American Flyer Emperor at Goodwill
10-28-17, 12:28 PM
#26
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Kcl
Last edited by ramzilla; 10-28-17 at 12:29 PM. Reason: a glitch
10-28-17, 12:34 PM
#29
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21mm Stem. Just like old Raleighs.
10-28-17, 02:08 PM
#30
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The whole enchilada. Peewee Herman couldn't bolt more stuff on the handlebars.
10-28-17, 02:12 PM
#31
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Got Panaracer tires & thorn proof tubes on it. Weighs in at 29lbs. Soaks up bumps like a Cadillac.
10-29-17, 11:52 AM
#32
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As I suspected, it's Kuwahara hi-tensile tubing, not Ishiwata CrMo.
10-29-17, 03:26 PM
#33
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I haven't been able to find out much about it. It seems too well constructed to be a Department store bike. Serial number seems to indicate it's around 1980 vintage. Research about Kuwahara leads me to believe Ishiwata tubing was used. I bought it in Atlanta - Alpharetta area about three years ago. So dirty you could hardly see the paint. I think it was originally from the West Coast.
I think it may have something in common with Apollo Bicycles.
I think it may have something in common with Apollo Bicycles.
Last edited by ramzilla; 10-29-17 at 03:30 PM.
10-30-17, 06:22 AM
#34
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It looks like a typical post boom, upper entry level model. The late version Compe-V front deralleur plus VGT rear derailleur would place it very late 1970s to very 1980s, while the frame characteristics lean towards the latter. The serial number should tell us the exact year.
The tubeset is Kuwahara, as KCL stands for Kuwahara Cycles Ltd. While it is almost certainly made to spec, there is no reason to suspect Ishiwata. I have seen a handful of Ishiwata catalogues covering the the 1970s and 1980s and have yet to see any mention of hi-tensile steel. Everything has been carbon manganese, chromium-molybdenum, nickel-chromium or carbon fibre tubing.
The tubeset is Kuwahara, as KCL stands for Kuwahara Cycles Ltd. While it is almost certainly made to spec, there is no reason to suspect Ishiwata. I have seen a handful of Ishiwata catalogues covering the the 1970s and 1980s and have yet to see any mention of hi-tensile steel. Everything has been carbon manganese, chromium-molybdenum, nickel-chromium or carbon fibre tubing.
10-30-17, 10:56 AM
#35
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FWIW, I recently sold a Trek TX300 frame that sported Ishiwata 0265 double-butted hi-ten. Sorry I didn't take a close-up pic of the tubing sticker, but here's the frame and the link to the Trek brochure.
1976 Trek Bicycle Brochure
1976 Trek Bicycle Brochure
10-30-17, 11:13 AM
#36
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That Kuwahara is an example from the brief period in the late '70s when a few Japanese companies added tubing stickers to some of their hi-ten entry-level models, the idea being that at least some customers would assume that bikes with a tubing sticker must be better than bikes without a tubing sticker.
For another example, do a search for "Araya 631." (Better than Reynolds 531 by 100!)
For another example, do a search for "Araya 631." (Better than Reynolds 531 by 100!)
10-30-17, 01:30 PM
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FWIW, I recently sold a Trek TX300 frame that sported Ishiwata 0265 double-butted hi-ten. Sorry I didn't take a close-up pic of the tubing sticker, but here's the frame and the link to the Trek brochure.
1976 Trek Bicycle Brochure
1976 Trek Bicycle Brochure
11-01-17, 09:29 PM
#38
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Hey! I have popped back into the forum this evening. Guess what? I bought the Emperor today!!
The woman at Goodwill mentioned something I could barely understand like: "Keep checking the calendar."
I didn't realize there is an online calendar of when sales happen. I saw that today was 50% off everything, no exclusions. I rode on in yesterday to see if the Emperor was still there, and to ask someone if it would be 1/2 off.
Today I ran there with a floor pump in my backpack to attempt to claim my prize. Well the price had, for some reason, been dropped from $69 to $60. So a tire pumping, a test-ride in the parking lot and $30 + tax later I rode it home!
I'm psyched.
The woman at Goodwill mentioned something I could barely understand like: "Keep checking the calendar."
I didn't realize there is an online calendar of when sales happen. I saw that today was 50% off everything, no exclusions. I rode on in yesterday to see if the Emperor was still there, and to ask someone if it would be 1/2 off.
Today I ran there with a floor pump in my backpack to attempt to claim my prize. Well the price had, for some reason, been dropped from $69 to $60. So a tire pumping, a test-ride in the parking lot and $30 + tax later I rode it home!
I'm psyched.
11-02-17, 01:12 PM
#39
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That's great news Thriftyswift. Glad you're happy. We could start an American Flyer club if we could find a few more. Be good. Have fun.
11-02-17, 11:19 PM
#40
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I've already had a bit of fun on the bike. It feels faster and more responsive than the Concord DeLuxe I recently bought.
This American Flyer Emperor has 1 1/8 tires (Trek brand, interestingly). They are remarkably fresh. They've got a thin strip of rubber down the center. Not sure if these 1/8" thinner tires than all my other 27" tires, and that strip are contributing to the Emperor's quickness.
This American Flyer Emperor has 1 1/8 tires (Trek brand, interestingly). They are remarkably fresh. They've got a thin strip of rubber down the center. Not sure if these 1/8" thinner tires than all my other 27" tires, and that strip are contributing to the Emperor's quickness.
11-02-17, 11:20 PM
#41
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I see a lot of the same equipment and markings on my Emperor that I see in the pics of yours. I'm not sure if mine is older than yours or what, though.
11-03-17, 07:01 AM
#42
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Most 27 inch tires I see on bikes are 27- 1 1/4, so those tires are likely narrower.
Decades ago I ran 27 - 1 inch tires on my new (then) UO 8.
Interesting bike lasted so long at a Goodwill. Usually, some fish will grab it even if it’s overpriced, it’s the old “must be a bargain it’s a thrift store” mentality. I’ve seen some grossly overpriced bikes at GW sell.
Decades ago I ran 27 - 1 inch tires on my new (then) UO 8.
Interesting bike lasted so long at a Goodwill. Usually, some fish will grab it even if it’s overpriced, it’s the old “must be a bargain it’s a thrift store” mentality. I’ve seen some grossly overpriced bikes at GW sell.
Last edited by wrk101; 11-03-17 at 07:05 AM.
11-05-17, 05:52 AM
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^^^ Kuwahara manufactured in March 1980.
11-09-17, 11:13 PM
#45
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Oh cool. I'm gonna go out to the garage and see if I can find a number like that. I'd like to know the year of my Emperor's manufacture.
11-10-17, 02:41 AM
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Here is the serial number on my Emperor. Of course, I'm not sure why the picture is rotated so.
According to someone's earlier post, I see my sweet bike was made in '80. Cool.
According to someone's earlier post, I see my sweet bike was made in '80. Cool.
11-10-17, 06:41 AM
#47
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They're only 130 frames apart and almost certainly from the same manufacturing lot/batch.
11-11-17, 04:36 PM
#50
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Where are you & the bike located? From the small amount of info I've been able to get, My guess is these were imported somewhere on the West Coast. Probably California. With a five digit serial number there's probably thousands of these things still out there somewhere.