Classic & Vintage - 80's or 90's Nishiki, please help identify

Sorry to post yet another "help me identify this bike" thread with a bunch of blurry/useless images. There is a Nishiki in my neighborhood that I'm trying to snatch up to repair and give to a friend, but I'm not sure what model it is. It appears to be lugged steel but I am not sure what kind. It is Suntour and Sugino equipped, with Dia Compe sidepulls with quick release levers. Could anyone help me find a little more information about this bike?

http://images.craigslist.org/01150301020401160520071107b5c06f83a2885de22b000ad1.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/01150201021001040220071107af70e338040849c4f50049c6.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/01020601041201161420071107db3332fdd037408672000171.jpg

You're right very hard to tell from the pics. I guess late 80s-early 90s... hehe not much help?

Learn about dating components here:
http://vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm

very useful resource for dating Japanese parts.

Edit: You may also try matching it with bikes posted here:
http://yojimg.net/bike/nishiki/

they have the 1983 catalogue as well but that won't help you.

Looks like a nice bike. The link to village trek will certainly help you date the bike. There should be a model name on the top bar if it has not been removed. The serial # will be on the bottom of the crank cylinder. Is the the frame a Kawamura CrMo ? There would be a decal behind the crankset on the left stay indicating so. Spinz@50

My guess is mid to late 80s International.

Pending further info, my guess would be a circa 1986 Nishiki Prestige.

It has the same cranks and brakes as my '85 Prestige. Any more pictures? Or perhaps you could tell us what the derailleurs are and what model it is (if it tells at all).

Good guess on the Prestige! Thanks to T-Mar's post, I got off my ass, rode the four miles to the south side to take a look at this bicycle. The guy only wanted $75 for it and it somehow ended up following me home! I think it's a little too short for me (54 or 55 cm seat post), but I owe my ex-girlfriend a bicycle because I "borrowed" her Peugeot PX10N which was a bit too big for her. Well, anyhow...

The frame is indeed a mid-80's Prestige, Tange 2, "Handbuilt by Kuwahara" on the left chainstay, with "Japan" and "FRAME GEOMETRY RACING" opposite each other on the seat tube and down tube, respectively. Nice, fat Suntour drop outs. No chrome to be had though, unfortunately. This Nishiki weighs almost as little as my mid-80's Basso with "Acciaio Speciale" tubing!

The SN is WE07 297

The derailleurs are Suntour Cyclone, with matching shifters. The brakes, as pictured, are Dia Compe with quick release levers, and matching brake levers, which are designed to route the cable along the handlebars (Brain fart on what those style brakes are called). The chain rings, cranks, and seat post are Sugino, with the cranks marked as the VP model. The stem is marked with a silver "N" in a black circle, and the handlebars are racing style, I believe the brand is Win, and they are marked "WINPISTA." The wheels are Araya rims, and I believe they are laced up to Sansin hubs.

How are '85 and '86s equipped? If this bike and its parts are in good/very good condition, about how much would this be worth altogether?


Maybe I'll turn it into a fixed gear!

Just kidding...


I did just, however, realize that I have one frame built with Reynolds, one with Columbus, and one with Tange. I'm going to be feeling smug for a few days.

you did good I'd say. I just bought an ~'86 prestige from a pawn shop for $140. Felt I paid too much but I just couldn't let it sit there. Mine has shimano 600sis shifters + front and rear der., bronze diacompe calipers, bronze outer chainring (sugino), chromed seatstay ends. It's 58cm, too big for me, I aim to flip it after a small markup.

How are '85 and '86s equipped? If this bike and its parts are in good/very good condition, about how much would this be worth altogether?

Well mine is an '85 and your's is definitely not the same because the decals are quite different. Mine also came with Suntour LePree deraileurs instead of Cyclone, which makes me jealous. :D If the aero brake levers are original, it's probably an '86 or newer, though probably not much newer.
I paid $170 for mine, which seemed perfectly reasonable to me, but there's no reason you couldn't get more for it if the right person wanted it. I think they were in the $400-$500 range originally. There should be a date code on the back side of the Dia Compe brakes, and maybe also on the stem and hubs. Mine doesn't have a date on the hubs, though.

Bike snob eh , Columbus, Reynolds, and now Tange Geez where doing alright. Hate to see this one go to an Ex , get her a Huffy.

Yes, "aero brakes." Thank you. Can't believe I forgot that, even for a moment.

The outer Sugino chainring and Araya rims appear to be bronzed or anodized. What is the deal with this? It looks kind of cool because the bike's colors are silver and red, but I've never seen it before.

On mine the rims, hubs, brakes, chainring, and derailleur arms were all that color. Not sure there's any real reason for it, just a different color to choose from back then.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v214/lamplightsg/Nishiki/?start=20

Excellent photos, beautiful bike!

I can't find any serial numbers on the derailleurs, shifters, or brake levers. The Dia Compe brakes, stamped with a white "G" on front are marked 0685 on rear and 0585B on front. Can these be used to get an approximate date? 6/85 and 5/85 perhaps?

My Nishiki Prestige, which I think we've decided is a 1987:

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k317/East_Hill/margaret009.jpg

It has bronze anodised rims as well.

East Hill

Hmm...the numbers on your brakes are similar to mine with the 85, but obviously the decals and paint schemes are rather different. Maybe there were two kinds of Prestiges? Mine also has different tubing. Did you check the stem? Sometimes they'll have the length on one side, and the year on the other. Also, Suntour used a kind of code on their derailleurs that can be deciphered to tell the date. Note cyclotoine's post.

Very, very nice East Hill. That looks like one of those rare small front wheel Nishikis. I was not aware they made them in one of their better quality bikes. Sweet.

Good guess on the Prestige! Thanks to T-Mar's post, I got off my ass, rode the four miles to the south side to take a look at this bicycle. The guy only wanted $75 for it and it somehow ended up following me home! I think it's a little too short for me (54 or 55 cm seat post), but I owe my ex-girlfriend a bicycle because I "borrowed" her Peugeot PX10N which was a bit too big for her. Well, anyhow...


Well, mediccody, if your girlfreind doesn't want it send me a PM, it's MY size too:D

How come all the Nishikis for sale in my area are low end and too large, it's a conspriracy!

here's mine, up for sale: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/bik/474134553.html

here's mine, up for sale: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/bik/474134553.html

That looks like a black and gold version of mine. If you lived here I would have bought it from you already. :D

Very, very nice East Hill. That looks like one of those rare small front wheel Nishikis. I was not aware they made them in one of their better quality bikes. Sweet.

My one and only really nice thrift shop find :D . I think it cost me under $30, too, due to some holiday or other half price sale.

This bike, along with my Nishiki International, are two of my favourite bikes.

East Hill

update on my former prestige, bought for $140, sold via craigslist for $180. I did have to adjust the brakes and stem, so I feel like I earned the profit.

I paid $170 for mine, and your paint looked a little nicer. So I'd say the buyer got a good deal and you got an even better deal! Wish I could have bought it, although the last thing I need is another '80s Japanese road bike. :D