AZORCH

I went to check out a rather enigmatic "touring bike" yesterday afternoon. The CL ad listed it as a custom built touring bike; talking to the owner, an older and very sincere retired gentleman, I was told it was assembled by Hatchers Cycle, in Rockford, MN. The tubing is nice: Ishiwata 022, and the components are decent enough early 80's era Suntour, with rather pedestrian DiaCompe sidepulls and turkey wing levers. A 50/40 crank with a six speed medium range gear in back...not exactly what I'd describe as "touring bike," but not bad and the bike itself is in primo condition. A long-ish serial number on the underside of the BB - those usually aren't very helpful and I didn't write it down. Nicely lugged frame, no chrome, forged dropouts, no other decals except for two Ishiwata 022 labels. Kind of dusty cotton bar wrap. The bike is too small for me: it's a 20.5 or 21" c-c and I'm 6' 1". I didn't even think to take photos at the time (some photography teacher I am!)

So here are the curious parts: (1) The guy is my height, yet the "custom built bike" seemed to me too small for someone that size. Would a custom builder actually have built a touring (or any kind of roadie) that much smaller than the customer? (2) Everything about this bike screams 1980's, but the guy insists it was built in 2005! As I said, he seems to be very sincere (and as a teacher, I've got a pretty good B.S. meter.)

So I drive away thinking to myself, "WTF?" Curious, right? Or am I missing some other very obvious explanation?

ftwelder

the long serial sequence leads me to think the frame was a production made unit that was later "personalized" by a frame builder which led to confusion about it's origin.

AZORCH

Frank, that is totally what I believe to be the case also. I'm still confused about the vintage though.

ozneddy

I think HE may have been duped by the builder ?

Amesja

Confusion between custom-built and custom-assembled.

I love the term "turkey-wing" -in the motorcycle world they are usually called dog-leg.

Bianchigirll 

did anything look like a custom frame? extra brazeons, fancy luggs? perhaps the frame was custom built up with his old kit. when we first contacted the seller of that whitish Bianchi I just got we were told "it was custom built for the owner". so far the only custom building I see is the odd mix of duraache drive and DiaCompe lever and Victory calipers.

Grand Bois

You must be thinking of something else. I don't believe that turkey wing brake levers exist in the motorcycle world.

AZORCH

BG: No, nothing at all looked custom to me. It just looked like a nice, stock frame with some middle of the road components. Other than the nice Laprade seat post, there was nothing on it that I couldn't pull off my shelf right this minute. I suppose he might have confused custom "built" with custom "assembled" but he seemed pretty certain of his information. And if it was custom "assembled" then the builder did him no real favors... not my size, so it's all academic. Seemed like the sort of puzzle our little group enjoys pondering though, so I figured it was worth sharing. I'm debating whether to call him back and let tell him my puzzlement, but I'm afraid he'll think I'm just trying to bargain down the asking price of $395 (which, even if it was my size, is way too dear also.)