Re: [CR] Curious about Sekai Professional 4000

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Campagnolo)

In-Reply-To: <20110116205624.0F517401C@ssh-linux4.ece.ubc.ca>
References: <20110116205624.0F517401C@ssh-linux4.ece.ubc.ca>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:25:12 -0800
From: "Joe Bunik" <jbunik@gmail.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] Curious about Sekai Professional 4000


Good afternoon all

I've enjoyed these pieces of Sekai info that have floated in the past few days. Last year I offered on-list a Sekai 4000 frameset (which we still cellar, btw... ;-) ), and struck up a discussion with Mr. Black when he noted his Centurion Semi-Pro was near-identical (save for the Shimano dropouts on mine)... here's my 1976 Sekai 4000 (57x57), "M6xxxx" serial. Prior owner had also indicated this was Champion #1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_bunik/sets/72157625729982233/

I'd read somewhere more regarding the Miki(/Miko???) and Yamaguchi connection, but can't recover them! Was Yamaguchi employed by that shop?

This thread, too has some possibly relevant trivia: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/429693-Sakai-Bikes ... which corroborates a mysterious comment Mr. Black once made to me, "About ten years ago I had a KHS touring bike from the early 80s, that had a seattube sticker that said, Parker Process, Miki Sakai. It was really crude, though." Points to Black for discerning the spelling of Sekai vs. Sakai...

=- Joe Bunik
Walnut Creek, CA