Earth Cruiser question

[Wildcat]

I never heard back from Jamis when I asked about the serial number or if it's an Earth Cruiser, so I'll put it out here.

Serial number H8111xxxxx. Earth Cruiser? Idea of year? I looked through tons of pics, and it seems like it's one. But the dropouts are solid, all that I saw had cutouts.

 

[RustyGold]

The dropouts don't look like 80s Earth Cruiser dropouts. The stem is right for an 80s, so maybe 90s, Earth Cruiser...if it is an Earth Cruiser?

Jason

 

[Dizzle Problems]

Any pics of the head badge?

 

[Wildcat]

Any pics of the head badge?

Nope, not even an outline.

 

[RustyGold]

I keep on wanting to say that it isn't an earth cruiser...but, the stem is right, the chainring is right, and the forks look right. It must be some transition to a different manufacturer in the early 90s before my version of an earth cruiser came out...which I can't pin down to a year either (aluminum cantilever frame, nexus 7spd), which could be anywhere from a '95 (first year for the nexus 7spd) to 2003 (catalog archives go back to 2004, but they are not a nice swoopy cantilever frame by then (aka ugly)).

Jason

 

[Wildcat]

I scraped the blue repaint over the original light blue and didn't find any Earth Cruiser decals. The serial number is probably the best clue.

 

[RustyGold]

It's a '91 Earth Cruiser... I'll give you the how when my work computer let's me back on RRB. I had a big 'internal server error' when I tried to copy and paste the info. Now the computer won't let me on RRB... it's happened before, it is some kind of protection thing.

Jason

 

[RustyGold]

Okay, I'm allowed back on now...sequence of events...

1) Read somewhere on Jamis' faq that the serial number should be up to 10 digits and start with an 'H'.
2) Started looking for a Jamis serial no. decoder...no luck
3) Was pretty sure that it was asian made, as I think they used akisu forks...so, I thought I would try and find out which manufacturer made the Jamis Earth Cruisers.
4) Discovered, made by Hodaka...which I didn't know made bicycles
5) A couple searches later led me to this site...http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1042901-asian-serial-number-guide.html which, when I tried to copy and paste the pertinent info...crashed RRB on my computer at work due to the dreaded ISE.
6) That decoder, however, states only for pre-90...and your H1811 didn't quite fit the pattern (3rd digit should have been a letter). An '81, which this pointed to, would have had the triangle cutouts on the rear dropouts.
7) Look for other brands manufactured by Hodaka in the 90's, and check out their serial #s. Some Konas were made by Hodaka...found a reference that stated Kona serial numbers changed in 97/98 or so...so, I looked for pre-97 serial numbers and found that the first two digits do, at least, follow the 'H' (Hodaka) and '1' (year).
8) viola, 1991

Jason

 

[RustyGold]

...also, chainring was wrong for an '81

Maybe with this new knowledge, I'll be able to figure out what year my Earth Cruiser is as well .

Jason

 

[Dizzle Problems]

@RustyGold

 

[Bicycle808]

Jamis had a cheaper line of bikes called Hampton Cruisers; I've seen some with a similar parts mix as yours, and the frames lookin very Earth Cruiser-ish...

 

[Wildcat]

Could be a Hampton Cruiser, looks like solid dropouts on this pic I found: