Todd Kuzma wrote:
It was a nice bike, and I still enjoy riding it.
Hi Todd,
That's pretty neat. As a reference point, what did you pay for it back then new?
The components on this are Shimano Crane rear der., Shimano Titlist front der., Lambert brake levers, calipers are not marked but have a red insert in each side pivot bolt of the center pull, with a white "V" in the middle of the red. Aroli Chair Master bars, Gran Compe stem, Suntour bar-end shifters. Most of the components I've never heard of before. This bike has a look that says early seventies, though I can't be specific on that. The front wheel is a mismatch. The rear is a Suzue with a five speed freewheel.
The rear dropouts are very nice, long horizontal type. No name on them, but they look very good. The front fork is all chrome. May or may not be original, but probably is, since the frame doesn't show any damage which I might expect with a very light frame (Tange). The chrome is good. Believe it or not, I was driving in town and saw this thing lying among a bunch of clothes and stuff, on the grass, in a yard sale. Stopped to see what it was and found out they wanted $10. I'm now the proud owner of a Kobe Cobra. Too bad it's WAY to large for my small size (normally 52/53cm). May throw it on Ebay and see what happens.
Thanks for the information, and help on this!
Steve Dahlquist Velochrome Frameset Painting V 559-592-6367 F 559-592-2585 C 559-967-3318 steve@velochrome.com 22582 Carson Avenue Exeter, California 93221 http://www.Velochrome.com
----- Original Message ----- From: Todd Kuzma To: Steve Dahlquist ; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 4:07 PM Subject: Re: [CR]Kobe Cobra
on 12/5/03 5:04 PM, Steve Dahlquist at steve@velochrome.com wrote:
> Anybody heard of a Kobe Cobra? Year? Made by? Serial number information? > Other information?
Oooo! Oooo! I know this! Pick me! Pick me!! I OWN a Kobe Cobra.
Back in the late 70s, my Schwinn Continental II was stolen, and I replaced it with a Kobe Cobra. I still have it, although it now sports a Krylon paint job and is set up as a fixed gear. Kobe was a Japanese company that sold a small selection of models in the US. They had a "motocross" kids model, a boys and a girls "hi-rise" banana seat model, a couple basic "10-speeds," and the Cobra, their top model in the US.
According to the catalog that I have (which doesn't exactly match my bike so it might be a year off from mine), the Cobra was described as such:
- Fully lugged frame - double butted, high tension, light steel tubing - Smooth taper butted column forks with chrome tips and crown - Sakae Custom P-3 alloy seat post - Sakae Custom 390-L alloy engraved bars - SR alloy stem with recessed allen bolt - Dia-Compe center pull brakes with gum hooded levers - Araya light alloy rims - IRC 27x1-1/4 hi-pressure gum-side tires - 90 lbs. - Suntour SL and VGT-Luxe derailleurs - Suntour Bar Con fingertip shifters - Suntour 14-30T pro compe gold freewheel - Sugino cotterless Maxy II crankset with 52x40T chainrins - MKS quill type rat trap pedals with reflectors - Elina Super Pro saddle - CPSC approved wide angle reflector set - Frame sizes: 19", 21", 23", 25"
My Cobra had downtube Power Ratchet shifters and a Shimano 600 freewheel (that fell apart in several hundred miles). I don't think it had the chrome fork crown (it could be under the paint, but I DID mask of the lower chrome portion of the fork). Mine also had Christophe clips and Lapize straps although I might have added those later.
I changed the brakes to sidepull Dia Compe G brakes, the rear derailleur to a Cyclone, the freewheel to a 15-19 Regina d'Oro straight block, and some other minor things.
It was a nice bike, and I still enjoy riding it.
Todd Kuzma
Heron Bicycles
Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery
LaSalle, IL
http://www.heronbicycles.com/
http://www.tullios.com/