Author Topic: Kuwahara Laserlite '83 - "Project: Brutherly Lurve" // Finished (Read 18450 times)

20to26 · « **on:** November 11, 2011, 10:27 AM »

After much searching and eventually posting a wanted ad I landed a new Kuwahara project. I was planning a Freestyle build but this baby came up...

Thanks to Woody for responding to my post and hooking me up with the F&F my brother had - it's his 40th coming up so I'm building this as a tribute to him. So I guess this is "Project: Brutherly Lurve"

As you can see it's going to be a long road back to blingdom.

Jt · « **Reply #1 on:** November 11, 2011, 10:35 AM »

just retweeking my chrome one.

love laserlites, my icon bmx as it were.

looking forward to seeing the work in progress

Frosty · « **Reply #2 on:** November 11, 2011, 04:48 PM »

Dependent on the build you decide to follow I may be able to assist with parts.

20to26 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2011, 04:57 PM »

cheers Frosty

Frosty · « **Reply #4 on:** November 11, 2011, 09:53 PM »

here's a snap of mine

Jt · « **Reply #5 on:** November 12, 2011, 10:50 AM »

yummy.

those tyres.....

20to26 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 12, 2011, 03:03 PM »

Kerching!

lk_97 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 12, 2011, 10:26 PM »

Looking forward to seeing this finished

boofy44 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 12, 2011, 11:29 PM »

i need those tyres

Frosty · « **Reply #9 on:** November 16, 2011, 05:29 PM »

Yup they took a while to locate a few years back fatty and skinny, perfect for the build.

20to26 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 30, 2011, 04:16 PM »

...removed the headset cups and headed over to a certain someone to work their magic on the finish

- Film at 11.

In other news: decals, cranks, bars, post, saddle, grips, pads, clamp all in da house!

Still need a Suntour Stem, hubs, chain, tyres and brake caliper over the coming months.

Frosty · « **Reply #11 on:** November 30, 2011, 10:22 PM »

What hubs are you after h/f sealed suntours or something else? Also colour.

I have some Kuwi tyres that are a later spec with a comp III type tread, that may be of interest, see pic

20to26 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 13, 2011, 06:35 PM »

Frame and Fork has been stripped of the rust and nasty old chrome ready for the next stage:

VWmk2 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 31, 2011, 05:55 PM »

looking good mate cant wait to see the progress

20to26 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 01, 2012, 09:46 AM »

More belated pics of the restoration process - forgot I had this thread actually...

dropouts are pretty clean - this is after some serious prep work by 'the master'

Before:

After:

The brake bridge:

Before:

After:

The condition of the chrome meant that there wasn't going to be a way back to chrome again.

CustardLips · « **Reply #15 on:** November 01, 2012, 11:17 PM »

Lookin' good.

Love to get me hands on one of them !

Cleedubber · « **Reply #16 on:** November 02, 2012, 03:06 PM »

Looking good so far, look forward to seeing more updates fella

20to26 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 02, 2014, 10:46 AM »

Holy build thread resurrection Batman!

After two plus years on the quiet I've finally got some movement on this build!

The frame & fork have been sitting wrapped in bubble wrap, and hasn't seen the light of day in all this time.

The 2014 Spring build off on BMX Museum prompted me to get this done as I've got 99% of the parts collected now - although I have a suspicion I'll be changing one or two as my 'tastes' have changed and I really want to do this project justice without spending masses of money.

The only sticker on the frame when I got it was from the bicycle store in London that originally sold it. I thought that was quite a poignant aspect to that build - the fact that sticker survived all these years intact. Considering the condition of the rest of the frame that's pretty incredible!

So when in London a good few months ago I went to the bike shop to see if I could get a sticker from them for the frame. As it turned out Holdsworth Cycles was closing down that very day!

I determined that I'd keep that legacy in mind when completing this build. A fitting tribute for all the years that store has built and sold bikes of all kinds - and once upon a time in 1983 this Kuwahara Laserlite.

I came away with these and they'll be the signature in a sense.

So yesterday I restarted with the wheels & Stidds wheel building guide. Ta!

I had SBD strip and powder coat some really mangy UKAI Speedline rims and laced them using Asahi spokes from JT to some mint chrome sealed bearing Suzue hubs.

I need some new hub decals and to way to reinstate the speed lines on the rims. The eagle eyed might have spotted that the rims are now gun metal grey.

In keeping with my idea to restore the frame & fork from the rusty patina of the opening post, I decided to keep the Tange headset it came with instead of fitting a NOS Tange MXII that I'd gathered.

That one task has got me some momentum so today I spent some time in the garage with the Tange 125 headset...along with some wet & dry sand paper, cutting compound and autosol. Not perfect but that's ok - it's the only original bit about this bike now besides the steel!

And the Hutch (I think) head lock that also came fitted to the headset.

Jaymz · « **Reply #18 on:** February 02, 2014, 02:42 PM »

A real labour of lurve. Look forward to more updates

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #19 on:** February 02, 2014, 03:00 PM »

looks like this is going to turn out sweet as... love the colour of the rims. Just for info, something in the back of my mind says the headlock may be a D.K.

20to26 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 02, 2014, 03:35 PM »

Alrighty then - thanks Hutchman. You can see that at some point those recesses were cut into it so it could tightened with a spanner.

Spent some time polishing the nos silver stem - sheesh I must get a proper polisher. Dremel and hands is tough work!

I wanted to use a WIN hinged stem on a build for some time and thought this would be a good frame to use it as I was going a custom route just like my brother and I did bitd - only our first Kuwahara's were off the shelf stock:

Dug out the cranks that I've been hoarding for years waiting for the right project:

...and the pedals to suit and some Win Nova bars (I mistakingly sold my nos Laserbars with a Nova some time ago

)

Seatpost is a NOS Laserlite one - that's lurking somewhere in the loft

glenboy · « **Reply #21 on:** February 02, 2014, 03:40 PM »

Good going you've obviously got some patience

are the frame and forks painted now

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #22 on:** February 02, 2014, 03:54 PM »

If you ever want rid of the headlock ... gis us a shout !

20to26 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 02, 2014, 05:04 PM »

Quote from: glenboy on February 02, 2014, 03:40 PM

Good going you've obviously got some patience are the frame and forks painted now

Just pulled this out from it's hiding place of two years - never even opened it when I got it back from SBD.

I'd had a sneak peak but nothing quite prepared me for what I saw - I've never had a frame take my breath away before...

My iPhone5 pics just don't do this paint job justice at all - I'm going to need to break out my DSLR and take some better pics...

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #24 on:** February 02, 2014, 05:43 PM »

wow !! whats the finish called?... super chrome?

Author Topic: Kuwahara Laserlite '83 - "Project: Brutherly Lurve" // Finished (Read 18450 times)

Frosty

Frosty

lk_97

Frosty

Frosty

VWmk2