The RB looks like a good bike in the '80s Japanese mode - well made and a nice ride. I wouldn't spend much on an Elance and I think $300 is a very good price for an unused RB. I would ask more questions about "... an occasional transportation ding". I think 'ding' means a small dent but the seller might mean scratches.

I bought a very nice 1982 Trek 730 frameset for $180 on ebay, all DB Reynolds 531, but spent $600 on a complete 1978 Campagnolo Super Record groupset with wheels, saddle and Cinelli handlebars. You could do it for much less - I was new and overly eager

On the good side, this is not my only bike, so I can resist "right now" itis. I will shop carefully and utilize all of the knowledge I have gained from this forum.

While the RB-2 is not as highly coveted as the RB-1, I think it's similar enough to make it a much better bargain than the RB-1. Looking at the catalog for that year, it looks like the tubing may have been identical to the RB-1. They are both Ishiwata triple butted tubes, which is very good stuff. I guess their tubing was 'proprietary' to Bridgestone, which may mean it was high end but offered on a bike that was at a lower pricepoint, hence an agreement not to use Ishiwata tubing decals? I don't know. But it's likely as good as most of Ishiwata's high end tubing, which would have been 019, 021, or 022 most commonly. You can search those tube names to find more info.

At any rate, the RB-2 I had was a nice ride, even on the cheap wheels it came equipped with. Stiff enough, but not harsh, good acceleration and a good climber.

I may end up with that Centuion - is it worth modernising? On the other hand, is it something that has more value as original?