i0s

This will be my first road bike and the first bike since middle school mountain biking days.
Takara Elitist with Tange #1 Frame and Full Shimano 600.

It was found on Craigslist and will be my commuter.
Cleaned it up a bit and got:

Cinelli Cork Bar Tape (This is my first wrap job, came out pretty good I'd say)
MKS GR-9 Pedal
Power Grips
New brake hoods
Princeton Tec EOS
Planet Bike Superflash
Concor Profil (free with trade)

Before:



After:

i0s

Chris_in_Miami

That turned out very nice, great job! How do you like the way it rides?

i0s

Haven't had a chance to take it out much, but I love what I've experienced so far!

auchencrow

+1
That has to be the nicest, cleanest Takara I've laid eyes on. Good job, i0s.

- And it looks 100% better without the infernal splash tape!

i0s

Thanks! If only there were more than 4 in the world to compare it to haha

i0s

My very used condition saddle, still love it


And the lights I got, they make a sweet budget setup.

sunnyone

That is one classy, beautiful bike; and puts to rest the often seen mis-statement that all Takara's are fair to middling bike boom bikes.

1FJEF

Agreed. Very nicely done.

zukahn1 

Great bike very nicely done I love it. There is one change I would make upgrade to better modern chain like KMC 7z in silver and maybe a modern 6 speedfreewheel with hyper glide you will love the difference.

mobilemail

Awesome!
My first "real" bike was a low-end Takara I purchased in 1982, and I remember looking at their line folders showing the fancy Takaras equipped with DuraAce, 600EX, etc. For years I've been looking to see one in real life, but I never have. I suspect this bike falls squarely in the "rare and good but not valuable" category. With a Tange frame and good Shimano parts, this bike should be a lot of fun.

sloar 

It's amazing what handlebar tape and a saddle will do to a bike

OrangeHorse

Very classy. Enjoy!

ashbaughag

If you strip the paint, the entire frame is chrome! not just the lugs.

Just thought I would add this to the thread since this forum has apparently become the best place to find info on the takara elitist. One was given to me after my mixte city cruzer was stolen. During the tear down I decided to strip the paint. So if you are a fan of chrome a 15 dollar bottle of aircraft stripper will do it. Was going to mask off the lugs, copper plate and pinstripe it, but not sure now.

Bianchigirll 

Actually the problem with simply stripping the paint off is that the chrome underneath is not meant to be seen. If you look closely at it you'll notice it has a rougher finish than the fork and luggs so the paint sticks to it. So now instead of a beautiful black Takara with chrome luggs you have a nameless dull chrome bike.

ashbaughag

While I have no doubt that is true on many bikes, this is not dull chrome (same as the lugs). A self etching primer was used to make the paint stick. The only section of the bike that needs paint is the bottom bracket where cable guides were welded after chrome. Any one concerned with longevity of chrome (it's only single plated I'm sure) or even soft metals that they would like to keep polished or at there current state of oxidation need to simply coat it with Permalac. It may not be for everyone especially if it is not stored indoors but it is an option.

T-Mar

Appears to be a 1986-1987 model based on the components. Given the level and era, it's strange that the head lugs are chromed yet the drive side chain stay isn't. Also, interesting that it has a pump peg, yet the derailleur cable routing is stillover the BB shell and there doesn't appear to be a 2nd set of bottle bosses. Serial number?

RubberLegs

VERY nice! My second 10-speed back in 78 was a bottom end Takara, cottered steel crankset, chrome rims...a bit on the heavy side, but still a pretty snappy ride for it's day. My son got into road biking on an 81 Takara, middle of the lineup, alloy crankset, alloy wheels, a nice little ride out of a $20 Rummage sale find. (it DID need some work!)

Bianchigirll 

Well in that case I'll run right over to the hardware store for some paint stripper and get to work stripping all my bikes!

shoota 

Wow that's a beautiful bike. I don't understand why people put that god awful splash colored bartape on their bikes. Thank you for taking that off.

pspin

I had been meaning to post updated pics of my Takara for a while. Sadly with the virus spreading I am finding more time, as I have been riding inside as well. Which I have to say if you don’t own a smart trainer, they are well worth it. I lucked out. Someone was going to toss this smart trainer without ever putting it together to purchase a higher end model. Crazy what people will toss in the garbage. Was literally still in the box.

Anyways here is a pic of my finished Takara. It’s the first time I went away from keeping original factory look of a bike. Absolutely love the way it turned out. Should of taken more pics including close ups but this will do for now.

Murray Missile 

That is sweet, I had no idea Takara ever sold a road bike of that caliber. I have an '86 Takara Highlander MTB and it has pretty decent SunTour components but nowhere that level. I'll have to quit passing up the ads for Takara road bikes! Although I doubt I've missed any like this.

nlerner

Cue the Takara ensemble!

dddd

I agree that the first thing I would replace would be the chain, simply because a narrower 7-8s chain (not yet made by Shimano until 1987) will make the shifting smoother, quieter and less fussy with repect to cable adjustment.

But I would not downgrade this bike with the lowly Z-series chain. While those shift well and are not prone to failure, they have somewhat ragged tolerances with respect to their link-to-link pitch dimension. KMC's (also inexpensive) X-series (race-quality) chain offers measurably better tolerances, looks better and should last longer (KMC list a higher tensile strength as well).
As far as the freewheel teeth, if a modern HG-type 6s freewheel is available in the right ratios for you, great.
But I can't think of any 6-speed 13-26t or 13-28t freewheels even offered these days.
Perhaps though a 7s HG freewheel would fit in the available space, if a 7s right lever can be sourced(?).

I have never found Takara bikes of quite this level from what I can recall. But I'd bet they sold at least a good number of them the year that this SIS gruppo was first offered, even as prices rose significantly at that point in time.

I wonder what year that Takara left the US market?

The name "Elitist" sounds odd for the 1980s, but a hundred years earlier might have sounded simply complimentary.

There is no telling how the chromed finish on the tubes looks under the paint without stripping it, but I'm certain that they didn't go to the trouble of polishing the tubes prior to the chrome being applied, so it will look somewhat dull or "brushed" at best (chrome doesn't hide any but the smallest surface defects, it exaggerates them).

T-Mar

Takara are still being manufactured and marketed in the USA. They are currently owned by Kent International and appear to be confined to entry level. However, this appears to have been a revival that took place about a decade ago, rather than continuous manufacture since the brand was introduced in late 1973 for the 1974 model year. Kent also currently owns another brand familiar to C&V members - Shogun.

https://kent.bike/collections/takara

The boom era Takara brand seems to have died off sometime in the very late 1980s. The most recent mention I've seen for them was 1988. That it is only slightly after the subject Elitists, which would be 1986-1987 based on their SIS compatible Shimano New 600EX rear derailleurs.

I'm still hoping to obtain a serial number for one of these Elitists, to find out who manufactured them.