RADBMX.CO.UK
Technical & Reference Section => Tech and Restoration => Topic started by: Bren Gunn on December 03, 2006, 03:22 PM
-
How did you work the year out?
I thought there was no way of working it out... :-\
-
if we post a load up should no one way or another maybe
hears mine and dordys
pk 71828
pk 52865
-
Heres mine PK 73454
From bodamus ;)
-
pk59547
-
pk59547
what have you got a ripper pete
-
picked it up last night needs a seat tube job n some welding but s all good ;)
-
PK61329
and
PK61828
i did pm OM over on his site ,but no reply as yet
to the great PK seriel number mystery
could be a job for captain caveman or maybe columbo
-
well so far on most but 1 they all carry 2 same numbers and last 2 digits are 9 10 or 11 added means nowt i no
-
so could mine be
PK61629 and not PK61329
and PK61628 and not PK61828
-
well we shall see when a load more apear only your first one has a double number missing
-
I thought the second number was the year?
1=81
2=83
3=83
9=79?
not sure though?
-
looks good
-
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's right now. I just had to confirm that the rippers first year was '79 :daumenhoch:
-
so mine is a 79 then???
-
so mine is a 79 then???
I think so - yes
-
Sounds good :)
So PK70### = 1980?
-
any ideas on what the rest of the serial means???
-
PK = PK ripper (would be MR if it was a Ripper or Mini Ripper)
First number = month (it's entirly possible that this is not the month of manufacture but the month the drop-out was stamped)
Second number = year
Third, fourth and fifth number = sequential production number (there may be a sixth digit in some months in certain years where more than 1000 PK's were made in that month, but not very many)
Small print: this is not definative for all looptail rippers from '79-'84 ;)
-
I don't think there is a way to tell from the serial what year it is. I believe they just went up in number as the production went on.
I have a PK loop with serial PK25812 that came from a trusted source who got it from a friend who bought it new in 82.
I also have loops with PK48006, PK71853, and PK70813. 48006 makes it hard to believe the second digit is the year.
-
I just read the interview with Mike Devitt on VBMX and it seems they may have sometimes alternated month and year. This would mean the following for your PKs
PK25812 = 82 May (matches with the year purchased)
PK48006 = 84 Aug
PK71853 = July 81
PK70813 = July 80
48006 = 84 Aug?
If you assume that looptail PK's were made from 79-84 and the last 3 digits (or 4 depending on how many numbers in total) are the sequential product number then the other 2 should fit one way or the other. No?
-
I agree mine pk66893 so that kind of finishes the year theory.
Isnt this an old discussion anyway, you cant actually tell when they where made by the serial number. The only indication of age is based on the shape of the drop out. The real early ones had race inc or was it fmf diamond shaped drop outs, and then theres the odd round top tube ones that were made when they run out of floval tubing. Otherwise its between 79 and 84. Accept it it is old and cool.
-
anyway, Bren have you decided what colour/polished you are doing with your bargain yet?
-
I agree mine pk66893 so that kind of finishes the year theory.
Isnt this an old discussion anyway, you cant actually tell when they where made by the serial number. The only indication of age is based on the shape of the drop out. The real early ones had race inc or was it fmf diamond shaped drop outs, and then theres the odd round top tube ones that were made when they run out of floval tubing. Otherwise its between 79 and 84. Accept it it is old and cool.
I've only looked a ripper serial numbers fleetingly (hardly at all before today), but there may be some general pattern. Of course there may be anomilies - mis-stamped drop-outs etc, but I always ask the question 'why stamp the drop-outs at all if the numbers mean nothing'? Also, if the numbers mean nothing then how would the person doing the stamping know what the sequence was?
Look at Torker for example. Most still say Torkers can't be dated by serial numbers, but we have identified that Torker-made Haro's can be, so why not apply this theory to Torkers? Unfortunately,I have not had much feedback from Torker owners to build enough information for the amount of years they were in production. So I have lost interest.
..........oh well never mind. I've lost interest in PK numbers already............................... :LolLolLolLol:
-
oh well never mind. I've lost interest in PK numbers already
keep at it phil.
i'd like to know what year mine was :daumenhoch:.
-
I seem to remember that they started to date them very early on but things ran away from them quite quickly and they lost track so they gave up. They did have records of serials and dates of manufacture but they were destroyed, quite recently i believe. I'm with Scott on this one.
-
anyway, Bren have you decided what colour/polished you are doing with your bargain yet?
Still not sure, it hurts my head when I think about it :D
-
mines pk64584.
-
May as well list mine too. PK60758
-
mines PK 59589
-
I don't think there is a way to tell from the serial what year it is. I believe they just went up in number as the production went on.
I have a PK loop with serial PK25812 that came from a trusted source who got it from a friend who bought it new in 82.
I also have loops with PK48006, PK71853, and PK70813. 48006 makes it hard to believe the second digit is the year.
My apologies for dragging back an ancient post, and my first posting at that. First, hello from Prescott, Arizona USA. My name is Jeff, but I like my screen name. I came over here looking for my old looptail PK Ripper-Serial number: PK70813. This old post is the only thing that comes up anywhere. Unfortunately this member: Tony S. does not have contacts here and is listed as a guest. If anybody knows this member or how to get in contact with him, I'd really appreciate it. It would help me out tremendously in finding my old looptail PK. Thank you!!
PS: I was born in Ashtabula, Ohio of the fork, stems, cranks, and frame manufacturer.
Dash
-
Welcome mate the truth is there is no way of dating the rippers by the serial number the consensus of opinion is the 7 numbers are late on in production sort of 83 /84 but I have seen others with that range saying there bike is 81 the only thing you can say with certainty is it was made between 79 and 84 sorry it's not the exact Answer you were after it's probably the most asked question re se bikes
-
perhaps https://www.facebook.com/tony.sala.52 ........?
activities: "PGP Motorsports Park, Supercross BMX, Dan's Comp, Planet BMX / ColoredTuffs.com, SE Bikes etc"
welcome on here, good luck on your quest :)
-
It's probably the most frequently asked question in all of BMX :)
It's a tough one no doubt about it and as a rule of thumb 79 = pre serial and then from late 79 onwards pk2.
Pk3 = 80 etc etc. the last of the serials would be pk7 so 84.
A great way is to also use the original decals ( if the frames still have them) to determine it's age, the 79 decals were different to the 80 and 80 different to 81. Slight changes to the seat mast decal and shadowing on the down tube decal.
-
perhaps https://www.facebook.com/tony.sala.52 ........?
activities: "PGP Motorsports Park, Supercross BMX, Dan's Comp, Planet BMX / ColoredTuffs.com, SE Bikes etc"
welcome on here, good luck on your quest :)
Thank you for that link. Unfortunately I'm not on Facebook. That's another story. But that profile looks promising: same name with BMX splashed around....I don't see a way to contact him without signing up for Facebook??
Dash
-
i've got the same problem as you have - hate to sign up to FB but see no other way to get contact i need to make. Fake id maybe, or delete account right after you're done with it..? Dunno, sorry .. just do it man ;)
-
It's probably the most frequently asked question in all of BMX :)
It's a tough one no doubt about it and as a rule of thumb 79 = pre serial and then from late 79 onwards pk2.
Pk3 = 80 etc etc. the last of the serials would be pk7 so 84.
A great way is to also use the original decals ( if the frames still have them) to determine it's age, the 79 decals were different to the 80 and 80 different to 81. Slight changes to the seat mast decal and shadowing on the down tube decal.
Id go with the above comments from Kindfunky , This below from the museum is just about as accurate as anyone has ever got too really from what I've read & researched .
2xxxx = mid 1979
3xxxx = 1980
4xxxx = 1981
5xxxx = 1982
6xxxx = 1983
7xxxx = 1984
The thing is nobody really knows !