The sun rises again for Suntour (well, kinda)
03-15-17 | 04:54 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,429
Likes: 635
From: Oregon
Bikes: I can count 'em on one hand
The sun rises again for Suntour (well, kinda)
In searching for possible new rear derailleurs for future touring/rando builds, I came across the SunXCD SXRD34M.
Curious, I decided to check out the SunXCD website:
SunXCD - Bicycle Components
Pretty cool:
Curious, I decided to check out the SunXCD website:
SunXCD - Bicycle Components
Pretty cool:
Not so much the every second counts world of competitive bicycling, but exploring the wonderful outdoor world at a pace that you set yourself, where the focus in on how much fresh air you get in your lungs, not how ultra-modern your equipment is. It is time that that type of bicycling gets the spotlight.
In 2012, Junzo Kawai, former President of SunTour Japan, returned to bicycle component manufacturing with a new company called SunXCD.
Junzo felt the time was right to re-enter the bicycle component business. As he put it “the market is too race-centric; carbon fiber, electric shifting, full suspension, 11 speed, doesn’t really enhance the enjoyment of cycling. In the 1970’s and 80’s we cycled to be closer to nature, for the environment, for our health, for the simple beauty of cycling.” For these reasons SunXCD will focus on touring and randonneuring components which were the focus of SunTour during its heyday.
In 2014 Junzo Kawai passed away at 94 years of age and company president Taki Takimoto has taken his place as Chairman.
Under Junzo’s leadership SunTour’s U.S. market share of bicycle drivetrains reached 60% by the mid 80’s. At one time, SunTour derailleurs, shift levers, and freewheels were the favorites of the market. If you came into a bike store in the U.S. with a poor shifting derailleur or a sick freewheel of another brand, the standard repair was to replace it with SunTour. Suntour also took an early lead in manufacturing mountain bike components that resulted in Junzo being inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. At its peak, SunTour employed 450 people at its 2 Osaka factories. As the 1980’s progressed, the privately-owned SunTour struggled to compete with the much larger Shimano in the rapidly changing bicycle market. Their smaller research and development department and the disastrous Yen devaluation of 1985, eventually lead to the sale of SunTour to Mori Steel in 1994, then eventually to a management buyout, that lead to the present SR Suntour Company.
Interested North American dealers can contact The Merry Sales Co. who are handling distribution in the US.
** Sunset for SunTour by Frank J. Berto, Van der Plas Publications
Junzo felt the time was right to re-enter the bicycle component business. As he put it “the market is too race-centric; carbon fiber, electric shifting, full suspension, 11 speed, doesn’t really enhance the enjoyment of cycling. In the 1970’s and 80’s we cycled to be closer to nature, for the environment, for our health, for the simple beauty of cycling.” For these reasons SunXCD will focus on touring and randonneuring components which were the focus of SunTour during its heyday.
In 2014 Junzo Kawai passed away at 94 years of age and company president Taki Takimoto has taken his place as Chairman.
Under Junzo’s leadership SunTour’s U.S. market share of bicycle drivetrains reached 60% by the mid 80’s. At one time, SunTour derailleurs, shift levers, and freewheels were the favorites of the market. If you came into a bike store in the U.S. with a poor shifting derailleur or a sick freewheel of another brand, the standard repair was to replace it with SunTour. Suntour also took an early lead in manufacturing mountain bike components that resulted in Junzo being inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. At its peak, SunTour employed 450 people at its 2 Osaka factories. As the 1980’s progressed, the privately-owned SunTour struggled to compete with the much larger Shimano in the rapidly changing bicycle market. Their smaller research and development department and the disastrous Yen devaluation of 1985, eventually lead to the sale of SunTour to Mori Steel in 1994, then eventually to a management buyout, that lead to the present SR Suntour Company.
Interested North American dealers can contact The Merry Sales Co. who are handling distribution in the US.
** Sunset for SunTour by Frank J. Berto, Van der Plas Publications
03-15-17 | 05:05 PM
#2
Full Member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 372
Likes: 14
From: Milwaukee-Chicago (Last stop on the North Shore Metra Line)
Bikes: 1975 Fuji 'The Finest', 1975 Fuji Super Road Racer S10-S,1980 SR 10-Speed, 1980 Fuji Newest, 1984 Araya 14-Speed, 1985 Bridgestone 500, 1986 Fuji 'Sekkei Series', 1995 Gary Fisher Kaitai MTB
It would be interesting to use their SunXCD rims along with some old Suntour Superbe hubs. I'll have to find someone who sells them and see what kind of money they sell for. Merry Sales seems to only work with Bike Shops.
Cool non-the-less - Thanks
Cool non-the-less - Thanks
03-16-17 | 07:29 AM
#6
Sunshine
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 18,730
Likes: 10,282
From: Des Moines, IA
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Emphasis on 'kinda'.
SunTour Maeda made its mark with quality components at good value.
The current offerings by SunXCD are just really expensive rebadged components. They may be good quality, but they certainly arent priced like SunTour components were when compared to other offerings.
The derailleurs are clearly made by Microshift and are an old Microshift offering with a few aesthetic changes(and maybe mechanical, no idea there).
Very limited availability boutique-like components with boutique-like pricing...not really like the SunTour Maeda of old.
SunTour Maeda made its mark with quality components at good value.
The current offerings by SunXCD are just really expensive rebadged components. They may be good quality, but they certainly arent priced like SunTour components were when compared to other offerings.
The derailleurs are clearly made by Microshift and are an old Microshift offering with a few aesthetic changes(and maybe mechanical, no idea there).
Very limited availability boutique-like components with boutique-like pricing...not really like the SunTour Maeda of old.
03-16-17 | 01:54 PM
#7
Disco Infiltrator
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 15,345
Likes: 3,542
From: Folsom CA
Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem
Soma store stocks it.
I lust for the hubs because they are high flange quick release cassette hubs, a rare enough combination, but wow are they expensive. The 120OLD version seems to have disappeared.
The Compass Grand Bois product is similar style but I think not the same manufacture. Circular not trapezoidal windows in the flanges. Their 120OLD also seems to have disappeared.
I lust for the hubs because they are high flange quick release cassette hubs, a rare enough combination, but wow are they expensive. The 120OLD version seems to have disappeared.
The Compass Grand Bois product is similar style but I think not the same manufacture. Circular not trapezoidal windows in the flanges. Their 120OLD also seems to have disappeared.
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
"Well, well!" said Holmes, impatiently. "A good cyclist does not need a high road. The moor is intersected with paths and the moon is at the full."
Genesis 49:16-17
"Well, well!" said Holmes, impatiently. "A good cyclist does not need a high road. The moor is intersected with paths and the moon is at the full."
Last edited by Darth Lefty; 03-16-17 at 01:59 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
The Golden Boy
Classic & Vintage
33
02-21-19 03:57 AM
