# New Miyata Project



## fishman1 (Jul 27, 2015)

Yes I think I am turning Japanese. Yes I picked up a girls Miyata looks prewar? Not sure but my wife wants me to restore for her daily rider. S/N K776339 anyone have input would help missing the chain gaurd and front badge.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jul 27, 2015)

Valuable bicycle, in Japan....


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## fat tire trader (Jul 27, 2015)

Its interesting Miyata started out as a gun manufacturer in the 1890s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyata


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## Dale Alan (Jul 28, 2015)

Very cool,I have never seen a Miyata that old .Can you post more pics please ?


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## T-Mar (Jul 28, 2015)

I don't believe that the bicycle is old as you think. Based on the serial number, it should be 1982, 1956 or 1930. The Japanese did like retro bicycles and continued the use of stirrup brakes into 1980s for their domestic markets but I doubt this is 1980s. At the other end, that is a long serial number string for 1930, given Miyata's production volume at the time. The fender mascot is very indicative of a 1950s model and matches the style Miyata used at the time (i.e. an M inside a cog). 

Another sanity check would be the type of bright plating. Commercial chrome plating didn't appear until the late 1920s and most USA manufacturers converted from nickel plating to chrome plating in the very late 1920s or early 1930s. While I don't know the date that Miyata converted, the Japanese bicycle industry typically lagged the US industry by several years during the interwar era, so the presence of nickel would have me leaning towards 1930, while chrome would have me leaning towards 1956.

Miyata didn't have official distribution in the USA until the mid-1970s. Prior to tha,t any Miyata would have been brought in privately. There is much more probability of this having happened in 1956, given the significant military presence that the USA maintained in Japan after the war and though the 1950s.

The missing guard would almost certainly have been a fully enclosed unit. Given  the assumed era, the head badge would have been one of their Mister brand versions.

It would be nice to get some additional pictures, especially one from the drive side. Detail pictures of the major components, including any stampings may aid in corroborating the assessment.


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## T-Mar (Jul 28, 2015)

Deleted. Duplicate of previous post.


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## fishman1 (Jul 28, 2015)

*The Miyata*



T-Mar said:


> I don't believe that the bicycle is old as you think. Based on the serial number, it should be 1982, 1956 or 1930. The Japanese did like retro bicycles and continued the use of stirrup brakes into 1980s for their domestic markets but I doubt this is 1980s. At the other end, that is a long serial number string for 1930, given Miyata's production volume at the time. The fender mascot is very indicative of a 1950s model and matches the style Miyata used at the time (i.e. an M inside a cog).
> 
> Another sanity check would be the type of bright plating. Commercial chrome plating didn't appear until the late 1920s and most USA manufacturers converted from nickel plating to chrome plating in the very late 1920s or early 1930s. While I don't know the date that Miyata converted, the Japanese bicycle industry typically lagged the US industry by several years during the interwar era, so the presence of nickel would have me leaning towards 1930, while chrome would have me leaning towards 1956.
> 
> ...




This Bike as a bike lic from HI dated 1957 it was brought over in 1960 and has been resting for over 55 years before I picked it up Sunday. The tires still have Japanese wrighting on them. Will post a couple more.


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## T-Mar (Jul 29, 2015)

That license tag explains a lot. A 1957 tag on a bicycle manufactured in 1956 would be a perfect fit. It could be either a 1956 model or a 1957 model manufactured in late 1956. I'm leaning towards the latter based on the relatively high numeric string. The Japanese population was also very large in Hawaii at this time, approximately 37% of the total population. Unlike the continental USA, Japanese products would be in very large demand in Hawaii.


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## fishman1 (Jul 29, 2015)

T-Mar said:


> That license tag explains a lot. A 1957 tag on a bicycle manufactured in 1956 would be a perfect fit. It could be either a 1956 model or a 1957 model manufactured in late 1956. I'm leaning towards the latter based on the relatively high numeric string. The Japanese population was also very large in Hawaii at this time, approximately 37% of the total population. Unlike the continental USA, Japanese products would be in very large demand in Hawaii.





T-Mar
Thank you this helps out. 

Now to find the chain guard and front badge for this cool Japanese Iland cruiser for my wife


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## fat tire trader (Jul 29, 2015)

Are you going to replace the leather on the seat?


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## fishman1 (Jul 29, 2015)

fat tire trader said:


> Are you going to replace the leather on the seat?




Yes I will try to match this like the Org. This will be fun to match 

Have a seat to ride it with before breaking it down for a full Resto. trying to get it ready for the Monterey ride coming up.


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