[gatorguy]

Matsushita National Bicycle

I'm looking for information on this bike and thought I'd post here. Are there any vintage collectors here?
I've searched up and down with Google and found that National was the brand sold in Japan and Panasonic in the USA. I'm thinking 60's but not sure - when did 10 speeds come to bikes like this?
Any help regarding information about this brand/model would be appreciated.

 

[TxCyclist]

Nice bike! Looks like I need to edit the censor list a little better.

 

[Industry_Hack]

Nice bike! Looks like I need to edit the censor list a little better.

Remove that word from the list, and just do a regular search for it. This site is pretty well-behaved, so it shouldn't present any problems. By the way, you need a Vintage section on here.

And yes, nice bike. I'm guessing the guys from Velobase would be able to help out with that.

 

[Doohickie]

Looks like a 1973-74 Suntour GT rear derailleur. And that looks a bit like your shifter in the lower right corner.

 

[gatorguy]

Looks like a 1973-74 Suntour GT rear derailleur.

I agree, a version 3 GT. The question would be if it's original. If so, that would be a great indication of the age of the bike.

Anyone know when they started putting 10 speeds on bikes like this?

 

[chh55]

Those cotter cranks look older than '73... I remember the stick shift period on Schwinns being late 60's

 

[chh55]

BTW a Vintage forum is overdue! I'm just in the process of dismantling my '86 OLMO squadra and it's a bit of a nostalgia trip. All C Record stuff, selling the goodies to a guy in Macao.
There's probably a few members into vintage bikes.

 

[chh55]

What is that round object between the head tube and the front luggage rack?

 

[Farnsworth]

It looks like a light. If I'm not mistaken that's a generator on the back tire.

 

[chh55]

Yeah of course that's the dynamo on the back but I don't think it's a light on the stem... look at pics 4 and 5... a little out of focus but it looks like an instrument gauge (??) the speedo is on the handlebar so it can't be that. 2 death ray headlights already so why another light? And that odd white tube/crank arm in pic 5... is it a siren?

 

[gatorguy]

It's a National branded horn, and it works! It sounds a bit tinny. The lever is a simple contact mechanism to activate the horn.