From its colorful porcelain head badge to the early Sturmey-Archer three-speed coaster brake rear hub, the Sears Chief Motorbike, made by the Davis Sewing Machine Company, is to my mind the most iconic of all the American "motorbike" designs. The dropped top tube and swept-back handlebars were intended to give a boy or young man the illusion of riding a motorcycle. In 1915 the Chief was Sears' top of the line model, and I imagine this uniquely American bicycle succeeded in doing just that.
My wife spotted this Sears Chief in the window of an Iowa auction house as we traveled north to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota a few years ago. What caught her eye from many feet away is the distinctive leaf-pattern chainring. I knew immediately what this bicycle might be. I pulled the car over, bounded up the steps, and peered through the plate-glass window to have a look. It was an original paint Sears Chief, all right. The auction would be in a few weeks.
Suffice it to say that everything turned out well at the Mayo, I won the auction, and the bicycle you see here is just how it looked when I brought it home, complete with 100 year old dirt in every crack and crevice and the original owner's pants clip still dangling from the handlebars. My Chief is far from perfect. You will notice a bent crank arm (I have a donor waiting in the wings). The pedals are not original, but still very nice early Majestic 3-16s. There's rust on the Sturmey-Archer 3 speed shifter. Most importantly, the bike has an original Chief deep spring saddle.
Normally I would have gently cleaned the Chief on the first or second day. But for some reason I so enjoy the "barn fresh" appearance of the Chief, I am in no hurry to alter the surface with even a damp cloth.
My wife spotted this Sears Chief in the window of an Iowa auction house as we traveled north to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota a few years ago. What caught her eye from many feet away is the distinctive leaf-pattern chainring. I knew immediately what this bicycle might be. I pulled the car over, bounded up the steps, and peered through the plate-glass window to have a look. It was an original paint Sears Chief, all right. The auction would be in a few weeks.
Suffice it to say that everything turned out well at the Mayo, I won the auction, and the bicycle you see here is just how it looked when I brought it home, complete with 100 year old dirt in every crack and crevice and the original owner's pants clip still dangling from the handlebars. My Chief is far from perfect. You will notice a bent crank arm (I have a donor waiting in the wings). The pedals are not original, but still very nice early Majestic 3-16s. There's rust on the Sturmey-Archer 3 speed shifter. Most importantly, the bike has an original Chief deep spring saddle.
Normally I would have gently cleaned the Chief on the first or second day. But for some reason I so enjoy the "barn fresh" appearance of the Chief, I am in no hurry to alter the surface with even a damp cloth.
1915 Sears Chief Motorbike ©Daniel Dahlquist