Takara Competition
 

My dump guy had this stashed for me last week.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps55xsvomk.jpg

At first blush it looked pretty nice, what with those chrome socks.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...psasd6qfsr.jpg

Tube set did not inspire enthusiasm.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...pssumy1dwz.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps3r6o9ylx.jpg

Pretty sure I can guess the OEM......

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps8wrqtseg.jpg

Cable clips are pretty cool.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps4gc9nqd0.jpg

Never saw Nitto bars branded with a bike company's name before.

Someone loved this little bike once. The rims had been replaced, and the brake levers updated to 6401.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...pscokgygay.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...psgnuhubp2.jpg

Rest of the drive train is 1st Gen Uniglide-600 Arabesque.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...pskn8mu1vd.jpg

Drive side crank was stripped out; made servicing the BB interesting.

Top

Very cool...I bought the same bike (but bigger) as a donor for my 1983 Wojcik.
Frame was pretty nice on it's own, and if it was my size I'd have hung onto it.




Steve

Nice. :thumb: Your dump man seems pretty cool.

I wish I had a "Dump Guy."

(But be careful what you wish for.)

Nice haul home Top! Did you manage to remove the crankarm or did you leave it in place?

My dump coughed up a low-end French bike Sunday afternoon, a Nord France, IIRC. It is equipped with plastic Simplex RD, FD, and shifters (no cracks detected), a decent set of Normandy high flange hubs with straight lever Atom QR (Rigida steel rims), and MAFAC Racer calipers and levers. At this point I'm guessing French threaded Atom pedals, which is the reason I brought it home.

Two years ago I built up a '72 Peugeot PX10 for my organist, I'll give him these pedals to clean so he can have a spare set. :D

Anyone need any other old-timey :innocent: French threaded or sized bits?

Oh, I got it off. I can't walk away from a job undone.
There is a similar French bike on the side of the road sporting a 'for sale' sign on my commute. So far I've been able to resist. Tall frame.

Top

I knew you would be successful. :thumb: The next question: What did you replace it with?

My motto: "If it's French and it's Free, I MIGHT be interested. If it's French and it's for sale, walk the other way!" :p

I realize the above is overstating the issue, but from my point of view, why complicate my life any more than I need to? :innocent:

Just stuck it back on....it's too pretty to throw away. With the BB serviced it's not a problem for a while.
With two Motos and a Gitane in the barn I do not fear Frenchness, but I don't need another low quality flipper hanging around for a year. If's it's still there next Monday (after three weekends on a main road) I might make a VERY lowball offer.

Top

The headset and dropouts are Kuwahara.

The tubing decal is not a Kuwahara decal. Is the frame serial number a Kuwahara serial number?

You tell me:

81 1 69343, stamped on the lower end of the seat tube.

Tup

Coming from a Pastor no less, who just sold a Peugeot in the last two weeks to a poor honest midwesterner. IIRC, when you were selling, you were waxing poetically about the French bike's attributes. Sheesh, sounds more like a used car salesman, talking out of both sides of his mouth. :D

At least we learned about bikeflights.

Yes, that is a Kuwahara format serial number. Year 1981, month 1 = January.

I should have specified--- :p The Frenchys with all those special metric sizes from the 1960s and '70s!

I know its been a while, do you still have this Takara? I garbage picked a less model, Prestige from 1985 and I'm having a blast riding and upgrading it with vintage parts (I know its not worth it). The Competition was on the higher end of what Takara offered and I see it has components that aren't common on Takaras, perhaps a previous owner upgraded it? The aero brake handles on an 81's seems very unusual for factory Takara.

The aero brake levers and rims are later replacements. The Shimano 600EX drivetrain components are OEM.