Bike Check: Yuma’s Yamaguchi Track
While in Osaka, expect to come across some truly standout bikes. One example is this Yamaguchi track build, owned by Yuma, who chose to elevate a subtle detail into the centerpiece of the entire project. The result is a nice blend that we know well around here: a Japanese track frame paired with Italian components and a touch of American influence. It’s a combination that continues to resonate, and this is far from the first time we’ve seen such a cross-cultural mix executed with this level of taste.
In the world of Japanese framebuilding, Yamaguchi holds a special place, not only for the range and precision of his work, but also for his involvement with the U.S. national track cycling team in the late ’80s and early ’90s. His frames remain rare, and even on Slow Spin Society, I only had the chance to capture a handful.
So what sparked the direction of this particular build? It all comes down to a small detail. The subtle “Campagnolo” stamp on the dropouts was enough to steer the project toward an Italian-infused identity, and my Euro mind just loves that.
First, the wheels, and, interestingly enough, this is a set I once owned. The front is a genuine 16-spoke Campagnolo Bora. The rear, however, could have been another Bora, but with two additional drillings, it ended up branded as a Corima. At the time Campagnolo introduced the Bora, carbon wasn’t yet their core expertise, so they sourced rims directly from Corima, identical in construction, simply drilled differently.
When I first got my hands on it, the wheel was wearing Zipp decals, already deep into an identity crisis. I brought it back closer to its roots with Bora decals, built it with a track harmony hub, and eventually sold it to a rider in France a few years later. Somehow, it found its way to Japan.
Detailed Parts List
Frameset
Yamaguchi Track
Chainring Custom MStars “Campagnolo Mount”
Crank Campagnolo Record Pista
Seatpost and Saddle
Selle Italia flite seapost AND saddle!
Stem and Handlebar
Salsa stem with with nitto B260 bar
Wheels
Campagnolo Bora laced to Harmony hubs
The headset and crankset are also Campagnolo, paired with a matching aero chainring replica from MStar. Around the cockpit and seating area, the details become even more distinctive: a super-rare Flite seatpost topped with a white Flite saddle, echoing the white Yamaguchi logos and the white Salsa script on the stem.
To round it all off, the build stays true to its Japanese roots with a nod to classic street style like 1009 was yesterday. The short Nitto B260 riser bar brings it straight back with its compact proportions, totally in phase with the bike’s tight and angular silhouette.
Japanese frame with straight fork just hits different.
🎞: Kodak Color Plus 200
📷: Leica M6
📍: Osaka
