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Show us your Jamis!

509K views 1K replies 516 participants last post by  Amadem 
#1 ·
Here is my baby! 03 DAKAR XLT on Tioga factory 2.3!
 

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#1,203 ·
My 1983 Jamis Dakota - A Piece Of History

I've spent my entire life as a professional musician on the road playing music. I was with a band in 1983 in Orlando Florida when I got this idea to have a bike on the road to get around town on. In those days bands would sometimes play a night club for several weeks at a time, before moving on to the next club where the same scenario would play out. We usually only had a band members car and the equipment truck on the road. The equipment truck was big and bulky and wasn't to be used for anything other than hauling our gear from city to city, so you spent the majority of your time just hanging out at what ever hotel you were held up in. I went downtown Orlando to Orange Cycle and that's when I saw my first Mountain Bike. The salesman explained that this bike was a new concept, and that this particular one, the 1983 Jamis Dakota, was the first one designed by the Jamis company. It was also one of the first mountain bikes introduced to the east coast in 1983. It's my understanding that the mountain bike got it's start in California in 1981, made it's way to Colorado, and then in 1983 Jamis introduced three mountain bikes to the east coast. They were the Dakota, The Lightfoot, and The Roughneck. The company was in Florida, so that's the reason the first ones to be seen on the east coast, were in that state. I had never seen one before and I went crazy over it. These bikes were so alien compared to what I was used to seeing. Nothing about them was familiar. Big knobby tires, 15 speeds instead of 10, upright handle bars with shifters right where your hands would be. I could go on and on about how I was awestruck. I don't recal how much I paid for it, but I've been told they sold for $650.00 before you add the tax. Sorry, but I don't remember how much tax was in 1983. Six hundred was like six thousand back then, but I had to have this bicycle. Here it is 35 years later and my love for this thing is as strong as it was back then. Everything on this bike but the saddle and the tires of course is original. I do however still have the original saddle. All of the cables and even the brake pads are original equipment. I take care of it like it's a 35 year old child. I don't recall ever storing it outdoors. It's crazy to think of where this thing has been. I've ridden it through mountains, on the beach, through creeks, and thanks to one of our crew members, Rudy Dearing, for taking such good care of it when it was loaded into the equipment truck, it has seen quite a few small towns and big cities. I absolutely love riding this piece of history. And sometimes I just sit and stare at it and the memories come flooding back. It's my hope that by posting it online, it may spark a good memory for someone else. Bicycle tire Bicycle frame Tire Bicycle wheel Bicycle wheel rim
 
#2 ·
wish i could but i still got $800 to pay on mine

i'll be getting a dakota xc though wich is woth it ..... :D
took it for a test ride day before yesterday and i am in love ... :D i miss having a moutain bike ...
sigh ...
soon ... :cool:
 
#5 ·
Acme54321 said:
Trond that's a super sweet bike, I wish i had a frame as sweet looking as that! To bad they lost the Horst in 04.
Thanks,
I can't believe they dropped the Horst. The estimated cost per bike is $4...

I have some niggles on the XLT though, maybe you guys can shed some light on this.

The kiss: there is the possibility that the braze will touch the seattube under heavy compression. If I let the air out the shock it does touch. Has anyone had a problem with this?

Also, there is play in the link that is attached to the top tube. There is a small spacer that creates the play, however, if I take it off the play is gone but the link then has stiction. Could anyone with an XLT check this? Just grab the rear wheel and rock it to both sides while holding the seat. Look at the link that's attached to the top tube, does it move from side to side?

Thanks,
Trond

check out Scandinavias larges mtb zine. terrengsykkel.no
 
#9 ·
THis isn't my bike, but I found this pic of it online from someone who is selling the exact same thing. Since I bought it a week ago, everything is stock like this guy's. But I don't like the pedals and the seat so I'll probably change it. Later on, I'll probably change the fork.
 

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#13 ·
Here's the Big Pig

This is my XLT 1.0. As you can see, it is basically stock, with Shimano pedals being the only major upgrade. I have a rotating cast of tires; I have Specialized Enduro Pros, various WTB tires, and the stock Hutchinsons. I have yet to find a tire that I really like. I also have a hardtail; a 2001 Eureka LE...will post it's pic later.
 

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#14 ·
And for what it's worth...

I've never had any problems with "the kiss". I called Fox before I purchased the bike, and ordered the correct springs for my weight, both front and rear. I weigh ~ 250 pounds, with gear, and I've never had any problem with the brace hitting the seat tube.

mtnbiker62 said:
This is my XLT 1.0. As you can see, it is basically stock, with Shimano pedals being the only major upgrade. I have a rotating cast of tires; I have Specialized Enduro Pros, various WTB tires, and the stock Hutchinsons. I have yet to find a tire that I really like. I also have a hardtail; a 2001 Eureka LE...will post it's pic later.
 
#18 ·
bikeCOLORADO said:
It was cobbled together from spares...trust me there's no way I could afford to keep a family of SIX riders on the trail with bikes and gear any other way but with spares, second hand stuff, ebay and internet deals, etc, etc, etc...
I should learn how to put bikes together....I'll do that this summer. I have two other bikes, not quite well in shape...actually, in really bad shape...ah, heck, if they were fixable, I wouldn't have bought a new bike.
 
#20 ·
Well, my gf has a bike that she hardly rides. She says there's something wrong with it. I think with some of the parts of the other two bikes, I can make her bike really nice. If I switch off the frames, she could get a nice steel frame, but then I need to learn how to put everything else together. I think I'll just browse around the tools section for a couple of weeks and see if anything would come up to help me.
 
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