Kamra Triathlee 'designed by Nishiki'
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It’s a ”Triathlee” (no joke on the spelling) by “Kamra”, and the other decal says “designed by a Nishiki.” The internal cable routing seemed interesting to me too. The angles and size were perfect so I just had to pick it up. Haven’t been able to find out a whole more about beyond that.
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It’s a ”Triathlee” (no joke on the spelling) by “Kamra”, and the other decal says “designed by a Nishiki.” The internal cable routing seemed interesting to me too. The angles and size were perfect so I just had to pick it up. Haven’t been able to find out a whole more about beyond that.
Do you have a serial number for this frame? I would like to know when the frame was made.
P.S. Welcome to the forum and thanks for your contribution.
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I missed this thread the 1st time around. As most members know, the original manufacturer of Nishiki was Kawamura but the Nishiki brand was owned by West Coast Cycle & Supply of California. Since Kawamura could not sell bicycles under the Nishiki brand name in the USA, they created Kamra.
Similarly the Triathlete and Triathlon model names were owned by others, so companies were seeking variations that consumers would associate with triathlons. West Coast Cycle & Supply chose Tri-A. Kawamura obviously chose Triathlee.
Based on the internal cable routing, it appears to be a variation on the 1985 Nishiki Tri-A. The serial number format is Kawamura and the E code does indicate 1985 manufacture, though the G prefix is a new (to me). I suspect this was done to differentiate it from West Coast Cycle & Supply product, in the event of warranty liability.
Similarly the Triathlete and Triathlon model names were owned by others, so companies were seeking variations that consumers would associate with triathlons. West Coast Cycle & Supply chose Tri-A. Kawamura obviously chose Triathlee.
Based on the internal cable routing, it appears to be a variation on the 1985 Nishiki Tri-A. The serial number format is Kawamura and the E code does indicate 1985 manufacture, though the G prefix is a new (to me). I suspect this was done to differentiate it from West Coast Cycle & Supply product, in the event of warranty liability.
Last edited by T-Mar; 03-17-18 at 09:06 AM.
#30
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Thanks for keeping this bike on the forum. Any pics of the finished build, perchance?
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As has been previously stated the frame was manufactured by Kawamura of Kobe Japan. The format of the frame serial number is Kawamura from the late 1970s and 1980s.
The first letter is usually for the country/geographic region the bicycle was marketed in. "G" is for an Asian market. I have seen several Kawamura frames with a "G" serial number and most have their retail origin somewhere in Asia.
As mentioned earlier, the second letter "E" is for the year of frame manufacture, 1985.
I have seen several bicycles with the KAMRA brand name. Many of them originated in Asia.
Your bicycle most closly resembles the 1986 Repco Nishiki Tri-A for the Australian market.
Tange900 double butted, internal cable routing, scalloped seat stay caps.
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Kamra Triathlee
You know, I was scratching my head about the whole "Triathlee" thing too. I guess it just adds to the mystery.
Here's some pics I took before I take my wrenches to it. At a glance, all the lines look straight and besides an occasional rust spot it looks fine. I'm gonna clean it up, and look it over as best as I can, and if it looks good, I may build it up as my ride for the STP this year.
I like a bike with a history, and from the looks of it, this exact bike was here before, so I was looking to find out more about it (past lives, achievements, wrecks, and prior builds).
Here's some pics I took before I take my wrenches to it. At a glance, all the lines look straight and besides an occasional rust spot it looks fine. I'm gonna clean it up, and look it over as best as I can, and if it looks good, I may build it up as my ride for the STP this year.
I like a bike with a history, and from the looks of it, this exact bike was here before, so I was looking to find out more about it (past lives, achievements, wrecks, and prior builds).
I’ve ridden the bike off and on over the years and it has always been a solid bike.
Jason
#33
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Old thread but pics will keep it going. Post some.
#34
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Spotted this Kamra Triathlee the other day.
Last edited by OutnBack; 12-14-19 at 07:06 AM.
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