Piaggio Bianchi Sport SS

QuangVuong · Postby **QuangVuong** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:24 pm

I mentioned this bike in another thread, a $50 Bianchi. I spotted this on Gumtree, and Ill give a big thanks to rogerrabbit for picking it up for me. Saw a B panto on the crown, and Bianchi on the rear dropout as well as parts of the Golden Arrow group, and I just had to get it.

I believe this is a Sport SS model as from the remnants of the top tube sticker. This is a Japanese made Bianchi, and what should be the 2nd highest model in the Sport line up, coming in behind the Sport SX model. And according to Sheldon Brown,

Sheldon Brown wrote:Bianchi
While Bianchi is best known as an Italian brand, it was having bicycles built in Japan to its specifications for several years in the late 1980s. These were particularly nice bikes, with better workmanship than the Italian models.

Serial number is LS328488. Dunno what it means, but I do know its a 1983 bike(from component dates).

B panto and Ishiwata Magny tubing sticker. Nothing special about the tubing.

Discoloured(from metal pump clip corrosion?) seat tube Ishiwata sticker that says 'Guaranteed built with MAGNY Ishiwata. Double butted tubes, fork, & stays. This one also has Piaggio stickers, from the time when Piaggio owned Bianchi, which should be from 1980-86.

Kusuki Winpista bars(which were more comfy than Id though. I only use the Sakae Anatomic bars) with an odd 0.833 sized Sakae Custom stem. This stem actually is too skinny for the steerer. A standard 22.2 fits in perfectly, and Im not sure how the stem ever got put on this bike in the first place. Stem will be replaced with another Custom stem seeing that Ive got one in 22.2.

Seems like this bike was sold at some Bike n Hike store in California. Explains why the brakes were set up backwards to the Aussie set up.

Cool looking Sakae CR cranks with Sakae SP-153 pedals, and the Golden Arrow FD.

More Golden Arrow, the shifters. Friction shifting wasnt as hard as I thought itll be. Worked well enough for the hills around the North Sydney/Manly area.

RD and a hint of the Bianchi dropout

Non Golden Arrow brakes, but they work amazingly well, even with the original pads.

Anyway, the bike has been pulled apart, ready for cleaning and polishing. The bike will mainly remain the same, other than a correct fitting stem, different seat post and saddle, possibly a new headset, and the 27' Arayas will be replaced with spare 700c Open 4 CDs, as well as mudguards to fill in the empty space. This is one of the 6 bikes Im currently building, so it might take some time, but I should get it done by the end of the month, hopefully.

GaryF · Postby **GaryF** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 10:20 pm

It looks like a bike with a ton of potential. Well spotted. It will be nice to see it once you've performed your magic on it.

HappyHumber · Postby **HappyHumber** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 10:49 pm

I quite like those Sakae 'swept spider' cranks, I've seen a couple of them floating around. Something a little different.

Are they 110mm BCD?

mark field · Postby **mark field** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 11:06 pm

HappyHumber wrote:I quite like those Sakae 'swept spider' cranks, I've seen a couple of them floating around. Something a little different.

Are they 110mm BCD?

agree, will look nice cleaned up and add that special touch.

Stuey · Postby **Stuey** » Fri Jul 04, 2014 8:58 am

Really nice!

Quang, the trick with friction shifters is to fiddle with the tension on the RD lever until it's just tight enough to hold the lever against the cable spring tension. Then the shifts can be 'flick switch' quick once you get the hang of the 'just right' shifting distance on the lever.

QuangVuong · Postby **QuangVuong** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:26 pm

Got the group cleaned and polished over the past few days. Yes, these cranks are 110 BCD and any 110 rings will fit it.

And pulled off the fork. Found out its JIS, and the only JIS headset I've got is a 6400 one. I really don't like the original headset, so I'll prob just run the 6400 headset. Check out the nice paint too.

And then test fitted a mud guard and a 700c wheel. Looks good, so the original hubs will be unlaced and then built to some old Open 4 CDs. As this is my only bike with eyelets, is it supposed to be threaded or not? The left eyelet is threaded, but the right eyelet is just a hole. I didnt notice if the rear ones were threaded or not.

Typhoon Ken · Postby **Typhoon Ken** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:45 pm

Like your work

utedeej · Postby **utedeej** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:44 pm

Nice work QV, you always do a meticulous strip down, clean and rebuild.

LG · Postby LG » Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:59 pm

QuangVuong wrote:Got the group cleaned and polished over the past few days. Yes, these cranks are 110 BCD. big ring is not interchangeable with other 110 rings, but it's a 52/42t combination, so it's all good.

Just curious about the big ring not being interchangeable. I've got a triple set of these cranks on a commuting bike with a 50t big ring. I've swapped the worn inner rings, but haven't needed to with the outer ring. Are you just referring to cosmetics or is there something there that makes other big rings not fit? It would probably look a bit odd with a normal pattern ring I admit.

Postby **Mulger bill** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:03 pm

LG wrote:
QuangVuong wrote:Got the group cleaned and polished over the past few days. Yes, these cranks are 110 BCD. big ring is not interchangeable with other 110 rings, but it's a 52/42t combination, so it's all good.
Just curious about the big ring not being interchangeable. I've got a triple set of these cranks on a commuting bike with a 50t big ring. I've swapped the worn inner rings, but haven't needed to with the outer ring. Are you just referring to cosmetics or is there something there that makes other big rings not fit? It would probably look a bit odd with a normal pattern ring I admit.

Ends of the arms on the crank spider are angled, never seen that before.

LG · Postby LG » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:09 pm

I thought the mounts still form a 110BCD circle though (even though optically it doesn't look circle shaped). Probably a moot point, I could go check myself but it's dark, cold and wet outside between my house and shed.

QuangVuong · Postby **QuangVuong** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:23 pm

Ah, looks like I was wrong. Standard 110 rings will fit. It's also cold, dark, and almost full moon, but I went out and tested it.

LG · Postby LG » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:33 pm

Thanks, you've saved me a trip outside

. It might be dark & near full moon in Sydney (supermoon on Saturday), but I'd be surprised if it was 'cold' (my partner is in Sydney at the moment and has commented on how mild it is).

Oh, nice purchase by the way.

QuangVuong · Postby **QuangVuong** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:01 pm

Hubs polished, and wheels are being built up. Front is done, and rear will be built tomorrow. This rebuilt is nearing completion.

matt1986 · Postby **matt1986** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:30 pm

Looking great, those Golden Arrow components come up really nicely with a polish - do you have any particular plans for this one?

QuangVuong · Postby **QuangVuong** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 6:33 pm

I bought it because it was cheap, and will be a wet weather sort of bike.

Frame polished up. The paint came up well.

Anyway, mostly together now. There hasn't been any adjustments yet, so hoods,bars, etc looks a bit off. Upgraded with a JIS 6400 headset, cartridge BB, 700c Mavic Open 4CD rims, and mudguards.

GaryF · Postby **GaryF** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:01 pm

Very nice job. It looks great.

petie · Postby **petie** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:50 pm

Looks amazing, well done. Makes me lust after another resto!

QuangVuong · Postby **QuangVuong** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:36 pm

In 2 and a half month's time, I finally got around to putting on a chain and wrapping the bars. Took it for a 20km ride, but found out that the rear wheel is noticably oval. Oh well, Ill have to find another 36h Open 4 CD to rebuildto the hub.

Hoods are dry, but I dont see how people manage to brake from the hoods with these old single pivots.

Shiny shifters. Friction shifting aint all that bad, just need to hear the chain clunk over and then I know that it has shifted.

Didnt know that these non parallelogram RDs take a lot of chain up. This is a full chain with no links removed.

And shiny hubs

A very big transformation from the day I picked it up. Cleaned up really well.

Postby **Mulger bill** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 9:07 pm

Damn QV, another beauty!

Mind if I ask the brand of those mudguards?

Shaun

QuangVuong · Postby **QuangVuong** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 7:45 pm

They are the Planet Bike guards that I got from Torpedo 7.

Postby **Mulger bill** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:30 pm

Thanks QV, off I go

mdan7 · Postby **mdan7** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 12:47 pm

what thread was that bottom bracket - italian or british?

QuangVuong · Postby **QuangVuong** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 1:22 pm

mdan7 wrote:what thread was that bottom bracket - italian or british?

This frame has an English threaded BB shell.

Vincebmw2002 · Postby **Vincebmw2002** » Mon Sep 25, 2017 6:00 pm

QuangVuong wrote:In 2 and a half month's time, I finally got around to putting on a chain and wrapping the bars. Took it for a 20km ride, but found out that the rear wheel is noticably oval. Oh well, Ill have to find another 36h Open 4 CD to rebuildto the hub.

Hoods are dry, but I dont see how people manage to brake from the hoods with these old single pivots.

Shiny shifters. Friction shifting aint all that bad, just need to hear the chain clunk over and then I know that it has shifted.

Didnt know that these non parallelogram RDs take a lot of chain up. This is a full chain with no links removed.

And shiny hubs

A very big transformation from the day I picked it up. Cleaned up really well.

Hi, You have a very nice bike. I just got one yesterday but only the frame set. Pretty much complete minus the wheelset. I have a question regarding the width of rear hub spacing. Thanks.