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kuwahara:start [2021/07/21 15:55] – created gchandlerkuwahara:start [2023/08/06 17:40] (current) – mtbtimeline
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-asdfasdf+<div column 50% #intro> 
 +---- 
 +===== Kuwahara ===== 
 + 
 + 
 +Kuwahara Bicycles was founded in 1918 in Osaka Japan by Sentarō Kuwahara and became famous in the west for its BMX bicycles, which they continue to make today: [[https://www.kuwahara-bike.com/|kuwahara-bike.com]].  Their strong fan base today is partially due to a boy named Elliot flying away with ET on a Kuwahara special built for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial|E.T. the Extra Terrestrial]]. 
 +((A point of trivia: Blade Runner was released within a month of ET (I saw ET & Blade Runner new in the theaters on the same day!) and yet the ancillary merchandise sales of ET ($1 billion by 1998 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial|wikipedia]]) dwarf those of Blade Runner, as who wants to buy dystopian toys?  Yet, Blade Runner features dozens of bicycles, whose names are forgotten: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBQVMJ8dukg|youtube]])) 
 +\\ 
 + 
 +Most early (1983-1985) Kuwahara mountain bikes sold in North America were dual branded: Kuwahara on the down tube with an Apollo headbadge.  Apollo was an Australian brand ((Apollo continues to design bikes in Australia: [[https://www.apollobikes.com/|apollobikes]]))((BTW, Takashi Kuwahara [[http://amblinroad.com/2019/09/08/interview-with-kuwahara-bikes-as-featured-in-et-president-takashi-kuwahara/|stated]] that Kuwahara exported mountain bikes to Canada and Australia starting in 1980...)) 
 + imported into North America by Fred Deeley of Vancouver, BC.  All early North American Kuwahara/Apollo mountain bikes will likely have a Deeley sticker on the seat tube.  All Kuwaharas from 1986 on wards have a Kuwahara logo on the head tube. 
 +\\ 
 + 
 +So...  are these Apollos or Kuwaharas?  This is why it's hard to research Asian bike makers: they're often the hidden maker behind many "brand name" bicycles and these facts are hidden in a difficult to translate language which isn't likely recorded on the internet.  Thus far, credit had been given to the designer, builder or simply the branding.  In the case of Apollo vs. Kuwahara, it's likely Kuwahara should get the credit as: 
 + 
 +  * Many Kuwaharas from this era do not have Apollo badging. 
 +  * The mispelling on "Siera Grande" seems to imply the bikes were painted in Japan. 
 +  * Many Kuwaharas in Australia do not have an Apollo badge.  For example: [[https://www.mtbr.com/threads/classic-kuwahara-mtbs.513225/page-4|mtbr]] 
 + 
 +Apollo of Australia has its own timeline entry: [[apollo:start|Apollo]]. 
 +\\ 
 + 
 +Despite Kuwahara's popularity, no 1983-1985 catalogs containing Kuwahara mountain bikes have been found. 
 + 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 +{{et.jpg?400|E.T. Forever Kuwahara}} 
 +\\ 
 +E.T. Forever Kuwahara 
 +\\ 
 +[[http://www.dreamgate.ne.jp/kuwahara/history/et.html|dreamgate.ne.jp]] 
 + 
 +\\ 
 +</div> 
 +<div column 50% #s1983> 
 +---- 
 +===== 1983 Apollo ===== 
 + 
 + 
 +The date is uncertain and the model name is unknown.  It lacks the classic bullmoose handlebars but does have a Suntour Mountech front derailleur which is period correct.  Presumably, all Kuwahara mountain 1984-1986 bikes have lugged frames with bullmoose handle bars.  In the absence of catalog verification, the following Kuwahara (welded ((Kuwahara mt. bikes later used bmx style v-stems, which are similar to bullmoose))) bullmoose mt. bikes models have been found: 
 + 
 +  * blazer: 1986+? 
 +  * lion: 1983? 
 +  * shasta: 1984+ 
 +  * siera/sierra: 1984+ 
 +  * cascade: 1984+ 
 +  * aries: 1984+ 
 +  * mondia cascade cross: 1986 (switched to a Nitto v-stem in 1987) 
 + 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 +{{1983.jpg?300|1983 Apollo/Kuwahara}} 
 +\\ 
 +1983 Apollo/Kuwahara 
 +[[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1216275-1983-84-apollo-kuwahara-cascade-project.html|bikeforums]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1983b> 
 +---- 
 +===== 1983 Kuwahara ===== 
 + 
 + 
 +SunTour Mountech GTL 1982-83. 
 +Seems to be an indentical frame to the Apollo/Deeley and also the [[apollo:start#s1983|1983 Apollo Mountaineer]].  Yet it uses the traditional Kuwahara paint job and stickers.  And this has no other stickers than a simple shop sticker written in English.  It's possible, but unlikely, that this is a 1982. 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 +{{1983b.jpg?300|1983 Kuwahara}} 
 +\\ 
 +1983 Kuwahara 
 +[[https://www.ebay.com/itm/255245642761?hash=item3b6dd36c09:g:uYYAAOSwxSphnwau|ebay]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1984> 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== 1984 Aries ===== 
 + 
 +Many of the mountain bikes pictured on this page are Apollos with Deeley stickers. 
 + 
 +{{badge.jpg?300|Headtube badge and sticker}} 
 +\\ 
 +Triple branding: Kuwahara/Apollo/Deeley 
 + 
 +{{deeley.jpg?300|Fred Deeley}} 
 +\\ 
 +Fred Deeley logo closeup 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 +{{1984.jpg?300|1984 Aries}} 
 +\\ 
 +1984 Aries 
 +[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/29916553@N02/albums/72157630245137796|flickr]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1984b> 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== 1984 Kuwahara ===== 
 + 
 +1983-4 Suntour parts, a Kuwahara head badge and no Apollo/Deeley stickers.  It doesn't appear to be a Japanese market bicycle, so it's likely that Fred Deeley's deal was for Canada only, which he exported to the PNW. 
 + 
 + 
 +{{ebay2.jpg?300|Kuwahara Head Badge}} 
 +\\ 
 +Kuwahara Head Badge 
 +[[https://www.ebay.com/itm/393341028622|ebay]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 +{{ebay.jpg?300|1984 Kuwahara}} 
 +\\ 
 +1984? Kuwahara 
 +[[https://www.ebay.com/itm/393341028622|ebay]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1985> 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== 1985 Siera Grande ===== 
 + 
 + 
 +The misspelling was corrected in later versions. 
 + 
 + 
 +{{siera.jpg?300|Siera Grande}} 
 +\\ 
 +Siera Grande 
 + 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 +{{1985.jpg?300|1985 Siera Grande}} 
 +\\ 
 +1985 Siera Grande 
 +[[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/148170-show-us-your-vintage-mountain-bikes-248.html|bikeforums]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1986> 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== 1986 Puma ===== 
 + 
 +By 1986 the Apollo connection with North America is done and pure Kuwaharas are being exported throughout the world. 
 +SunTour XC Sport RD-6900 (1986) 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 + 
 +{{1986.jpg?300|1986 Puma}} 
 +\\ 
 +1986 Puma 
 +[[https://www.ebay.com/itm/393341040597?hash=item5b94f3f7d5:g:qtkAAOSwoqtgqd5y|ebay]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1987> 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== 1987 Lynx ===== 
 + 
 +SunTour alpaha-5000 (1987) 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 + 
 +{{1987.jpg?300|1987 Lynx}} 
 +\\ 
 +1987 Lynx 
 +[[https://offerup.com/item/detail/524050737|offerup]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1988> 
 +---- 
 +===== 1988 Mondia Cascade Road ===== 
 +SunTour XC 9000 front & back, Ishiwata triple butted & lugged frame, 
 +</div> 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 +{{1988.jpg?300|1988 Mondia Cascade Road}} 
 +\\ 
 +1988 Mondia Cascade Road 
 +[[https://mountainbikemuseum.nl/en/mountainbikes/kuwahara-mondia-cascade-road-458| mountainbikemuseum.nl]] 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1989> 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== 1989 Impulse ===== 
 + 
 +Deore MT62 (1989) 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 + 
 +{{1989.jpg?300|1989 Impulse}} 
 +\\ 
 +1989 Impulse 
 +[[https://www.ebay.com/itm/174314950279|ebay]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1990> 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== 1990 Cascade ===== 
 + 
 +Deore DX MT650 (1990-93) 
 + 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 + 
 +{{1990.jpg?300|1990 Cascade}} 
 +\\ 
 +1990 Cascade 
 +[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/saddleupbike/10361755235/in/photostream/|flickr]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1991> 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== 1991 Carbo-Titan ===== 
 + 
 +An early carbon mtb.  [[special:start#s1988|Specialized]] was first, in 1988.  Were there any others from 1989-1991? 
 +\\ 
 + 
 + 
 +Carbon stem/bar combo, tubes. Tange Switchblade forks, Shimano Deore XT. 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 + 
 +{{1991.jpg?300|1991 Carbo-Titan}} 
 +\\ 
 +1991 Carbo-Titan 
 +[[https://www.facebook.com/cultmtb/photos/pcb.751917818323839/751916904990597/|facebook]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 +<div column 50% #s1992> 
 +---- 
 + 
 +===== 1992 Pacer ===== 
 + 
 +Their 2nd cheapest MTB of 1992, whose model lineup included: Weasel, Lynx, C-Pacer, A-Pacer, X-Pacer, Hi-Pacer, U-Pacer & Pacer.  From the 1992 Kuwahara [[https://kuwahara-family.brieger.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Kuwahara-Katalog-92.pdf|catalog]].  Deore LX. 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 +<div column 45%> 
 + 
 +{{1992.png?300|1992 Pacer}} 
 +\\ 
 +1992 Pacer, from 1992 Kuwahara catalog, page 20  
 +\\ 
 +[[https://kuwahara-family.brieger.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Kuwahara-Katalog-92.pdf|kuwahara-family.brieger.blog]] 
 + 
 +</div> 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
kuwahara/start.1626908143.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/07/21 15:55 by gchandler