Lotus Unique
08-10-10 | 10:24 AM
#1
Thread Starter
PanGalacticGargleBlaster
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 7,531
Likes: 9
From: Smugglers Notch, Vermont
Bikes: Upright and Recumbent....too many to list, mostly Vintage.
Lotus Unique
My buddy picked up a lotus unique off ebay recently... it showed up over the weekend and while its far from pristine condition its pretty nice and shifts so smoothly.
Looking over the frame I'm not sure it wasn't in a front end collision but everything is straight and it tracks just fine. The components are a bit odd, and honestly I don't know how anyone was riding it in the state it showed up in but its all pretty nice considering the price and the relatively small amount of work required to get it on the road.
Components are sort of all over the place... Derailleurs are Suntour Cyclone MKII and shift wonderfully, shifters are just run of the mill suntour friction shifters, not ratcheting. Brakes are 1st gen Superbe, brake levers oddly enough were crapola Dia-Compes with the Turkey Legs unscrewed. TA Crankset, but the non-drive-side arm is a sugino...no clue what became of the matching TA arm.
We replaced the Levers with $5 nashbar aero levers, new stainless cables all around, housing was lined and in good shape...the chain was about a mile too long and I have no idea how anyone was riding the bike that way...there was no way to hit the granny ring without the chain dragging on the chainstay. I removed like 4 links and its fine now.
Gearing is half-step plus granny and the shifts are silky smooth.
Serial # is EN00339, i dunno if there's a Lotus Ser. # database but if there is please kindly point me that way, I'd love to know the year on this.
Looking over the frame I'm not sure it wasn't in a front end collision but everything is straight and it tracks just fine. The components are a bit odd, and honestly I don't know how anyone was riding it in the state it showed up in but its all pretty nice considering the price and the relatively small amount of work required to get it on the road.
Components are sort of all over the place... Derailleurs are Suntour Cyclone MKII and shift wonderfully, shifters are just run of the mill suntour friction shifters, not ratcheting. Brakes are 1st gen Superbe, brake levers oddly enough were crapola Dia-Compes with the Turkey Legs unscrewed. TA Crankset, but the non-drive-side arm is a sugino...no clue what became of the matching TA arm.
We replaced the Levers with $5 nashbar aero levers, new stainless cables all around, housing was lined and in good shape...the chain was about a mile too long and I have no idea how anyone was riding the bike that way...there was no way to hit the granny ring without the chain dragging on the chainstay. I removed like 4 links and its fine now.
Gearing is half-step plus granny and the shifts are silky smooth.
Serial # is EN00339, i dunno if there's a Lotus Ser. # database but if there is please kindly point me that way, I'd love to know the year on this.
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08-10-10 | 11:08 AM
#3
Thread Starter
PanGalacticGargleBlaster
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 7,531
Likes: 9
From: Smugglers Notch, Vermont
Bikes: Upright and Recumbent....too many to list, mostly Vintage.
What Year is yours? Got any pics?
Is there a Lotus Catalog Archive?
Is there a Lotus Catalog Archive?
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--Don't Panic.
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08-10-10 | 11:14 AM
#4
Champion of the Low End
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 851
Likes: 37
From: Culver, IN
Bikes: I have some bikes
Here's the thread about it, with the original CL pics. Another C&Ver has pics of his Unique as well, with different components as well:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...t=Lotus+Unique
Althought thread is called c1988 Lotus Unique, wrk101 said he thought is was approximately an 84. Has the same lettering style as yours, although my wraparound decal is missing. My 88-ish Excelle has the later logo style.
As far as I know there is only that Wooljersey Lotus catalog scan out there, from like 81 or so.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...t=Lotus+Unique
Althought thread is called c1988 Lotus Unique, wrk101 said he thought is was approximately an 84. Has the same lettering style as yours, although my wraparound decal is missing. My 88-ish Excelle has the later logo style.
As far as I know there is only that Wooljersey Lotus catalog scan out there, from like 81 or so.
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