Info. required on '88(?) Kuwahara Sierra XT

[Arran]

I was doing one of my random spot checks at a second hand bike dealer today and chanced upon an old Kuwahara Sierra MTB. The Kuwahara decal has been removed but it is still on the stem, headset etc. There is a decal on the top tube that says SierraX (I think the 'T' has been scratched off).

It's black & yellow and made of Ishikawa 'Quadruple Butted' cr-mo. It's lugged, has a 1" head tube and spindly uni-crowns. It's largely spec's with M730 (thumbies, 4 finger levers, cantis, cranks w/bio-pace rings, front hub, chainstay mounted XT u-brake etc.). It has an M700 6 speed rear wheel (with an old RM20 rim) which is a bit of a bummer.

I think it has a certain retro-appeal but I wouldn't ride it in a million years. Does anyone know anything about/have experience with these? Is it worth trying to haggle with the Dealer?

 

[Elev12k]

Hi Arran,

It is Ishiwata tubing probably. Sounds like you found a pre '89 bike. Interesting - to me at least.

Probably you know already that they were very well represented in the BMX scene and that they are from Japan.

- Melvin

 

[Cristian-T]

elliot used his kuwahara bmx to carry ET in a basket

i worked in shop that bought THE bike from a studio years later!

 

[Lid]

I remember that the Kuwahara's were being sold alot in Vancouver in the mid 80's. I owned a Norco from this time and it also had the "quadruple butted/lugged frame. Weighed a ton and shifted....well it didnt shift actually.

 

[Arran]

Uh... yeah. Ishiwata, that's what I meant to say. I just had a quick glance at the decal on the seat tube.

I'm very farmiliar with the Kuwahara name because of their BMX range but until I saw this bike didn't know they had a range of MTB's. As it turns out they did/do hybrids and roadies also!

 

[Elev12k]

Arran,

You probably already discovered the catalogues on mtb-kataloge. If I recall correctly the German ones differed from those elsewhere though.

I probably would have had one if the were more widely available overhere.

 

[andy]

some Fotos: