Panasonic team MTB

[fearfactoryüberalles]

Cool rider. A couple years ago I were able to get hands on a Panasonic MC Team. It had seen a lot use and about the only original part left was the frame. Many chips, scratches and a dent in the toptube. I disassembled the bike and polished and waxed the paint. Nice item to study, but the shape is not nice enough to build it up. The MC Team frame uses Tange Prestige tubing. Lugged construction, brazed with silver. The MC Team frame is very light.

A Panasonic dealer gave me a catalogue with your MC Pro in it in 1991. The catalogue is available in the archive, including the price list. It was 4700 guilders.

Thanks for the info, must have been a fortune back then in the Netherlands...

 

[Elev12k]

With the 600mm toptube and 140mm stem the cockpit is somewhat longer than I am used to with other bikes, but it still works for me.

 

[Ren Rawbor]

Panasonic make panaracer tires, so I am guessing the are panaracer latex tubes???

This was something I'd never considered until a couple of days ago someone mentioned original National 'tubes & my small mind made the connection between National (I have an old National Panasonic M5 video camera) and Panaracer possibly being another Matsushita brand... Now, did they ever release a Technics groupset? I feel they missed a trick there lol

 

[Prodigal Son]

I had the Pro frame, which I built up as a bike. For a Prestige tubed frame, it was suprisingly heavy-must have been sturdy as well. Hope it's not a too big thread'hijack:

View attachment 773723

Tasty. Very.

 

[Prodigal Son]

With the 600mm toptube and 140mm stem the cockpit is somewhat longer than I am used to with other bikes, but it still works for me.

Just throw a shorter stem there. You can´t change the top tube length but stems nature is to give you proper fit.

 

[Elev12k]

It is okay for me. The bike is a bit more racy than the average bike.

A couple pics of the parts.

 

[Elev12k]

Video showing modern frame production by Panasonic. I see lugged steel, fillet brazed steel and welded titanium.

 

[Black_puma]

Video showing modern frame production by Panasonic. I see lugged steel, fillet brazed steel and welded titanium.

watching the process of manufacturing these is very mesmerising but also awe inspiring from two points of view. 1. the skills required to build the bike frames and 2. The tools used and the process of the creation of said tools....
Awesome video and thanks for sharing!

 

[georges1]

Video showing modern frame production by Panasonic. I see lugged steel, fillet brazed steel and welded titanium.

Very cool video thanks for sharing. I suppose that the video shows a modernized of the Panasonic PICS ordering and made to measure frame system

 

[georges1]

watching the process of manufacturing these is very mesmerising but also awe inspiring from two points of view. 1. the skills required to build the bike frames and 2. The tools used and the process of the creation of said tools....
Awesome video and thanks for sharing!

I think they are as good as the best italian brands if not better. Let's not forget that high end japanese brands such as Cherubim, Nagasawa, Zunow and 3 Rensho were mastering the art of brazing and filet brazing steel.