Classic & Vintage - Tell me more about my Centurion.

I was up my LBS today for a spoke change and saw a used road bike which sparked my interest. It was called a Centurion and the frame was marked "Made in Japan". It was in great condition, although obviously more than 20 years old. I bought it for $CAN 70. Does anyone know anything about these bikes?

I don't know much, but I believe that Centurion was the brand name under which Diamondback sold road bikes in the 70s and early 80s...

-chris

This was a confusing name, just as Broken mentioned there was a bike company called Centurion BUT Nishiki also made a bike called the Nishiki Centurion, so check to see which it is. The Centurion road bikes was made by Western States Imports who also made DiamondBack which was their BMX and MTB line. The Centurion name was started in the early 80's and only lasted about 10 to 15 years because road bike sales fell off and MTB sale shot through the roof so Diamondback became the hot selling bike brand.

If it's a Nishiki that was a excellent bike in it's time and should be either Tange Prestige or Ishiwata 019 tubing either is an excellent tube set; just ask the seller which tube set (this of course would also apply with the Centurion in regards to the tubeset).

Centurion produced pretty good entry level road bikes back in the 70's-80's. I have several in my "fleet". Probably the most common model in these parts was the "Le Mans". Early Le Mans just had Hi Tension steel frames while later years had Tange Champion. I have 1 of each & they ride about the same. All Lemans models I've seen had Sun Tour Vgt derailleurs & DiaCompe centerpull brakes. They also made a Touring bike with a chrome plated Tange #2 frame, triple crank etc called the "Pro Tour 15", I have one of these & it is my main Winter Rain bike, they sold them back in the early 80's. Centurion also made an "IronMan" model & there were some Cinelli frame bikes with a Campy group which carried the Centurion & Cinelli logo. Check the chain stays & top tube for any remnant of the model name. Also the derailleur, brakeset & crankset should give an idea of the quality on the model you have. Don

I owned two Centurians in the around 1970 to about 1984 as I remember. They were excelent bikes. I fixed one up with a gel-cel light system as my commuter bike at the time when I was considered a real nut for commuting by bike. The other one I considered my sport bike and had a slightly higher gearing for riding up into the mountains by road of course.

Ollo (and others),
Thanks for the info.
I've picked up the Centurion now and you are right it is a LeMans model. Yes, it has Sun Tour derailleurs and brakes.
I've been riding it around today and I'm pleased.
My only concern is the logo. From my research the Centurion logo is a large upper case "C". This one has a gold four point star with "Centurion" running vertically in red lettering.

I have a late 80's Centurion Lemans... it does not have Suntour parts on it.. rather Shimano Exage Sport Group... dunno where that ranked back in the day... the brakes are side pull... and it is a 6 speed downtube shifting system... the frame does say "MAde in Japan" and it is Tange tubing...

JEff

Stokell:
The 3 Centurions I own have both types of head badge, the older lemans has a head badge like yours & long SunTour stem shifters, the newer model has a metal "C" badge with downtube shifters & the Touring Bike has a "C" badge silkscreen painted onto the head tube. Every LeMans model I've seen had centerpull brakes & my touring Centurion has Cantilever brakes with downtube shifters. Don

If it's a Nishiki that was a excellent bike in it's time and should be either Tange Prestige or Ishiwata 019 tubing either is an excellent tube set; just ask the seller which tube set (this of course would also apply with the Centurion in regards to the tubeset). Nishiki like most other oriental makers from that time period also made some real junk.

I have seen two Centurions in Thrift stores recently. The first was an 'Executive', the second was a 'Custom'.
I bought the 'Executive' for $12.50. It is a black, 10-speed with a beautifully lugged frame. It has Suntour 7 GT derailleur, Dia Compe brakes, Sugino crank.
The 'Custom' which I did not buy was blue, it also had a nicely lugged frame. It had a chrome bottom to the front fork.
I dont know who manufactured the bikes but I believe they are Japanese with some Taiwan components (pedals).

Hey, tommy2pants, I bet you like to say the "Far East" along with your "Oriental" term to describe Asia and Asians respectively.

IT's 2004, not 1950 OK.

Get with the program.

Ollo (and others),
Thanks for the info.
I've picked up the Centurion now and you are right it is a LeMans model. Yes, it has Sun Tour derailleurs and brakes.
I've been riding it around today and I'm pleased.
My only concern is the logo. From my research the Centurion logo is a large upper case "C". This one has a gold four point star with "Centurion" running vertically in red lettering.

I've also just picked up a Centurion with the vertical badge. I don't know what the model is, or the original componentry. It was recently rebuilt with the Shimano 600 group w/Arabesque scrollwork. It has Araya 27" rims. Is your centurion also a 27 inch wheel? I'm no expert, but I don't think any Japanese companies produced 27" wheeled bikes. These Centurions are English bikes, I think.

Did you find any other identifying marks on the bike? My Centurion has been repainted, and the chrome tips of the fork and the chainstays have been polished. Does your have chrome tips also?

The Centurion Custom I saw in a thrift store for $4.99 had a chrome fork bottom. It also had the vertical badge. I could not tell you much else because I did not buy it. I noticed the side of the wheel rims were 'stippled', the part that the brake shoe presses on.

My Centurion Executive 12-speed has the oval badge with 'Centurion Bicycle Works' on it. It has 27X1.25 rims. Simano 7 GT derailleur. Silstar cranks, Suzue rims. Ultralight Hi-Tension tubing.

I'm told these are Japanese bikes.

The vertical cross type badge was used on the older bikes & all of mine have a "made in Japan" sticker or decal on the frame. My oldest Centurion Le Mans had more ornate lugwork similar to but not as fine pointed as the Nervex lugs on my Raleigh & Motobecane bikes. It also had a "gauranteed built with genuine HiTension steel" foil sticker made to resemble the Reynolds 531 sticker and had the extremely long SunTour stemshifters of the 70s. Don

I just won a Centurion Le Mans on Ebay for $140.00 and use it as my daily commuter. It's an '89 with Tange #2 tubing and Shimano Exage sport grouppo. I think the wheels are Araya 700 series with a 36 spoke configuration. I've also got the 12 speed, downtube shifters. It's my understanding that they were designed in the US and manufactured in Japan. I initially intended to build it as a single speed but like it so much the way it is I think I'll scrap that idea. In fact, although it only cost about 1/12th that of my other bikes, it may well be my favorite as it spins and handles extremely well.

Last week I picked up a virtually unused Centurion Le Mans mixte at the thift store for $30 for my wife. I'm not certain of the exact year. It's got the big 'C' badge, lugged frame with Tange No. 5 chrome-moly tubing, Araya 27" x 1 1/4" rims, DiaCompe sidepulls, and Suntour ARX derailleurs with ratcheting friction shifters. It's a little jewel; the fit and finish are superb, and it rides like a dream. My Motobecane now hangs its snooty French head in the corner. ;)

It's been difficult to sort out who the manufacturer of these bikes actually was, since there is no more WSI to ask. Mine is clearly labeled 'Made in Japan', and all the components are Japanese. I've seen Sekine mentioned as possibly being the builder, but info on that company is also practically non-existant.

I'd love to see some pics of everyone's Centurions. Here's one of my thrift store find:

http://home.comcast.net/~mswantak/wsb/media/1477/site1318.jpg

Heres my Centurion Le Mans it had the big C badge
it was beige with purple outlines around the lugs but i spray painted it :)
I got the frame and fork for $10 to build my first fixed gear out of..
since that picture i put bull horns with orange tape on it

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=16585

Last week I picked up a virtually unused Centurion Le Mans mixte at the thift store for $30 for my wife.

Really beautiful bike. Thirty dollars well-spent!

Here's an old picture of my Centurion Pro Tour. It has champion No 2 butted tubes and the many scratches verify the whole frame is chrome plated under the dark metallic blue paint. I added the Brooks saddle & the dynohub front wheel which now powers a LumoTec headlight. Don

wsi went out of business when cozy there main designer left and started park pre bicycles. cozy yamakoshi is the major reason you are able to ride those bikes. cuz he was wsi's head engineer at the time and designed all those bikes. he was the person in charge of diamond back's huge success at that time. it was his designs and flare that kicked diamond back off. he designed almost all of diamond backs first bikes and most of centurions bikes at that time.. dunno if this helps any but i am marring his daughter . sooo you have any questions on centurions i might be able to help..

an6's .o2

Next time you see him, tell him I said 'thanks'; he done real good. :)

:beer:

Thanks from me too! All three of mine are great bikes & I plan to pass them on to my grand kids.

Here's a pic of my Centurion Le Mans. 14 speed DT shifting Shimano Exage Sport. Paid $53.00 for it on E-bay and picked it up locally to save shipping. Came with Profile aero bars, Avocet 35 computer and Shimano 1056 pedals. Sold those on E-bay for $51.00 total. Only thing I've done to it is grease, tape and cables. Will add new tires in spring. Made a believer out of my wife too!

Oh, and added new cages

I have a Centurion Dave Scott Triathalon bike for which I dog my more expensive bikes. It is lighter than all of my friend's bikes, but made of Tange steel. Gives a great, flexible ride, is bright pink and has 23 cm tires that cut through the snow and ice. I love it I love it I love it.

Bought a LeMans 12 with 25 inch frame in 1984 which I still use. I have an original owner's manual if anyone needs some info from it. Covers 2 types of Shimano 3-speed hub's and a Sun Tour 3-speed hub; also, Shimano and NK sinble speed coaster hub's as well as gear charts for 26 and 27 inch wheels

Hey, you suppose you could be convinced to make some scans of those manual pages? I'm sure there are more than a few Centurion riders who'd like to get a look at it. I could even turn them into a PDF document.

I bought a Centurion ProTour touring bike in 1985. If I remember correctly it was $300 and the shop said I was getting a great price as it had been there for a while. It's a 60 or 61cm frame, with Tange triple butted tubing, the label says Champion #2. It's a triple, had a 5 speed freewheel that has been replaced with a 6 speed. Rear deraileur has also been replaced with XT. The handlebars were very narrow - 38cm. Color is bronze-ish. There is something a bit "romantic" about friction shifting.

It was my only bike for 14 years and I rode it maybe 50-100+ miles/week depending on the time of year. It doesn't get ridden too much anymore, but a few months back I made some mods and will be riding it on many of the packed trails here in Missouri. I miss the California climate, but west county St. Louis has some awesome rides on low traffic roads. The Centurion will likely be my choice for a 225 mile trek on the Katy Trail this Spring. I switch occasionally between cross tires and std road tires. I could never part with the Centurion, it was my adult re-introduction to the world of cycling.

The Centurion Pro Tour is a special bike. Great for touring, commuting or just general riding. High quality touring bikes designed and built to carry heavy loads have become both rare and expensive. Eventually, I am going to have to part with some of my old bikes, but my Pro Tour is one bike I want to take with me to the "Old Folks Home".

What year is a yellow and white Centurion Dave Scott Ironman, has 7spd Ultegra on it?

Can you ask your future father in law what year my recently aquired Centurion Ironman is. It is yellow and white with 7 spd. Ultegra on it, made in Japan with Tange #1 tubing. That's all I know so far.

Thanks,
kbe

I still have my Centurion "Elite 12" that I purchased around 1984. Tange #2 frame with SunTour Cyclone MKII/Sugino/Diacompe components. It's silver with a black head tube, similar to the mixte frame shown in this thread. Put some good years on that bike, along with my first century.

The only real drawback is that it came with 27" wheels rather than 700c, but that's a minor issue. Right now it's set up with cross tires and a very wide 13-32 freewheel for dirt road use. It's rather fun riding a dirt road on a 24 lb, no suspension rig and passing kids trying to get their freeride bikes up a hill without pushing.

Hello,
my name's dakow, this is my first posting here and I'm writing from germany, so please excuse my mistakes :o . I don't know if it's written somewhere, but we in (South-)Germany have a company called "Centurion", too. Their steel bikes from the late 80th/ early 90th have a real good reputation.
Here (http://www.centurion.de/2004/index.php?lang=en&domain=de&p=history&sitemap_mark=2) is the link to the hp (history). Most centurion bikes on ebay germany (http://search.ebay.de/centurion_Radsport_W0QQcatrefZC3QQcoactionZcompareQQcoentrypageZsearchQQcopagenumZ1QQfposZPostleitza QQfromZR2QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQga10244Z10425QQsacatZ9192QQsadisZ200QQsbrftogZ1QQsocdpfcatZ9192QQsofocusZ bs) come from them.
There's also another company in Denmark with bikes called "Centurion": danish bikes (http://www.centurion.dk/), but I don't know anything about them.
bye
dakow

Hi,
I recently purchased a mid 80's Centurion/ Cinelli Equip bicycle w/mainly Suntour Superbe components. Does anyone know if decals are available for restoring it. I was thinking of restoring it with all Cinelli decals but figured I should probably find out a little more about this bike model before messing anything up. Thanks for any input.

Hello,
my name's dakow, this is my first posting here and I'm writing from germany, so please excuse my mistakes :o . I don't know if it's written somewhere, but we in (South-)Germany have a company called "Centurion", too. Their steel bikes from the late 80th/ early 90th have a real good reputation.
Here (http://www.centurion.de/2004/index.php?lang=en&domain=de&p=history&sitemap_mark=2) is the link to the hp (history). Most centurion bikes on ebay germany (http://search.ebay.de/centurion_Radsport_W0QQcatrefZC3QQcoactionZcompareQQcoentrypageZsearchQQcopagenumZ1QQfposZPostleitza QQfromZR2QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQga10244Z10425QQsacatZ9192QQsadisZ200QQsbrftogZ1QQsocdpfcatZ9192QQsofocusZ bs) come from them.
There's also another company in Denmark with bikes called "Centurion": danish bikes (http://www.centurion.dk/), but I don't know anything about them.
bye
dakow

From what I have read in various places, there is no relationship between the Centurion bikes sold in Germany in the 1980's and the Centurions sold in the USA. The American importer bought his bikes in Japan, and "owned" the rights to the Centurion name for the USA.

After establishing "Centurion" as a "major" name in the road bike field, the importer decided to use the same name that was on their mountainbikes: "Diamondback". Given how "brilliant" this marketing move was, Mercedes has decided that in 2006, the cars it sells in the USA will be called "Plymouths".

Hi,
I recently purchased a mid 80's Centurion/ Cinelli Equip bicycle w/mainly Suntour Superbe components. Does anyone know if decals are available for restoring it. I was thinking of restoring it with all Cinelli decals but figured I should probably find out a little more about this bike model before messing anything up. Thanks for any input.

What is the "model" of your bike? I remember seeing an ad for a Centurion that was called the "Prestige" or the "Prestige Team" that was made with Tange Prestige tubing and (perhaps) a Superbe or Dura-Ace group. It was a "team" bike for the Pro teams that Centurion sponsored.

Just to update everyone about my Centurion. I was the guy who made the original post. Since then I have taken it on a tour of Europe and now sits in semi retirement at the R/T station biking me the 3 kms to my office and back 4 days a week.

The frame is now a bit rusty but works as well as it did when I bought it a couple of years ago.

I have this Centurion Prestige road bike that I found in a trash heap when some neighbors moved away. It looks like it's ready for the Tour de France, looks to me like a top of the line model. The shifters, derailuers, brakes, hubs are all Shimano 600, has 700c rims, Look clip pedals. I took a bunch of pictures of it, but I can only upload low quality ones here. Anybody know how much this bike is worth?

Your new find is circa 1989 and originally sold for $1000 US. Changes from original are the the high rise stem, aero bars, Gripshift and Look pedals. Apparently, the previous owner was into triathlons. The Prestige came equipped with clipless pedals, though they were Sampson, so Look must have been a personal preference for the previous owner.

How much would my bike be worth now? I looks in very good condition, rides well, but there's looks like someone put white paint on the top tube with a brush.

Nishiki also made a bike called the Nishiki Centurion

Wasn't the Nishiki model the "Century" not Centurion?