I was given this bike it's badged as a KIA with a "KIA SPORT" decal on the down tube. It appears it was a 3 speed at one point, and the shifter and cable were removed and lost. I would like to get it shifting again, anyone knows if parts are available for these? or if a SA could be retrofitted? It's kind of a nice riding steel bike. Much appreciated.

The rod, bellcrank and locknut and cable/trigger should be available at a co-op or maybe even new. I never cared for Shimano 3-speed hubs, preferring Sturmey-Archer. That bike is a pretty basic (cheap) thing so you might want to direct your energy elsewhere.

"Killed In Action" is what we called 'em back in the shop days.

I had a brown KIA 10 speed in junior high way back in 1978-79ish. I don't recall what ever happened to that bike. I do know I got a Vista 10 speed after that though.

Thanks, I got it for free and it rides nice and smooth, I've come across quite a few of the English 3 speeds, but have never seen one of these. I don't plan on investing a lot in it, just get it back to shifting. I like the novelty of it

I seem to remember a Nexus pushrod and clickbox can be fitted to these with some slight modification to the axle end. Don't quote me on that. The Nexus shifter will also work, IIRC, just backwards.

Still easier to find a 333 shifter and bellcrank. I might even have a spare bellcrank here that I don't need. Will check for you.

-Kurt

Curious if there is any historical connection to KIA the car company?

Google...

Yes, Kia's history is directly linked to bicycles; the company started in 1944 as a bicycle parts and steel tubing manufacturer, producing Korea's first domestic bicycle in 1951, before evolving into motorcycles, trucks, and eventually automobiles. So, Kia's automotive journey began with two wheels, making their initial bicycle production a foundational part of their legacy

I remember some years back a car Dealership advertising "Buy one Kia, get one free". I imagine the second one was for back-up/spare parts.

Be careful how much you invest. That Shimano 3-speed hub was notorious for its, uh, inferiority. Not much joy there. Also, Kia bikes in this period were on par with department store bikes, the kind we call Bike Shaped Objects (BSO). If it works for you, fine, but you could do better for not much more money.

Might not be fancy, but if you like how it rides, it can be worth throwing some parts at. Converting to a Sturmey Archer hub is possible, if there is a cheap wheel available near you with the right size rim, go for it. Otherwise, I'd lean towards grabbing the parts to get the Shimano shifting. Or grab a SA hub and build a wheel with an aluminum rim.

I actually built up a KIA frame similar to this with nice parts for a customer who needed a really really small frame, she was quite happy with the result.

I put some flat bars on it, serviced the brakes,and greased the bearings. It had fairly new modern tires on it, I'm sourcing the shifting parts. I tested the hub with a rod,and it works perfectly. I rode it around town for about 10 miles as a single speed, and it handles great, I like it, best of all it was free

One time when my daughter had crashed and broken the bell crank on a Shimano 3 speed hub, I was able to secure it in the middle gear by using an acorn nut on the end of the axle to hold the shift rod in place. It took some trial and error to find the sweet spot, then I locked the acorn nut in place with a thin jamb nut.

That's clever. I haven't jury-rigged a 3-speed hub yet, but I've done something similar with a rear derailleur.

I used a rod and zip tie and locked it into second gear the other day when I rode it, 2nd gear was great. I've seen the acorn nut method as well, I'll need to get one

I agree with this, however, if there is some sentimental reason for keeping it, then proceed. The early versions of this hub were the problem hubs. Later versions got better, stronger steel parts. They didn't become great. They were better. My dad had a Sears bike with Shimano 3 speed hub and used it often and I treated it roughly as a teenager, other than being sure that it had oil, and it held up fine. When I worked in a bike shop and we got a Shimano 3-speed in for repair, we replaced the internal assembly. With Sturmey Archer 3 speeds, we would replace the bad component(s) and reassemble it. The most common problem with these three speeds was the shifter. They often broke and needed to be replaced. It was an easy job and these shifter were available then.

There are three speeds listed on Craigslist and Marketplace with Sturmey Archer hubs that are probably better for putting the time and effort into. There is a Thrift Store near me with a Hercules 3-speed that is selling for $20. It needs some parts but, in the end this may be more worthy than the Kia.

If you decide to keep it, the shifters are getting more expensive on Ebay, because the supply is being used up. The bell crank seems to be going for $10 and you are going to need the cable with the adjustment barrel as well. If you want to keep it a 3-speed, it starts to get expensive. I've heard of people using a Sturmey Archer 3 speed trigger shifter with a Shimano, but I don't know how well that works. Just adjust the bell crank to line up second gear as normal.

I like the idea of using an acorn nut in place of the bell crank to lock it into second gear. At least that will get you by for now until parts or a better bike comes along.

I sourced a NOS bell crank cheap, I'll find another donor bike or parts eventually. It's all tuned up and zips around quite nicely in 2nd or 3rd gear, I'm sure I'll ride it a lot on short runs. The seat is also really comfy, not a big pillow, but has cushion springs that work well., Seat bottom has the country of origin.

I apologize for the lapse in initiative to research it myself. Thank you for providing the information.
John