Mystery Yokota

By trackmarks on 07/19/2008. Bike tags: Road bike | Commuter | taiwanese | Yokota

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Frame / Size / Year:
Yokota Legend (Champion Tange Corp. #2 Butted)

Handlebars / Stem:
Sakae

Fork / Headset:
Shimano Headset

Rear Wheel / Hub / Rim / Tire:
Araya / Exage Sport

Crankset / Bottom Bracket:
Shimano Biopace

Saddle / Seat Post:
Sakae

Pedals / Chain:
Exage cages

Gearing / Chainring / Misc.:
14 Speed Shimano Sport XL

Notes:

I can find NO information about this bike! If anyone knows anything about this marque, please let me in on the secret. It sems to be a well made, lightweight bike, and I would like to know more about it...

People who friended this bike bio9, Italtrek, Chainwheel, A Worm Is Coming, dogheaded_cane

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It's a good looking frame.

Submitted by Skylar on 02/03/2009.

It's a good looking frame. And your seat matches the rear tire.

I like the marques that you never see on the streets.

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yokota

Submitted by Caseygroh1 on 07/20/2008.

I have a yokota track bike. I painstakingly searched for all of the info on the builder that I could, here's what i've found. Yokota is an American company, not Japanese. They were only around for about 4 years in the early 90's. They mainly built mountain bikes, but built a few others kinds too. My bike is pretty strange, it's a track bike, but built with road geometry, just like the fujis and all of the other "New Track Bikes" being built today. It's strange because In the nineties there wasn't a large amount of people riding fixed on the street. so why the road geometry and the recessed brake holes? it's a mystery, just like all of the Yokota's I've seen. Enjoy it, You're unlikely to see another Yokota on the streets, There weren't many made.

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Geometry

Submitted by Chainwheel on 08/27/2008.

The geometry is explained thus:-
Its a road/path as we English would call it. That means used on the road and on the track. A front brake is compulsory in the Uk on Fixed bikes. Many people during the twenties and thirties and well into the 50's could not afford several bikes so a road/path was invented. It usually came with a double fixed rear wheel. One side for everyday use and the other for racing. Sometimes mudguards were used, smetimes not.
The idea being that you used it everyday and then when you went down to the local track you removed the front brake, reversed the back wheel to a racing ratio and away you went. Of course there were many variants on this theme.

I used to have a JRJ road/path and used to race with it when I was much younger and lived in the UK. I did win some hill climbs on it using a 66 inch fixed gear.

Hope this helps?

Chainwheel
Ex pat living in Sweden.

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yokota

Submitted by sterlingsilver13 on 08/19/2008.

I have one of these bikes. It belonged to my husband. We were married in 1990 and he already had the bike for a few years then. I think it was purchased in 1988. Anyway I would like to sell it, we are divorced and he just left it in the garage and doesnt want it. It has not been on the road 17 years. Just sat in the garage and collected dust. It looks to be in great shape just needs new rubber. I would like to find out what this might be worth, any idea? I have not taken any pics but I found some on this site and I have the exact same bike.
Thanks
Trish

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Lovin' those chainstays, got

Submitted by rumblefiche on 07/19/2008.

Lovin' those chainstays, got a little twisty thing happenin'...

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Interesting bike!

Submitted by Italtrek on 07/19/2008.

The tubing is a mystery to me, too.
Vitus tubing was produced by a French company, and was used in many French and other European bikes. I've never seen a Japanese Vitus frame before. Also, I've never seen "Vitus Champion" before. Their tubes, from low to high, were Durifort, Vitus, and Super Vitus. Vitus and Super Vitus came in different versions indicated by numbers.
Tange champion #1 and #2 were high grade Japanese tubes.
A picture of your tubing sticker would be interesting.

Looks like a very nice bike. Enjoy!

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