What's new

Help Any japanese bicycle brands?

Noodles

Cruising
Oct 15, 2019
18
11
Hello,

I plan next year expedition from Japan to Europe by bicycle (of course depends of the COVID).
However, I have idea to buy unique japanese bicycle for this tour ;-)

Do you now any japanese brands with touring/gravel/touristic/adventure bicycles?
Please paste urls to official websites with current collection for 2021

I was try to find something japanese but looks that most of the brands no more exists or sold to international companies and disappeared.
 
However, I have idea to buy unique japanese bicycle for this tour ;-)
Sounds like you want an order made bike. Probably better to make a list of what you want your bike to do and then contact some builders. Steel or Titanium you will have a wide choice but if you want Japanese off the shelf touring bikes maybe look at
https://www.maruishi-cycle.com/2020/03/04/エンペラー-ツーリングコンダクター/ 700C
https://www.maruishi-cycle.com/2020/03/12/エンペラー-ツーリングマスターe-tm520b/ 650A

other companies do similar but something like this will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go.
 
I would think that if you're considering such a trip by bike, you'd already have a fair idea of the kind of bike you'd like to have. (other than 'unique japanese bicycle')
 
@jdd Sure I have ;-) and this is why I want touring bicycle from Japanese company ;-)
@kiwisimon I am searching something like that but more touring thanks! Do you know another japanese companies ;-)?
 
That would help.
Also, and I'm writing this without any first hand experience and only out of distant observation, touring is not that of a big thing in Japan (compared with Europe or North American). Most line ups of the few Japanese makers producing in Japan won't include bike specifically build for touring. When I'm thinking of unique Japanese bikes Keirin and Mamachari come to my mind. Both of them aren't designed with touring in mind.
Your best bet might be one of the frame builders (I read good things about their skills here) who would tailor a bike to your needs. But that might take some time (and money), plus they are as unique in Japan as they are all over the world.
With this I don't mean to discourage you in your plan at all. Actually I'm very much interested in what your search will bring to light. But it might be a little tricky one.
Maybe @joewein has some insight on touring bikes in Japan.
 
Touring bikes in Japanese are referred to as ランドナー
There are a few companies pumping out the steel goodness if this is your thing. Some old school setups with 650B, triple cranks, and downtube shifters
 
If you want reference bikes, Koga makes very good trekking bikes. And up until 10 years ago they would have even qualified, because the frames were made by the Japanese company Miyata.

As an aside: my father's godson got a Koga Miyata carbon mountain bikes in the late 19-freaking-80s for his communion!
 
Sounds like you want an order made bike. Probably better to make a list of what you want your bike to do and then contact some builders. Steel or Titanium you will have a wide choice but if you want Japanese off the shelf touring bikes maybe look at
https://www.maruishi-cycle.com/2020/03/04/エンペラー-ツーリングコンダクター/ 700C
https://www.maruishi-cycle.com/2020/03/12/エンペラー-ツーリングマスターe-tm520b/ 650A

other companies do similar but something like this will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go.
I'm a Maruishi fan because they're symbol is a kangaroo!
 
Not very well known for their bicycles outside of Japan, Panasonic actually sells many different types of bikes, including touring bikes, that can be customized in many different colours and highlights. They call this semi-custom system POS, "Panasonic Order System". It won't be as customized and exclusive as a Cherubim (those are works of art) or another small builder, but it's a viable option.

Personally, I care more about the functionality than about what country the bike is from.
 
As mentioned above Japan rather famously has a lot of one-man [and it almost always is man] frame-builders. Many would be happy to build you a bike for touring, but of course you'd have to decide how much stuff you'd want it to carry, how to carry it, tyre size, braking system, etc etc, before deciding which company to look at. Yanagi is unusual (though probably not unique) among these tiny outfits in emphasizing frames for touring and randonneuring. Tōeisha has a similar emphasis but has multiple employees. Panasonic doesn't have this emphasis but produces touring and randonneuring bikes and of course is a lot larger still. Panasonic can deliver your order-made frame (or bike) more quickly than can most of its competitors.
 
+1 for Panaracer. My red 2005 POS frame is great. It's currently set up as a fixie, but hasn't seen any use this year. I crashed it and snapped the chain stay in Kyushu in 2009, and the 70-year-old local bike shop guy welded it back together for me... at 7 in the morning... on a public holiday. So lots of memories that mean I wouldn't part with it.
 
No speakers of the English language were involved in that one, apparently ;)
Perhaps named by the same genius who came up with the name for the Mitsubishi Pajero ;)

But seriously, my son toured Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Switzerland by himself on his Panasonic touring bike, first crossing the Alps from Germany to Italy, then later from Italy to France.

The following year we both headed to Italy and explored Rome, Umbria, Tuscany and then the three country corner where Switzerland, Germany and France meet, him on the Panasonic touring bike again, me on his Araya Federal. He used panniers. We rinkoed the bikes for air and rail travel. I have great memories of the trip.
 
Perhaps named by the same genius who came up with the name for the Mitsubishi Pajero ;)
Der Mitsubishi Wichser …
But seriously, my son toured Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Switzerland by himself on his Panasonic touring bike, first crossing the Alps from Germany to Italy, then later from Italy to France.
I think you told me on this forum that Panasonic was still making bikes. I was surprised …
 
Back
Top Bottom