What Bike is This???

Hey Everyone, I'm new on the forum, and to vintage bikes (and even road bikes in general) but I am looking for anything at all you can tell me about a (Japanese) Yamaguchi bike I found for sale online.

It's some type of Yamaguchi, not of the legendary Koichi Yamaguchi, but something else.

Here is the description from the seller:

Steel lugged frame by Yamaguchi.
#YG 1903
Tange Champion no 5 tubing , brand unknown.
57cm seat and top tubes with nice Tange levin headset. Suntour shifters, Sakai cranks with good 53-42 chain rings . Non original RSX Shimano deraileurs . (nice smooth changes). Shimano Tourney brakes.
All running on a lovely set of 27'' Ukai alloy rims laced to Suzue hubs with stainless spokes.
maeda 6 speed freehub .

It's a beautiful dark blue, and is in pretty great condition going by the photos online, link here http://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/ ... 157639.jpg" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

I am looking to purchase it, but was wondering whether it would be worth it or not.


I sent an email to the American Koichi yYamaguchi, asking whether the bike was real or a fake or reproduction and got an answer from the man himself which reads:

Old Yamaguchi Bicycle (in Japan) are no longer exist. They are mass production manufacturer to I know of.

Just no relayed to USA made Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi is very popular family name in Japan. I happen to have the names.

Repeat again your Yamaguchi is original to Japanese manufactures, But not ours. (All my Yamaguchi bikes are Made in the USA)

Japanese Yamaguchi history
Yamaguchi bicycle was established by Mr. Shigehiko Yamaguchi in 1914. After the World War II, the company moved the head office to Tokyo and built a factory at Kawaguchi city Saitama. The company had produced motorcycle other than bicycle around 1953 and went bankrupt in 1963.

After Marubeni injected capital to Yamaguchi bicycle, the company had changed the name to "Marubeni-Yamaguchi". Then the company began to produce Benny bicycle which was popular in Japan.
In 1982, Marubeni pulled up capital from the company, and Sekine cycle merged the company. Later, Sekine cycle was also merged by Sanwa bicycle.

My history
Every Yamaguchi bicycle is personally hand-built by Koichi Yamaguchi who gained his mastery of the craft during the years spent as Master frame builder for the legendary "3 Rensho" company in Japan.
In 1987, he realized that it was time to bring his unique vision of the frame builder's art to the public, and came to the United States where he founded his own company.
Koichi began working with the US Cycling Federation as National Team Mechanic in 1988, and, in 1989, he began making prototype frames for the US National Team and became the lone official framebuilder of the United States Olympic Cycling Team.

I hope this clear thing up.
Koichi Yamaguchi


This didn't bring me any closer to finding the true make/name/brand of the bike, or the model which would be a true win for me.

If any of you knowledgeable vintage Japanese bike lovers could help me with some information I would hugely appreciate it.