Where can you find information on Monark bicycles?

Answer 1

First you need to know the brand. It could be a MONARK or a SILVER KING, etc. (Just like Pontiac and Chevrolet are both made by GM, but one is one, the other is the other). Then you need to know the model. For example, there were at least 20 models of Monarks and Silver Kings in 1955, so that's about 40 different bicycles in all. You need to know which of these is yours. Try www.NBHAA.com has ever Monark and SIlver King catalogue and knows evertything there is to know about these bicycles. The bicycles in question would have to be "MONARK", not "Monarch" which was another company that did not make Silver King. Contact www.NBHAA.com which has all original Silver King and Monark information. Be sure to read and follow instructions in the FAQs section for getting IDs done.

Answer 2

QUESTION/COMMENT...

I have recently purchased a Monark Super Deluxe Bike in the Chicago area. It is absolutly the best riding bike I have ever owned. I used to race my single speed schwinn heavyweight against bicycles with gears and never got beat. This Monark however is the smoothest and fastest heavy weight i have ever ridden. Does anyone know of a club for Monark enthusiasts. I am also interested in Chome or aluminum framed bikes.

ANSWER:

While we don't know of a specific club for Monark enthusiasts, NBHAA.com has the largest archive of original Monark and Silver King literature and factory records. We even have a large set of the original keys for Silver Kings of the 1930s. We knew many of the people involved in making these bicycles. And we have several mint original Monark Super Deluxe bicycles in our collection-including a beautiful 1949 in maroon and a 1950, 1951 and 1952 all in Monark Maroon. We also have the original catalogues and dealer books for these bicycles.

-NBHAA.com

QUESTION/COMMENT...

My father bought me a Monark Black Beauty in 1947 for my birthday. The bike was named after the car comic strip character The Green Hornet drove. It had a Green Hornet logo on the tank and the horn made the sound of the Green Hornet's car. I believe he bought it at a chain of sporting goods stores in NY named Davega.

My Monark is model number 4106 x. It is blue with white. The front end has a double spring knee action.

The seat and rear wheel are in really bad condition and the front wheel is gone. The rest is nice enough to maybe polish and just look at it.

The generator and front light are there but need refurbishing. Handle bars may be rechromed.

QUESTION/COMMENT...

Will appreciate talking with anyone about Hiawatha and Monark bikes.

My wife's great uncle was the inventor the silver king bike, his name was George S. Lewis

ANSWER:

We have the super-rare original autobiographical book published by George S. Lewis. He also was the father of Lewis Lightweight Racer bicycles (yes, we have original catalogues on them too). And Lewis designed and engineered a sidewalk bicycle for children the looked like a motorcycle. It was called "Speed-O-Bike." And finally, yes, we have a fairly extensive collection of original catalogues, items and information on Hiawatha bicycles too.

-NBHAA.com

Here is a link to a history site. Click on "Historical Articles" then click on "Silver King" to read more...

http://www.nbhaa.com

I just saw one in terrific original condition!! I'm NOT at all a bike expert but grew up with this vintage bike. This one is blue and white...a name plate from the company indicating "Silver King Inc." It has a chrome (excuse the lack of nomenclature knowledge) carrier over the back wheel, a head light on the front fender, etc. Is their anything I could look at to give you information? Is the price important?..it even has a bell..I'm sure an after-market product...BOY is it beautiful!!

COMMENT/QUESTION...

Monark factory was just south of the intersection of grand ave and fullerton. that would be about 6100 west and 2300 north. my monark was a birthday present in 1946 and i still ride it today. it is labeled a silver king but it has a steel frame without the sprung fork.

ANSWER:

This depends on the period of time in reference. For instance, Monark-Silver King, Incorporated several years was located on Homan Avenue in Chicago. Also, there was a west coast factory operation in Asuza, California.

-NBHAA.com

COMMENT/QUESTION...

I have a blue Monarch Silverking Bicycle that has two front shocks on the gooseneck and Is in great condition I was wandering how much its value would be in todays market

I also had a 1948 Monarch Super Deluxe bicycle as a Birthday present. Rode it until driving the car. Recently, I was able to purchase the exact same model, in original survivor condition, including tires, tubes everything original. It is burgundy with cream trim, with the sadle seat, tank horn, dual chrome front spring fork suspension and yes original white wall tires. I'm the third owner, and it has never been left outside. It is in impeccable condition. Also have an ad from 1948 Popular Science magazine showing, Monarch Silver King, Inc. 6501 West Grand Ave. Chicago, Il.

i have a monarch silver king bick and it is in outstanding condition. iwould like to no how much can i get for it.

ANSWER FROM NBHAA.com...

Collectors and historians should remember... there were two different bicycles companies with similar names: Monarch and Monark. Most of the items here are referring to MONARK, not Monarch. "Monarch" did not make the Silver King.

Also, The company, "Monark-Silver King, Inc." or other similar names made several lines of bicycles, the two most famous were MONARK... and SILVER KING by Monark. Silver Kings SAY "Silver King" on the badge as the main name. Monarks SAY "MONARK" on the headbadge as the main name.

Generally speaking until the 1950s ALL Silver Kings were aluminum bicycles. MONARKS (MADE by Monark-Silver King) were steel framed bicycles. In the 1950s, the name got muddled and ALL Monark products became steel. Even later in the 1950s when the names both ended up on steel-frame bicycles, these were still two separate lines of bicycles... made by the same company but separate. Just like GM makes Buick and Cadillac, but they are not the same cars... and you would not call your Buick a "General Motors Buick" or your Cadilac a "GM Cadillac."

National Bicycle History Archive of America (NBHAA) http:// www.nbhaa.com has almost every Monark and Silver King brochure from beginning to end and many of the original company letters and artifacts. It is the largest collection of original Monark and Silver King literature in the world. We are looking for more or any history for a book on the company. NBHAA knows more about Monarks and Silver Kings than any other single source.

Also, Black Beauty bicycles were not made by Monark and they existed long before the Green Hornet ever appeared. This was an old brand name for bicycles since the early 1900s, long before the Green Hornet and Kato ever were dreamed up and before anyone imagined the Black Beauty car. (BTW, one of my mentors was one of the original three writers who dreamed up Green Hornet).

Also... if a bicycle was purchased through Davega Sporting Goods, it was likely a "private label" model which was done up specially for Davega alone. Bicycles sold in that store chain usually were badged "Davega", not Monark, so such a bicycle would be doubly unusual!

-NBHAA.com

COMMENT/QUESTION...

I had one of the aluminum Monark Silver King. My dad was in the military and we were stationed at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska in the late 1940's. My folks bought the Silver King for my birthday. I remember the twin "shocks" on the front; the carrying rack over the rear fender; the different colored (red and green on the sides)lenses of the headlamp and the octangular shape of the bars that held the front to the rear of the bike. I rode the bike for many years including delivering newspapers when we moved to Frederick, MD. That is where it finally came apart at the front riser. My dad took it to a couple of places to try to get it welded but that was around 1952 and the technology in Frederick was not up to the task. I do wonder what happened to that great bike.

S. Sherman

ANSWER:

Aluminum Silver King bicycles were not welded. The frames were assembled at the factory with a special pressure/wedge/flare technique that MSK called "mushroom wedging." Thus any attempt to weld one in the 1950s with technology as it was then would have almost surely meant failure. The best way to repair the frame would simply have been to re-wedge fit the bars back in place under pressure. The bars referred to here were likely hexagonal rather than octagonal.

-NBHAA.com

Answer 3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monark

not much there, but if you put the name in a search engine, you should find something. *Motorcycles, not bicycles*