>From the list archives:
Rex,
If your friend with the Richard Sachs frameset seeks true period authenticity, then I am of the opinion that he is misguided to seek a crankset marked Superbe Pro for his particular project.
For both model years 1981 and 1982, the SunTour component line up did not differentiate a Superbe Pro specific crankset, but rather only the models CW-1000 for road applications and CW-3000 for track use - both of which were Superbe components. To plagiarize that which I just previously posted to the CR List back on 04/24/09 regarding 1980 first edition SunTour Superbe Pro componentry:
"What tends to make things so confusing during this time period is that it would be improper to think of SunTour as having offered a distinct Superbe versus Superbe Pro parts group. Rather, there was the Superbe group which could optionally be supplemented in specific instances with Superbe Pro piece parts to the extent that not all Superbe components had Superbe Pro specific counterparts (...fork ends, front and rear derailleurs, headset, and pedals were truly distinct, but their stem, shift levers, crankset, bottom bracket, and hubs were Superbe while the brake calipers and levers were Superbe Pro only at this point). Of course, any differences between Superbe versus Superbe Pro parts became more manifest over time as the two variants followed similar yet disparate upgrade paths in addition to the fact that additional Superbe Pro components were added to their line-up...."
With regard to their cranksets specifically, it was not until late 1984 for model year 1985 that SunTour introduced a Superbe Pro specific model in the form of the sleek CW-5000 for road applications and the CW-6000 for track use. While all of these particular components were actually forged by their JEX affiliate Sugino and then branded under the SunTour label, the CW-5000 Superbe Pro crankset can easily be differentiated from its CW-1000 Superbe predecessor by virtue of having gracefully rounded arms without any fluting as well as a solid spider lacking milled slots.
Robert "cranky old SunTour fan" Broderick ..the "Frozen Flatlands" of South Dakota Sioux Falls, USA