since6

What can you tell me about this bike?

It is a Koga Miata Roadspeed and it is reported to be a frame and fork made from Hardlite FM-1 tubing. While I see the Hardlite FM-1 decal, and I believe splined construction decal, on the seat tube there are no decals on the fork for Hardlite FM-1.

Would the entire frame be made from Hardlite FM-1 or only the main triangle (top, seat and down tubes) with the seat and chain stays of another lesser tubing, or, is it all indeed FM-1?

How does this bike rank in the pantheon of Koga Miata bikes?

I have noted that the Koga Miata Pro frame is also made of Hardlite FM-1 tubing, is all FM-1 tubing the same?

How would the ride of this Roadspeed compare to that of a Pro frame or are they simply not comparable?

Google hasn’t turned much up about this bike which is reported to be have been made around 1992.

Thanks for any information and help you can provide.

The Golden Boy 

MiYata

With a “y”.

Miyata

fietsbob

Somebody had to import it personally, As there is no Distribution of Koga in the US. ie dealers ..

I have a Koga Miyata Trekking Bike some one bought in Europe , and brought it back to US East coast .

I bought it from someone in N.C.

Miyata was subcontracted , by the NL Koga company .. bikes were sold thru Koga Dealers..







...

since6

OH NO.



Goldenboy, now that I've pissed off all the Miyata owners, I still plea for help.



Probably due to the fact that we're looking into our fourth and likely last Miata and this too is on my mind.



So forgive my Miyata/Miata, if you know anything about the Miyata Roadspeed please let me know.
Again, thanks.

T-Mar

The subject would appear to be a 1995 model. The big clue was the component group which looked to be Shimano RSX. The group debuted in 1995 and the Roadspeed was created to feature that group. 1995 was the only year to feature the internal cable routing for the rear brake cable. The serial number should corroborate the year. In 1995, the Roadspeed was the base model in an eight bicycle road line

The Hardtlite FM series was Miyata's CrMo alloy designation for the European market. It was available in multiple configurations and gauges, depending on the era.. Earlier versions of FM-1 were double butted, then it came triple butted before your splined, triple butted version. There was even an FM-1 triple butted tubeset with oriented ovalization, similar to Columbus Max. The fork on the 1995 Roadspeed was spec'd as Hi-Manga MH-2 which was a carbon manganese alloy, equivalent to the Mangalight offered in the American markets. The stay alloy and grade is not mentioned but would be easy enough to determine if it matching FM-1 by removing the bottom bracket and checking for splines in the ends of the chain stays.

The geometry is what what be considered "road sport" for the era. It is not as aggressive as the top "competition" models, having slightly shallower angles, longer chainstays and wheelbase, a lower bottom bracket and more fork rake.

since6

Thank you T-Mar just what I was hoping for. And yes it is advertised with the Shimano RSX group.

Sounds like with the tubeset and geometry this frame should make for both good handling and a comfortable ride. Though tires/rims will make a difference too, with Mavic 192 rims and elderly/original (?) Continental tires currently on it.

Again my thanks.

non-fixie 

The RoadSpeed model was introduced in 1978, at which time it came with Shimano 500 parts as an entry level racer. It was number six in the line-up that year.

non-fixie 

Nice bike, BTW. Looks to be totally original. This is from the 1995 catalog:

The Golden Boy 

Don't worry- someone from "the Cult" will be along to help shortly.

The only thing I know of is that the Koga Miyata bikes were Dutch- and weren't imported in any big numbers into the US.

Everyone that I know that has had a Miata has loved it-

since6

A little redemption, per Wiki, Miyata actually did make a car, just not a Miata car, lol:

"Miyata began developing automobile technology in 1907. Miyata's first automobile, also named Asahi, debuted at the Kansai Prefectural Association Exhibition in 1910. The first Asahi automobile was a two-passenger car with an air-cooled, two-cylinder engine.
The Asahi was made by Miyata Works Ltd, Tokyo, from 1937 to about 1939. It was a light car, powered by a 730 cc 2-cylinder engine that drove the front wheels. It had a two-seater body and independent suspension all around."

So I gather Koga Miyatas were sold in the Netherlands, but from the decal in the picture below, the frame was still made in Japan but by Miyata or did Koga Miyata have their own plant in Japan making frames? Did they send the frame to Koga in the Netherlands to add components, wheels, etc., or, was this a complete bike made in Japan by Miyata or Koga Miyata sent to the Netherlands where all the “Koga Miyata” decals were added?

CliffordK

Oh... @exmechanic89 is also a Miata & Miyata fan!!!

Although, a bike with DT shifters, and a little older Miata car.

T-Mar

Koga is a Dutch bicycle company founded in 1974 by Andries Gaastra, whose father had owned Batavus. The company quickly became a Shimano distributor and subsequently formed a partnership with Miyata, which was in place at least as early as 1976 and at which point the bicycles became Koga-Miyata. The bicycles were designed and assembled in the Netherlands, with the frames being imported from Miyata in Japan. The relationship with Miyata ended in 2009, with the 2010 models resorting to the Koga brand.

since6

And again T-Mar thanks for answering my second set of questions.

fietsbob

My

Koga Miyata FWIW ..


they were assembled in the Heerenveen NL Koga Facility frames from Asia
in this case 7005 heat treated alloy, fork modified and painted to match ,
components from Switzerland, Germany France and Italy , + had a UK Brooks B17 on it ..





...

HPL

Just seeing if anyone has any knowledge on a K-M aluminum frame, similar to Vitus and ALAN, but significantly different. The seat stays meet, and a "single" wide stay connects to the seat tube/top tube cluster with a bolt! Very lightweight, I've not built up this frame yet, probably be one of my few Shimano equipped frames if that was the original groupset when and if it was sold as a complete bike.

Frame is still behind many others so I will get a clear photo posted in the next day.

Millstone

Look here:

https://www.koga.com/nl/service/broc...2000-1976).htm

T-Mar

The frame feature whereby the two seat stays become one above the brake caliper is called a "monostay" or "wishbone stay". Koga-Miyata used this feature on several models starting circa 1993. So, you can post pictures or start going through the catalogues. Alternately, you can post the serial number, which should at least tell us the year and substantially narrow the search.

HPL

Thanks Millstone,
I reviewed some of the catalogues to get an idea of when these frames first appeared, and it seems to be in 1989. Unfortunately, there weren't any views other than the drive side profile so it's hard to tell how much the same or different mine is. I'll dig it out today and see if I can find a serial number on it somewhere. I'm pretty sure that the frame is bare except for a headset (might be Dura-Ace), so looking for parts now in my storeroom. Plenty of Campy, not much of anything else worth a darn for this type of ride; most of my Dura-Ace is spoken for on another build (GT "Saturn Team", actual team bike owned/raced by Mr. Walton).

HPL

T-Mar,
Appreciate the terminology lesson, I've always called it a wishbone, but mono-stay sounds more technical and knowledgeable so I'll go with that from now on. I found a similar frame starting in the 1989 catalogue so it's now going to be based on the serial number and/or a specific feature for that model year. I've got 3 different style frames alloy like this and I'm curious to see how they feel compared with one another. I've ridden my Tommaso and Guerciotti (both ALAN frames rebranded), and they are comfortable rides for aluminum frames; they seem to have a smoother feel than a TIG'd frame. The other is a Payan (Vitus frame rebranded) which has not seen the road due to possible separation of the chainstay tubing from the BB shell. Hard to tell if it's just excess "glue" from poor quality control during construction (normal?), or if actual damage has occurred. I don't know how this frame is secured; by glue only (Vitus), or screwed and glued (ALAN). More research is necessary!

non-fixie 

I'm betting it's a 1993 GranWinner.

Fellow member and Koga-Miyata know-all @Elev12k has owned a very nice one, which is documented here.

Very nice stuff.

Millstone

What, the top tube says "roadspeed"?

I'm betting it's a 1995 green roadspeed, as seen in the folder/catalogue.
Page 21, 1995 catalogue.

HPL

I'm going to pull it out now and post photos today. Frame is red and has that crazy-killer ministry. I couldn't see the full frame; there are a few others blocking the view!

HPL

I typed MONOSTAY!

non-fixie 

Yeah, but "crazy-killer ministry" has a nice ring to it.

CliffordK

I picked one up at the local thrift store. Probably more like the Technium. Painted.

But, I haven't done much with it yet.