WHAT WERE TAKARA BICYCLES?
Takara was a U.S.-market bicycle brand founded around 1973–1974 by a consortium of ten American distributors, with frames manufactured in Japan by the Kawahara Company through the Mitsui Trading Company. The line ran from entry-level 3-speed city bikes to Shimano Dura-Ace–equipped road racers. Takara ceased U.S. distribution in the late 1980s when the strengthening yen made Japanese imports uncompetitive against Taiwanese alternatives.
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How Takara Was Created
Takara was not a Japanese company. It was conceived entirely for the American market by two distributors — Bob Moore of Oklahoma City and Lee Connor of Seattle — who recruited a group of ten regional distributors to pool their buying power and create a private-label bicycle line.
At the time, Japanese trade protocol required foreign buyers to work through a licensed trading company rather than deal directly with manufacturers. The group retained the Mitsui Trading Company, one of Japan’s major general trading houses (sōgō shōsha), to act as intermediary. Mitsui identified Kawahara as the manufacturing partner and placed orders on behalf of the Takara distributors. Mitsui also took responsibility for quality oversight at the factory level before shipment.
Once a year the distributor group convened to set specifications for the following model year — component specs, frame geometry, finish options, and price points. Those specs were handed to Mitsui, which relayed them to Kawahara.
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Manufacturing and Build Quality
Kawahara produced a complete, pre-assembled bicycle. Cables were pre-stretched at the factory — a step most brands left to dealers — and the front wheel and saddle were installed before crating. Dealers only needed to torque the handlebar stem into the steerer tube and thread on the pedals. This reduced dealer setup error and produced a more consistent out-of-box ride quality.
Lower-tier Takara models used high-tensile carbon steel (Hi-Ten) tubing, standard for entry-level Japanese production of the era. Mid- and upper-range models stepped up to chromoly steel — likely Tange or equivalent domestic tubing — offering better stiffness-to-weight at competitive price points. The top models were equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace, which had launched in 1973, making Takara one of the earlier U.S. brands to offer Japan’s flagship groupset as a catalog option. Mid-range bikes typically ran SunTour derailleurs, which by the mid-1970s were widely regarded as mechanically superior to comparable Campagnolo offerings at their price tier.
The range spanned a 3-speed city bicycle with an internal gear hub up through a fully-equipped road racer, giving dealers a single brand that could cover most of the consumer market.
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Marketing and Decline
Takara’s most recognized marketing was the “I LOVE IT” campaign, which featured models wearing branded t-shirts. It was straightforward consumer advertising aimed at the recreational cycling boom of the 1970s.
The brand’s end came from macroeconomic pressure rather than product failure. Through the late 1980s, the yen appreciated sharply against the dollar — particularly following the 1985 Plaza Accord — which drove up the dollar cost of Japanese-manufactured goods. Taiwanese manufacturers had already begun undercutting Japanese producers on price at the entry and mid-range levels. Takara stopped U.S. distribution in the late 1980s.
FAQs
Who made Takara bicycles? Takara bicycles were manufactured by the Kawahara Company in Japan. Orders were placed through the Mitsui Trading Company, which served as the required intermediary between the American distributor group and the Japanese factory.
What components did Takara bicycles use? Depending on the model tier, Takara bikes were equipped with components ranging from internal 3-speed hubs on city models to SunTour derailleurs on mid-range bikes and full Shimano Dura-Ace gruppos on top-of-line road racers. Frame tubing ranged from Hi-Ten steel on entry models to chromoly on the upper tiers.
Why did Takara stop making bicycles? Takara ceased U.S. distribution in the late 1980s primarily because yen appreciation against the dollar — accelerated by the 1985 Plaza Accord — made Japanese-manufactured bicycles significantly more expensive to import. Taiwanese production had become the cost-competitive alternative at the price points Takara occupied.
About the Author
James Hickman is a former Expert coach with USA Cycling who coached cyclists across all skill levels, from CAT 2 racers to intermediate and beginning riders. He also served as a coach for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program, where he successfully trained individuals of varying abilities to complete century (100-mile) rides, combining his passion for cycling with meaningful community impact.