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Hey literature collectors- 1981-83 question...

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ChattyMatty

Look Ma, No Hands!
OK, so long story short, there were two slightly different S/O imported MTB frames available in the early 80's, one eventually making it's way into the accessories page of the 1983 BMX catalog. A couple of us have been trying to chase this little crumb trail over on MTBR and an original owner relates having seen a drawing of it in a 1980 sales rep's catalog, with the first batch of frames arriving in spring '81 (receiving his with the second batch in the the fall). One of the frames is lugged with a forged crown fork, the other a tig'd frame with a BMX-style unicrown fork.

Just curious if anyone out there was bored and felt like flipping through whatever dealer order books or monthly newsletters they might have in a free moment. I have the 1984 Accessories price list, and in the frames price list insert it lists three-

28538 19" Mountain bike frameset SB
28374 Mountain bike 21" SP
28375 Mountain bike 19" SP

Which we think translates to Silver Blue and Silver Pearl.

Thanks,
-M
 
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Sorry, Special Order. It was sold as a frame set only.

mtb.jpg
 
Hi, I have been on the MTBR forum and still searching for anything on the lugged Schwinn MTB, or should that be ATB as that is what the MTB was referred to by Schwinn in 1981. With all my searching I have not found anything that confirms the serial number BS367823 stamped to the underside of the BB. The frame is fabricated from Ishiwata MTB tubing that appears to be pre 1980 but is stamped Ishiwata 3.B on the steerer tube. I have been trying to determine what dating systen Ishiwata used, Juilan or Japanese Showa. This makes a difference of about 5 years. Apart from the catalogue page shown above I am posting another page that shows a lugged frame as mine is. This page also refers to a Siera MTB as a different frame and give the Lugged frame no name. The fork does not appear to be a Tange 141 type although I have not seen what the 141 type is. The steerer tube is stamped Ishiwata and the tubing does match the Ishiwata MTB tubing sizes.
Les

1983PandA29-03_zps5f0c8f23.jpg
 
What is your question? I have sales rep catalogs for all those years. Just need to know what to look for and maybe a year.
 
I have not found anything that confirms the serial number BS367823 stamped to the underside of the BB. The frame is fabricated from Ishiwata MTB tubing that appears to be pre 1980 but is stamped Ishiwata 3.B on the steerer tube.
The steerer tube stamping indicates Feb. 1983 production. The frame stamping seems to indicate the same as well.
 
ABC Services. Thanks for the offer, the Jay Pridmore, Jim Hurd book The Schwinn Bicycle made the comment on page 147 “The Schwinn parts Division brought in some lugged mountain bike frames from Japan. But mostly Schwinn was leaving the new market to others. " I have seen other comments that this was in 1981. Note it was the Schwinn parts Division. I have looked through all catalogues on the web to no avail but the one I attached is apparently from the 1983 BMX catalogue, one I have not seen as a total catalogue. Therefore anything that is a Schwinn catalogue 1981 to 1983 would be of help. Schwinn cold have advertised them in some other way.

Metacortex, The frame stamping is Feb 1981 by the Schwinn system of 1981, nothing else it can be but it is the location that confuses. The steerer tube indicates Feb 1983 if you follow the Tange stamping system but it is the Ishiwata system in use and that can have 2 dating calenders to follow, the Julian calender or the Japanese Showa calender. The 3 could indicate year 53 which equals 1978. The steerer tube is BMX size that was common on early MTB`s. The Showa calender is not unusual for older Japanese companies to follow, one of my cars do. The 3.B could have a totally different meaning and this could be lost in history, certainly not proven either way.

My lead to this forum was looking for Jim Hurd and I have seen he passed away in 2004, sadly this does not help me but someone else may know more or how he came make the comment.
These frames of which I have seen 10 references are not common, they did not receive a model name as they have been sold originally as a frame/fork only. They look more like a 1983 or earlier MTB as made by others from 1980.
 
The frame stamping is Feb 1981 by the Schwinn system of 1981, nothing else it can be but it is the location that confuses.
BS3xxxxxx would seem to indicate Feb. '83.

The steerer tube indicates Feb 1983 if you follow the Tange stamping system but it is the Ishiwata system in use and that can have 2 dating calenders to follow, the Julian calender or the Japanese Showa calender. The 3 could indicate year 53 which equals 1978.

I have several early to mid-'70s Sports Tourers, Super Sports and Continentals with original Ishiwata forks. They all follow the (same as Tange) date code system YM where the first digit indicates the last number of the year and the second letter indicates the month of production. Here is the stamp on a 4E (May '74) dated Ishiwata fork that came on a EKxxxxx (May '74) stamped Sports Tourer.

May_1974_Sports_Tourer_fork_-_Ishiwata_Medium.jpg
 
Metacortex
That does seem to show the number to the year 74 of the frame but it is different to the one on my frame in that does not have ISHIWATA as mine and the format is totally different. Mine is Year month. It does appear to have another marking that could be the Japanese manufacturing symbol. Does it have tube manufacturers name on it else where.
The BSnnnn does not fit in with any Japanes makers number system. The S is in a second place, not as prescribed for the Schwinn Japanese manufactured bikes.
Still confusing
Les

DSC09848.JPG
 
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