Our import agent sent some fascinating photos of the Honjo shop. Check out the split fenders for rinko. And notice how the fenders are made in a long coil.Also take a good look at the bike owned and ridden by Mr. Shimamura, Honjo's President. That is no ordinary city bike, but a beautifully crafted and superbly designed machine. Yes, those are Herse style chainrings on the TA cranks.
Click here for the rest of the photos.
Thanks George. Now when is our next Honjo order going to be here. We're already running low.
i know they probaly arnt as stiff, but the split fenders makes sense for bus travel as well. alot of people live in cities (ie pittsburgh, baltimore) where there isnt a good train service to get you into the country, but there are buses that will do the job. however, traditional fenders arnt compatible with the bus bike grabber thing. anyway, all i am saying, is, if you got some of those in stock, i'd be on it. hammered or not.
ReplyDeleteThe mixte brake cable arrangement is really clean - something for Ahern to think about. I'm a little surprised the down tube doesn't flex at the center of the "X". Obviously it doesn't and it's killer good looking.
ReplyDeleteThe Honjo factory tour was wonderful. Thank you very much for posting it.
ReplyDelete-- Steve Palincsar
I think it's fitting that the bike's brand is "Life Partner".
ReplyDeleteSince I was a child, Japanese products symbolized top quality, and 40+ years later this still holds true IMO.
ReplyDeleteI suppose one shouldn't question the president of Honjo, but....
ReplyDeletehow come the rear fender doesn't extend all the way down to the bottom bracket?
Re: "clean brake cable" I think the only time it would be clean is in the photo! The road grit and water would immediately hit the brake when positioned down there. I can't think of a worse place to put it. Using a traditional mixte frame with rear centerpulls IMHO provides the cleanest positioning and shorter cable pull.
ReplyDeleteDoug Wagner
Yep.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or is anyone else kind of surprised at how messy the factory is? Given the fineness of the finished product, I kind of expected a little more tidiness at the factory.
ReplyDeletem burdge
It's a small operation on a very small footprint. I find it really refreshing to find that not all the Japanese are neat. The production shop where I work has huge mills that roll heavy sheet steel into intricate profiles. Expensive equipment. I'm struck by the tooling investment they've made to manufacture bike fenders. We should never, ever complain about the cost of Honjo fenders.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't saying 'all japanese are tidy'--just that a company that makes boutique components is kind of cluttered. Reminds me of an old story in The Onion:
ReplyDeleteFrom the Onion, December 13, 2000:
Unkempt Japanese Man Must Be Some Sort Of Artist Or Something
PITTSBURGH– After passing a haggard-looking Japanese man on the street Monday, area resident Gary Webber concluded that the guy must be some sort of artist or poet or something. "Normally, you see a guy dressed in a dirty, ripped coat with his hair all scruffed up, you figure he's just poor. But this guy was Japanese," Webber said. "I bet he's in town to do some kind of art opening. Or maybe a book signing. Whoever he is, he's got to be somebody."
m burdge
honjo also makes aluminum gutters, which might explain why the bike end looks small and crowded.
ReplyDelete