Koga History Museum
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

KOGA is a Dutch bicycle manufacturer based in Heerenveen, Friesland. The company is known for its long time partnership with Japanese frame manufacturer
Miyata Miyata is a Japanese manufacturer of bicycles, The company has been in operation since 1890. Miyata was also one of the first producers of motorcycles in Japan under the name Asahi. The Asahi AA was the first mass-produced motorcycle in Japa ...
, producing bicycles and sponsoring racing teams under the brand name Koga Miyata. As of May 2010 the partnership ended and the company began manufacturing bicycles under the KOGA brand.
at ''koga.com''


History

The company was founded by Andries Gaastra in 1974
who had left his function at his father's company Batavus. The name Koga is a combination of his surname and that of his wife Marion Kowallik. The addition of Miyata came from the cooperation with Japanese manufacturer
Miyata Miyata is a Japanese manufacturer of bicycles, The company has been in operation since 1890. Miyata was also one of the first producers of motorcycles in Japan under the name Asahi. The Asahi AA was the first mass-produced motorcycle in Japa ...
. Koga Miyata relied on Japanese components from manufacturers such as Shimano. From 1980 Koga Miyata sponsored the ''IJsboerke'' cycle team whose member, the Dutch Peter Winnen, won a stage in the Tour de France at the
Alpe d'Huez L'Alpe d'Huez () is a ski resort in southeastern France at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Western Alps, in the commune of Huez, which is part of the department of Isère in the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is part of th ...
soon after, leading to wider recognition. In 1992, Gaastra sold his company to the Atag Cycle Group, which had acquired Batavus six years earlier. KOGA is now owned by the Accell Group.


Products

Koga Miyata started with the use of Japanese components. The design and assemblage of the bicycles was done by hand in the Netherlands. At first Koga Miyata only produced racing bicycles. In 1976 they added a range of randonneurs or touring bicycles, and in 1986 mountain bikes. In 1993, after it was acquired by the Atag Cycle Group, Koga Miyata also produced hybrid bicycles. Koga now produce a range of e-bikes (bicycles with an electrical assist system).


Early models

Some of the early company brochures are publicly available for download. * Pro-Racer * Pro-Luxe * FullPro-L * Gents-Racer * Gents-Touring * Gents-Luxe * Road Racer * Road Winner * Road Speed * Road-Mixed * Silver-Ace


References


External links

* {{Japanese bicycle manufacturers Bicycle framebuilders Cycle manufacturers of the Netherlands Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1974 1974 establishments in the Netherlands Companies based in Friesland Heerenveen