I snagged this Jamis Dakar Comp yesterday.. seller listed it on Craigslist without a picture but mentioned "weird colors - pink and purple" (way to upsell the bike buddy), and also mentioned it had Deore XT (which is how I found it). I emailed him asking for a pic and didn't hear back for a day or two.. but then guy sends me a pic of a sweet MTB with not only XT components, a lugged frame in awesome colors!
I'm already pretty excited about the bike, but I do some research to try to find out as much as possible about early Jamis bikes. There's not much out there, but I did find on the Jamis website, they have a short history of the company. One of the entries in the timeline mentions in 1987 the Dakar went from fillet-brazed triple-butted Ishiwata tubing to lugged Prestige tubing in an effort to make a lighter frame. I can tell the bike is lugged from the pic and the colors and lack of ubrake strongly suggest it's post 1987, so I start to get even excited!
Finally the day comes to meet to pick up the bike. The seller calls me and we chat a bit.. he makes sure he sent me a picture, making sure that I knew it was "pink and purple, with green tires". He said he always meant to get it painted over but never did. I'm thinking, THANK YOU FOR NOT PAINTING IT OVER!! Apparently he is the original owner and was originally planning on buying a lesser model, the Dakota. The sales person offered him a free upgrade to the Dakar just because of the colors
As
realestvin said, I'd pay extra for the paint!
Bike is a mix of Deore XT and Deore, Tange Prestige MTB frame with a Tange MTB fork. Seat post is Suntour XC, stem is Ritchey Force. I'm guessing on the year but SLR brakes and 7speed SIS with hyperglide didn't come out until 1989 model year, and in 1990 Shimano switched to trigger shifters. Component dates on the brakes are march 1988, so it could have been an early 1989 model manufactured in 1988.
I'm not 100% sure but maybe the front wheel is not original.. the hub is slightly more modern than the rest of the bike, and the front rim is black while the rear is silver, though the rims appear to be the same model. Perhaps the original front wheel was stolen or something. They're drilled for presta tubes too... this is definitely not a recreational mtb! There's no brazons for a rack either (though there are for fenders)
The bike has signs of heavy use and no signs of neglect or abuse. It needs a good cleaning but everything seems to be in great shape. Even the seat post is greased and chain oiled. The owner was getting rid of it because he had upgraded to a more modern MTB. I don't doubt this thing has gotten plenty of miles, and I'm happy to put on plenty more.
As far as plans for it.. I hate to change it from stock, but I don't like plain flat bars. I have a trekking bar which i might try out on it. Eventually it will probably get the drop bar treatment, though I will have to find the perfect stem and brake levers before i do that.
"As found".. even came with period correct water bottles, one with a 90s Gary Fisher logo and another with some 80s art from Specialized. Weighs in just under 28lbs