Old School vs New School - Which BMX Freecoaster is Better?

In todays video Phu Vu from Epic BMX (@_epicbmx) breaks down the differences between the old school Nankai Alloy Bamboo Freecoaster Hub vs the modern freecoasters (BSD Planetary, Demolition Rotator, Federal, and KHE freecoasters. He also presents the original internals from a coaster brake hub.

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[josephdelasierra]

I'm about a year late but Nankai did make a 14mm straight thru axle around 2006. It was called the Nankai Bamboo 14mm freecoaster. The internals were different from 3/8 axle version version with a poor clutch spring that was real thin and would break. Nankai stopped making freecoaster hubs around 2008. They did driver kits from 11t and 9t at the time. I used to see Drew Arroyo riding one on his park bike killing it at the Van Skatepark here in NorCal. I got about 5 of those Nankai 48h hubs 2 are 9t drivers and 1 profile Nankai aluminum hub. As long you had grease in the drivers and good tension on the hub bearings those things were good anywhere. Standard had upgraded replacement axles.

[AL]

The original freecoaster was a Suntour coaster brake with the ACS freecoaster adapter kit. You had two screws that you twisted to switch between freewheel and coaster.
Then we figured out if you just take out the 3 brake pads, it made it a freecoaster (but with lots of play before engagement). This was happening in the mid to late 80’s. (I still have a few).
In the early 90’s we figured out the unbrake piece. Basically just a washer inside to limit the amount of play.
The Nankia hub came out later in the 90’s based of the same Suntour design.

[Daniel-yfiy]

Love your content… very informative. What I like most about your channel is that your not a “bike snob, ” you just love BMX bikes and the passion shows. I haven’t owned a BMX bike in 36 years but I loved that bike, as kids they were our freedom, nothing but good memories.

[rk]

Alfredo do you pay Phu? He is the star of the show after all.

[metalsixhead]

Ive been riding hard AF for years on my 99 standard sta 500 with triple wall Sun rims and dk hubs with a cassette on back, oversized profile cranks, oversized blackjack 44 tooth sprocket, a 315 fat chain, standard forks and headset and HARO pro street bars... I Love this tank!

[sole__doubt]

Learn something new every upload. Thanks Phu and the crew :)

[kyleyazzie]

Phu knows a lot about bikes that's cool

[clubforever]

He is 100% correct. As soon as I saw that hub I was about to pick up the phone and call about it. I need that for a build lol

[kirkwickham]

I rode foot brake coasters as a kid, a few band name coasters from Primo and Hoffman as a teenager and more recently nearing 40, a WTP Helix. After all that, I've moved on to Planetary tech via the BSD Revolution and doubt I'll be going back.

[outridingBMXPortugal]

Phu around 2006 Nankai did upgrade to a aluminum shell, 9T driver and they also had a 14mm hollow axle version called the "Bamboo".
Nankai stopped making freecoasters around 2009. A former engineer from Nankai started a new company called NYB and now makes freecoasters with the same original design.

[Wes-nm]

i remember back in the mid 90s i had a KHE premium lagger in metallic green the head tube badge looked like a Heineken beer can logo, but i remember it had a freecoaster it was brand new to me, i think it was khe, s own hub i could be wrong, great video lads 👏

[alopez]

Hello nice videos love your channel can you show us some japanese kuwahara bmxs in your future videos....thank you much respect to you all

[jeremiefitzpatrick]

Thats a really cool old freecoaster!:) ❤

[chrislong]

You guys already know this is gonna be good 😂

[keamtx]

Coasted through the vid pretty quick…could’ve easily been longer with master Phus rambles. Keep the BMX content varied and consistent 💪

[jessehefferon]

I love the nankai free coaster, aluminum shell version. It's simple and easy to replace internals and most of all, able adjust the cone nuts nice and snug. Im a flatlander and snapped an axle inside my nankai free coaster, no problem. Swapped in a new one with ease.

[ChrisC-vkjf]

The ACS Freecoaster is the original that I remember. I had a set ACS RL EDGE wheels back in the 80s that had the one with the little screws/pins that were twisted converting from coasterbrake to Freecoaster and I thought I was hot 💩!

[francissobotka]

The regular nankai was great when they redesigned it to be 14mm sealed it got rid of the good spring and the weak springs in the 14mm broke slot .Nankai became nyb and they still make hubs .I wish I could get a 9 tooth nankai driver so I could use that .

[fauphoff]

Had a Nankai and never had any issues with it but I definitely bent the axle with my heft!

[ichmorales]

Dude can you do a video on all there is to know about brake pads. Inquiring minds want to know.