RADBMX.CO.UK
Technical & Reference Section => Tech and Restoration => Topic started by: stuntmaster on November 22, 2006, 09:33 PM
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seen as there allways confusing over these things and had this one for over a year now and was wondering as different to others i see ie oval tubes
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/v607/stuntmaster/k1.jpg)
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brake bridge but no kuwahara stamp (http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/v607/stuntmaster/k2.jpg)
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no
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nice though.
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looks similar to my old one
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front end pic and tange made as has tange in serial number (http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/v607/stuntmaster/k3.jpg)
now i was told it was a lazorlite as they did do oval tube`s and i thought my mate had one bitd
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loverly frame. i would have said tange too.
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i know it tange as serial number are same style ie place and numbering as my aero pro that tange made . now where the kuwahara buff showtime as he might know and if it ain`t what is it ie what tange
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the tubing is too "pointy" oval to be a Laserlite & the brake (although right shape) doesn't have nough weld on it! the Kuwahara ones are welded all the way up both sides ;)
as for being stamped this was only on the 84 & later bikes so depending on your serial number that shouldn't be an issue!
also you look to have the right dropouts, flattened stays on the inside & welded both sides etc ;)
however to my knowledge Kuwahara didn't make a frame with tubing that ovalised ???
its still Tange made & a nice Aero frame but i'd say not a Kuwie, Tange made bikes for quite a few companys back then
have a nose round jamies site for more detailed information ;)
nice fram tho, i like it :coolsmiley:
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still not sure as just found a advert on nsr site and that says the new kuwahara with oval tubes . i email him to see what he thinks .frame is welded same on both side on brake bridge
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I grabbed this from jamies kuwahara site , hope it helps
The Kuwahara Laser Lite was the ultimate BMX ever made by Kuwahara. It had the best technology, used the highest quality materials, had the best components and was the most expensive Kuwahara BMX ever made. All the factory Kuwahara riders used and raced the Laser Lite. It was Kuwahara's flagship model.
There were two models of the LaserLite. The first model, the KZ-3 or KZ-83 had aero or oval tubing (top and down tubes) including the forks while the later model known as the KZ-4 or KZ-84 had slightly less oval tubing that was practically round (the top tube was very slightly oval in shape while the lower down tube was completely round).
The KZ-83 models with the Oval tubing did not have any of the "K" mark or "Kuwahara" stamped into them while the later model KZ-84 frames had the"K" mark from Kuwahara stamped into the front fork ends, rear drop outs and Kuwahara was stamped into the rear brake bracket as well as under the frame on the bottom bracket area plus "Product of Japan" was stamped there along with the serial number. These were Kuwahara's original high end bikes with their lightweight and special hollow frame which was a big seller for Kuwahara and showed to others all over the world the quality of the now famous LaserLite.
Paul :coolsmiley:
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I was always under the impression that one year the Laserlite had round tubes and another year had the oval.
Was also told that only Kuwies had that brake bridge with the 2 holes?
Those stickers have to be original....remember I had a pic of it as a complete bike Paul.
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jobs a gooden :)
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i only posted about it retro as never seen another lazor with my style tubes as always see the round tube ones like the other one i got and i still believe it to be one and won`t sell it even if it wasn`t .
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I think I agree with Showtime on this. My KZ 83 has the oval tubing but it is much more subtle. Also re: the brake bridge, I don't think the two holes are an indicator of Kuwi as the pic below shows a different type plate with two holes, albeit different sizes and also the plate is welded on top of the chainstays rather than in between.
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/y91/frosty_paul/laserliteandotherchainstays.jpg)
Where is the serial number and what is it? This may help.
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serial number is under bottom bracket and has the f letter in it
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have a nose for info on Jamies site HERE (http://www.dreamgate.ne.jp/kuwahara/) ;)
what i meant about the welding on the brake bridge was it doesn't go all the way along the edges like every Kuwie i've ever seen, yours has a small gap in the middle ob both left & right hand sides!
my serials are (KZ1) K1J0711 the K means Kuwahara made, 1981, J = October, 0711 is the individual fabrication number
my Laserlite is T3G2062 the T means Tange made, 1983, G = July, 2062 fab no as before
all the Kuwie/Tange made bikes should have frame numbers following this format ;)
apart from a couple of very rare KGB numbered sets ???
a pic of 83 & 84 rear brake bridges (84 is stamped) ;)
(http://www.dreamgate.ne.jp/kuwahara/mybikes/84_05.jpg)
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that's a bit cryptic it has an f. ???
My factroy team laserlite is from 82, and has mega aero tubing like that allthough the brake bridge is fully welded. i would be sure it was a kuwahara if the serial starts with a T then number, then a letter between A and L then more numbers. Mine is T2L0005 the 5th one made :yahoo_silent: The 83 models got less oval and then in 84 well, you know the rest.
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i remember helping you ID that over on V ;)
basically 83 Laserlite tubing is not true oval! its like fatter tubing thats been flattened a bit in the vertical plane making a rounder oval shape rather than a pointy one :daumenhoch:
the full frame number would definitely help :police:
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the first factory bikes were teardrop, thats how i found out it was a factory bike(can't remember who told me but they seemed to know thier stuff). thats why it's aero tubing not oval.
just checked, my brake bridge is also welded like that, nice find fella. what's the full serial??
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That is quite a find then.
Townsend and Stunty get pics posted up on Jamies site with details of tubing welds and serial no's!
:daumenhoch:
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serial number is under bottom bracket and has the f letter in it
f must be for factory then.
Indeed a nice find.
Could be a very special frame.
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more than likely that it is F for june, A jan, B feb, etc...
mine did have ARX forks but i switched em for TRX because i like em more. Still got the ARX though and they are the right forks for the 82 frame set.
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is it in the museum?
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No, not finished. :-[ :'( could do with a dust off too and a polish.
(http://www.jttimmerwerk.nl/kuwi2.JPG)
(http://www.jttimmerwerk.nl/kuwi4.JPG)
(http://www.jttimmerwerk.nl/kuwi.JPG)
(http://www.jttimmerwerk.nl/kuwi1.JPG)
(http://www.jttimmerwerk.nl/stuff.JPG)
there you go.
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must be loose my marble as serial number is t2l3546 i don`t know where i got f from
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Does that make it a December 1982 then?
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yup
i reckon that last set of numbers must be production run(0) and then bike number 005
i don't reckon the made 3500+ bikes in novenmber ???
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so, if i have a frame with T4J000000
-THEN ITS AN OCTOBER 1984 TANGE FRAME, IF ITS JUST GOT A ROUND REAR BRIDGE?
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so, if i have a frame with T4J000000
-THEN ITS AN OCTOBER 1984 TANGE FRAME, IF ITS JUST GOT A ROUND REAR BRIDGE?
generally there are only 4 numbers after the month letter in a Tange serial number!
post up some pics of the serial number, the dropouts (insided& out) and things like how the chainstays meet the BB etc and we should have some idea what it is ;)
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so it look like if frame has not complete welding on brake bridge then it a early one then .
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reckon so :daumenhoch:
well we already know its a 1982 & as Laserlites didn't really come out til 83 & had slightly different tubing its either an early preproduction Laserlite (maybe even a team bike) or a bike Tange made for another company that we don't know about!
either way its a nice & pretty rare frame :angel:
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the kid i got it off adam got his from big brother and he raced it from new. he had a curtis and a hot heart too for sale and was riding a hutch pro racer. he wanted more money than i had for the others and when i had more money they were gone :'( i did get a POS with it though if you remember. swapped that for the nat pro so alls well that ends well.
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i got a letter of authenticity off kuwahara too adam.
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do you want to sell it stuntmastersan
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no not for sale as allways want one as had one as a kid also what the letter says