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Maruishi Excellence.....

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Old 05-14-23, 10:46 AM
  #26  
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Looks nice! The only other quad butted bikes I've seen so far are touring bikes (Kuwahara Caravans). Not a whole lot of Maruishis around here but I read on bf they also made bikes for REI down in the states.
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Old 05-14-23, 11:32 AM
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Seems like a fair price, bike looks complete and unmolested. The kangaroo is a cool feature.
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Old 05-14-23, 03:13 PM
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Thank you for the very kind words everyone..
Yes this bike is very very very rare..
A good friend of mine told me there were only six "Maruishi Excellence" ever made and I am the happy owner of one.
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Old 05-14-23, 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Billydog
Thank you for the very kind words everyone..
Yes this bike is very very very rare..
A good friend of mine told me there were only six "Maruishi Excellence" ever made and I am the happy owner of one.
Don't know about all that, but certainly a decent bike. Here is a catalog. And here is another nice one on BF Maruishi thread

Last edited by shelbyfv; 05-14-23 at 04:44 PM. Reason: Link
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Old 05-14-23, 05:16 PM
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Suntour Sprint derailleurs are good stuff for sure, and my impression is everything's original to the bike. $160 was certainly a fair price. Don't believe the hype re: "only six made," and don't go thinking it's an uber-valuable rarity. Just a cool bike.
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Old 05-14-23, 10:52 PM
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Originally Posted by fahrenheit531
suntour sprint derailleurs are good stuff for sure, and my impression is everything's original to the bike. $160 was certainly a fair price. Don't believe the hype re: "only six made," and don't go thinking it's an uber-valuable rarity. Just a cool bike.
100%
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Old 05-14-23, 11:02 PM
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Originally Posted by fahrenheit531
suntour sprint derailleurs are good stuff for sure, and my impression is everything's original to the bike. $160 was certainly a fair price. Don't believe the hype re: "only six made," and don't go thinking it's an uber-valuable rarity. Just a cool bike.
100%
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Old 05-15-23, 06:29 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by Billydog
Thank you for the very kind words everyone..
Yes this bike is very very very rare..
A good friend of mine told me there were only six "Maruishi Excellence" ever made and I am the happy owner of one.
That is almost certainly not true, but it is scarce. That's a great frame that you can ride forever. Don't let anyone talk you into bending it up ("cold setting") just to accommodate more gears. This is a keeper, so keep the frame intact - no bending.

I notice your rear dropout screw is all the way in and the wheel is all the way forward in the dropout. Typically you want the wheel to sit about halfway back, give or take. I'd back those screws out about 1/2 inch.
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Old 05-15-23, 06:35 AM
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Originally Posted by rgvg
Looks nice! The only other quad butted bikes I've seen so far are touring bikes (Kuwahara Caravans). Not a whole lot of Maruishis around here but I read on bf they also made bikes for REI down in the states.
My Fuji has quad-butted tubing, and there were a few others. But not many. The OP's frame is a keeper and I'm sure it rides and handles great.
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Old 05-15-23, 08:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Jeff Neese
That is almost certainly not true, but it is scarce. That's a great frame that you can ride forever. Don't let anyone talk you into bending it up ("cold setting") just to accommodate more gears. This is a keeper, so keep the frame intact - no bending.

I notice your rear dropout screw is all the way in and the wheel is all the way forward in the dropout. Typically you want the wheel to sit about halfway back, give or take. I'd back those screws out about 1/2 inch.
Thanks.
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Old 05-15-23, 08:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Jeff Neese
That is almost certainly not true, but it is scarce. That's a great frame that you can ride forever. Don't let anyone talk you into bending it up ("cold setting") just to accommodate more gears. This is a keeper, so keep the frame intact - no bending.

I notice your rear dropout screw is all the way in and the wheel is all the way forward in the dropout. Typically you want the wheel to sit about halfway back, give or take. I'd back those screws out about 1/2 inch.
Thanks.
I don't know too much about bikes but it's funny you mention that....
When I took the bike for a test ride before before I bought it the rear tire came off and I almost fell off the bike...
I don't know if the dropout screw had anything to do with it but thanks for letting me know.... Good eye thanks.
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Old 05-15-23, 02:12 PM
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[MENTION=566247]Billydog[/MENTION] maybe you can post a picture on the show your maruishi thread A "Show Your MARUISHI Here!" thread- why not? since there's a dearth of info on Maruishis. All five of us will be very happy with that contribution.
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Old 05-15-23, 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted by rgvg
[MENTION=566247]Billydog[/MENTION] maybe you can post a picture on the show your maruishi thread A "Show Your MARUISHI Here!" thread- why not? since there's a dearth of info on Maruishis. All five of us will be very happy with that contribution.
Thanks will do.
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Old 05-16-23, 06:26 AM
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Some updated info for a previous post I made here.

I received what follows earlier today in a PM from one of Bike Forums' resident experts (IMO the premier resident expert) on Asian bicycle history, [MENTION=20650]T-Mar[/MENTION] . He has given me permission to post the contents of said PM here. Obviously, I didn't know what follows originally.

Originally Posted by T-Mar
I received a notification regarding your mention of myself in the thread on the Maruishi Excellence. Since my post of a decade ago, I have obtained specifications for the 1986 model. Maruishi changed the tubing and derailleur specso0n this model between the 1985 and 1986 model years, with the latter matching the bicycle of the current thread.

Quadruple butted CrMo would be correct for 1986. The spec sheet mentions the brand being Ishiwata, though not the exact tubeset. However, given the era and price, it is almost certainly one of the seamed, EXO tubesets. Fork specs state Mangy CrMo, which is an oxymoron, though the OP's photos show what appears to be a CrMo decal on the fork blade. Unlike the 1985 specs, the stay material is not mentioned.

Derailleurs are the friction version of SunTour Sprint, which was only manufactured for the 1986 model year. I'm assuming these were intended a "door crasher" to induce sales, as these are a couple of levels above the other components, which include a Sugino GLP crankset, Dia-Compe GX-500N brakeset and Suzue hubs.

Original MSRP was $369.00 US. Given the era, tubing, components and price, I would classify this as a lower mid-range model. Photos indicate good cosmetic condition, so assuming equivalent mechanical condition, it was a good buy at the stated price.
OP: to second T-Mar, you got a very good deal IMO. Glad to see you were correct (and I was wrong) about the frame being quad-butted; it looks like you got a better frame and fork than you'd have gotten from a model a year or two earlier. Also, if I recall correctly the late Frank Berto had a very good opinion of Sprint components from SunTour. Your new bike should be a fine ride.

I'm sure T-Mar would appreciate it if you would post a photo of the frame's SN to his Asian Serial Number Guide thread. Maruishis are fairly rare, and adding yours to his database may help him confirm the decoding of Maruishi serial numbers.


Mods/Admins:you have my permission to review my PMs if necessary to verify T-Mar's granting me permission to post the above, or I can send you a copy of the PM he sent granting permission if needed.

Last edited by Hondo6; 05-16-23 at 06:31 AM.
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Old 05-16-23, 07:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Hondo6
Some updated info for a previous post I made here.

I received what follows earlier today in a PM from one of Bike Forums' resident experts (IMO the premier resident expert) on Asian bicycle history, [MENTION=20650]T-Mar[/MENTION] . He has given me permission to post the contents of said PM here. Obviously, I didn't know what follows originally.



OP: to second T-Mar, you got a very good deal IMO. Glad to see you were correct (and I was wrong) about the frame being quad-butted; it looks like you got a better frame and fork than you'd have gotten from a model a year or two earlier. Also, if I recall correctly the late Frank Berto had a very good opinion of Sprint components from SunTour. Your new bike should be a fine ride.

I'm sure T-Mar would appreciate it if you would post a photo of the frame's SN to his Asian Serial Number Guide thread. Maruishis are fairly rare, and adding yours to his database may help him confirm the decoding of Maruishi serial numbers.


Mods/Admins:you have my permission to review my PMs if necessary to verify T-Mar's granting me permission to post the above, or I can send you a copy of the PM he sent granting permission if needed.
Good Info thanks..
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Old 05-16-23, 10:29 AM
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Billydog,

You asked what others thought but you are the one with the bike. Tell us what YOU think about the bike.
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Old 05-18-23, 11:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Billydog
Here is pictures of my "Maruishi Excellence" that I bought for $160..
What do you think?








That's not a Maruishi, it's a re-badged Marsupial.
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Old 05-18-23, 12:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Bad Lag
Billydog,

You asked what others thought but you are the one with the bike. Tell us what YOU think about the bike.
He apparently liked it enough to immediately flip it on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/394630196193
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Old 05-18-23, 12:51 PM
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This one says it's open:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/39463018867...Bk9SR-7BmseFYg
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Old 05-18-23, 12:55 PM
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Yeah, I noticed that the same item appeared to be listed twice. Photos in both listings seemed to me to be identical.

Wonder what's going to happen if both sell, and it turns out to in fact be a duplicate listing?
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Old 05-18-23, 01:02 PM
  #46  
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never a dull moment on BF.
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Old 05-18-23, 03:38 PM
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Maybe that should be a squirrel on the fork crown.
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Old 05-18-23, 03:56 PM
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Let's recap -

OP paid $150 and runs to BF for appraisals.
OP displayed attitude when no one replied in first 30 minutes.
OP never addressed question directed to him.
OP immediately offered the bike for sale at $800.

Why do I feel "dirty" and used?
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Old 05-18-23, 04:22 PM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by Hondo6
Yeah, I noticed that the same item appeared to be listed twice. Photos in both listings seemed to me to be identical.

Wonder what's going to happen if both sell, and it turns out to in fact be a duplicate listing?
I would bet the sold listing is just to fool would-be buyers that the bike is worth that much.

Bad Lag I said it before, I have no idea why anyone bothered to help this guy.
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Old 05-18-23, 06:04 PM
  #50  
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You called it Piff.
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