Classic & Vintage - T.U / Tsunado / Unicorn Headbadge - what is this bike? HELP!?

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frankencycle
06-12-07, 12:07 AM
i just acquired a bike that i know nothing about. it has fancy lugs and an alluminum headbadge that says "T.U" and it has a unicorn on it. here is a picture of it:
http://www.frankencycle.com/images/TU3.JPG

it has hearts welded into the down tube.

the serial number is DS01248

here is another picture of the frame:
http://www.frankencycle.com/images/TU2.JPG

any info would be very helpful. i'm not sure if it's worth anything. i can't find any information about these bikes online. thanks so much!

cmdr
06-12-07, 09:32 AM
Nice lugs!
lotek
06-12-07, 09:36 AM
Tsunoda, I think.

They built lotus, windsor and a few other bikes.
they're still in business in Japan
http://www.tu-bicycle.co.jp/ site is in japanese
might do better with Google search.

Marty

frankencycle
06-17-07, 11:37 PM
yes i have done many searches and asked people about it and haven't gotten much back. thanks.
blazon508
05-01-08, 09:25 PM
hey i was wondering if you got any info back on this bike? my uncle has just given me a tsunoda bike with the exact same badge and frame design. hearts on the down tube and all! the serial number is :EH07522 i would love to figure out the year it was made . cheers !
cs1
11-04-11, 06:37 AM
hey i was wondering if you got any info back on this bike? my uncle has just given me a tsunoda bike with the exact same badge and frame design. hearts on the down tube and all! the serial number is :EH07522 i would love to figure out the year it was made . cheers !

I just saw one also. Search doesn't bring up much.
Snydermann
11-06-11, 07:22 AM
Tsunoda definitely made many of the Lotus bikes for Alpha Cycle. I don't know if they made some of the Windsor bikes too, I know the early Windsor bikes were not Tsunoda, but made in Mexico, I think. Windsor isn't my thing I just happened across information about them doing Lotus research.

Those serial numbers listed look to have the same format as Lotus. From contributed information it looks like the DS prefix numbers are 1984 bikes and the EH prefix bikes are 1983.

We are compiling a Lotus serial number chart here (http://vintagelotusbicycles.com/serial_number_chart.html).
pitbull007
11-06-11, 07:45 AM
I don`t know if this helps but usually when it came to bmx bikes from the 80`s the code DSBM is usually for Akisu frames made in Taiwan.
pitbull007
11-06-11, 08:01 AM
I believe having the Ds is definitly Akisu made, they made bikes for many companies, I will guess thay it might of been made in 1980 in December so it would of been sold as a 1981.
If you ever check your steering tube it might be stamped Akisu