Need help identifying this frame

[Jaycomal]

Picked this bike up the other day as a possible resto project. Unfortunately it has been repainted so haven't got too many clues as to its beginnings. What I do know is that it has Suntour derailleur levers and Suntour VX rear hub (6 speed), Shimano front wheel, Biopace chainrings, front and rear derailleurs (all Shimano bits I suspect have come later), Diacompe levers and chrome fork. The other odd features are the cable routing above the bottom bracket through metal guides (rather than under) and that the brakes are Euro set up (rear right, front left), but from what I can gather it is an Australian delivered bike. The lugs have no markings (at least none that I can find), and the frame number is M2L5805. Thoughts?

Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98791154@N06/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[morini]

Looks a lot like my 210 Miyata and it has similar components to boot. The 'M' serial number would place it as an 84. It's a guess but any frame without pantographs or marked lugs/dropouts etc makes it near impossible to identify. Most of us on here just use Google before we ask questions. It's a good starting point and there's a lot out there about Miyatas. Who knows you might end up finding out it's something else and you can then inform us. Good luck.

[bychosis]

Looks similar to the one I'm trying to identify.

[WyvernRH]

The other odd features are the cable routing above the bottom bracket through metal guides (rather than under)

Making me feel old, top guides (either brazed on or clamped on) used to be the 'normal' way to route gear cables until the mid 80's and for some time after on production bikes.
Cheers
Richard

[HappyHumber]

Looks similar to the one I'm trying to identify.

I wouldn't go as far to say they're the same manufacturer, but def. same sort of period. Late 70s, early 80s with the above-BB cable routing and RD cable stop above the chainstay. The DT mounted, centrally mounted, shifter boss would suggest to me these frames were from later in this era

Which is an interesting question for those more in the know; I know Shimano was pushing the single, top mounted bosses with their couple of "Aero" AX Durace/600/Adamas series - but had Suntor previously offered this style first?

[bychosis]

I don't think they are the same either, my attempt at widening the audience for my thread

[morini]

Humber,
Velobase puts both versions down as beginning in 1981. One comment says that the Suntour ones even had an adjusting cam which automatically trimmed the front sprockets when you moved up and down the rear block. I can't confirm this myself because I've only ridden mine around the back yard before I parked it in the "it's too big, time to move it on pile".

Jaycomal can you post some closer section pictures please?

[Jaycomal]

I've had a suggestion that the frame may also be Nikishi, but like the Miyatas, there's not a lot of detail in how to interpret the frame number (unless you've got a North American bike it seems). I've checked the fork and it has a manufacturing sticker from Akisu (on the inner tube). Morini, can you explain your interpretation of the number? I'll get more pics ASAP, once I've finished disassembling it down to a bare frame (over the weekend).

[morini]

I just googled Miyata frame numbers. It's out there.......

[morini]

Googled Akisu and found they're well known BMX frame and fork builders. I couldn't find any references to them as as road frame builders but then I only looked for a couple of minutes. Here's a quote from a BMX site.

"Akisu were a Taiwanese manufacturer of F&Fs. Their products were never sold as Akisu - they were stickered as different things for different markets. Generic. Decent quality of materials and manufacture, but definitely lower end. Some of the lower end DBs after '82 were made there, as were a lot of bikes from the mid-80's onwards."

[TopSide]

. . . The other odd features are the cable routing above the bottom bracket through metal guides (rather than under) and that the brakes are Euro set up (rear right, front left), but from what I can gather it is an Australian delivered bike. The lugs have no markings (at least none that I can find), and the frame number is M2L5805. Thoughts?

The serial number, M2L58505, is the format and stamping for frames made by Miki of Sakai Japan.

If Miki, then your serial number decodes: "M" for Miki. "2" year the frame was made 1982, "L" 12th month December.

So a 1983 model year bike. In 1983, most shifter cables were threaded above the BB.

Miki made frames for many brand names in Europe, North America, and Australia including: some Centurion models, Bennett Sebring, Hallmark Steed, Graecross Constellation.

The tubing material varied: Hi Tension, butted Hi Tension, CrMo, and butted CrMo.