A less-common Japanese road bike....

[juvela]

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I have the same crank and derailleurs for my Miki (and Sunshine hubs). I think the taper is Suginos own as ISO came later but they are both similar the old campy taper. I just used 70s Campagnolo Record BB with the Sugino Super Mighty crankset.

I think the common square taper widths or profiles are
Narrow: Ofmega
Medium: ISO, Campagnolo, Gipiemme, Sugino, most NJS square taper?, Omas, some old French spindles like Nervar, Mavic and Stronglight
Wide: JIS(Shimano, SR), some French spindles (TA?)

Does anybody know where the 171mm crank arm lengh comes from?

the 171mm length is the metric equivalent of 6 3/4"

was widely employed on early Sugino products

much the same that the 71mm shell width was much employed in Japan for a number of years as it is the equivalent of the Raleigh 26TPI shell


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[Freeman]

Well, I took it all apart and put it back together and took another photo of it, and it looks pretty much the same. The "Italia" seat is off an old Motobecane I used to have which was about the same year as this bike, and I put Velox black cotton bar tape on the bike. Also got rid of the self-extracting Shimano crank bolts and put regular crank bolts in and covered them with a pair of Sugino covers I had in my toolbox. Tires are a used pair of Conti gatorskins. I hung the bike on a scale with some old alloy road pedals installed and it was 22 pounds dead even. I think I would like to get a shorter stem for it at some point in the future if I am going to ride it regularly, as the reach to the seat is further than I am used to.

 

[Freeman]

The after-after photo. I swapped in a different seatpost and stem to make the bike more comfortable for me, so I would not be stretched out on it like I was on the rack in the Spanish Inquisition.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Having trouble finding a bottom bracket for the bike to replace it's pitted one. This is because it's cranks take an "ISO" tapered BB, which are not laying around in junk-piles where I am compared to the "JIS" bottom brackets. I have heard that all good things come to those who wait though, and that patience is a virtue, so eventually something will turn up.

Did you check Velo Orange or Soma Fabrications for an ISO tapered bb?

 

[Freeman]

Did you check Velo Orange or Soma Fabrications for an ISO tapered bb?

Actually, in the "after photo" directly above, where the bike is against a blue wall, it is all done and ready to ride. I got a new "Nervar" bottom bracket spindle cheap off Ebay and put it in with a couple of good cups out of my junk-box. Have put quite a few miles on the bike in the past few weeks including 40 today and it is a great bike. I have found another frame/fork locally in my size that is also made of Champion #2, so I may build up another bike with this tubing in the near future and hopefully have two bikes to ride that soak up the bumps as good as this Centurion does.