Originally Posted by
ramzilla
Serial number on the side of seat tube = Kuwahara.
I own an American Flyer "Emperor" made by Kuwahara. It's got the serial numbers up the side of seat tube, a 012 tubing sticker and, "Kuwahara" stamped into the round part of the front fork drop out. Judging from the serial number I think mine is about a 1980 model. I converted it to an upright townie style ride with thumb shifters. It's a very nice ride.
I'm guessing that yours is a 1971 model. Be good & have fun with your bike.
There were many manufacturers that stamped the serial number on the lower seat tube, not just Kuwahara. Also, the serial number format is incorrect for Kuwahara, unless it has been stamped incorrectly. Given the apparent era and level, the best indicator, if it is Kuwahara, would be the headset, which should be branded Kuwahara. These headsets were very common on entry level models of other Kuwahara manufactured brands, such as Apollo, Concord, Gear-Z, Hirame, Soma Takara and World of Wheels.