Jax Rhapsody

First IDGAF about "oh it's a ancient bso" and other drivel. I can work magic on these and get them to be decent, capable machines for at the very least a daily or sometimey ride.
I came across a Murray Koza or Kozo and it is interesting for a most likely cheap BSO and wondering if anybody knows anything about them? It's weird to me because it has an ashtabula crank, but it's 21 speeds, aluminum wheels, trigger shifters and internal cable routing. Never seen such in this class of bike and can't find anything about it online.

I'm building it up for my g/f and it needs the general crap; trigger shifters, which I have, new calipers, grips, levers.

Miele Man

No need to cuss.

Never heard of it and can't find anything online either.

A lot of inexpensive bikes came with Ashtabula cranks and alloy wheels although the spokes are usually not stainless and will rust after much exposure to the elements. If properly set up and adjusted most bikes can be good for casual rides or short distance rides.

What kind of brake calipers does this bike have - cantilever or V-brake of other?

Cheers

thumpism 

Nothing found here, either. The parts you're seeing on it might not be original equipment. Someone might already have worked magic on it.

Jax Rhapsody

Has side pulls typical of these bikes. All it'll see with her is casual rides.

shelbyfv

I imagine the gf deserves/expects that! IIRC, some Murrays were built in TN.

livedarklions

Do you have a serial number? Might be able to narrow it down.

Can you explain why you seem to be sure only of the first three letters of the model name? I ask just because that could be a clue.

There's an old bike store in Chicago called Kozy's. Is it possible it was some sort of special label deal with them? Murray did a lot of stuff with different badges.


Pics?

thumpism 

Is it possible that the sticker/decal on the bike has been altered to look like Kozo or Koza? Murray made the Baja, probably made a bazillion of them, so the odds are it's one of those.

Retro Grouch 

What is your objective? Is it a hobby for you or is it a gift for the girl friend?

One piece crank. That by itself says "cheap bike" to me. It sounds to me like you're trying to convert a cheap old bike into an expensive old bike that has a few new replacement parts. If that's how you choose to spend your time that's one thing but, I'd think the same amount of money would buy a more impressive present for the GF.

livedarklions

OP made very clear that he wasn't interested in anyone's opinion of the bike or the project.

You're seriously off-topic just to start an argument.

shelbyfv

OP may as well ask for the thread to be closed. Apparently nobody has any info (whatever it might be) about that particular Murray. The whole BSO issue is the elephant in the corner, just waiting to squat down on this thread. Or just wait and see....

thumpism 

OP has enough posts to upload a photo or two, if he's serious about getting some help.

Jax Rhapsody

The only pic I took of it before I started wrapping it with tape. I forgot it was a Huffy, not a Murray, it's put up until I can make workspace for it.

shelbyfv

Is that one of the titanium Huffy's, built by Litespeed?

Jax Rhapsody

It's a hobby, it's a gift for her, she likes the bike. I'm not investing hundreds of dollars in to it, new low end parts will be just fine, no need for Acera or even Tourney. In fact I already have some parts in my stash. Ashstabula cranks do indeed scream cheap or basic bike and like I said, she's fine with the bike and is aware of what I can do with a bike. She wants to ride bikes with me, and it's getting her back on two wheels- her two wheels versus the trek she has been riding that belongs to my friend(I gave to him). She's not shallow or elitist, niether am I. For the cost to be invested(probably tens of dollars), there isn't much more I could get her... maybe a snapback from Spencers. She's not going to be all Premium Rush with it, nor is she taking it on black diamond mtb trails. Think of it as a geared cruiser that might see 10mph. This bike is for a bike rider, not a cyclist.

Jax Rhapsody

At about 35lbs and surface rust... no.

Reynolds 

It's worse than I expected .
Seriously, I don't know about that particular bike, but I've seen and worked on a lot of similar bikes - 1 piece cranks, 7sp freewheels, cheap alloy rims - but usually with 1 chainring and cheap V-brakes. Nothing wrong with them as long as you don't use them much. If you ride them 1 or 2 times a week to the grocery store, they are OK.

Rogerogeroge

It's a generic piece of crap Huffy.

Now - don't get me wrong, I commend you for making a usable bike for your GF. But it's got a one inch steerer tube, super long reach caliper brakes, a one piece crank, no derailleur hanger built into the frame. There's nothing proprietary here, anything can be replaced with generic components. I do find the internal cable routing interesting, and it's a plus that the bike has aluminum rims.

There was a brief time in the early 80s with America's first international successes in bicycle racing where Serotta made some frames that were badged as Huffys for team 7-11. This isn't one of them.

So I really don't understand your question(s) in your OP. Unless you're trying to restore the bike to it's period-correct OEM specs, additional details aren't really going to tell you anything you need to know to get this bike running.

Rogerogeroge

And make sure you know what you're doing before you pull that cable housing out of the frame!

thumpism 

Huffy does not equal Murray.

Retro Grouch 

What do the tires look like? Do they have cracks or dry rot? I'm betting the size is 26 X 1 3/8. There is a common 26 X 1 3/8 size and a few other, hard to find, 26 X 1 3/8 sizes. The bead seat diameters don't mix and match.

I can see why the GF likes the bike, I like the colors too.

rollagain

Jax, if you're going to rework that thing, please replace the brakes. Those stamped-sheetmetal calipers scare the daylights out of me. I'd be afraid of them folding up in a panic stop.

Other than that, yeah, it's pretty low grade ... one dead giveaway is the stamped sheetmetal rear dropouts, probably resistance-welded into the stays. And what on Earth is that front hub?

Anyway, good luck.

MikeyMK

That is the most cheaply-made frame I have ever seen in my life. As a working bike it wouldn't be worth one hour of the minimum wage.

I don't understand why anyone would save that, over a better scrap bike. There are no brake mounts on it, it can't take welding as it's cheap heat-treated steel, so it can't accept good brakes.

shelbyfv

I haven't spent a lot of time working on BSOs but the time I did spend was less than satisfying. It's just no fun to work on junk. What makes this sort of thread even more perplexing is our CL has lots of legit hybrids and HT MTBs and they are cheap. Often under $100!

Jax Rhapsody

I thought the cable routing was odd for the kinda bike it is. Not a resto, I just like to research the bikes I get, to determin year and whatnot, but I can't find anything on it.

Jax Rhapsody

Oh I know. Whenever I upgrade these type of bikes, the stamped steel speed reducers are first to go. Usually I get a pair of calipers off a walmart bmx bike and the levers if not plastic. The brakes on those hypers and whatnot are forged.

Second is alloy wheels- which it already has.

Non knobby tires- which it has

Ditching the gripshifts(which it doesn't have) for either thumbies or trigger shifters.

Replacing RD with one of those black shimano ones you find on walmart bikes, or just something I know will adjust and shift.

That's pretty much it. Not much effort or money. I have on one instance swapped a fork on one with a fork with vbrake/canti mounts. I already had the fork.