stayed the same between the two models but the seat and graphics changed thru the years at any point in time the seat and paint would be interchanged thru the years but the identifying difference was the bars. They originally had a Tec HS4. and they do clean up nice.

Those bikes did not exist in 1971, that tec square shroud/steel flywheel was only introduced in 1972 when the HS50 came out, and not used on the HS40 (or anything else) until, at the very earliest LATE 1973, your numbers are 1982, which coincides with the pressed foam seat, another thing that didn't appear on the bird bikes till the 80's. If anything, Bird dropped the springs on the "thunderbird" in the 80's so they could sell the flashier more optioned out nighthawk.

Sorry to burst your bubble, you can believe what you want but if you take 10 minutes to look through online available brochures, and a little research on Tecumseh you'll see what am talking about.

and you know whats Ironic, I've HAVE been giving that design crap for years and is on my top ten ugliest rides list and what do I go out and do...........

I buy and have been rebuilding the bike that Bird based that bike off of :doah:

incidentally, this is a mid year 1973, note the curved shroud HS40:

 

[Knod]

Those bikes did not exist in 1971, that tec square shroud/steel flywheel was only introduced in 1972 when the HS50 came out, and not used on the HS40 (or anything else) until, at the very earliest LATE 1973, your numbers are 1982, which coincides with the pressed foam seat, another thing that didn't appear on the bird bikes till the 80's. If anything, Bird dropped the springs on the "thunderbird" in the 80's so they could sell the flashier more optioned out nighthawk.

Sorry to burst your bubble, you can believe what you want but if you take 10 minutes to look through online available brochures, and a little research on Tecumseh you'll see what am talking about.

and you know whats Ironic, I've HAVE been giving that design crap for years and is on my top ten ugliest rides list and what do I go out and do...........

I buy and have been rebuilding the bike that Bird based that bike off of :doah:

incidentally, this is a mid year 1973, note the curved shroud HS40:

Nice mini bike.
I have a bird thunderbird as well but NO chain.
U seem knowledgeable...do u know chain specs ...length.
Thought maybe a #35?