Originally Posted by
sunburst
Can anyone identify the model of this 1980 Nishiki mixte? I can not find a catalog from that year. It has a chromoly frame so I assume it was their top-of-the-line model, if they had more than one. The serial number is KJxxxxx which I decode as USA, 1980.
This is not high end. Nishiki did not have mixtes above very low mid-range during this era. Based on the serial number it is a 1980-1981 model, manufactured in 1980. During this period the CrMo models typically had chrome plating on the forks. If it is CrMo, it would appear to plain gauge and only for the main triangle, as the fork dropouts appear to be stamped. The derailleurs and brakes are mixed. Based on the CrMo tubing, crankset and what appears to be a SunTour Vx front derailleur, my leading candidates would be either an Olympic 12 or Royale, which would place it upper entry level to very low mid-range.