Originally Posted by
jbonamici
Very nice; glad you're enjoying the bike. All the Panasonics I've seen have been solid, well-made bikes, just like the Miyatas, Univegas and Nishikis. The Japanese just seemed to be ahead of the other manufacturers on the quality-control curve, as Detroit found out in a big way.
Were they ever! We were accutely aware of this in the late 70's and early 80's when I worked as a mechanic in bike shops. The truth is that I didn't care much for the way most Fujis rode, but they -- and other Japanese bikes -- were my favorite to work on, other than the super-high-end bikes from any country, which hardly count.
I have a Panasonic mixte I pulled out of the dump which appears to be in very good condition. Eventually, I'll get around to fixing and selling it.