Kuwahara
Kuwahara Bicycles is back in the USA! The legend returns to the US market with the retro style BMX bicycles that channel the original ride you grew up with.
The initial offering, KZ-01 is true to the original style of the KZ-1 in a new 20" wheel size. Chromoly frame, fork and handlebar are accessorized with gold anodized components and put together with legendary Kuwahara quality.
Available in Jet Black, Ice White or Royal Blue
Dealers Click Here for Application
Click here for Kuwahara KZ-01 BMX Specifications and Ordering Information
Flite X Sports is an authorized distributor for Kuwahara.
About Kuwahara
Kuwahara celebrates 100 years of bicycles this year!
(From the Kuwahara-bike.com website)
1918 Sentaro Kuwahara. It was a family run business with help from his wife and eight children that made and sold bicycles and bike parts at first in his neighborhood, then growing and expanding more
1925 Kuwahara began to export bicycles and parts to Russia, China and Southeast Asia. Kuwahara closed their doors for business temporarily from 1940 till 1945 due to World War II
1947 Kuwahara reopened again for business and Sentaro Kuwahara became the first chairman of the board of directors of the first bicycle wholesale association in Japan
1959 The very first and small shipment of bicycles were delivered to the USA. Sadly in 1960 founding company president Sentaro Kuwahara passed away and his Son, Masao Kuwahara took over in his place
1962 Kuwahara sent it's first shipment of APOLLO brand sport (10speed or 12speed road racing) bicycles to Canada.
1968 Kuwahara started exporting bicycles to the USA as private label bikes for other companies such as Schwinn, Takara, Puch, Concord, Apollo, Azuki and others. Kuwahara had never produced their own Kuwahara brand bike outside of Japan until 1972 when Kuwahara began developing BMX bicycles for the US, Canada, European and Australian markets. During the middle 1970's the BMX boom had started and Kuwahara was regularly exporting Kuwahara brand BMX's to these countries
1979 Takuo Kuwahara became the new (and present) President of Kuwahara. He started up a Factory Kuwahara BMX team each in The US, Canada, Europe and Australia. In 1980 Kuwahara also started developing and exporting Mountain bikes to Canada and Australia.
1982 Steven Spielbergs hit movie E.T. featured Kuwahara BMX's and famous riders of those days including Bob Haro.
1992 Due to the escalating Japanese Yen, Kuwahara closed it's Japanese export business in Osaka and shifted that part overseas where it could be more competitive. Kuwahara International was then moved to Osaka, Japan where many interesting new bicycles were designed and won many awards around the world
1997 New concept Mini-Velo name was "Goblin" got 4th position of Europian Bicycle Design Contest. That was 1st award of Japanese bicycle brand for that contest.
1998 Established "Kuwahara Bike Works" for Japan domestic market and started selling Down Hill frame "Kuwahara DH-Stream V4.0" and new Mini-Velo model "Griffon Type-R" and "Griffon Type-D" also.
2001 Universal Studios opened an amusement park in Osaka, Japan and Kuwahara set up a small exhibition for display. With the last remaining KZ frames from the 1980's Kuwahara re-released a reproduction model "KZ-03" in the classic E.T colors for 20th anniversary model limited only 300 bikes.
2003 New model of Mini-Velo "Gaap" series started to selling with folding function and we sold this model until 2009 (11th lot). Kuwahara flat-land BMX model "Pursue" also start to selling this year.
2006 Back in USA racing BMX market with Top AA-Pro Matt Pohlkamp and Warwick Stevenson.
2007 All made in Japan steel MTB frame "Kikuichimonji" just release on market. Tubing is KAISEI Ni-Cr-Mo and welding and painting at Osaka with dead stock ceramic head badge.
2010 Old School BMX model "KZ-01" and "Survivor 24" show up at Cycle Mode Tokyo and just coming old school BMX culture on Japan market.
2012 New Alloy racing BMX "Lachesis" lunched and next year coming entry level model "Clotho" also.
2016 Old School Free-Style model "Exhibitionism" on market.
2017 Survivor 24 3rd lot on market and we are celebrate 99 years of Kuwahara.
Kuwahara riders
A lot of famous riders raced for the Factory Kuwahara teams such as Gary Ellis, Clint Miller, Joe Baumert, David Cullinan, Lee Medlin, Leo Green, Matt Harris, Troy Daniels and Kevin McNealve. Kuwahara International was founded and Kuwahara road race bikes were used by the Canadian Olympic team at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. Kuwahara's were also used by Germany, Switzerland, and Finland of the KUWAHARA MTB mountain bike XC team for the world cup. 1991 saw Kuwahara/Monida team rider Thomas Frishknecht won it's first world championship UCI MTB series in Switzerland.
