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1983 Mystery from Japan

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1983 Mystery from Japan

Old 09-09-21, 04:50 AM
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Schreck83 
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1983 Mystery from Japan

The only sticker on this bike is the Champion No. 2 on the seat tube. Looking for help to determine the maker and model.
Components are mostly Shimano 600 EX with date codes May or June 1983. Pedals are KKT Pro Vic II; seatpost is SR Laprade; headset is Specialized. Wheels are 700c with Arraya rims.
Rear dropout width is 126mm.

Serial number on BB is M3L93940










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Last edited by Schreck83; 09-09-21 at 05:44 AM. Reason: added dropout width
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Old 09-09-21, 05:01 AM
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Have you tried to decode the serial number in the Asian Serial Number sticky? I myself have not been able to completely understand T-Mar's system for figuring out the serial numbers, but fortunately he is always graciously willing to help those of us that can't get the hang of it.

Nice bike by the way.
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Old 09-09-21, 05:44 AM
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Best match from the Asian Serial Number sticky is:
MIKI (Japan): MyFxxxx
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Old 09-09-21, 06:32 AM
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Yeah, best to shout out to @T-Mar here to weigh in.
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Old 09-09-21, 06:45 AM
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Looks like a racier version of my 83 SR Semi Pro. No fork/DO eyelets. Shifter bosses. I'm guessing a SR Professional or Maxima. The serial # format matches the one on my bike.
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Old 09-09-21, 01:34 PM
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looks like some of the nashbar road bikes i've seen posted from time to time
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Old 09-09-21, 02:02 PM
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Also very similar to the Bloor Cycle Sakai house brand made by Miki. I think they sold a lot of frames this way. Excellent quality and rides.





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Old 09-09-21, 02:41 PM
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It definitely 1983 manufacture by Miki but late enough that it's likely a 1984 model. However, that doesn't narrow things down very much, as Miki was one of the most profilic Japanese contract manufacturers.

Regarding SR, thier models of this era trypically had contrasting head tubes and the Maxima and Pro of this era were typically built by Araya. Same issue with Sakai. They typically had contrasting head tubes in 1983-1984. As for Nashbar, I'm used to seeing them come through from Maruishi.

The Specialized heaset is interesting given the major components are 600EX and the hedaset is the component least likely to swapped out. That riaises the posibility of an Allez or SE but we can rule out the Allez of this era, as they used Campagnolo dropouts and parts. The SE variant had a 2nd bottle boss, an embossed fork crown, SunTour derailleurs and was typically manufactured by Miyata.

So, if the headset is a replacement, are the 600EX parts OEM to the frame? And, since the decals are missing and some parts are replaced, is it even the OEM paint? Those Tange Champion decals can be carefully peeled and re-used. So, I'd really like to know the date codes on the 600EX componets, to see if they correlate with the serial number. If pssible, it would also be nice to know if there are signs of another colour on the steerer tube, in the BB shell and.or in the seat tube.
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Old 09-09-21, 02:53 PM
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T-Mar, it looks to be very much intact- low miles/wear&tear and the paint looks original. The Shimano bits are either HE or HG (hubs, FD, RD cranks). The SR seatpost is dated K-83 and marked 27.0 diameter. The bars and stem are SR Custom but I have not yet removed them. The saddle was likely replaced; it's a women's model, marked Selle Royal made in Italy.
I'll pull the fork tonight and look at the bottom bracket.
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Old 09-09-21, 03:30 PM
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The 27.0mm post is curious. Tange No.2 uses a seat tube that is actually double butted and has a top butt od 0.9mm. For an imperial diameter tube, this makes the inner diameter, 26.8mm, which would typically uses a 26.6mm seat post. For it to use a 27.0mm post, it would have to be custom or reamed quite a bit. One brand that used a custom No.2 tube with a 27.0mm post during this era was Centurion. Their 600EX model in 1984 was the Comp TA and while it was availble in this colour of read, it typically had a contrasting head tube and wasn't manufactured by Miki.
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Old 09-09-21, 06:35 PM
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Date codes on the brakes are HB and HF, BB is HE. The SR Stem is labeled 83D, so the components all fall between Feb. and July 1983. Tange fork:


Kickstand jettisoned without problems:
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Old 09-09-21, 07:16 PM
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Maybe the head tube was painted by a previous owner to match? Here's my SR Semi for reference.

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Old 09-10-21, 06:26 AM
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My early '84 Sakai also has a 27 mm seatpost as a data point.
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Old 09-10-21, 07:49 AM
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Based on the steering column, it appears to be OEM paint. Also, the steering column date code is October 1983, which further points to a 1984 model. Typically, anything from this late in the calendar year would be for the new model year. However, I have to question the 600EX components, given that totally re-designed New 600EX had it's debut for the 1984 model year. Normally, a company wouldn't put last year's components on a bicycle when a new generation of those components was available. I suspect his has been almost totally rebuilt.
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Old 09-10-21, 08:42 AM
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Originally Posted by seypat
Maybe the head tube was painted by a previous owner to match? Here's my SR Semi for reference.

For reference, the serial # on this one is M3M73931. Might be an 84. I pulled the seatpost. It's a 27.0. The bike was bought from the original owner who bought it new while going to Cal Berkley. The seatpost size is probably the way it came. The FC-6206 crank and barcons were added by me. Original crank was 600 Arabesque. The rest is the way it was found. The date codes on the 2 derailleurs are late 82.

I agree with T-Mar about the OP's headset. That's the real outlier.

Last edited by seypat; 09-10-21 at 08:55 AM.
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Old 09-10-21, 04:06 PM
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Also for reference, M4B07428. Sakai Triathlon. Or now a city bike. Soon to have gears again.


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Old 09-11-21, 01:04 AM
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that sure looks a lot a SR Semi Pro., been re-scratched. missing that lush Cinelli like metallic cherry red.
looks like a 54 or 55 cm, no wait, SR did not use metric, make that a 19".

not a Maxima, maxima has Suntour drop outs and the front derail cable goes underneath.
also, maxima has indentations on the sides of the forks, those are Semi Pro forks.

what does it weigh? should clock in at around 25 lbs.

Last edited by cjenrick; 09-11-21 at 01:20 AM.
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Old 09-11-21, 09:39 PM
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Originally Posted by cjenrick
that sure looks a lot a SR Semi Pro., been re-scratched. missing that lush Cinelli like metallic cherry red.
looks like a 54 or 55 cm, ....

what does it weigh? should clock in at around 25 lbs.
The frame measures 21", 54 cm CTT and weighs about 24 pounds.
The color sure looks like seypat's SR Semi Pro - sort of a rusty red.
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Old 09-11-21, 09:40 PM
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The best match that I been able to find in a 1983 Nashbar Road SE. It was specid with Shimano 600EX and an SBI headset. The dropouts did not have eyelets. It was available in candy apple red. It was also still being advertised as late as February 1984, so maybe Nashbar continued model year production much later than usual, to use the their stock of discontinued 600EX. Assuming it a Road SE, it is the first mid-1980s Nashbar road bicycle that I've seen from Miki. I double checked my database and all the samples I've collected have serial number formats that are consistent with Maruishi.
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Old 09-11-21, 10:16 PM
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I am impressed! That looks like a match, right down to the pedals and the 13 - 21 cluster.
The ad even misspells Araya, just like I did in the first post.
When I pulled the fork, it felt heavy and I considered, but did not weigh it.
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Old 09-11-21, 10:42 PM
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74 degrees, should be very responsive.

rims might be getting somewhat brittle by now but i have cranked out 10K miles on my RM20's with no issues.

Last edited by cjenrick; 09-11-21 at 10:49 PM.
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