Greetings,

I have 2 Kuwahara bikes. One I believe to be a 1984 KYZ Ser# T2L1924 it is a looptail chrome frame, and the other I believe to be a KZ1 Serial # K3A0048 non loop tail chrome frame. My question is the KZ1 has the gusset plates on the front head tube area and there is one maybe 7mm hole on the lower right plate, nut no 7mm hole on the left plate. The KYZ has no small hole at all. Can anyone tell me the significance of this small hole? and why one frame has it and one does not, why it is on one side only? Is it possible that it is a KZ83 frame? the serial number seems low. Any information would be greatly appreciated, and I can supply photos to anyone on request. I would post If I knew how, I could e-mail them to someone if they wanted to post them. Thanks, Louis914@aol.com

the looptail with a gusset is probably an ET. As far as the little hole on the KZ-1 goes, I'm pretty sure it was for a brake cable or something. I recall someone said something screwed into it a while back. But even in the ads it just sits there unused so...

for posting help go here: http://images.vintagebmx.com/web_pages/vintagebmx/

POST SOME PICS!

I've never actually seen Kuwahara use the hole from the factory but I had a KZ1 in the early 80's and used to run a rear 10 speed centerpull brake caliper set-up on it using the hole on the right gusset for the adjustor and a cable guide at the seat post area to center the cable. Exposed brake cable from the gusset hole to the caliper. Looks trick and worked pretty well, a bit cumbersome though. Then the Dia-Compe MX 900/1000 came into the scene and changed all that. Hope this helps.

Its ironic to me that this comes up when I was a wee lil racer I had your frame in question loop tail with no hole chrome and had a complex about the frame everyone around me said it was a fake kuwi I can asure you its a kuwahara the signifience of the hole no clue I thought it was for IDing the differ frames sorry>>>>

ladykilla, do you have pictures? I imagine you bought it new as a Kuwahara right?

Louis, how's it going? Welcome to the site, you too KU Dude. Where are you guys from? I am originally from PA and now live in FL.

Anyway, I have the same chrome looptail Kuwahara frame with the gusset as you Louis. Mine also has the tiny hole in the gusset. I had this same hole on my old Robinson, which was set up for a center pull rear brake. Very trick for its time. That is exactly what that hole is for; it holds a small bracket for the brake cable before the splitter in front of the seat tube.

Mine is in good shape and has the original Kuwie stickers on it. I may be selling it to pay for some new toys, but love the bike. Will try to post some pics later. Cheers, Mark.

look forward to the pics Mark. I didn't notice the single post KU Dude. Welcome

Centerpull cable stop would bolt into that hole. I'm guessing that Everything Bicycles, the Kuwahara importer had an abundance of centerpull brakes for a while.

[ March 23, 2006, 09:35 PM: Message edited by: Randy ]

Thanks for all the replys. I always thought that the small hole was a mistake until I saw it on another KZ1. The link below is from Jamie's Kuwahara site. He sent it to me a while ago. This is how I figure a lot of people have Looptail Kuwahara's in chrome that are not ET bikes. Mine did have z-rims when I got it. http://www.dreamgate.ne.jp/kuwahara/oldads/kyz_acs.jpg
I will try later to sign up to be able to post photos. thanks again..

ah, it all makes sense now

The chrome looptail KYZ that I own does have the hole in the gusset. My friends white KZ2 also had the hole. I've had the KYZ since new so I know that it is not a chromed ET. Jamie was the one who helped me with the actual model designation (big thanks Jamie!) I've had this thing for 20+ years and only now found out which model it was. LOL! Sure didn't see a lot of them BITD. Everybody had KZ1's & 2's or Apollos, but these were pretty scarce.

~B

Pic's of a loop:





-B

Command Z, that is exactly the same f&f that I have, thanks for posting the pics.

Center-pull Break cable Stop go's throught the Break mounting Hole in the Gusset to the rear caliper.Example KZ-1 design.Did not work well as you pulled your rear break the cable stop after a wile would come lose and in some cases break. Cheers

Yep That is also exactly what my KYZ looks like, except that it has no small hole in the gusset. I posted the serial numbers of mine, how do they match up to the ones you other guys have, does the sequence seem to work out?

Serial #T1J4753 - purchased in February of '83

Hi, louis914 The first ''bike'' ser# number is a ''kuwahara'' stamped Tange 1982 December,The second bike number # stamped ''kuwahara''1983 january. If you can post some pic's of the frame's with clear pic's of the drop out's & gusset. Cheers

send some pics to Jamie if you haven't already...D.T.L.flyKUWA YOU HAVE 2 Nova looptails? Nice!

[ March 28, 2006, 02:22 AM: Message edited by: Ringer ]

Hey ,Ringer in the pic i have one ''Nove Looptail'' Left , and the F&F to the right is a ''Laser Lite'' and the F&F up front is a KZ-1 , Cheers

Nice collection. Do you have any others?

Hi ,Ringer Thank you so much. Im a ''KUWAHARA'' Rider for life That's for sure.I have this bike as well the E.T Kuwahara (Apollo).....Cheers

nice ET! is that rebuilt or OG? I haven't looked into ET parts much

This '' E.T ''Kuwahara'' is Rebuilt Cheers

Hello MarkinNaples. I'm Mark in Pgh. Used to raced North and South park indoor and outdoor tracks BITD. Thanks for the warm welcome guys.

I have one of those plates if anyone is interested.