>>1667114yes and no
so in the 50s-70s the US bike market was saturated with US made 'bike boom' shitters, raleighs, schwinns, that were genuinely shit. In the 70s Japan ramped up sales on better bike boom shitters, bikes like the Kabuki, which were the same type of bike boom shitter really, but actually good versions, and btfo those American companies so much to encourage protectionism.
Then in the 80s and 90s road bicycles themselves became niche sporting types, as the casual market moved over the mtbs, and road bikes improved dramatically for it, because they now were mostly all for serious use.
Whereas from the 50s to 70s in the bike boom casuals were meant to ride cheap road bikes.
So a Kabuki is a GOOD archaic shitter. It might be very charming and it might make a great beater. But you'd still be better off with some serious 80s/90s road bike, especially if it's your only bike, or you're gonna have to put a lot of time and some money into restoring it.
tldr: it's a very good version of a shit type of bike but the headbadge is badass so get it.
