Miyata 512, 712, & 912: What's the difference?
 

I just recently picked up my first ride after about 10 years of not biking: a 1988 Miyata 512 for $275 (listed at $350, offered $250, probably overpriced a bit but this market climate and my locale, etc, etc).

Amidst the reading-up I was doing before purchasing it I obviously saw the 712 and the 912.

The MiyataCatalog website doesn't seem to be up anymore, and all copies of various years of the catalog didn't seem to explain clearly (perhaps I missed it) what the difference is.

So, as the title reads, what exactly are the differences between those three models?

Thanks!

(p.s. I'd attach photos of my bike, but I'm under the post threshold)

For 1988, download the PDF here and scroll to the spec pages at the end:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...oQhWVZ8_gSTr47

It appears the 912 and 712 framesets are about the same. The componentry offered was different. The 512 was more of an entry level bike with different geometry.

Oh that's awesome, thank you.

That 88' catalog is simply stunning

Welcome to the cult!

Ay thank you!

Here’s a working link (at least it was just now) to all the Miyata catalogs:

https://www.ragandbone.ca/Miyata/miyata_selector.html

Seems like the 712 was typically the prior year’s 912 with slightly less fancy components.

My daughter’s 1985 312 is as nice a frame as my 1979 912. The original Miyata paint holds up incredibly well. Here’s a gratuitous shot of the ‘79, bought new, with original paint (helps that gloss black is easy to touch up) even after several trips across the Atlantic and four major build iterations. This is the third version a few years ago, since the fourth looks quite different with all of Gugie’s mods.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-54JSvXg-L.jpg

Thanks! What an odd website for those catalogues to be on!

Also, good looking bike.

Puppeteers love Miyatas too! :lol:

You know, I’ve looked at these catalogs on that site more times than I can count and never bothered going to the home page to see what the site actually was. Now I’m perplexed!

No need to be perplexed. I'm a puppeteer and a Miyata enthusiast. The catalogues' previous host site went dark, so I decided to host them.

Patrons visting the site don't see the catalogues, since there's no links to them from the rest of the site, but I don't mind if a few Miyata fans find out about our puppet company. :)

John Nolan, thank you for making these catalogs available to the world again. It was at a Renaissance Festival at college that I learned about puppeteers, and came to appreciate the skill necessary to pull it off well. Keep the skill alive and pass it down to a new generation.

Our shop carried Miyata bikes from 1980 to the very end. I have personally owned and ridden several 310's, a 912, Team Miyata, two 610's,a 1000, and two Ridgerunners. All fantastic rides in their own right. I will say the 310 is my favorite model as it is a perfect blend of budget friendly and great frame. The 912 and Team were very specific use bikes, ie racing. The 610 was a competent touring bike and the 1000 took it up a notch with a nicer frame, and which I used as a touring machine up to last year. The Ridgerunner from 84 is a different beast from the 85 model and I preferred the 84, but still ride the 85!

In case you're missing the reference: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...yata-cult.html

:thumb: Got any YouTube vids of shows?

No, because of rights issues.

My ‘79 912 was less race-specific, being originally a 27” wheel model and not so triathlon directed. Looks like the ‘80 went to 700C but still plenty of tire clearance.

Depending on the year, the frame of the 310/710/912 (and later 510) in the semi-pro series and also the 600/1000 in the touring series can be different in that some have just the main triangle butted/CrMo while others have full CrMo tubing. Then there's the fork - some are plain HiTen steel, some are 'Mangalite' and others CrMo as well as fork crown type.... If we are talking a lugged bike, the lugs themselves are different between the various series - some are filed/lightened, some will have decorative cutouts.... Or numbers of braze-ons. Then there also may be slight changes in geometry - angles, length of chainstay, fork rake/trail, allowances for wider tires, etc...

THEN we get to the level of the components/groupset used to rig the bike. Shimano 105/600/DuraAce, Suntour BL/Cyclone/Superbe... Wheels - Sealed bearings or not, Stainless spokes or not. Wheel rim choice.

The better features were released to the higher-end models first, then trickled down to the lower models over the next years.. So, a later 310 can actually be a 'better bike' than a five-year-older 710/912.

You need to look at the catalogs to see what was offered on which model in which years...


In reality, it is much like the car manufacturers. Until the '50s and early '60s, something basic like heaters were an option. Radios were an option - and then AM only and one speaker in the dash... Now just about all cars come equipped with automatic headlights, delay wipers, a/c, power windows, power seats, rear window defoggers, etc... Those features started out as options primarily on high-end cars, and they trickled down to entry level over the years.

Very cool of you to host them yourself! Awesome set of catalogues. Thank you!

Have you figured out which year your 512 is?

Not hard to figure it out - Serial #'s start with a Letter and that letter corresponds to a year/range of manufacturing.

Not-so-fast! Miyata and many other Japanese manufacturers used SEVERAL different serial number formats throughout the years. Miyata moved OUT of Japan to Taiwan in the mid-later 80s, and that's about when the 512 was introduced. Best to use T-Mar's Asian Serial Number post (stickied above) but also liked here https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ber-guide.html to determine where/when your bike was made...

Miyata moved out of Japan? Perhaps for their low/mid tier grade bikes but... I've got 2 from the 90s that are certainly made in JPN

It appears to be a 1988. I didn't run the serial or anything, but the colorway matches the 1988 512 in the catalogue.

Then you should see the Japanese domestic market catalogs. I once owned a very rare 1 of 5 '87 Trail Runner with a JDM paint scheme and otherwise American specifications.