istra

Hello, this is my THIRD post!

Yes, they were both manufactured in Japan at one time, but were they manufactured by the same group? I have found little to back up this assertion, but there are some strange coincidences with some lines of their 80's bicycles.

Here's a "Shogun CB-1" made of Champion no. 5 tubing (sorry for using the CL posting). I was under the impression that a "CB-1" was a Bridgestone model.

Here's a Shogun Prairie Breaker I (scroll down to Shogun700's pics at the end). That "men's" version looks so similar in construction to the 1984-86 Bridgestone MB-1, that I have to wonder if it's a blatant copy or if they were the same frames branded differently.

That's what I can remember seeing out there for now...I seem to have forgotten some of the strange coincidences regarding serial numbers, but it will come back to me. The point is that I've never seen any writing relating the two companies, or at least who manufactured Shogun's frames. Just wondering if anyone else had these suspicions.

Thanks!

Bianchigirll 

I can't comment on the CB1 thing but it is possible they were built in the same factory. back when I sold bikes I believe there was something 6 factories in the Orient turning out bike for most everyone under contract.

Similarities in models is a cause of 30 companies trying to all make a bike at every $50-70 price point from from about $250 up to $2000+ There are only so many brands and grades of tubing and components you can spec on a $300 bike so there are lots of similar models.

istra

Right, this is what I suspected but I'll have to come up with more coincidences. I think some of their "mixte" lines also match in construction details. This all started when I picked up a 1985/86 Shogun Prairie Breaker I in great condition the other day, so I'm doing some research. I was even wondering if Shogun was coming up with new models from the Bridgestone frame surplus or cast-offs from other companies, just using different components and stickers.

For the record, the serial# on the PBI is CS504557. This serial is differently formatted from the shogun road bikes of the same vintage which start with letter-number-letter (see Shogun serial number thread).

Thanks, Bianchigirll. (I'll have to start another thread for the cool two-tone Bianchi Volpe, blue and green, also in great condition, that I picked up the week before for $30!).