sad
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Post by sad on Feb 14, 2016 7:30:07 GMT
OK... So the serial no. is meaningless. But then, I guess the production date wouldn't really mean that much either. I thought it was an easy question so I asked. I found this one in a thrift shop for 20$. It was a replacement for the blue and white Yamaha that I bought new in Mission Beach California. That one was my first new bike and I loved it. It was stolen while I was stationed in Florida. This red and white was so poorly assembled that it was almost unused, but still broken. It had Weinmann brakes and the big chainring was much thicker than my blue and white. Also, the chainring was well polished on the front side but unfinished on the back. It has a 2-pin death fork. I replaced the bottom bracket bearings and tried to replace the hub bearings, but the axle seized to them so... That's some other day. The only original parts are the frame, shift levers, rear derailleur and the single cable clamp. The rear rim is Mavic Reflex to replace the damaged Superchamp rim I had around. I just worked out a patch kit for the Tufo tires, and the weather is getting warm so I'll be riding more. This bike rides great.  |
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bendo
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Posts: 538
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Post by bendo on Feb 14, 2016 9:18:12 GMT
Lovely build. Are they 600 Arabesque cranks? b
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bendo
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Posts: 538
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Post by bendo on Feb 14, 2016 9:19:11 GMT
Your bike speaks to me. And it says, "More chain links please."  b |
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Post by cusqueno on Feb 14, 2016 10:11:30 GMT
People on this forum have several times suggested we should start a register of serial numbers, which might enable us to understand them. Perhaps everyone coming to the Death Forks Rally (DFR4) could bring lists of all the numbers they have to start it off?
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Post by velocipete on Feb 14, 2016 12:58:04 GMT
Good idea John. The problem is actually dating the bikes to start with. Not many will have owned them from new!
I know some models have the Championship decals on,and a rough idea of dates can be traced from the equipment
fitted.
In all,a mamoth task for someone.
Cheers,
Pete.
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sad
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Post by sad on Feb 14, 2016 15:18:07 GMT
Jeeze you noticed that chain? Yeah, I shortened it too much to increase the tension. I couldn't use the lowest gear and the chain would still bounce off the chainring. I later made a chain... um... "helper" to keep it on. Seems to have worked. This picture is before I added two links back in. The cranks and fork are from a Kawamura (Nishiki). But I think the crank is called "Golden Arrow". (Nishiki isn't an actual word... but It can be poetically interpreted as: Death of the Heart and Death of the Mind. Which makes the story of how it got it's name kinda funny.) Originally, I rebuilt it as a three speed, but it wasn't fun to ride.  |
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on Feb 14, 2016 17:37:35 GMT
Welcome to our forum, another member from the Western States, yea! I would think that the serial numbers are at the very least, sequential. Twenty bucks at a thrift shop; that was a great deal!
Jim
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sad
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Post by sad on Feb 14, 2016 18:57:59 GMT
...20$ at a thrift shop...
At the time, I thought so. But that was almost 20 years ago.
I didn't even realize it till now.
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bendo
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Posts: 538
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Post by bendo on Feb 14, 2016 21:02:52 GMT
Jeeze you noticed that chain? Yeah, I shortened it too much to increase the tension. I couldn't use the lowest gear and the chain would still bounce off the chainring. I later made a chain... um... "helper" to keep it on. Seems to have worked. This picture is before I added two links back in. The cranks and fork are from a Kawamura (Nishiki). But I think the crank is called "Golden Arrow". (Nishiki isn't an actual word... but It can be poetically interpreted as: Death of the Heart and Death of the Mind. Which makes the story of how it got it's name kinda funny.) Originally, I rebuilt it as a three speed, but it wasn't fun to ride. Ahh, Shimano Golden Arrow. Lovely. Later became 105. My experience with single chainrings is that the bounce only happens when the chainring teeth are worn. A new chainring can solve that problem without the need of a 'helper'. BTW "Nishiki" is indeed a word. It's this kanji 錦 and it means brocade or decoration. There was a famous Sumo wrestler in the 80s and 90s called Konishiki (lit. "small brocade"). He is Hawaiian and was the heaviest Sumo wrestler in history. He's now famous in Japan as a children's TV host. Japan. It's my thing.  b |
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