Koga bikes are designed and hand-assembled in Heerenveen, Netherlands, with production focused in the company’s Dutch factory.
Core Answer: Where Are Koga Bikes Made? History And Current Status
Most riders asking where are koga bikes made want a clear, up to date picture of the brand’s roots and current factories. Koga is a Dutch company based in Heerenveen, and for decades almost every complete bike has been assembled there by hand. Frames and components have come from partners in Japan and other countries, yet final assembly stayed in the Netherlands. Today Koga still builds bikes in Heerenveen, but its parent group has announced plans to shift large parts of production to plants in Hungary and Turkey over the next few years.
Koga Production By Era
| Period | Main Assembly Location | Short Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | Heerenveen, Netherlands | Early Koga Miyata road models assembled in the Netherlands |
| 1980s | Heerenveen, Netherlands | Growth years with Japanese Miyata frames and Dutch assembly |
| 1990s | Heerenveen, Netherlands | Line expands into touring and hybrid bikes |
| 2000s | Heerenveen, Netherlands | Strong focus on trekking and city bikes |
| 2010s | Heerenveen, Netherlands | Rise of e bikes, same Dutch assembly base |
| Early 2020s | Heerenveen, Netherlands | One mechanic per bike system in full swing |
| Late 2020s and beyond | Heerenveen plus new EU plants | Production gradually moving toward Central and Eastern Europe |
This timeline shows that when someone types that question into a search bar, the honest answer still centers on the Dutch town of Heerenveen. The difference between older and newer bikes lies more in frame suppliers and satellite factories than in the place where complete bicycles roll out.
Where Koga Bikes Are Made Today And Tomorrow
Right now complete Koga bikes leave the long standing factory complex in Heerenveen. Mechanics still work in small stations, each responsible for a single bike from start to finish. That process lets one person check cable routing, torque values, bearing play, and the many finishing touches that touring riders and daily commuters notice on the road.
The parent company Accell Group runs several production sites across Europe. In 2025 it confirmed that bicycle manufacturing in the Netherlands will wind down, with assembly work gradually transferred to larger facilities in Hungary and Turkey. That change affects Koga along with sister brands such as Batavus and Babboe, so later models are likely to be assembled in those countries while design and product management stay in Heerenveen.
For a buyer this means that near term stock in shops still mainly comes out of the Dutch factory, while bikes built after the transition period may carry stickers referring to Central or Eastern European plants. The brand message remains Dutch, yet the label on the frame will tell you which facility produced the bike you are actually riding.
How Koga Builds Bikes In Heerenveen
Koga has always leaned on careful hand work rather than large anonymous lines. A single trained mechanic builds each bike, scans a checklist, and signs a card or passport that travels with the finished product. That tradition is often mentioned in Koga brochures and on the company site, and it is a big part of why touring fans treat the brand as a safe long distance choice.
Another feature of production in Heerenveen is close control over the mix of imported parts. In the early Koga Miyata years, frames often came from the Japanese maker Miyata, while wheels, drivetrains, and finishing kit were drawn from top component brands. Modern Koga bikes still combine globally sourced parts, yet the final fitting, cabling, and testing take place under one roof before the bike goes into its shipping carton.
Who Owns Koga And Why That Matters For Production
Koga is part of the Accell Group, a large European bicycle company that also owns brands such as Batavus, Raleigh, and Haibike. Accell coordinates sourcing, logistics, and long term plant planning for the whole group. In practice this means that while Koga still presents itself as a Dutch maker, it shares frame suppliers, wheel builders, and assembly lines with other labels inside the group.
Accell’s decision to close the Heerenveen factory and centralise production in lower cost regions reshapes the answer to that question. Once the transition finishes, many complete bikes will leave factories in Hungary or Turkey, even if the head office, engineering, and test teams stay in the Netherlands. For riders this does not remove the brand’s heritage, yet it does change the map of real world production.
How To Check Where Your Own Koga Bike Was Built
If you already own a Koga and want to know exactly where it came together, you can read the bike for clues. Start with these steps and you can usually work out whether your bike was assembled in Heerenveen or at another plant in the Accell network.
First, turn the bike over and study the sticker or stamp near the bottom bracket shell. Many Koga frames carry a small label that notes the model name, frame size, serial number, and sometimes a country of origin. Wording such as “Hand built in Heerenveen” points straight to Dutch assembly.
Next, check the frame passport or owner pack supplied with the bike. Koga often includes a card showing the name and photo of the mechanic who built the bike. If the passport lists Heerenveen as the factory location, you can be confident that your bike followed the one mechanic system in the Dutch plant.
Dealers who work with Koga year after year also tend to know where stock comes from. Sharing your frame number and model year with a trusted retailer or regional distributor can confirm whether a given batch left the Netherlands or a different European plant.
Clues To A Koga Bike’s Origin
| Clue | Where To Find It | What It Indicates |
|---|---|---|
| Country label | Underside of frame or near rear dropout | States final assembly country for that frame |
| Mechanic passport | In the document pack or stapled to the manual | Names the mechanic and often lists the factory town |
| Serial number | Underside of frame or on the head tube | Lets Koga or a dealer trace batch and plant |
| Dealer invoice | Paper or digital receipt | Can list model year and supply route |
| Battery and motor labels | On e bike drive unit or battery casing | Point to motor supplier and sometimes assembly region |
| Wheel or component stamps | On hubs, rims, or seatpost | Show where main parts were produced |
| Warranty registration | Online account or paper card | Links your bike to a particular sales region and sometimes a plant |
How The Shift Away From Dutch Production May Unfold
Public statements from Accell give a sketch of how the move away from Dutch production is likely to proceed. The company expects the Heerenveen factory to close around the end of the first quarter of 2026, with production gradually moving to larger plants in Hungary and Turkey before that date. Group wide, only around a fifth of total bike output still came from the Dutch site at the time the decision was announced, so parts of the shift had already begun.
Once the transition is complete, Koga frames are likely to be welded, painted, and assembled in the same plants that already build bikes for other Accell brands. Engineers based in the Netherlands can still set geometry, pick parts, and run test programs, yet the daily production rhythm will sit in other European countries.
Will Quality Change When Production Moves?
Riders often worry that a change in factory means a drop in feel or reliability. With Koga the answer depends less on the country name on the sticker and more on how Accell manages processes and training. Modern bike factories in Hungary and Turkey can deliver very high standards when they follow clear torque specs, testing routines, and inspection steps.
The one mechanic per bike system that made Heerenveen special may not survive in exactly the same form in big shared plants. Even so, Accell has every reason to keep Koga at the higher end of its range, which means tighter control over alignment, cabling, and finishing touches than low cost brands receive. Riders should still check bikes carefully at handover, yet that is wise no matter where a bike was assembled.
Why The Origin Story Still Matters To Riders
Many touring and commuting riders feel a strong link to brands with a clear story. Knowing that Koga started as a Dutch maker that relied on Japanese frames and local assembly helps explain why the bikes often blend steady handling with neat finishing and long distance touches. The question where are koga bikes made is really a way of asking whether that character will stay intact once production spreads across more factories.
If the core design team, test riders, and warranty staff remain in the Netherlands, the spirit of the brand can still show through in geometry and component picks. At the same time, buyers who care about local jobs or about shorter shipping routes may prefer bikes built while the Heerenveen plant is still active, or may choose to buy from another maker that welds and assembles within their own country.
Does the bike ride the way they expect, carry what they need, and hold up under weather and load. If the answer is yes, the name on the down tube and the town on the sticker have both done their job, regardless of which exact production line brought frame and parts together.
Over time production sites can change, yet riders still control the choice in front of them: read the labels, ask questions, and pick the Koga bike that fits their riding plans.