![]() ![]() These two separate spring features assure a ‘floating ride’ eliminating road shock to the rider.Ī combination battery operated headlight and horn of exclusive design, fully streamlined. Tempered spring leaves have been built into the lower rear fork, giving a cantilever spring action. Twin upper bars originating in the head, extending back full frame length, curving down and anchoring at rear axle afford a knee-action type spring suspension. And the key component not mentioned above? – beauty. An automobile-style leaf spring and flexible frame, polished aluminium frame without any paint, 24″ wheels to create a low wheelbase… hot-rodders ever since have been working to the same sort of criteria to create one-off dynamic designs that stand out from the crowd. But this combination of new and stylish features created such a totally different bicycle that it surely stands out as the ultimate American balloon-tyred bicycle. The 1936 Monark Silver King Flocycle had many competitors: Elgin, Mercury, Shelby and many more companies were creating expensive iconic bicycles to help keep sales flowing. Now all vehicles – trains, cars, motorcycles, bicycles – had to combine the latest technological advances with the newest styles in order to outdate and supersede the previous year’s fashion and create a lust in the public purse. In 1932, Schwinn instantly turned all 1920s 28″ wooden-wheeled ‘motobikes’ into dinosaurs by introducing a new generation of balloon-tyred 26″ metal-wheeled bicycles. This was the era of American World Fairs, in Chicago in 1933 and New York in 1939. By the 1920s, American bicycles were marketed at teenagers rather than adults, with most models adopting the appearance of a miniature motorcycle, known as the ‘motobike.’ In the 1930s, the ‘art deco’ style and streamlining became the fashion for the latest products automobile designers were soon working for cycle manufacturers in order to create new, different bicycles that might catch the public imagination. While the rest of the world used bicycles as everyday transport, in the USA the automobile was a much more practical means of transportation. By the beginning of the Edwardian era, the bicycle had evolved into a design that remained unchanged for the following 50 years. The innovations of the final decade of Queen Victoria’s rule shaped the world we know today. I love the early years of cycling, particularly the 1890s, before cars pushed bicycles off the road. They absorb the jar – the shock – you don’t get it – it’s like a Floating Ride. When you ride over bumps, the rear wheel rocks up and down on the spring – the frame flexes. It’s brand new! There’s never been a bike like it before! It has a spring, like an automobile – and a flexible frame that acts like a second spring. Today Monark is part of Cycleurope, belonging to Grimaldi Industri AB.1936 Monark Silver King Flocycle Model No. M037ġ936 Monark Silver King Flocycle Model No. Sales were dimnishing, though, and finally in 1975 production of motorcycles stopped. In the 70s Monark experimented with road racing and constructed Monark Crescent racing machine (to the left). Nymanbolagen was an old Swedish motorcycle manufacturer based in Uppsala, until 1947 known as Nymans Verkstäder. In 1961, Monark merged with Nymanbolagen into Monark-Crescentbolagen or MCB. In 1959 Sten Lundin won the 500cc motocross world championship, riding the only four-stroke Monark motorcycle made in postwar time (Albin engine was used again). All 8 Monark riders finished with Gold Medals. In 1954 they entered 8 bikes in the International Six Days Trial, a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics. In the 50s Monark was succesful in off-road motorcycle competitions. They were fitted with other manufacturers' engines, like Ilo, Villers, Ardie, Husqvarna, Franco Morini and Sachs. The company offered a number of models, mainly light two-stroke machines. After war Monark became the biggest Swedish motorcycle manufacturer. They were patterned on Husqvarna constructions. ![]() During WW2 Monark manufactured motorcycles for neutral Swedish army, using four-stroke 500cc SV Albin engines. In mid-30s Monark started to produce motorized bikes with Ilo 98cc engines. In 1927 the line of Monark motorcycles was introduced, with SV and OHV Blackbourne engines, 250cc or 600cc. In years 1920-1927 Monark used to build lightweight motorcycles for Esse company. Monark built its first motorcycle in 1913, however the name Monark wasn't used until 1927. Monark, also known as Cykelfabriken Monark AB and Monark AB, is a Swedish bicycle, moped and motorcycle manufacturer, established in Varberg, Sweden 1908 by the industrialist Birger Svensson. 1942 Monark 500cc with 4-stroke Albin engine. ![]()
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