Classic & Vintage - 1980's Japanese made Bianchi

I have a early to mid 1980's Bianchi made in Japan. It would be a touring/racing bicycle base on the size of the rims. I am trying to get some info on it before my husband drags it to the curb one more time and I rescue it.
Thanks for any help.
Chill

I have a early to mid 1980's Bianchi made in Japan. It would be a touring/racing bicycle base on the size of the rims. I am trying to get some info on it before my husband drags it to the curb one more time and I rescue it.
Thanks for any help.
Chill

Many/most of the quality manufacturers who went to Japan to have their bicycles made did so because the quality was excellent, and the costs were low.

Take a look at the Japanese made Schwinn Le Tour, for example. They were better than any road bike Schwinn ever produced in the USA with the exception of the Paramount.

I am not familiar with your Japanese Bianchi, but I would guess it is a very good quality machine.

There is no shame in owning a Japanese Bianchi; they were very respectable low-to-mid level machines, superior to many competitors' offerings. Of course, there is nothing like a genuine Italian Bianchi! :)

I too have a 1980s Bianchi made in Japan. I think mine is from 1987.

I did find this on Sheldon Brown's site:

While Bianchi is best known as an Italian brand, they were having bicycles built in Japan to their specifications for several years in the late 1980s. These were particularly nice bikes, with better workmanship than the Italian models.

What components does yours have? Model?

I have a early to mid 1980's Bianchi made in Japan. It would be a touring/racing bicycle base on the size of the rims. I am trying to get some info on it

I've owned 3 in the past year and found that info is very difficult to locate. The best source I've found is similar bikes selling on E-Bay that have model year included in the description. There is a message board on the bianchi usa website, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of info on old stuff. The message board is at www.bianchiusa.com (http://lists.bianchiusa.com/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=627db0b159aeede114e9cf2305bdf79b)
Another site that may be of use is at www.oldroads.com , click on "Discussion Area: vintage lightweights". (They post on here occasionally as well)
The one I still have is a ~1985 Italian Racing Red Paggio with 700 Ambrosio wheels and SunTour ARx derailleurs. Mine doesn't say paggio on it, but a friend has the identical bike (different colour) with a Paggio decal. I think his is an '84.

The other 2: a ~1988 (had 1987 World Champion decal on it) Strada with 27" wheels and Shimano derailleurs. The other is a year or 2 older, same components and wheels.

All 3 bikes rode very well, no problems at all with them. A Paggio sold on E-Bay in the summer for around $200, so they can be worth a few bucks. I paid $17 for the Paggio at a recycling place, $35 for the Strada at a yard sale, and $3 for the other one at a police auction. I sold the 2 lesser bikes for $50 each to friends at work.

One of my bikes (the one now set up on a trainer) is a '91 Bianchi Virata...lugged steel made in Japan...Ultegra setup all around.

All in all a very nice bike with a nice 2 tone paint job. Not quite yet a "classic" but still of the type you were referring to.

It really is a nice frame. But as it turned out a little too big (2 cm) for me anyway. I still like steel, though even though my new bike is a Look C.F.