oldraleighguy

Hi all,

I've been working on my DL-1 and I don't see a serial number anywhere.. well.. that's not exactly true, there is a number stamped into the left side rear wheel stay but it doesn't look like a Raleigh SN nor quality stamping. Only the top half of the numerals are visible. I'm guess that this is a '68 from the Sturmey Archer hub manufacturing date.

Can anyone give my some places to look? It's driving me nuts..

Thanks,
Lester

SirMike1983 

Have you looked under the bottom bracket?

F red

And is there any change it has been repainted?

oldraleighguy

Looked under the bottom bracket.. I don't think it's been repainted but who knows.. this is what I've found..

kingsting

How about the side of the seat tube or top tube, just under the nose of the saddle?

RobHalligan

I don't even have that stamp on the stay. I've looked everywhere on my otherwise normal 1971ish DL-1 for a stamp. Now you're going to think I'm nuts but, to make matters worse, the hub doesn't have a proper year stamp either. Below the SA logo and above THREE SPEED, it has a 2 in the month position and a what might be a 7 in the year position. It looks more like a 7 with part of a 1 in the image than in person. I've seen some SA hubs where the date stamp is at the end of the logo, but not on this one. And it doesn't really mater...it's just curious.

nlerner

I’ve seen many S-A hubs where the stamping is even lighter than yours, which is 71, to my eye. I came across an AW hub a couple of years ago with a year stamp of 66 and a month stamp of 13!

RobHalligan

I guess it's testament to Raleigh engineering that they could produce such good products (fairly bulletproof) with labor that would sometimes not stamp a frame with a serial number or stamp a 13 for a month on a hub. This is probably my 8th Raleigh (some with other brand names) I've had after my childhood (when I had 3). This is my first DL-1. I didn't think I'd develop an affection for rod brakes. But disassembling this thing to refurbish it, I'm really impressed with how they work.

BigChief

My DL-1 doesn't have a serial number either and nothing is stamped on the rear fork.
From my observations and catalog photos:
The late 60s models had the two metallic bands and Heron transfer on the seat tube, large block letters on the down tube with the same transfer on the chainguard, a 2 1/2" rear reflector in a black rubber case.
Sometime around 1970, they used the modern italic font logo on the chainguard but left the old style on the down tube.
Around 1971 the reflector gained a half inch in diameter and got a white case and the shifter cover lost the red panel with the 3.
Sometime in 1973, they changed the downtube transfer to the modern font and changed to a stylized R design on the seat tube.

RobHalligan

Thanks much. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by the red panel but here's a photo. The reflector is missing -- so that doesn't help. If that is a red panel, looks like I'm looking at 1970.

dweenk

From what I can see (there is some flash glare) that trigger was introduced in 1971 and continued into the mid 1970s.

BigChief

Ahhh, the Herons on the chainwheel still have their eyes. They lost them in the early 70s. We know from the transfers that this bike is post 1969 and pre 1973. Now with this chainwheel, I'm going to guess on the early side. 1970 to 71 would be a good guess. That would mean the correct rear reflector would be the smaller one with the black rubber case. Here's a picture from the 1970 catalog. Notice the ladies model here still has the old style transfer on the chainguard.

79pmooney

Funny to see the very English using that location and showing that sign. Paul Revere after all had some responsibility for us not being now members of the UK.

Ben