Where to find identification for my mini bike?

[FunWithStuff]

Hello. I am wondering if anyone knows where a serial number would be located on my mini bike frame. It is a JCPenney's Duster MX made by HPE Muskin. I would just like to see if I can find one so I can know when it was manufactured. Thanks!

 

[minibikin']

Should be the left front of the engine mounting plate...

 

[FunWithStuff]

Should be the left front of the engine mounting plate...

Just checked there. No luck. Is it supposed to be engraved in the plate?

 

[markus]

some of the later Penneys bikes had decals for ID numbers. the one on my 1974/75 duster chopper was a sticker....and it was more like a paper backed sticker not a decal something else was there as well as you can see the outline. What was there came apart just lightly touching it during the cleaning up of the bike unfortunatly

If you have the engine, you can get a good idea of the production date, the later ones will have the shroud stamped up near the head bolts no tag on the side (even if its a round shroud).

Here was the bike:

 

[45t]

Sometimes if there are several layers of paint, you can’t see the serial number. If you lightly sand the paint off you can see the number.

 

[FunWithStuff]

some of the later Penneys bikes had decals for ID numbers. the one on my 1974/75 duster chopper was a sticker....and it was more like a paper backed sticker not a decal something else was there as well as you can see the outline. What was there came apart just lightly touching it during the cleaning up of the bike unfortunatly

If you have the engine, you can get a good idea of the production date, the later ones will have the shroud stamped up near the head bolts no tag on the side (even if its a round shroud).

Here was the bike:

Thankfully, I do have the original engine for it. There are identification numbers for the engine on top of the blower housing near the head bolts. I had to sand it down to see it. Looks like it says:
HS40-55267E (Model Number)
SER-4309B (Code Number???)
Maybe that can tell me some information.

 

[FunWithStuff]

Sometimes if there are several layers of paint, you can’t see the serial number. If you lightly sand the paint off you can see the number.

Mine doesn't have several layers of paint, it has its original coat on it.

 

[markus]

Thankfully, I do have the original engine for it. There are identification numbers for the engine on top of the blower housing near the head bolts. I had to sand it down to see it. Looks like it says:
HS40-55267E (Model Number)
SER-4309B (Code Number???)
Maybe that can tell me some information. View attachment 257541

you could call that a Christmas 1974 bike, the "SER" (serial number) is the year and day of the year it was built. first digit is the last digit of the year (1974) next 3 digits are the day of 309th day of that year. That chopper I had pictured above was a late 1974 as well (like 275 day of or something like that). so you can figure they were probably built and ready for christmas or into the next year.

 

[FunWithStuff]

That awesome! Makes sense that the "SER" stands for serial number. Looks like the engine was made on November 5, 1974 and I'm sure the bike was assembled sometime close to that. Looks like this was close to the end of the "mini bike" era and I'm sure HPE Muskin didn't make too many more minibikes after 1975.

 

[markus]

That awesome! Makes sense that the "SER" stands for serial number. Looks like the engine was made on November 5, 1974 and I'm sure the bike was assembled sometime close to that. Looks like this was close to the end of the "mini bike" era and I'm sure HPE Muskin didn't make too many more minibikes after 1975.

you are correct 1975 was pretty much the end for them making mini bikes, I have a copy of a document from Muskin dated 9-21-1976 where they were liquidating the leftover mini bikes and cycles to employee's for discounted prices (they made other things too so they were still in business), It shows the inventory leftovers and the employee prices.