Technical & Reference Section > Tech and Restoration
First Ever Build - Kuwahara Laserlite KZ-83
rhino_mac:
Righto, nearly there. This is likely to be a longish post that's pic heacy so I apologise in advance if you nod off from my ramblings.
My original idea was to buy this and race it in the old school series in the South, but I ended up buying far too many NOS parts and as the costs mounted (and mounted and mounted) I realised I'd be mad to race it. So instead, I decided to build it up so that it looked like it had just left the shop in 1983 in a spec as near as possible to the magazine article scanned on Jaimies Kuwahara site.
Lots of parts have arrived this week, the main one being my 400 flight crank at last! I've also got the wheels back from BMX Plus and to be fair them, they were very apologetic that they'd taken a while. Having spoken to Ben there, it looks like the black spoke nipples I gave them to use were crap and kept snapping as soon as you tried to true the wheel - he had a little pile of them in front of him when I picked them up.
I've got my crank from the states at last! It's in minty mint condition. Not a single mark and has the original sealed bearing bottom bracket all stamped up Sugino as it should be. 'Scuse the finger prints on the chrome!!
NOS Sugino 44t chainring with machined teeth, mint Sugino chainring bolts, NOS Itzumi black/silver chain, mint Suntour XCII's with NOS pedal cages.
These are the wheels: Show bike fitted only Chrome Araya 7X, repro Araya decals from CBRGil (the old ones were a bit faded), NOS Asahi 194mm chrome spokes laced 4 cross, NOS Black Spoke Nipples, NOS Suntour sealed bearing hubs, NOS Suntour 16t freewheel.
Rear
Front
Excuse the white bits behind the nuts - I've got thick card washers behind them to protect the dropouts front and rear until I can find nylon washers in the right size.
This is the bike all up together:
The seat post is a bit high perhaps, but I'm 6'2"!
I've got some NOS Comp III Rainbow labels in 2.25 and 1.75 on their way - the original IRC's are nightmare to source so these will have to do until I find a set. Then it's just the Elina rub ons when CBRGil has done them, and some Suntour 9/16 decals for the bottom of the pedals from Kendo. Oh yes, and a chain adjuster for the drive side - still need to buy one of them.
It should be finished 100% next week so I'll take some decent piccies of it and post them up.
Jt:
beautiful
Kaner:
Its looking amazing Rich! :smitten:
I'm looking forward to seeing it with the tyres on posing in the sun showing off its shiny shiny chrome work.
Brilliant job. :daumenhoch:
dan-dare:
Lookin good. :daumenhoch:
Mattdub:
Lookin' very good :daumenhoch:
Nice attention to detail ;)
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