OSAKA sticker
 

Hi,
I had an old racer with unknown brand but with a sticker that said OSAKA. Does anyone know what it is or where I can go on looking?

Osaka was a large centre of the Japanese bicycle industry. Many manufacturers were located there. The serial number may allow us to determine the exact year and manufacturer. Pictures would also be a big help.

(Just a WAG) - Kuwahara

My bike got stolen last weekend. I don't have the serial and I only have one crappy photo but can't submit a link to it until I have 10 posts!

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Who are you and how did you get in here?

I'm a locksmith and... I'm a locksmith.

Thanks for info!
Did the intro now.

:)

Finally, here's tree crappy pic of my "OSAKA" racer that got stolen. Anyone know the brand?
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/ja1kju0dm21elqg/AAAgcH59stFxbCZGm2I3oYJIa

Can it be a Miyata?

Probably not a Miyata. It's not clear from the pictures, but there is a tubing decal that is very similar to some used by Miki and Sekine bikes in the mid 1970s. The ones I'm familiar with feature "Champion" in place of the "Tange" on your decal. (Cr-mo, high end tubing). I've seen a few similar decals for double butted hi ten tubesets, but the "Tange" was in a blue oval. It looks very similar to the Sekai 2500 -- butted high tensile steel, similar color and front chrome socks. Also, the Sekai bikes were built by Miki in "Sakai" Japan, a suburb of Osaka. "Osaka" may have just been a trade name they used for a small importer.

Thanks! Now I can dig further!

Theft is the major reason to keep a record of the serial number, so the fact that the bicycle was stolen would not necessarily mean that you don't have the serial number.

Regardless, the bicycle was equipped with Shimano 600EX, which places it 1978-1983. The Tange tubing decal, as opposed to Champion signifies a hi-tensile tubeset. Manufacturers rarely applied tubing decals for plain gauge hi-tensile, so it was almost certainly one of the butted sets, either 101 or 102. Both would be consistent with the era and components. The decals were available in this style during this period and it simply looks like a faded version.

Most Japanese manufacturers of the era offered lower mid-range models with this combination of tubeset and components. Manufacturers and bicycle trading companies in the Osaka region included Asia Machinery, Chitose, First Cycle, Fuji, Kakiuchi, Kashima, Kuwahara, Kyowa Sangy, Maruishi, Matsu****a, Mitsui, Mori, Nichibei Fuji, Nikko, Shinwa, Yamato Gumi, Yokoyama and Zushi. Undoubtedly, there were even more.

Wow! Thanks for info! The Shimano 600 was from January -81, that I had figured out as I was just about to replace it because it was worn out...

Found a link to an old ad for a Osaka competition G1010. Link is broken and I can't find any info about a G1010.
Any one that have a hint?

Curiously, I was looking through a 1990 Canadian periodical and stumbled across a reference to an Osaka One ATB with an aluminum frame and Shimano 500LX components.