Could This ’49 Schwinn Whizzer Become a Show Winner?

The 1949 Schwinn Whizzer S-10 recently sold on eBay in Charlotte, N.C. is an unrestored American design classic. It was a prime candidate for renovation.

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New, used, and authentic reproduction parts are widely available. The buyer could keep it original and recommission it—or go for a show-quality restoration.

The 1949 Schwinn was advertised as all-original and appears to be 100 percent complete, which was a big advantage. If you couldn’t find a replacement part, you could repair or restore what you have.

The seller pointed out a few areas that need work. The needle broke off the Stewart Warner Cadet speedometer. The tires were dry rotted. And two of the cylinder head’s cooling fins were damaged. eBay can help with genuine Schwinn-approved tires and parts like the speedometer. A skilled TIG welder could repair the damaged cooling fins, although this is unlikely to affect how the bike runs.

Fine American Design

The tip of the front fender carried a beautiful cast aluminum bewinged embellisher, complemented by tasteful pinstriping. Swooping handlebars and a chromed bi-light (two level) headlamp top an ornate springer front suspension.

A chromed gas tank sits on a beautiful, curvy, pinstriped Schwinn frame, which houses the three-horsepower Whizzer engine and that distinctive “Echo” exhaust pipe. Twin springs support a comfy-looking leather saddle.

Pinstriping continues to the flared rear fender’s tip. The Lobdell rear wheel has an enormous pulley that locates the drive belt. It also mounts the bike’s coaster brake. This machine is a fine example of sharp American design.

It Almost Didn’t Happen

Schwinn started producing bicycles in 1895, at the peak of the initial craze. In 1939, Whizzer Motors went into business, making kits for people to add a small internal combustion engine to their bicycles. A marriage seemed logical, but it almost ended badly.

Whizzer turned not to Schwinn, but to the Cleveland Welding Company to help realize its ambition of producing its own motorized bicycle. Whizzer sold 150,000 of its engine kits in 1948 and was confident of a sales hit, which was highly likely. But its frame allegedly infringed on a Schwinn patent.

Fortunately, Whizzer avoided a legal mess by partnering with Schwinn. The first Schwinn Whizzer was sold in 1948 for $199.95. Seven decades later, the rolling work of art and motorcycle history could be lightly renovated or fully restored. Either way, it’s a win.