Help me identify this frame...

[fallen86]

Hey guys. I've tried this years ago over at bikforums to no avail but seeing as how a lot of you guys are quite custom frame savy I thought I'd try it here. I have a frame that I bought awhile back. I bought it because it looks very interesting but I was never able to figure out what it is. There are no decals or serial numbers, etc. Here it goes.

It came with shimano 105 components. Guessing from the components i'd say it's from the mid to late 80s.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7091/7046397399_4f3cb36a01_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397399/)
Picture 9402 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397399/) by fallen86 (http://www.flickr.com/people/fallen86/), on Flickr

The joints are all fillet brazed and it seems to be of great craftsmanship.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/7046397471_020b141ccc_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397471/)
Picture 9404 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397471/) by fallen86 (http://www.flickr.com/people/fallen86/), on Flickr

The top tube is ovalized with edges on the horizontal sides. The steerer tube has rifling much like an SLX tube.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/7046397531_8e9266d6e3_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397531/)
Picture 9405 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397531/) by fallen86 (http://www.flickr.com/people/fallen86/), on Flickr

The downtube is quite interesting with an upside down teardrop cross section.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6900300476_76d3b0dcbe_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/6900300476/)
Picture 9406 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/6900300476/) by fallen86 (http://www.flickr.com/people/fallen86/), on Flickr

The rear chainstays are also interesting. The drive side is quite standard while the non drive side has a triangular cross section where it meets the bb shell and shape shifts into a standard tube at the dropout end. The bb is british threaded.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/6900300576_c142922af4_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/6900300576/)
Picture 9408 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/6900300576/) by fallen86 (http://www.flickr.com/people/fallen86/), on Flickr

The only words on here: Suntour dropouts. Which leads me to believe that it's a Japanese bike?
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7046397753_697e56a875_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397753/)
Picture 9409 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397753/) by fallen86 (http://www.flickr.com/people/fallen86/), on Flickr

Last shot of the bb.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/7046397813_ae683600ac_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397813/)
Picture 9411 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/7046397813/) by fallen86 (http://www.flickr.com/people/fallen86/), on Flickr

I await your combined wisdom.

[nighthawk]

Have you pulled the fork out and looked for anything on the steerer? Sometimes you'll see serial numbers there. There's nothing on the bb shell right, not even under the cable guides?

[cekte]

Complete shot in the dark here but..
Perhaps an earlier Zunow? Certainly of his quality craftsmanship, and odd tubing combinations was/is Mr. Kageyama's forte.

[alexstar]

I would be willing to bet that the tubing is Columbus MS. It used a triangular NDS chainstay as well as that shaped downtube. As for the maker, without any distinguishing marks (BB markings, fork steerer markings) you might be out of luck.

[fallen86]

I will pull the fork tonight and also look under the cable guide and report back. You guys are amazing, I'm glad i posted here. At least now I have some tubing names and a place to start.

[ultraman6970]

Looks japanese to me.

[maximus]

Suntour drops... I would say potentially japanese. Let us know if you have luck with the fork. Sometimes a lazy masking job will lead to some overspray covering up the goods. If you are lucky the type of steel will be printed on it.

Regardless its a cool looking frame. Have you been riding it?

[kceb_cire]

s the fork original? The frame has fender eyelets, but the fork does not?

[ultraman6970]

Back in the 80s a lot of no name japanese frames came out, I used to race in a ishiwata tubing frame with no brand no where, with aero fork, racing geometry and with eyelets (never understood this), there was no clearance for fenders but has eyelets.

Clearly the tubing was made like that also, you cant deform the tubes to that shape unless the guy put sand inside and then got it pressed to that shape, too much of a work. !st time i see that tubing shape hmm... now remember a spanish builder that used some columbus tubing with chainstays like that... cant remember the name :(

[fallen86]

Good news. I looked a the steerer, nothing, i looked under the cable guide, also nothing. As it so happens my dirty fingers revealed that there is indeed a serial number on the bb shell! it's quite faint but It reads: 54 5 63 39 71

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7191/6901120114_937d5be33e_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/6901120114/)
Picture 9413 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fallen86/6901120114/) by fallen86 (http://www.flickr.com/people/fallen86/), on Flickr