Subject: [CR]unfamiliar parts
Dennis wrote:
>" Pardon me if these might be off topic, but is anyone familiar with
SunShine
> bicycle components? I see these on occasion at the Japanese auctions, and
> they don't look wihout some merit. Probably it is a former Japanese
> company?"
You are referring to Sanshin or Sanshin Matsumoto, a very well respected Japanese firm that unfortunately is no longer in business. Their quality was better than Suzue or Sakae Ringyo, and they were the producers of Suntour hubs for many years (also the Specialized hubs). The quality level on their best hubs was like the quality level of the best Nitto handlebars and stems.
Sanshin developed a unique technology ( for the time) that allowed them to produce short runs of high flange, low flange, or combinations of high and low flanges with a variety of spoke hole drillings. I don't know how they did this, and have always wondered if it may have been by a very early implementation of CNC programmed lathes.
Unfortunately I never got to visit the factory but I did meet the company officials on several occasions. I'm sure I've got some of their catalogs kicking around here somewhere and I wish they were still in business.
Hugh Enox
La Honda