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Old 06-18-08, 07:35 AM
  #66  
jonwvara 
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Bikes: 1966 Dawes Double Blue, 1976 Raleigh Gran Sport, 1975 Raleigh Sprite 27, 1980 Univega Viva Sport, 1971 Gitane Tour de France, 1984 Lotus Classique, 1976 Motobecane Grand Record

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Originally Posted by T-Mar
The database has 6 samples of confirmed 1985/1986 models, all with a WExxxxx serial format. A Prestige would definitely be from that period.

There are a number of explanations as to why it starts with a KE, but they are all speculation. First there may have been a transition period, early in the year. Knowing your complete serial number would help. Secondly, Kawamura may have pre-stamped the W or K on the bottom brackets. Yours may have started in 1984, but got finished in 1985 or maybe a batch of older, pre-stamped bottom bracket turned up in 1985. We could work our way down to less probable situations like an employee being on sick leave or vacation, then coming back and not realizing the serial number format had changed.

The bottom line is that there could be numerous explanations and we'll probably never know which is the case. It seems you always find a couple of anomalies in every serial number format.
The complete serial number is WE07436--a fairly low number for the year apparently, so maybe T-Mar's transition-period-early-in-the-year theory is correct.
Speaking of the bottom line, my SN isn't all on one line as in all the photos on this thread that I've seen. The "WE07" is on a line above, with the "436" on a second line beneath it, thusly:
WE07
436
Thanks, JV
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