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Golden Sports Zebrakenko

Old 02-18-17, 05:36 PM
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Golden Sports Zebrakenko

I bought this bike yesterday.
Never heard about this Japanese brand, but I liked the Suntour Cyclone derailleurs and the drilled crank set.
For 30$, I think I got a good deal.
It is a 25" frame Ishiwata with good paint, 10 speed Suntour Cyclone with Suntour Power shifters. SR Apex crank set, Dia-Compe G brakes.
Any comment about the quality of the bike and the brand is welcome.
thanks





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Old 02-18-17, 05:40 PM
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You got an excellent deal. This is an easy flip or you can part it out to increase your return. Personally, I'd flip it after swapping out the more valuable parts (the derailleurs, shifters, and crank). Those shifters are great btw.
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Old 02-18-17, 05:49 PM
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Originally Posted by bikemig
You got an excellent deal. This is an easy flip or you can part it out to increase your return. Personally, I'd flip it after swapping out the more valuable parts (the derailleurs, shifters, and crank). Those shifters are great btw.
Learning new things every day.
I was thinking to keep the crank, shifters and derailleur, BUT I did not know the shifters are very good. And I think I have one or two more somewhere.
Thanks
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Last edited by marius.suiram; 02-18-17 at 06:03 PM.
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Old 02-18-17, 06:59 PM
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If the bike fits you should keep the whole thing as it is a very fine example of this marque and ride it. The crank is a swaged version with modified rings that is cool but not that desirable. The stem on the other hand may be quite a find, but again, for the price this is an excellent score of an interesting bike that I would keep in one piece.


Originally Posted by marius.suiram
Learning new things every day.
I was thinking to keep the crank, shifters and derailleur, BUT I did not know the shifters are very good. And I think I have one or two more somewhere.
Thanks
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Old 02-19-17, 08:55 AM
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Zebrakenko was a Japanese brand that goes back to 1901. They entered the USA market circa 1975 and disappeared in the late 1980s, after shortening their name to Zebra in the mid-1980s.

The crankset is a stock SR Apex 5DLA with the Super Light chainring option. It was the top of the swaged Apex line. The derailleurs are the highly regraded and very light, 1st generation, SunTour Cyclone with the Power shifters. The brakes appear to be one of Dia-Compe's ubiquitous N-series variants. The handlebar stem is the very desirable SR New Royal Extra Super Light. The wheels appear to be Sunshine's Regular hubs laced to 27" Araya 16a rims.

This is a very curious component mix. The SunTour components are solid mid-range. The brakes and hubs are not very special, nor is the crankset, except for the chainrings. Yet it has a top of the line stem and presumably handlebars. One questions if they would not have been been better sacrificing the bar/stem combo for a one piece Apex crankset, 700C rims or Pro-Am hubs.

Of course, the missing piece of the puzzle is the tubeset. I've seen similar models with Ishiwata 022. This one might be too.It's definitely better than hi-tensile based on the forged dropouts and use of top tube clips. The seat post diameter should provide some clues.

Despite the eclectic component mix, the overall impression is lower mid-range, Era could span late 1970s to very early 1980s. but my instinct puts it circa 1978-1982. The serial number may provide a clue. Regardless, an exceptional value for $30.

Last edited by T-Mar; 02-19-17 at 09:00 AM.
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Old 02-19-17, 07:23 PM
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Thank you for all info.
I will measure the seat post.
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Old 02-19-17, 07:30 PM
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On the sticker it says Ishiwata CrMo tubes, 022 speed galant.
The diameter is 26.8 mm.
Seat post is SR Custom.
The serial number:
It has a 9 fingers number, I cannot read it
Then Z15 77 C
Then D7C 2363
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Old 02-20-17, 08:26 AM
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That is curious. I would have expected a 27.2mm seat post for Ishiwata 022. Unless, the seat post is undersized and the cinch slot is pinched by about 2.0mm at the top, the 26.8mm post is more indicative of Ishiwata 0265.

Ishiwata 022 definitely increases the status of the bicycle, though, IMO, the crankset, brakes and wheels still relegate it to lower mid-range level.

Dual serial numbers are a known method for assemblers to handle contract manufactured frames, so the Z-format may be Zebrakenko's, while the D-format is likely the contractor's. Either way, it appears to be a 1977 model.
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Old 02-20-17, 08:27 AM
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These are cool bikes. I had one about 12yrs ago. Very nicely made and equipped. Mine had Suntour blueline derailleurs but certainly not that totally sweet drillium chainset. Even your "dork disk" is cool.
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Old 02-20-17, 01:56 PM
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The Zebrakenkos were considered just a notch under what the more well known Japanese brands like Fuji were, but it is not bad cause the quality of Japanese frames from such companies were made very well in the tradition of most products from the country. So I bet if the frame you have was plainly painted without graphics, many would find it hard to recognize it as a second tier brand like the Zebrakenkos. I do remember though seeing some Zebrakenkos (A family friend owned a bike shop that sold them in the 80's) made for the lower level market with components and general features quite typical of cheap bikes of those days, but the overallquality of the build on the frames and the paint and graphics were still done very well.

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Old 02-20-17, 04:09 PM
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Originally Posted by T-Mar
That is curious. I would have expected a 27.2mm seat post for Ishiwata 022. Unless, the seat post is undersized and the cinch slot is pinched by about 2.0mm at the top, the 26.8mm post is more indicative of Ishiwata 0265.

Ishiwata 022 definitely increases the status of the bicycle, though, IMO, the crankset, brakes and wheels still relegate it to lower mid-range level.

Dual serial numbers are a known method for assemblers to handle contract manufactured frames, so the Z-format may be Zebrakenko's, while the D-format is likely the contractor's. Either way, it appears to be a 1977 model.
I measured the seat post. Looks like 26.8. Does not look to be over tight. The decal is very clear 022.
Thanks for all the info you gave to me.
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Old 02-20-17, 04:11 PM
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Thanks guys for all your comments.
I bought the bike in the idea to clean and tune-up a little bit and resale for 100...120$.
Now I need to see what should I do with it. The frame is too big for me, I cannot keep it.
By the way, the bars are Kusuki
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Old 02-23-17, 10:42 PM
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Originally Posted by marius.suiram
On the sticker it says Ishiwata CrMo tubes, 022 speed galant.
The diameter is 26.8 mm.
Seat post is SR Custom.
The serial number:
It has a 9 fingers number, I cannot read it
Then Z15 77 C
Then D7C 2363
The D7C 2363 is probably the serial number. I have seen other Zebra and Zebrakenko bicycles with this format of serial number starting with "D".

The model name was often put on the chain stay drive side.

The Wind model used Ishiwata 022 in some model years.
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Old 05-22-17, 04:42 AM
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That model should be a Wind, though I don't remember the Wind being offered in purple or being built from 022 so it's dimly possible it could be a Lightning. Model name was on the Left chain stay. The Wind was middle of the line. nice but not special. The Lightning was very nice and the Record Ace was very very nice. I came across an early Lightning a couple years ago and that was the one and only better Zebrakenko I've seen for sale.
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Old 05-24-17, 08:36 AM
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Originally Posted by marius.suiram
I measured the seat post. Looks like 26.8. Does not look to be over tight. The decal is very clear 022.
Thanks for all the info you gave to me.
I realize this is older but to add a little info. I have a Mt Whitney that is labeled 022 and it also has a 26.8 seatpost. Not a great comparison of bike but thought I would share.
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Old 05-24-17, 09:11 AM
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OP, if you are going to flip why not leave the bike as found and pass it along to the next person without stripping off the "good" parts. Your time is more valuable than the return and IMHO too many decent bikes get stripped and the relegated to no ride less value land.....but it's your bike so do what you please.
Regards, Ben
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Old 05-24-17, 03:10 PM
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Originally Posted by xiaoman1
OP, if you are going to flip why not leave the bike as found and pass it along to the next person without stripping off the "good" parts. Your time is more valuable than the return and IMHO too many decent bikes get stripped and the relegated to no ride less value land.....but it's your bike so do what you please.
Regards, Ben
I did not touch the bike. It is as found.
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Old 05-24-17, 03:16 PM
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Originally Posted by marius.suiram
I did not touch the bike. It is as found.
understood , responding another post about stripping and reselling....
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