Building my own Hikari (Part 3)

次回、この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

Thanks to two vintage Japanese bicycle fans, S-san and W-san we have had a rare opportunity to take a step back in time and view prestine examples of high-end models made by Hikari.

As mentioned in my previous posts (Part 1 and Part 2) I decided to build my own Hikari starting with a genuine Hikari frame and then adding genuine Hikari parts and parts from the same period when I was unable to find genuine Hikari parts.

This is what I started with:

This is what I was aiming for

And this is the completed project. (Click to enlarge)

It is always a challenge to find parts and complete a project, especially when you take into consideration that, in the1950's, the bicycle industry was still in the process of standardizing and not all parts were interchangable. That's why, prior to 1960, most bicycles have manufacturer's logo stamped on nearly each and every part.

This can be seen in the history of JIS and the bicycle industry. The Industrial Standardization Law was enacted in 1949.  However, as can be seen below, it took nearly a decade for the entire industry to standardize.

Standards for various parts and the years they became standardized:
1953: Rims, spokes, chains
1955: Chainwheels, crank arms, pedals, freewheels, sprockets
1956: Brakes, handlebars, hubs
1957: Frames, forks
1958: Fenders, saddles
1960: Complete bicycles

Check out more photos in the album: