Sekine SHS
 

I took a look at this yesterday.

https://images.craigslist.org/00B0B_...a3_600x450.jpg

Y Serial number, alloy rims, crank, stem. I'm thinking 1974 then.

It's 23" and I wouldn't say excellent condition, average would be a better word. Light rust on the chrome stays. One small path of rust on the down tube. Normal nicks elsewhere on the paint, it's certainly usable. The rims looked good. The chain is rusty but everything is original.

Since it's small I didn't make an offer as I don't like the changes of finding a usable bottom bracket there. I told the guy $225-$250 would sell it though $325 should work as a starting point.

In my area, in that condition, $100.

Is there a cult following for Sekines that I'm unaware of? I'm having a hard time envisioning that bike selling for more than $200 just about anywhere. Around here, it would likely go unsold for a long time listed at $100.

It's got those terribly disappointing turkey levers that make me want to rip the whole polluted mess off the top of that & replace it with a nice upright stem & pretty set of upright handlebars. Put a basket on the front & now your talking. Would make an excellent grocery getter.

It's nice mid-range model from the mid-1970s with Tange Champion (CrMo) double tubeset and forged dropouts with an integral hanger. Aluminum rims on Shimano 3.3.3 QR hubs. Shimano Ttilist derailleurs. Definitely worth a lot more than $100, though it has a quirky combination of 3 degree taper spindle/crankatrms, 70mm BB shell and English threading.

Good to know, @T-Mar -- thanks for filling in the details. In the provided pic, it looks an awful lot like a low-end bike boom model with turkey levers and maybe even cottered cranks. A better pic would definitely help the seller's case.

...but even knowing that it's a better bike than it looks, I think the seller may still struggle to get a price commensurate with the bike's quality due to lack of name recognition outside the Great White North.

Agreed, you'd be hard pressed to tell, without a good drive side photo and some detail pictures. But I sold these and the salient features are the chromed stay ends and top tube cable clips, which identify as mid-range. The cranks are cotterless SR Silver. How much this will sell for ultimately depends on the details in the seller's description, which the OP did not provide, IIRC, the OP has an SHS with worn cups and spindle and it sounds like he was considering this as a donor bicycle.

Yeah, I told the seller he'd be better off with more close ops pics. I wouldn't want to take this one apart just for a bottom bracket with no guarantee it would be in any better shape. Value wise I figure $100 if the frame is decent and then $100 cause the wheels were alloy and problem free.

But the seller is an older guy, Viet Nam vet, I dont know how motivated he'll be to update the pics.

FYI, don't restrict your search to an SHS. Also look for an SHB & SHC. These were lower models but used the same crankset and bottom bracket. These are much more plentiful and much cheaper than an SHS, due to their hi-tensile frames and steel rims. I'm checking the 2nd hand sites up here for one too.

There are one or two lower end ones around but for almost the same price, I may need to be more patient.

Still popular in Canada.
I just picked up a very similar bike, but smaller.
Butted Tange frame, alloy chain rings and wheels, forged chromed drops, all-Sakae & Shimano bolt-on bits...
Some girl will love it.
Depending on location these bikes can be quite pricey.
I think $200 Canadian ($150 US) is not unreasonable.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yaxsphuo8y...0copy.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dh6q40klaw...0copy.jpg?dl=0

Bink

Sorry to go a bit off subject, but does the odd crank issues apply to earlier Sekines (the Japan built ones) or just the Canadian varieties? Could you update the crank and bottom bracket with something newer to eliminate the 3 degree taper spindle?

I can't answer the first part but I took my current project in to the expert LBS mechanic. All things considered he recommended getting a new set of cups but keeping the spindle; maybe polish it down a little. The reason is that replacing the spindle means replacing the crank which means a lot of trial and error in getting something that will work with crank, chain, flywheel, and front deraileur. Reusing the spindle, even if not in perfect shape, means reusing the crank and avoiding all those other issues.

This particular issue relates to all Sekine that used the SR silver crankset, which was 3 degree taper. Consequently, it applies to all Sekine SHB, SHC and SHS, whether Canadian or Japanese manufacture.

Yes, you can change the cranks and spindle, but it's not straight forward. For a ball and cup bottom bracket, you'll have to use English cups with a 70mm spindle or mill the BB shell down to 68mm wide. If you're using a sealed cartridge bottom bracket , you'll either have to mill the shell or use a locknut free style, such as Shimano, and tolerate a 1mm skew in the spindle (not an issue for most people but some get fanatical over this sort of discrepancy). In all cases, there will probably be some trial and error to establish the proper chain line.

I think your mechanic is going to be in for a surprise but hopefully he'll get lucky with a cup match.

He pulled a matching set out of some drawer. :thumb:

Thanks T-Mar and Jorglueke for the info... I have a Sekine in the shoots, and don't know if it has that crank (I assume it does). I guess I'll see what I have and whether it needs any worn parts replaced when I rip it down.