Kuwahara SuperCompetition - what is it?

[chrzanek]

Hi.

I've just get some interesting frameset. It is Kuwahara SuperCompetition.
I was looking for information about, but I can not find them. Could you help me?

Facts:
- frame is light
- frame, ritchey fork, BB-UN90 and XTR headsets weight 3,0kg - it means frame weight below 2kg
- bike was fitted by produced in 1991/1992 XTR equipment

Photos:

 

[yeti-man]

They made beautiful bikes back in the days. I do not know them at all nowdays. The brand was a well known BMX brand, and the bike Elliot used in the movie ET was a Kuwahara. I think there was a Kuwahara MTB team in the mid/late 80s.

Here is a nice Grasshopper http://www.cycleexif.com/kuwahara-grasshopper

Kuwahara was founded in Osaka, Japan in 1918 by Sentaro Kuwahara. It was a family run business with help from his wife and eight children that made and sold bicycles and bike parts at first in his neighborhood, then growing and expanding more. In 1925 Kuwahara began to export bicycles and parts to Russia, China and Southeast Asia. Kuwahara closed their doors for business temporarily from 1940 till 1945 due to World War II. In 1947 Kuwahara reopened again for business and Sentaro Kuwahara became the first chairman of the board of directors of the first bicycle wholesale association in Japan. In 1959 the very first and small shipment of bicycles were delivered to the USA. Sadly in 1960 founding company president Sentaro Kuwahara passed away and his Son, Masao Kuwahara took over in his place. In 1962 Kuwahara sent it's first shipment of APOLLO brand sport (10speed or 12speed road racing) bicycles to Canada. In 1968 Kuwahara started exporting bicycles to the USA as private label bikes for other companies such as Schwinn, Takara, Puch, Concord, Apollo, Azuki and others. Kuwahara had never produced their own Kuwahara brand bike outside of Japan until 1972 when Kuwahara began developing BMX bicycles for the US, Canada, European and Australian markets. During the middle 1970's the BMX boom had started and Kuwahara was regularly exporting Kuwahara brand BMX's to these countries.

 

[hirosawa]

^ That red one is gorgeous.

It's another good quality, Japanese made steel frame from the 80s by the looks of it. I guess it has spent some time in Sweden.

 

[chrzanek]

I know Kuwahara company. They built gorgeous bikes. My friend has Kuwahara Lion '91 which is made on penta butted Ishiwata frame tubes.
I'm looking for information about my SuperCompetition. It has details common with Kuwahara top level frames, but it is "only" three time butted
Painting is strange also... It has 1" fork, not 1 1/8 or 1 1/4....

 

[yeti-man]

http://www.dreamgate.ne.jp/kuwahara/history/et.html

 

[v02middling]

Nice frame. I can tell you it was not a Canadian-market model; quite possibly a model destined for Europe or perhaps the domestic (i.e. Japanese) market. Interesting that Kuwahara continued using lugged frames in (at least some) non-North American markets, but went to welded frames almost entirely by 1989 in Canada, even on made in Osaka, higher end models. Also interesting that your frame has a 1" headset; all of my mid-range or higher Canadian models from the 1990 model year onward have a 1 1/8" headset.

 

[v02middling]

Too many bikes...My 1989 model year Kuwahara Sierra XT has a lugged frame with seat cluster details similar to your frame, as well as having similar style top tube graphics and a 1" headset as well. I do not know of any Canadian market Kuwahara with lugged frame construction from 1990 model year onward. Might there be a chance your model dates to 1989, despite xtr fitment?

 

[aardvarkash10]

Love my Kuwahara - its my daily ride.

A late 80's Shasta that is now road set-up, its trong as, nice balance and springy in the way only a steel bike is. The frame will outlast me I'm sure. Nice lugs and braze-ons for touring set-ups if I ever decide to repurpose it again. 1-inch headset too - originally it was 18 speed with a mix of deore components, now its deore six speed and allsorts of other stuff...

That frame of yours is making me lust...

 

[Midorimage]

My first frame that I bought new was a Kuwahara.. never knew what the frame was called. I bought it in Japan, it was painted Ritchey P 21 style.. but the colors were reversed. It was lugged and it had Ishiwata tubes. Headset was one inch. It came as frameset with a rigid fork.. than I put Rock Shock Mag 21 ti.

I heard mine was made by Toyo.. but I'm not sure

I abused it.. till it cracked on the down tube .. I had it in the cellar till my mother threw it away. (A long with a World Class Ti BB that was inside) (':cry:') I would love to find another Kuwahara.