Randy and Terry,
I also e-mailed the seller, and here is his reply:
"Gladly posted, but your opinions as to the maker is now one of seven different suggestions as to who actually made the frame and they are all different and well stated to include comments suggesting Yoshi made the frame. I am not trying to get rich on this as I have owned this frame for over 20 plus years, but a 48cm is to small for me. I own and have owned a bunch of very high custom frames, it is the workmanship and attention to detail on a steel frame that are interesting. This is not a beer can or plastic frame, just old school sweat, brazing and lug filing. That is why there are twelve photos showing details. If I was trying to falsify the ad there would never be photos posted of such detail. I am a long term bike nut learning comment by comments from this process and your thoughts are welcome."
I can say with all certainty that the SE model (which this bike is) was never built by Yoshi Konno. It was a less expensive version, built by a larger company in Japan (National aka Panasonic, IIRC, but I could be wrong). I worked for Specialized when these bikes were sold. It's a very nice bike, yes, with very nice workmanship for a production bike, but if someone buys it because it MIGHT be built by Yoshi Konno, they will be sadly disappointed. Former(?) list member Bryant Bainbridge could tell us definitively.
Caveat emptor, Mark Ritz Arcata, CA But worked in Morgan Hill for ten years.
-----Original Message----- Terry,
He's wrong. It's not a 'might be', it just plain isn't, and trying to tie this frame to 3Rensho is a willful misrepresentation of the facts to boost his sale price.
I didn't bring it up to prove to everyone how smart I am, I just happen to know a bit about these bikes and didn't want anyone to pay more than it's worth.
Thanks, Randy Dugan Van Nuys, CA USA
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
hey guys i have looked at this listing a couple of times and i don't see
anywhere that the lister has stated that this bike IS a 3rensho. in his
heading he says it ,MIGHT BE, and in the body of the description he says it
COULD BE, and further that he is just GUESSING. how does all this translate
into "false pretenses" ? is this a case of needing to demonstrate superior
knowledge or something? what's up?
terry farrant
vancouver island
canada