1983 Kuwahara: restore or mod?

[DrDaveTampa]

Not so much "what's it worth" but "is it more than the sum of parts" ...

Kuwahara mountain bike, 1983 by the serial number, no other model or brand stickers, just "Kuwahara." Storage-shed find, not pristine but in good shape. Bought it for the wheels and components, figuring I have enough in the parts bin to make a nice bike-path cruiser out the frame.

Suntour thumbies. Mountech deraillers, rear has an '85 date code (looks like a "II"). Sugino Maxy cranks, 2x. BMX stem and bars. 26x1.75 dimpled rims on Suzue hubs. Neat old Diacompe canti's. I want all that stuff!

But it's kind of dawning on me, you don't see those things every day. Wondering if I should restore it? Is it more like, "Eh another Japanese frame, Panasonic-Nishiki-whatever, have fun with it"? Or like, "OMG NO that's a rare bike don't screw it up!"

 

[legrandefromage]

we need pictures!

I'd keep as is as there thousands of frames out there to make good things from but then again, I made a decent bike better by 'upgrading' from a 1986 friction groupset to a 1987 indexed one which made the bike much more useable

Just dont do this... my 1988 Kuwahara

 

[27motorhead]

Not so much "what's it worth" but "is it more than the sum of parts" ...

Kuwahara mountain bike, 1983 by the serial number, no other model or brand stickers, just "Kuwahara." Storage-shed find, not pristine but in good shape. Bought it for the wheels and components, figuring I have enough in the parts bin to make a nice bike-path cruiser out the frame.

Suntour thumbies. Mountech deraillers, rear has an '85 date code (looks like a "II"). Sugino Maxy cranks, 2x. BMX stem and bars. 26x1.75 dimpled rims on Suzue hubs. Neat old Diacompe canti's. I want all that stuff!

But it's kind of dawning on me, you don't see those things every day. Wondering if I should restore it? Is it more like, "Eh another Japanese frame, Panasonic-Nishiki-whatever, have fun with it"? Or like, "OMG NO that's a rare bike don't screw it up!"

I'd get it working and ride it. If you like how it rides, then your "parts-bin" find has turned into something even more rewarding... then you can decide what you want to do with it. As the wise old LGF said, we need pictures! But on paper it sounds great, I'd be wanting to ride that thing...

 

[DrDaveTampa]

It's a flip either way. Too tall for me and have plenty of bikes in rotation.

It's in a million pieces already, here's the frame. Not perfect, worst of it is that lower head tube lug. Not sure if that's just corrosion or if it took a hit. If it did, the thing is a frickin tank; not sure I'd take it to Moab or anything but it should make for a nice baguette getter eh

 

[27motorhead]

That's lovely! I'm pretending I didn't see the headtube shot! Just like you, I wonder what did that?!*

We all need a bike that does one thing really well:

a nice baguette getter eh

So well worth keeping!!!

 

[stephan]

we need pictures!

I'd keep as is as there thousands of frames out there to make good things from but then again, I made a decent bike better by 'upgrading' from a 1986 friction groupset to a 1987 indexed one which made the bike much more useable

Just dont do this... my 1988 Kuwahara

View attachment 804777

What make and size of tyres are those? They look like something I may want to put on my M800 project, ta.

 

[stephan]

It's a flip either way. Too tall for me and have plenty of bikes in rotation.

It's in a million pieces already, here's the frame. Not perfect, worst of it is that lower head tube lug. Not sure if that's just corrosion or if it took a hit. If it did, the thing is a frickin tank; not sure I'd take it to Moab or anything but it should make for a nice baguette getter eh

That head tube will need re-brazed/welded, I doubt it has taken a hit I suspect over the years the weld has just failed, probably from general use. I had a friend with a Marin Cro-Mo frame that happened too, he had the original receipt from the early 1990's period as it stated a "lifetime" warranty - Marin came back to him and said "lifetime only means lifetime of the frame" so sorry, buy a new one.

That braze/weld may have been completed from the inner down tube gusset before the actual down tube was fitted, you would need an expert on that, or you may/might end up having a weld on the outside on that area.

 

[legrandefromage]

What make and size of tyres are those? They look like something I may want to put on my M800 project, ta.

Some sort of Duro from 2010

 

[stephan]

Some sort of Duro from 2010

Cheers, from your picture they look like a pattern of a Tioga Comp 3 BMX tyre - I will have a look out for them.

I can see an 18" Duro with that Comp 3 tread, does the pattern look like this below: (apologies I have hijacked this thread with tyre questions DrDaveTampa)

https://www.theoddspoke.com.au/Duro-Tyre-Size-18-x-2.125-Colour-Black-MTB/BMX

 

[DrDaveTampa]

That head tube will need re-brazed/welded

Interesting. Should be do-able, question then becomes how to re-finish, and at what cost. Doesn't bode well for the reno budget eh.

I see spray-dot-bike in this frame's future