Classic & Vintage - 1986 Nishiki Prestige

I just bought a Nishiki Prestige and while it is in pretty decent shape right now I am planning on putting a lot of miles on it. When parts of the Suntour alpha-5000 12-speed transmission start to wear out what will be my options for replacement?

Nishiki's are great bikes for sure,i have a 89 mountain bike i commute on..plus heres a roadbike i have my eye on ...from craigslist...i say go with (price) Shimano 600 compo..but if its a keeper you cannot beat CAMPAGNOLO:D.$$$$$..be sure to post some pictures!,GOOD LUCK..

Is there some reaon you think they'll wear out before you do? They can handle a lot of miles. Other than RD pulleys and chain rings, I'd think you were good to go.

When parts of the Suntour alpha-5000 12-speed transmission start to wear out what will be my options for replacement?

I like Suntour GPX stuff. Love it, actually. You can find plenty of parts on ebay.

I like Suntour GPX stuff. Love it, actually. You can find plenty of parts on ebay.+1 if you need to replace stuff. GPX is really nice, great calipers.

Its good to hear people have faith in the equipment's longevity. I don't have any reason to think it will wear out and honestly, it fits my needs and I like it, so I hope it lasts quite some time. I've done a little more research into compatibility and this is what I gather:

The rear cassette and chain will the first things to wear out. Modern cassettes are wider as they have more gears, so it would be necessary to replace the cassette, freewheel, wheel, rear derailleur, and rear shifter as a unit if I could fit a new wider set up back there.

I would appreciate some feedback as to the veracity of my beliefs. Thanks for all the help so far everyone!

You can buy straight replacements though that would not require changing the RD.

Where can you get straight replacement parts for something so old?