bfuser191509248

My first bike, probably circa 1964 (?) was a Stingray copy. I guess I had it until 1969, when I got a Mercier road bike. At that point, we gave my old bike to a neighbor family with younger kids, and I haven't often thought about it since (for 50 years). I don't know that I have any old photos of the 'ray copy, so I was trying to remember exactly what it was. I just remember that it was red, had no fenders, coaster brake, and that the 'banana' seat was all white, and kind of clunky (flatter and perhaps wider than the more shapely Schwinn Stingray seats).

I tried some web searches, and so far the only Stingray copies I've tracked down were the Huffy 'Dragster' and the Monark 'Marauder' (I also found an ad for a similar bike by Monark called an 'Avanti'). Although I don't remember anything about the markings on my bike, I know for sure that it didn't say Huffy (nor 'Dragster') on it. In my world, that would have only added to the uncool factor of having a stingray that wasn't an actual Schwinn (not really complaining, I was fortunate to get a bike like that).

My best guess is that it might have been a Marauder, but I'm really not sure. There seems to be precious little info out there on Stingray copies like this. One source claimed that Marauders are now pretty rare. Anybody know anything about those bikes?

Were there any other "successful" Stingray copies besides the Marauder and the Dragster?

Here are a few images I turned up...

Hudson308 

As you can see, there isn't alot of discussion on muscle bikes here, despite being listed on the C&V page header. A Monark Marauder would certainly be rare, especially in nice shape. However there is often a disconnect between "rare" and "valuable". For instance, there aren't alot of right-hand drive AMC Matadors left in the world, but that doesn't necessarily make them valuable. Like a Monark Marauder, they are cool and funky to come across in great shape. There's probably more interest in the Marauder over on thecabe website, or even on ratrodbikes.

bfuser191509248

Thanks. Yeah, I didn't say anything about value, and didn't expect them to be valuable at all. I'm curious as to whether there were other Stingray copies that I'm unaware of, which might help to sort out whether it's likely that my bike was a Marauder. But I know it's a bit of a longshot to get answers here. I haven't registered at the Cabe, but I check it from time to time.

Hudson308 

Here's the site you're looking for: the New England Muscle Bike Museum.
By the late 60's, every American bike manufacturer had their own version of the Stingray. A brief sampling of the dozens of bikes on the site include:
Columbia Mach 5 and Playbike,
Hiawatha Sidewinder,
Iverson Drag Stripper,
Raleigh Chopper,
Ross Apollo,
Sears Gremlin and Spyder,
Wards Stratostreak,
Western Flyer Buzz Bike

The only other Murray musclebikes I see listed are the Desertcat and King Kat. You likely would have remembered those!

bfuser191509248

Thanks for the link, Hudson308. Lots of info there on Stingray knock-offs, which is informative. The thing is, I got my bike in 1964, and it looks like most or all of the examples you list are far later than that. Also, that site doesn't even include the Marauder bike I illustrated above, or the Huffy Dragster for that matter. So I appreciate the info, but I guess I might have thought there would be more copies listed from '64, '65, '66... After all, the Schwinn Stingray had come out in 1963. Copies made in the late '60's were relative late-comers, and the designs (the seats in particular) had really changed. Anyway, those Avantis/Marauders (especially that white seat) really look familiar to me. I just don't remember the chainguard logo and design, which I feel like I should. But 50 years is a long time.