Originally Posted by
T-Mar
Thxs. It's interesting that bars are SR. At the time, the Japanese component companies were divided into two rival trade associations, JEX and JBM. SR was part of JBM, while the SunTour derailleurs, Sugino crankset and original Dia-Compe centre-pull brakes were part of the JEX group. It was very rare to mix parts from competing trade associations, so I wonder if the bars (and stem) may also have been changed? SR bars typically have a date stamped at the end, but you'd have to remove the tape. However, if the stem is also SR, you could check its date code, which is typically stamped just below the insertion mark. The bars and stem may have been changed by the original owner, to achieve a better fit.
Regarding the saddle, the presence of a Brooks almost certainly indicates a post factory replacement. The original owner probably rode a Brooks Professional saddle prior to the Nishiki and changed it as personal preference.
Your insight and knowledge is impressive and I'm learning a great deal here. What you say makes total sense about the saddle. I can't speak to the originality of the bars with any certainty. The first time I saw this bike was when my brother first acquired it around 1975, and it was as new condition including the grip tape on the bars. A lot of things could have changed in the first couple of years with the first owner, so there's no way to confirm originality, I guess. I doubt my brother knows, remembers, or even cares. I will get the date of the stem when I get the chance, or remove the grip tape which I put on myself, but never liked anyway. You mentioned in earlier post about the decals on the frame, and as far as those go I have never seen this bike WITH them. I honestly don't think it ever had them. If you have any other ideas / insight on the decals, I'd be very interested in what you have to say on that. The list of questions seems to only grow larger on this bike, but if all these things were changed, the changes were before the bike was 3 years old I want to thank you for sharing your thoughts on this bike which, as I've mentioned, is of great value to me personally.