Originally Posted by
Salamandrine
Yeah, they were, until sometime in the mid 80s when production was moved out of Japan.
They are exactly the same frame made from the same stuff in the same factory, but with different decals. If comparing the complete bikes, the Univegas were spec'd slightly better actually, though the Miyata 1000 came with racks.
OK, there was a small aesthetic difference in lug cutout shape: 'M' vs diamonds. And most important of all, the Miyata 1000 was blessed by St Sheldon, and is therefore more valuable.
The one in the picture looks like it needs quite a bit of TLC, but it's worth fixing up.
For same model years, they're pretty much comparable.
And I agree that the Uni's sometimes were specc'ed a bit better than the Miyata counterparts (re-braze-ons, etc). For example, my late-83-build ('84 model year) Univega Gran Tourismo is spec'ed slightly better than the '84 Miyata 610 with regard to bottle braze-on, front fork rack mid-mount braze on. etc) Another example is the '84 Univega Viva Sport - other than wheel size (Uni having 27, and Miyata having 700c) this 'lower-end' Univega is spec'd better than a '84 Miyata 310, and just a minor derailleur change down compared to the mid-level semi-pro '84 Miyata 710.
I'm happy with both of my Univegas!
Edit: gives me a chance to show the Unis...
First the '84 Gran Tourismo as purchased
Then the Viva Sport as completed (minus chain)
