tpadul 

Yes!! I saw the stem was way too high! Definitely going to move it down. I just picked it up last night so I still have not done anything but give it a quick look over and take some photos.

T-Mar

Based on the brake calipers, in conjunction with the Tange #1 tubeset and S/N, it is a 1984 Sekai 5000 Superbe manufactured by Miki of Japan and designed by Norco of Canada. In the future, please take the overall picture from the drive side, as it allows identification of the derailleurs and crankset, which facilitates determination of the bicycle model.

tpadul 

Thank you very much T-Mar and Yes I did have pictures of the drive side I just did not have room to add those and didn’t realize how important that was

CraigNZ

Hi From New Zealand..
Ive an old 80s MTB that Ive owned from new. Im about to embark on a restoration project . I cant find a lot of information about the bike. It has the serial number A5KT6771
Tange tubing Sakae SA cranks and suntour Mountech derailleur.
Anyone able to shine some light on what Im dealing with here?

Thanks in advance

Craig

T-Mar

Welcome to the forums. I don't recognize the serial number format but it would appear to have been manufactured in 1985 which was the last model year for the for the short lived Mountech derailleurs. The rear derailleur was arguably the first one specifically designed for ATB use. Initially, it preformed well and was spec'd on a large number of higher end ATBs in the mid-1980s. However, a large number experienced high wear rates and premature failure due to faulty jockey pulley seals.

CraigNZ

Thanks T-Mar

It appears that the "t" is in fact a "1" Once i removed the built up dirt this become more obvious.

Does that make the sequence any more meaningful? The frame and the attachment points and cable cradles all appear similar to an early Trek (Trek 900 )

Craig

T-Mar

Unfortunately, it doesn't help with the identify of the manufacturer. However, the elimination of the 3rd alpha character means that the 'K' is likely a month or fortnight indicator. If it was a month, it would represent either October or November but that would put it late enough in the year to be a 1986 model, in which would be late for Mountech. So, it likely a fortnight indicator (i.e. weeks 21-22). The format doesn't match any of the major, international brands. It's likely some local manufacturer or a local marketing brand that I've never seen in North America.

CraigNZ

Thanks Tmar

Appreciate your time.. Ill box on with the restoration and who knows what else I will discover as I go

Cheers

Craig

Chuck M 

I picked up a Takara 950 a month or two ago and the BB is stamped S1 5 191 and I'm pretty sure it is an '81 or '82 based on some literature that came with it.

I had a Takara 960 in high school and the shape this was in made me have to have it. I would truly appreciate anyone's help decoding this serial number.

T-Mar

Based on the serial number, it does appear to have been manufactured in 1981 and therefore should be a 1981 or 1982 model. Given the format of the serial number, I suspect it's from May and would therefore be leaning towards a 1981 model. Pictures of the bicycle and literature may help.

Chuck M 

I posted in an old thread this morning a picture of the bike. This is a scan of an early 80s Takara brochure that came with the bike. The original dealer sticker on the seat tube was from Fay’s Bicycle Shop in Tulsa. The brochure came from Independence Bicycle Shop which would have been 85 miles away. I don’t know if this was a stock transfer or if it was purchased at Fay’s and traded in in Independence and resold in ‘82. It would have been cooler had the owners manual been with it but the brochure is cool too.

https://www.bikeforums.net/21744093-post24.html

Aimperial

Very cool thread, T-Mar! Newbie here trying to learn more about my bike.
It's an Apollo Imperial that my lovely ex-roommate gifted me.

Kuwahara headset, but the bottom bracket SN doesn't match your guide: 9X18512
Any idea what that says about the MFG year and production run?

I wish I could post photos, but it appears I won't be able to until I've reached 10 posts on this forum. I'll try to describe it.
- Purplish/Greyish frame (~52cm)
- Kuwahara headset
- Dura-Ace Crank
- Campagnolo quick release skewers
- Shimano Biopace Chainrings
- Shimano Dérailleurs
- 15 speeds (3 on the front, 5 on the rear)

Bike decals:
- Champion No. 2, Butted Tubes, Tange Industries LTD
- Ace Cycles, Vancouver, BC, Lorne Atkinson
- Fred Deeley Cycles LTD

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
SN once again: 9X18512

Thank you!

T-Mar

Takara used primarily SunTour derailleurs during this era and heavily revamped the lineup for 1982, discontinuing some models, introducing some new ones and significantly revising several others. I had hoped it might use one these derailleurs, allowing us to differentiate between a 1981 and 1982 model, but it appears to use SunTour Seven, which were available both years. The back of the derailleurs should have a two letter code which may allow us to increase our confidence, one way or the other, regarding the model year.

T-Mar

It's strange that it has a Kuwahara headset but not their serial number format. Based on the serial number, my leading candidate would be a frame contract manufactured by M-a-t-s-u-s-h-i-t-a- (Panasonic brand) very late in a year ending in a '9'. . Apollo was around in 1969, 1979 and even 1989 but we can probably eliminate the latter, as 6 or 7 cogs would have been normal on the back by then and I doubt the previous owner would have downgraded to 5 cogs. The other components aren't much help, as it's obviously been rebuilt over the years. Pending pictures, we might be able to increase our confidence one way or the other based on frame features.

Rear dropouts: short, long or vertical?
Brazed-on gear shift bosses?
Brazed-on bottle cage bosses? If so, how may sets?
Brazed-on pump peg?
Brazed-on front derailleur hanger?
Recessed or exposed brake mounting nuts?
Rear brake cable housing attached to top tube with clamps or running through brazed-on tunnels?
Gear cables running over or under bottom bracket shell?

BTW, I used to know Lorne "Ace" Atkinson. Back when I started competing in the early 1970s, he was one of the much respected elder statesmen of the Canadian bicycle racing fraternity (though he only would have been about 50), having been a big name in the post war period and a national team coach.

Chuck M 

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I don't right off see any codes on the derailleurs, but I will be removing them soon to clean and lube them and I'll look then. The brochure has a table of all the components for the different models and the components on the bike line up with that table. I scanned the entire brochure a while back and posted it in the vintage bike sub******. I need to rescan it at higher resolution and maybe post it in the vintage sub-forum here in case someone else loves the old Takara like me.

Aimperial

Wow! Thanks for the prompt response, T-Mar. Appreciate it. Interesting to know that the bike is at least a decade older than I am Also, honoured to have the ACE badge on the frame - so cool that you knew the guy!

As for your questions, I'm still learning about bikes so I'll try my best to answer them:
Rear dropouts: short, long or vertical? Vertical
Brazed-on gear shift bosses? I think so
Brazed-on bottle cage bosses? If so, how may sets? I think so. Just one set on the downtube.
Brazed-on pump peg? No pump peg.
Brazed-on front derailleur hanger? No, looks like a clamp mount
Recessed or exposed brake mounting nuts? I think recessed for front brake and exposed for back
Rear brake cable housing attached to top tube with clamps or running through brazed-on tunnels? Brazed on tunnels
Gear cables running over or under bottom bracket shell? Over

Aimperial

The frame looks almost identical to the one posted in this thread, except mine is much smaller: (seems I'm not allowed to post URLs until 10 posts too) Search "apollo-imperial-once-upon-time-dura-ace-equipped-apollo" on this forum.

Aimperial

Alternatively, I suppose I can post a few more replies here until I reach 10... and then wait until tomorrow to post a photo (since there's a 5 posts a day limit....)

Aimperial

I've been really enjoying the ride so far. I went on my first ever cycle tour trip (350+ km) and really got acquainted with the friction shifters.

T-Mar

Based on the above and pending photographs, it's sounding like a 1980 model manufactured in very late 1979.

Aimperial

Thanks T-Mar! So does the X represent the end-of-year production run? I've finally hit 10 posts so here are a few photos: (bike has recently been upgraded with new tires and brakes).

T-Mar

While it has lots of replaced components, frame features are appropriate for circa 1980. The 'X' almost certainly indicates the 24th fortnight (i.e. weeks 47-48) of 1979. Typically, manufacturers start building the new models around September, so something built around late November 1979 should be a 1980 model.

knittykitty

Alright, I've got something of a Japanese mystery bike. I got this as a work-trade bike at the local community shop around 5-6 years ago. It originally had drop bars, I swapped the stem and brake levers to what was available in the parts heap to convert to moustache bars. One of these days I may swap them again for something less ugly.

As far as I remember, all the components listed below were on the bike when it was donated, and I think the donor said he purchased the bike new.

It's missing all decals and badging aside from the Tange tubing ones.

My "research" points towards a Corsaro Cabrio, but I can't be sure.

SN: HC56462N

Components:
-Suntour Power Stem Shifters
-Dia-Compe 500 Brakes
-FD: Suntour ARX
-RD: Suntour a-3000
-Sugino GT cranks (165mm)
-Araya 27x1-1/4 alloy rims
-Sunshine Hubs

Frame: Tange 2001

Fork: Tange Hi-Ten


TIA

T-Mar

The subject bicycle was manufactured by Nissan of Japan. Based on the current understanding of their format, the frame is from August 1982, which is late enough in the calendar that it could be either a 1982 or 1983 model. This time frame is consistent with the listed components and tubeset. Known brands contract manufactured by Nissan include Corsaro, Kabuki and Matsuri. I'm not familiar with the Cabrio but given that it's a Corsaro model, it's a definitely possibility. Enjoy your new acquisition.

knittykitty

Thanks for taking a look, I appreciate it. It's nice to have the confirmation that it is a Nissan manufactured frame. I don't think I would ever redo the decals on this, so knowing a specific model isn't really necessary aside from my own curiosity. I'm planning on getting the frame powder coated in the next year or so as it's got a lot of bubbling paint. I do plan on replacing the Tange decals when that happens though.