My old Diamond Back - what was it? (pics inside)

[dannywhiteley]

I didnt think I still had these pics...

I sold this DB about 5 years ago, and got £100 for it.  My brother originally bought it about 3 years earlier for £40 as it was running alloy hubbed black tuffs that he wanted for his bike, took the tuffs and sold me the DB with the spoked wheels off his bike for the same £40.

Can anyone accurately id the bike?  It was in excellent survivor condition that I restored using mid-school DB parts unfortunately (seat, pads, post, pedals etc).  However, frame forks and bars were original and in really nice condition.

When I did sell it, I gave the buyer all the original parts and also the yellow tyres in the last pic.  He later told me it was worth £350, but I think he was telling porkies bearing in mind this was 5 years ago.

[virtualmeuk]

Hazard a guess at a rare 83 silver streak. They only made em for 2 months!!!. I have 1 as well.

Sparky is your man

www.retrobsession.net

[Swivel]

Dan that's a beauty, another lovely survivor mate. I don't know much about diamond backs but this is lovely Dan 

[dannywhiteley]

Interesting... The gusset cut slits (see below) are not like most other Silver Streaks I have seen (most have 3 smaller slits, this has 2 large ones - note that the slit nearest the seat extends to the middle of the diamond cut out).



Compared to a 'normal' Silver Streak gusset



It also doesnt have the gusset behind the BB (see below).



again compared to a more common gusseted BB

[dannywhiteley]

Looking through RetroObsession it does indeed look like this special 83 Silver Streak.  Can anyone verify and give me a value (not that it makes any difference no its 5 years gone)...

[virtualmeuk]

this is what i was told:-
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=56091.msg573389#msg573389

and from the horses mouth:-

Hi there,

I was just browsing and noticed your DB frame query.

Ok, what you have there is a 1983 full Chromo frame (early CRMO stamp of late 1983). It was originally developed and used as the Silver Streak replacement (a real shambles by all accounts). It would originally have been decalled up as a Silver Streak, but was dropped almost immediately and called a 'Super Streak' within the dealer network.

They are rare framesets but I think the forks might be a little later (1984/1985) but the correct design. daumenhoch

You also come across the same frameset starting F3 but stamped 500 (early Pacer 500 replacement) or F4 or F5 (500 and CRMO) as the same frame was used for a variety of models.

You can see my overview here about this early frame

http://www.retrobsession.com/diamondback%20-%20silver%20streak%202nd%20generation.html

All the best, Mark Smiley

PS - I now have a dedicated DB area on my recently re-launched forum www.forum.retrobsession.net


and :-

Hi Steve,

Well, it's original that's for sure, as what to do with it, that's something only you can decide, but as far as a DB fanatic I would restore it how it was originally built, a Silver Streak 2nd Gen late 1983 (regardless of whether it was a flop).

Though the parts will be a little different to the original one. Mark @ www.retrospectBMX.com has repros decals which were re-mastered from my originals.

If you need any help with parts spec, just let me know.  Smiley

I've also been offered a couple of Silver Streaks, just waiting on some prices and pictures.  daumenhoch

All the best

Mark

PS - you're probably better getting me via the retrobsession forum or you can email me direct at info@retrobsession.com

[dannywhiteley]

Cool, so it was defo a super streak.  An early looptail Super.

[munners]

Nice. shame you sold it!

Mark is a top bloke! Really helped me out. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the DB's.