New Kent: Old Bike.

Here is an interesting antique Japanese import. It's a New Kent bicycle which, as we are told very often by the badging, was the "World's Best Bicycle". While best is certainly debatable, I'd have to agree that it is certainly
 

In addition to those head badges it has a fourth head badge inset into the center of the handlebars. This picture actually shows a lot. There is a really cool brass battery operated headlamp and Nitto one-piece bars with the brake lever mountings welded to the handlebar. You can also notice that strangely, the side pivot for the rear brake is not a braze on mounting, nor is it bolted through the frame. It's strapped on!

The fork crown, is of course, solid brass with the Kent logo again embossed.

The front fender is no less interesting. The fender itself appear to be pitted chrome mounting a brass pedestrian slicer plate in the shape of Mount Fujiyama. On the side is perhaps the most massive bottle dynamo I have ever seen. Upon closer examination, it says "General Electric Tachometer". Clearly not an item meant for a bike. When I ask the owner where it is from, he says "Fei Ji". That's right. It's from an airplane.

  

The GE dynamo is not hooked up, and as from the previous pictures you can see that the headlight is battery powered. As strange as this contraption might seen, it is not the only one I have seen...and the other was for sale.

Moving to the other side of the bike, we can see that the rear fender is mounted by stays that passthrough the fender itself, attaching to brass crosstabs that bear the Kent logo. Another super detailed item. On top of the rear fender is a jewel-like brass and enamel badge.

The seat stays are bedecked with lights from at least three different nations. I see English, Chinese and Japanese lights, none of which are hooked up. But if that giant dynamo ever gets working it will surely be an interesting wiring harness hanging off the back of the bike. All of this is surmounted by a typically massive package rack. 

A contraction band brake provides for wet weather stopping power, of course.

Hanging out on the chain stay is a very ingenious and pretty Fuji spoke lock. 

The chainring cover again is embossed with the New Kent logo and Japanese script. Let no part go unlogo'd! But here we learn something interesting. Translating the script, even though partly obscured, we can see that the name of the company is "Eagle Brand Bicycle Factory".  So the New Kent and Eagle names don't really match up.  It is actually quite common practice that English and Asian branding doesn't match exactly but this is a pretty drastic difference. It would however explain all of the eagle logos abounding on the bike.

  

What is this? More Fuji. OK so the Fuji seat is not brand correct, or is it? Richard from Vintage Japanese Bicycles tells me that New Kent was a brand made by Nichibei Fuji. So the seat is indeed appropriate. This also explains the fork lock and the Mt. Fuji pedestrian slicer. New Kent, Eagle, Fuji...many names somehow working together.

Of course such a nice bike needs a nice bell. Actually this one has two. A standard brass Beijing rickshaw bell mounted on the handlebar stem and a brass spinner bell that is elaborately carved, showing three butterflies. This one piece is probably worth as much as the rest of the bike.

 

So what did the beast look like as a whole? It is a smallish 26" step through model. Still you can see the typical hallmarks of a Japanese brake rod roadster: Extreme quality all the way around. The bike is pink, but it could just be a heavily oxidized red.

New Kent: Old Bike, finely made.

 
 And one last parting shot. Of course, you know you're following a New Kent.

 

Comments

[Shaw]

What a sweet ride. How old is this bike? And is it being ridden by the original owner? Fascinating stuff, thx for sharing