Kingpin conundrum

[FrankCrank]

Have noticed this Dawes Kingpin for sale:

.
Up till now, I assumed this was the only frame design, were there in fact two (excluding the much more modern one(s) of course)

 

[midlife]

Is the top one the child's version?

 

[davidphilips]

There was also the folding Kingpin, starting to get hard to find a good example like the one you seen for sale might be worth buying depending on the price ?

 

[biggs682]

There was also the folding Kingpin, starting to get hard to find a good example like the one you seen for sale might be worth buying depending on the price ?

Like this one for sale locally to me

View: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2676610779095712/


then these

View: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/683996682359916/

 

[DCLane]

There's a 'small' children's 18" wheel Kingpin and the normal/folding 20" (406) wheel Kingpin.

I've got a purple one of the latter.

This looks like a 1980's KP18 - the 'small' version. It was mentioned earlier this week in the Dawes Kingpin FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/daweskingpin/

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Have noticed this Dawes Kingpin for sale:
View attachment 516222 .
Up till now, I assumed this was the only frame design, were there in fact two (excluding the much more modern one(s) of course)
View attachment 516221

The red one is the junior Kingpin. 18" wheels as already mentioned and didn't have a folding option.

What I think of as my first proper bike was one of those (in green and only a single speed). It might not have been fashionable when I had it but I still think it's a great concept for a child's bike as there is such a range of adjustment it takes a lot longer to grow out of.

 

[FrankCrank]

OK folks, thanx for the replies, kids bike it is then, you live and learn eh.

Wouldn't mind one of the regular Kingpins in my stable, good to compare it to the Twenty. Also hoping to get a Stowaway at some time, need a tank folder over this way to replace my broken no-name folder.

 

[EltonFrog]

As folks have already mentioned its a child's Kingpin. The model in OP is a Junior Kingpin, originally the children's version was the KP18.

In this earlier brochure you can see the KP 18 top left, it doesn't have the internal cable routing, it came with colour matched or contrasting mudguards the later version did not. The brochure features the Dawes version of the Raleigh Chopper, the Dawes Zipper, it uses the same adapted KP18 frame. Rare bike the Zipper.

It looks like the red one for sale on Ebay has been adapted for a small adult.

 

[EltonFrog]

Here's another scan which is supposed to be from 1975.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

As folks have already mentioned its a child's Kingpin. The model in OP is a Junior Kingpin, originally the children's version was the KP18.

View attachment 516334

View attachment 516335

In this earlier brochure you can see the KP 18 top left, it doesn't have the internal cable routing, it came with colour matched mudguards the later version did not. The brochure features the Dawes version of the Raleigh Chopper, the Dawes Zipper, it uses the same adapted KP18 frame. Rare bike the Zipper.

It looks like the red one for sale on Ebay has been adapted for a small adult.

I never knew that Dawes did a chopper style bike. I wonder if it rode any better than Raleigh's offering?

 

[Chris S]

It's got a 99p starting bid so if you're in the Cambridge area it's worth a punt.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-...558699?hash=item5233a1c7ab:g:eWgAAOSw2A9emVoa

 

[FrankCrank]

Wonder how the Zipper compared to the all conquering Chopper. Was it like Betamax vs VHS, where the inferior product somehow wins the race? Not likely to ever find out I guess, but interesting slices of history there

 

[Chris S]

Wonder how the Zipper compared to the all conquering Chopper. Was it like Betamax vs VHS, where the inferior product somehow wins the race? Not likely to ever find out I guess, but interesting slices of history there

Naming a bike after a gay porn mag wasn't a good way to sell it to adolescent boys in the 1970s.

 

[spalling]

As folks have already mentioned its a child's Kingpin. The model in OP is a Junior Kingpin, originally the children's version was the KP18.

View attachment 516334

View attachment 516335

In this earlier brochure you can see the KP 18 top left, it doesn't have the internal cable routing, it came with colour matched or contrasting mudguards the later version did not. The brochure features the Dawes version of the Raleigh Chopper, the Dawes Zipper, it uses the same adapted KP18 frame. Rare bike the Zipper.

It looks like the red one for sale on Ebay has been adapted for a small adult.

what year is the brochure from,featuring the zipper from?

 

[spalling]