Bike Fanatic

And for good measure......a few more................

Darth Lefty 

I wish I'd known more about these bikes when this one popped up on the local CL, labeled "Senike." I would have given it a second look instead of just giggling at the spoke protector. They're not common down here in California.

RodoftheFlies

@ Bike Fanatic: Those are great, neat seeing the production assembly setups. I hope we'll see the rest soon! Also, is there an email address I can reach you at?

browngw 

Another Canadian Sekine project has become available. A very special bike to the 80 yr old lady I bought it from. Solid, original and well kept it will refurbish nicely. The quality fit and finish stands out on this one. Shimano hubs SR stem crankset etc. Alloy fenders and stays. She even offered my wife and I afternoon tea when we went to look at it. I will have to search for the model and year but I'm guessing 1974. Chrome socks on fork, chrome rims alloy bars.

T-Mar

There's a difference of opinion on the interpretation of the Sekine serial number format. The frame was built in June of either 1974 or 1975. It isn't an exact match for anything in my 3 Sekine catalogues from the era. It most resembles an SHL 276, with the exception of having nutted hubs, as opposed to quick release.

browngw 

As part of a swap of parts and cash with a friend, this Sekine has came my way yesterday. I seem to be a magnet for the darn things! I believe this one may be early seventies by the components and the lack of "Made in Canada" decals. The cranks are what appear to be alloy, yet cottered. Shimano Eagle II RD. I am putting it away for a future refurbish.

T-Mar

An Eagle II rear derailleur, if OEM, places it no older than the 1977 model year. The cottered, aluminum crankset is the SR Grand Silver. The combination of the two would make this a Sekine SIU 272L.

The lack of a Canadian reference does not necessarily make it an earlier model. Sekine Canada did not assemble all the Sekine models, only the most popular ones. Even then, they were not capable of keeping up with demand and complete bicycles would sometimes be shipped directly from Japan.

Again, I'd appreciate the serial number for my database. TIA.

browngw 

Thanks Tmar! Serial # and brake model headed your way.

browngw 

Just need to find a new home for this beautiful lady.

T-Mar

Thxs! As I said previously, there's some disagreement over the Sekine serial number.codes. This one would indicate April 1976 or April 1977. However, I've got a 1977 Shimano catalog stating the Eagle II was "NEW" that year, so it would appear that you do have a 1977 model.

Edit: I forgot to mention that it's missing the OEM fenders (and obviously the pedals and bar tape).

browngw 

I have the original pedals, the weighted OSAMA type. I remove them to carry bikes in my camper van. Really saves the interior. As for fenders there is no evidence that screws have ever been in any of the fender/rack tabs. I found this same situation with a SHL mixte I rebuilt a number of years ago. I got it from the daughter of the original owner who had the bars and brakes changed to upright by the shop, but also never had fenders.

Corto

Hi -- This is mainly for T-Mar's SN database (with thanks again for his help a little while back on a Bianchi SN question): my new friend, a luminous pink 1972 Made in Japan Sekine, bears SN W 96558. I posted this and details re all its components, decals, etc. at the "Sekine Project" bicycle database (comment date May 17, 2019) if anyone's interested in what apparently came standard on this bike at that time, but I just wanted to also note the SN data here for everyone keeping track of such things (as a newbie, I'm not authorized to PM).

And while I'm here: does anyone know the history of Sekine (in Japan, that is) as a bike manufacturer? I've seen some evidence that the company may date back to 1912 or so, but I'm wondering when they came to make bicycles. That 1950s Sekine posted above is the earliest one I've seen. Mr. Bevington's book mentions Sekine, but doesn't go into detail about them. Just curious! Thanks.

3speedslow

PSA: There is a seriously nice Sekine frame for sale in the sale thread right now! Green with nice chrome socks. Might be a 271 model.

T-Mar

1912 is the date that Chuzo Sekine manufactured his first bicycle and is considered the birth of the company that became Sekine Industries Co. Ltd.

bikemig 

That is one cool dork disc (and yeah this is an old thread but it's a good one). I knew nothing about Sekines but when I saw a pic of the bike on CL and the chromed socks, I decided to buy it. Nothing too fancy, but I really, really dig my Sekine SHS 271. I picked it up and built it up last year:

Corto

Thanks, T-Mar -- appreciate the info.

browngw 

I am starting to think perhaps the Eagle II Rd is not original. When removed and cleaned, the brakes are marked 72 which was closer to my first guess and I never had a Sekine after 74 with cottered cranks. I have just started working on this one. Maybe some of the other parts will be dated.

T-Mar

That '72' is not a date code. Tourney side-pull brakes don't appear in any of the Shimano catalogues until the 1974 model year. Also, the date codes would not be cast into the parts but stamped and only in one location. In this case, the '72' is actually a portion of the part code, representing the maximum reach of the caliper. The Tourney came in two versions CS-72 (54-72 mm reach) and CS79 (61-79 mm reach). Each arm was stamped with a '72' to facilitate selection of the proper length arm by the operator assembling the caliper.

Sekine did continue to use cottered cranksets after 1974. I took over management of the LBS in 1975 when the boom crashed. We continued to receive some entry level models with cottered cranksets into the late 1970s and literature I have shows the practice continued into the very early 1980s.

browngw 

Once again, thanks for the good information T-Mar . The wheels are now cleaned and trued and new bearings installed. The bottom bracket was in rough and pitted shape and I found a spare so the original cranks will go back on. It will be rebuilt as an upright bar bike to suit a larger market. Your info on the brakes will help decipher the markings for future projects.

T-Mar

I went back and had a look at the pics again. The front derailleur is a Thunder Bird II, which also had it's debut for the 1977 model year. It even has the Uniglide designation on it, which was Shimano's new chain design, also introduced in 1977. The patina on the clamp seems pretty consistent with that on the rest of the bicycle. The Eagle II didn't have a matching front derailleur and was typically paired with the Thunderbird II.

Bricklin69

Hi,

just got an old green Sekine almost exactly like the one pictured above but it is a regular model not step through frame and the cranks are not aluminum. BB has 3355AY stamped under it. Any info would be appreciated.
thanks
Pete