Yamaguchi confusion

lae · Nov 11, 2009

Alright.

Friend of mine has picked up this old bike out of a skip.

Now the stickers say:
Yamaguchi
Sports Frame
Sakai Japan

So what's the deal here? I doubt it's a 'proper' Yamaguchi (i.e. handmade by Koichi Yamaguchi) because it just doesn't look like one, plus it says 'Sakai Japan' and Yamaguchi only made bikes under his own name from his company in the US - his work in Japan was under 3Rensho. And I don't think he made any 'off the peg' bikes.

Is there another company called Yamaguchi? It's a very common surname in Japan. Is it a cheap imitation - a rebranded Raleigh Record or something? The bike is Australian if that helps.

Thanks

Elev12k · Nov 11, 2009

I have seen the brand before and I've discussed it with other collegue bike enthousiasts. No one of us were familiar with the brand and we came to a kind of consencus that it can be missed in our collections.

dirtydaniel · Nov 11, 2009

I strongly doubt it's a Yamaguchi....

lae · Nov 12, 2009

Maybe it's a Ross? Ross used an 'R' badge and this bike has them on the seat tube and head tube (or at least, that's what I think it says).

The Yamaguchi Sakai sticker is confusing though, I haven't found anything about that, it just comes up with Koichi Yamaguchi... I think Yamaguchi Sakai must be an unrelated company.

SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum · Nov 14, 2009

Why not drop Kochi a note at his web site and ask him. I'm sure he's probably more than happy to reply.

lae · Nov 14, 2009

Why are people on this website so hostile?

I've posted the bike up on a few other forums and people have been suggesting all sorts of makes that it could possibly be. It's a shit bike, I know, but I'm still interested in what make it is because I've never seen one before. No need to be sarcastic just because I'm curious about a retro bike (this is the retro bike forum isn't it?).

Anyway, apparently the make is Record as well as the model (so it's a Record Record). Some old dude in Australia remembers selling them in the 70s.

Mike · Nov 14, 2009

frinkmakesyouthink":1vsttueq said:
Why are people on this website so hostile?

I've posted the bike up on a few other forums and people have been suggesting all sorts of makes that it could possibly be. It's a shit bike, I know, but I'm still interested in what make it is because I've never seen one before. No need to be sarcastic just because I'm curious about a retro bike (this is the retro bike forum isn't it?).

Whoa, easy tiger. I don't think anybody is being sarcastic or hostile. They don't know and have suggested you contact the potential framebuilder.

Thanks for letting us know it's a Record Record.

Welcome to the site.

Yamaguchi confusion

lae

Retro Guru

Elev12k

dirtydaniel

Retro Guru

lae

Retro Guru

SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum

Old School Grand Master

lae

Retro Guru

Mike

Retro Guru

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