chico81 

Hi all,

I’m thinking about picking up a late 80’s / early 90’s KHS Team Pro. The seller doesn’t know anything about it, or bikes in particular, so isn’t much help. He sent me two photos, and hasn’t sent any more. From the photos I can spot Columbus tubing stickers! I also Suntour Superbe Pro components, and they look like they’re in great condition! It also looks like it has Campy hubs and Mavic MA40 rims. The craftsmanship looks good, like it may have been built in Italy 🇮🇹. I actually kind of love the colors! I’m not scared of a little pink and purple!

does anyone have any more info on this? Such as year, level of Columbus tubing, if it was built in Italy, and any info of the Superbe Pro components?
thanks!!
It seems to be quite large, maybe a 63cm, so it might be too big for me.

ThermionicScott 

Hawt!

T-Mar

Circa 1987 KHS John Howard Team Pro. Full Columbus SL tubeset. Complete SunTour Superbe Pro Accushift group. 22 lb claimed weight for 59cm frame. $1479.00 MSRP.

Mavic MA40 were OEM spec so those may be the OEM SunTour Superbe Pro hubs. The OEM Selle Royal saddle has been replaced, along with the SunTour Superbe Pro pedals and the 13-21T freewheel.

If you buy it or visit to see it, I'd appreciate the serial number for my database. TIA.

Bianchigirll 

That's beautiful. Any more pics?

uncle uncle

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...fessional.html

(not really all that helpful, aka, no new info... I'll leave it anyways.)

seypat

+1, sizzlin!

repechage

KHS was savvy and bought tubing from the big houses to bump the association. Just a few years earlier they were using Reynolds.
Pretty sure they did not outsource. They did have good builders and mimicked the Italian style when needed.

clubman 

Something looks amiss with the rear shifter pulled 180 degrees from the front. Maybe just slack cable but check it. Lovely bike.

gugie 

I was the KHS rep in the SF Bay Area in the mid-80's. I might have sold one or two of those, not many people wanted a Taiwanese built Columbus frame. In reality the workmanship was as good or better than most of the Italian stuff coming in at the time.

chico81 

Thanks for the valuable info! I am scheduled to pick it up on Tuesday, I will definitely get the serial # regardless if I buy it or not (like that is even an option! Haha)

chico81 

Good eye! I noticed that too, and will investigate further!

chico81 

That is good to know! The size may be just a bit big for me, so this makes me a little worried about resale $ in case I have to turn it around. But a Columbus SL bike with a Cinelli BB and Superbe pro components doesn’t come around in this condition and price very often! Even if it is made in Taiwan

yeslek

I believe I own this beast.
Now lives in South West Oklahoma.
I bought the frame only from a fellow in southern Cali.
I would have loved to get the Suntour group though.
No pix since read more than post for now.

velomateo

I had one of these years ago. Bought it in terrible condition, had been repainted...poorly. Just curious, since the OP never said anything about a serial number, does yours have a serial number? I don’t recall if mine did, but it did have “KHS” stamped on the top left side of the bottom bracket.

I did a lot of searching trying to determine if these frames were actually built by KHS or farmed out, but never really figured it out. I did email John Howard though, he told me that he still has one of those in his garage and he felt that it was very fine bicycle...of course he may be a little biased since his name is on it

yeslek

Doing a little research I did manage to find photos online of a NOS Team Pro with a decal on the head tube "Made in Taiwan".
There is a frame on ebay right now (as of 5/1/2020) that shows its serial number on the bottom bracket shell.
I Do have the "KHS" stamp to the BB shell, but there is a difference to the ebay frame, I have the Cinelli "spoiler" type bottom bracket shell and there is no serial number that I can find on my frame.

I had a Vitus 979 (a bit Squirrely for a big guy like me) as my parts donner, the KHS has quit a bit of Campagnolo on it now.
"a very fine bicycle" describes it well, very lively feel, very clean brazing, very clean paint lines.
An epic bike in my opinion.

RiddleOfSteel

Gorgeous bike. I'd ride that without issue color-wise (working on figuring out how to get a red-magenta ride in my stable somehow...), my size even.

Does everyone see those chain stay caps??? Goodness!

merziac

Those caps are just the beginning, every square mm of that frame is freakin stellar.

This is an excellent example of the outstanding framebuilding that moved from Japan to Taiwan after they got dialed in by the production wave in the early 80's.

Almost seems like it was elevated even more with some examples like this but maybe fewer and farther between at the same time, fleeting at best but the die was cast and we have millions of very well made frames that will be with us from now on.

Wish we saw more outstanding examples like this more often.

velomateo

Mine had the Cinelli bottom bracket too. I believe the brake bridge is a Cinelli product as well.

Mr. 66

Nice I could hang with those colors, how about that gel saddle? That would be pulled in seconds of ownership.

merziac

Can we have pics of yours plz?

Looks like you need more posts or you can post to the gallery.

velomateo

Here’s a couple pics of the Cinelli “spoiler” bottom bracket and KHS stamp. White was as I got it, blue after a respray.

T-Mar

KHS is a Taiwanese company originally established in the 1930s to supply musical instruments to schools. They diversified into other school related products, including sporting goods, which eventually led to commercial bicycle manufacturing. After experiencing some initial teething problems with bicycle production, they enlisted the help of a Japanese company to raise their standards. They were arguably the first of the reputable Taiwanese bicycles manufacturers, being competitive with Japanese offerings as early as the peak of the 1970s bicycle boom. They continued to develop their product and raise their quality standards into the era of the subject bicycles, which is the mid-1980. Their development almost paralleled Japanese companies, lagging only slightly, but being well advanced over other major Taiwanese companies, such as Giant and Merida.

T-Mar

The eBay frameset has a S/N indicating September 1985 manufacture, so it's likely a 1986 model, which is not too far off my estimate for the OP's bicycle. It's also the KHS format and therefore not contract manufactured.

Try checking the lower non-drive side of the seat tube for the serial number, as I've seen some KHS stamped at that location. Barring that, there are two versions of the Cinelli spoiler BB. If yours is marked Brev. Cinelli 84, that is the version patented in September 1984, which would make the frame no older than a 1985 model.

merziac

Tx @T-Mar, while I knew little of those specifics, those are the points I was trying to make and this example is a very good representative of that.

yeslek

I've been a member to the forum for years mostly as a research tool, ill post some pix
as soon as I get over the initial 10 post requirement.