Low Key Motors

BUILT/SOLD- this build was commissioned by a local homeboy fireman to replicate his father's klunker that dad sold in the 80's, when he had started a family and needed the money...
#1962 Schwinn American LKM Kustom 1970's Mt.Tam 5 speed Tribute Klunker in original Chicago factory Radiant Blue frame paint...
we had a photo (shown here) to work with, and used NOS, new, and older parts to rebuild a facsimile with a few upgrades...drum brakes and 5 gears are here, NOS red dot brake levers like the hoser's moms Schwinn Suburban used, dad still rides the bike paths and likes Brooks saddles these days, early Specialized alloy rims replaced the chrome S-2's, etc...
this is a surprise for the father, he has no idea it is coming back 40 year later, the fireman may need his EMT skills handy when he rolls the garage door up and pop sees this gem...
this will be a reality show moment worth filming, hope he does...keep pedalin' dad...

Marin Museum of Bicycling
Wende Cragg Charlie Kelly Marc Vendetti

test ride on the latest LKM Tam Klunker build re-creating "dad's bike" from the late 70's, that the dad sold locally 40 years ago (wife, kids, life happened)...
this bike is a surprise, dad is getting his bike back!!!
glamour shots manana...

Marin Museum of Bicycling

AVAILABLE- #1948 Schwinn DX badged a Century, and a massive save from the "before picture" shown...this local bike sat for decades before it found its way to LKM for a new life...looks like it could have just come off mt.Tam in the 1970's now...
too many hours to get the paint back to this, no telling why someone thought it needed new paint, huge mistake...
original Schwinn script front and Mussleman rear coaster hubs, with drop center rims...sweet rider...

Marin Museum of Bicycling

a reminder, if you have not seen Wende Cragg's story, Camera Corner on youTube, produced by The Radavist it could be time, 228,000 have watched it so far, you could be next...
also the book by the same name full of Wende Cragg's photos from the day, what a great gift for yourself or others...
and don't forget Charlie Kelly's Book, Fat Tire Flyer, his account of the beginning of the modern mountain bike here in Marin...
AND of course, the Klunkerz Film by Billy Savage available on prime everywhere, first shown/won at the Mill Valley Film Festival 20 years ago October 2006...featuring live rolling footage from the 1979 fall Repack race when SF's KPIX 5 sent a privateer out to document the event, and that segment went national a bit later...
all this history and much more is waiting for you at Marin Museum of Bicycling in Fairfax when you make the visit...

AVAILABLE- #1946 -1948 Columbia Dark Red Sports Tourist badged a Tribune, all original, completely overhauled...a rare time capsule piece for sure...nice rider, you will have the only one anywhere around...

Marin Museum of Bicycling
Bob Morgan

out riding the klunker and stopped by to see Fred and Wilma Flintstone in Bedrock...Fred was at work at the quarry, had coffee with Wilma, always good to catch up...

Marin Museum of Bicycling
Wende Cragg Charlie Kelly

AVAILABLE, and looking for love- #1990 Worksman Cycles since 1898 (Ozone Park, NY) tamBomber, cruiser, klunker in LKM Ink Blue satin paint...from an old Tamalpais High, Marin County collector, the way he built it decades ago, with a few LKM upgrades...
completely dis-assembled and overhauled with Cro-Mo 175mm crank, sprocket, NOS saddle, and period chrome steel parts: Shimano rear, Joytech front hubs, really nice old school chrome rims, Worksman rear rim with 120g spokes, and Sun front rim with 105g spokes...

Marin Museum of Bicycling

if you have a Prewar Elgin, it could have come from a Sear and Roebuck Catalog Store where many people got their purchases, especially rural America...
the 1st photo was on the side of an old, closed Sears location in Dorris, Calif. shot many years ago when discovered...
many LKM Kustoms shown, frames built by Murray Manufacturing in Cleveland, Ohio...Sears did use other makers along the way including Columbia and HP Synder...
picture 4 shows the ONLY BIKE FOR SALE, in the shop, all others are long gone down the road...the curved seat tube deluxe model was made from 1938-1942...

Marin Museum of Bicycling Wende Cragg Charlie Kelly

more pictures of the early 1930's Excelsior Cycle Company LKM Kustom hotRod, built for homeboy Jimmy 7-8 years ago...re-shown thanks to the urging of an avid viewer...
original paint single bar frameset, Torrington Deco stem, with a kustom handlebar bent by our friend Chris P., my he ride in peace...handbuilt wheels with powder coated black rims laced to a Bendix barrel front and Morrow rear hubs...
this one gets attention wherever it rides...

Marin Museum of Bicycling

Excelsior Cycle Company head badge on Jimmy's early 1930's original paint single bar LKM build from years ago...
Excelsior sold their motorcycle interest to Schwinn and moved from Chicago to Michigan City, Indiana where this bike was made...

Marin Museum of Bicycling