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Nishiki Century RAW STEEL w/ Pics

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Nishiki Century RAW STEEL w/ Pics

Old 01-31-12, 01:13 PM
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Nishiki Century RAW STEEL w/ Pics

This bike made a cameo deep in a different thread, so I thought I would start a new one to show it off a bit. I got it for $15.00 off of craigslist. It was in a pretty sorry state. The chrome wheels were rusted and most of the parts were unusable. Only after completely tearing it down did I realize that it had a bent frame from a front end impact.
With absolutely nothing to lose, I pondered on the possibility of straightening the frame. I built a jig and bolted down the spindle with u bolts. Then i ran a large steel rod through the steering stem (almost exact diameter of the bearing cups that were still in the stem). I braced the jack from my truck sideways in front of the BB spindle and started pushing the steel rod. A center line on my jig kept me aligned. I couldn't believe how easy the frame moved back to it correct geometry.
Weeks later, I was bored and decided to strip the paint off the frame. I used several methods, from stripper to sandpaper to wire brushes. For a piece of crap frame, it actually started to look pretty good. The bike was assembled with parts I had laying around. It's first configuration was ss front and six speed rear, but the freewheel was shot. I put a BMX freewheel on it and re centered the wheel to its new chain line. I use this bike to cruise around the neighborhood. What do you think?


Here is a close up shot of the frame where it was bent. It still has some bulge. I don't really know if I can even fix that.


I started polishing the front fork. It didn't clean up as nicely as the rest of the frame, so I'm using 500 grit paper on my drill from a headlight polishing kit. I must be a glutton for punishment.
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Old 01-31-12, 01:16 PM
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Super cool. Am I right in saying you'll need to apply wax or something to prevent it from rusting?
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Old 01-31-12, 01:32 PM
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That looks great. Another thing you could do is get some rustoleum clear coat at your auto parts dealer and spray it down.
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Old 01-31-12, 01:34 PM
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So far so good. I use a foam sanding block to clean it. Then I wipe it down with 10w40 motor oil. The bike doesn't get ridden in any foul weather. Once the fork is fully polished, I'll probably wax it because I cant use my trusty sanding block on it.
I will probably never clear it. I don't want to have to remove any paint to get rid of the inevitable corrosion.
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Old 01-31-12, 02:15 PM
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why don't you just use a 2 part clear? it comes in the can for under 20 dollars and will offer a pretty durable finish.
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Old 01-31-12, 03:08 PM
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The bike is still very much a work in progress. I use it to fill my time between other bicycle builds/maintenance. The front lug is the only one I would bother posting. If it ever looks good enough to seal it in time, I'll have a buddy of mine clear powder coat it. I would love to get a nicer set of single speed wheels before I did any refinishing. The heavy dish on my rear wheel looks kind of funny from behind.

Last edited by supafast213; 01-31-12 at 07:52 PM.
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Old 01-31-12, 03:16 PM
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no need to clear coat it, i've been riding a raw steel frame for the last three years in all weather. you just give it a nice sanding / wire brushing every 3-6 months.
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Old 01-31-12, 03:49 PM
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no need to clear coat it, i've been riding a raw steel frame for the last three years in all weather. you just give it a nice sanding / wire brushing every 3-6 months.
Really! The fear of rust is way overemphasized. Wipe it with oil from time to time.
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Old 01-31-12, 05:35 PM
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This is pretty neat!

I've got a beater project in the works too... I'm thinking of stripping it like this and then trying a chemical bluing treatment (like you use on gun repairs that aren't worth the expense of proper rebluing) on the whole thing. As has been said, I'd need to keep it clean and oil it from time to time...
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Old 01-31-12, 06:33 PM
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I say ride it, collect decals and stickers.
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Old 01-31-12, 06:45 PM
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I think I read a thread about that a few weeks ago. I'm interested in how well it can be done. I refinished an old 1911 Colt 45 copy when i was a kid. I remember it was tricky to get right.
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Old 01-31-12, 07:20 PM
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I was screwing around in the garage and I shot a few more pics. In this picture, you can see the BB spindle has been reversed. I used the stock sugino crank with the small chain ring removed. The original chain line was to far to the right. Also note the damage from the kickstand.


Here is the chain alignment that was achieved with the blatant overuse of spacers on the left side of the hub.


The saddle was also the original Avocet. It was ripped up and the foam was heavily damaged. I trimmed it for a more sporty look. In keeping with the "raw" theme. I'll leave it uncovered.
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Old 01-31-12, 09:08 PM
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Originally Posted by supafast213
I started polishing the front fork. It didn't clean up as nicely as the rest of the frame, so I'm using 500 grit paper on my drill from a headlight polishing kit. I must be a glutton for punishment.
I'm hoping that you meant 5000 grit!
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Old 01-31-12, 09:24 PM
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Where are you located..it looks like FL.
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Old 01-31-12, 09:31 PM
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I like the rawness of it, but I'd recommend a front brake.

You're giving me ideas for raw bikes...
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Old 01-31-12, 09:32 PM
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Originally Posted by skydog6653
I'm hoping that you meant 5000 grit!
The fork is raw steel also, not chrome. It had some kind of funky haze on it when i got the paint off. I'm starting with 500 grit sanding discs to get most of the imperfections off. Then I'll start stepping up the grits. Raw steel will only get so shiny.

JReade, I'm in North Port. It's a little over an hour south of Tampa.
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Old 01-31-12, 09:35 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
I like the rawness of it, but I'd recommend a front brake.

You're giving me ideas for raw bikes...
I only had one lever and a long brake cable. I didn't want to cut the cable. I acquired some more housing in the mean time, so I'll probably move to a front brake instead. At the speeds I ride this bike, the rear brake stops just fine. I like to idle along on this thing.
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Old 01-31-12, 09:41 PM
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Originally Posted by supafast213
JReade, I'm in North Port. It's a little over an hour south of Tampa.
I grew up in Port Charlotte, I go ride out off price whenever I'm back!
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Old 01-31-12, 11:38 PM
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here's my raw dog adventure:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...Voyageur-Blung!

if you want to keep it in its raw state, i recommend reading my trials and tribulations.
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Old 02-01-12, 12:11 AM
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I love this thread! I have been wondering about the possibility of raw steel bikes for several years.
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Old 02-01-12, 12:15 AM
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Originally Posted by supafast213
nice sv650s, is it a 2004?

ive ridden my fare share of sport bikes but i still get excited at every chance i get to throw my leg over an sv650.
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Old 02-01-12, 06:51 AM
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JReade, lemme know when you're in town next. We can go ride Panacea.

illwafer, NICE BIKE! I'm not sure I'll ever get this one as polished as yours. I will reference your thread before I start spraying anything. How are your results lasting so far?

thirgen, The SV is a 2005. She serves me well as my commute is 60 miles daily. We've gone 45,000 miles together. The bike allows me to maneuver around lumbering "snowbirds" and the "Left Lane Mafia" on the interstate. I work at a Suzuki shop and my customers can't believe that I don't have some kind of Superbike. Most of them don't know whats under the black sheet....
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Old 02-01-12, 08:11 AM
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My memory must be a year off, I thought orange was 03 and yellow was 04 and then the frame changed to black for 05. so what is under the sheet?
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Old 02-01-12, 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by thirdgenbird
My memory must be a year off, I thought orange was 03 and yellow was 04 and then the frame changed to black for 05. so what is under the sheet?
My bike has the black frame. Your memory is correct. 2005 used the UBER BRIGHT yellow. Under the sheet huh?....
1999 Aprilia RS250
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Old 02-01-12, 10:05 AM
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Looks nice, but my advice would be to spend $50-100 and get it powdercoated in silver or metallic gray if you like the look. Just the humidity in the air will cause an unpainted frame to rust, and it's pretty humid in Florida. Seems like it would be a lot of trouble having to repeatedly sand the frame to remove fresh rust.
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