T-Mar

Appears to be circa 1991/1992. What's the component group? Most likely locations for serial number are underside of bottom bracket, rear dropouts, bottom of seat tube and top of seat tube.

The bicycles were designed/spec'd by the distributors, consequently things could vary depending on the market. Sometimes things like headbadges/decals would vary depending on the manufacturer. Then of course there was variance from year to year and sometimes even within a year, due to things like component shortages.

The International is probably subject to the most variance of any Nishiki model. I've seen it with hi-tensile frames, plain gauge CrMo, butted CrMo, butted MnMo and oversize butted CrMo. Component variation is even worse. Overall configurations ranged from entry level recreational touring to mid-range sports, to grand touring.

OLDYELLR

Not sure of the exact year, but Nishiki switched from the metal eagle headbadge to the "N" decal in the early eighties.

revelstone

still no serial numbers and i really looked to day. rear derailer is a shimano 200 GS. cranks are shimano biospace SG. total integrated group 200 GS. the shifters have two levers each. haven't figured that out yet. here's a picture of the roller for the crank's derailer

T-Mar

200GS would make it a 1991 model.

revelstone

thanks T-Mar

Oscuro

So in essence: my bike could be made of anything since I have no stickers on it, other than a store sticker.
Hmmm.

revelstone

figured out the shifter thing by looking at shifters in sheldon brown's bicycle glossary pages. sorry he's not around any more. he did some great things for everyone that love bicycles and riding. found this with a little more looking on the web https://bicycletutor.com/rapid-fire-shifters/

Frasse

I have a Nishiki Olympic 12, serial number EG403523

Gears: Sun Tour x-3040 accushift
Brakes: Dia-Compe
Year: ?

It also says "handcrafted in Japan on frame"

It works perfect and the finish is still pretty good.

Anybody who have an idea about the age?

T-Mar

This one fits perfectly in the serial number scheme, with the exception of the E prefix, which appears to have been used on European models. The G represents a 7 year and Accushift 3040 came out in 1987, so it was made in 1987.

Frasse

Thanks T-Mar!

I guess I should have looked more thoroughly on your serial number scheme.

Also thanks for a great thread, I´m looking forward to learn more about the Nishiki history after joining your thread.

kmulder

Does anyone know if https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/568931-bike-id-all-chrome-lots-big-pictures.html is a Nishiki?!?

I have such an identity complex not knowing what it is....

Frasse

Hi again T-Mar!

I wonder if you know anything about why it on my bike (Olympic 12 1987) says "handcrafted in Japan" and not "handcrafted by Kawamura" that I have seen on other Nishiki bikes? Does it have to do with the bike beeing estimated for the european market?

T-Mar

You've taken my post out of context. Without knowing the year and intended market, it could be just about anything. However, in your case the year and market is known from the serial number. The bicycle also matches the literature and the seat post size corroborates the tubing specs, so I have a high degree of confidence, despite the missing decal.

It's possible, but unlikely. Out of the dozens of Nishiki serial number logged, none match that format.

I'm not sure. It could be market specific or it may have been part of a general move. I can think of two reasons for the latter. First, it would allow them to move production to another Japanese manufacturer, without the expense of generating new decals. Second, and more importantly, this was the time when a lot of production was moving to Taiwan, as a result of the revaluation of the yen, which started in 1985. Consumers generally regarded Japanese bicycles as being superior to those made in Taiwan and a Kawamura decal does not make the origin clear to the consumer.

Deathcycle

I just got this 3 days ago.Serial # is GC901239.Biopace Chain rings.
This my first road bike.Someone had painted over a sticker that says "Made In Taiwan".Does this mean it was made in the Giant factory?

jstewse

Picked this beauty up off the side of the road with a "free" sign on it. T-mar tells me it's an 88.
1988 Nishiki Olympic
Serial Number: GK7C5962
Cranks, Shifters and both derailleurs are Shimano A350 or exage components
Brakes are L490

T-Mar

Another serial number format! Looks like possibly a revised Giant format. My guess: G= Giant, K = month = November, 7 = year = 1987, C =?, 5962 = frame number for the time period. Of course, what can you do but make an educated guess when the sample size is only one? But November 1987 would make it a 1988 model and that's a given based on the decals and my literature.

Deathcycle

O.K. here is a better picture.

Deathcycle

That's a real beauty!

T-Mar

Giant would appear to be the most likely candidate. Both the decals and serial number indicate a 1989 or 1990 model, manufactured in 1989. Can't quite make out the model name but it looks like Sport? If so, should be a 1989, as there's no Sport in the 1990 USA price list or my 1990 Canadian catalog. What's the component goup? TIA.

Deathcycle

Yes it's a sport.Shimano Exage components.It's in really great condition and seemed like a really good find at only $90.

bornhere

I was not able to find much info on this one. Thanks for the help T-mar.

1982 Nishiki Cresta touring.Serial # KB 10519 Champion no. 2 tubes. Size 52 cm. Suntour Mk 2 derailleurs, Symmetric friction shifters clamped on. Sugino cranks with triple chain rings. Sunshine stem, seat post, and hubs. Araya 27x11/4 hoops. Dia compe brakes and levers.

Another question that has probably been answered a thousand times. What's the symbol on the bb shell "M" or "W", and what does it mean?

T-Mar

It's a W flanked by two C's and is the trademark of West Coast Cycle Supply, the US importer and distributor of Nishiki.

alr

My recent acquisition from Craig's List. I am in love with my mixte.

serial is KB 17553, and I think most of the major parts on it now probably came with it:

Sugino GT cranks
Suntour ARX front and rear derallieurs
Suntour stem mounted power shifters
Diacompe brake levers

It has, like others I have seen reported, Tange #5 chromoly seamless tubing. Does anyone know what the forks are made of? They have a "t" decal on them and have chrome tips.

T-Mar

While I do not have the US specs for the 1982 Olympic, the forks and stays are almost certainly hi-tensile steel. The 1982 Canadian market Olympic used hi-tensile and while this is necessarily indicative of US models, all the US Olympic models that I have specs for, show hi-tensile forks, up until 1988. Additionally, the Sport of this era used a plain gauge CrMo main frame with hi-tensile forks and stays. It is mostly likely the same frame as the Olympic but equipped with lower level components. Using the same frame for 2 or 3 models was a common method to reduce manufacturing costs.

JohnKScott

Hi there. I am a bike dummy. Especially when it comes to older bikes. After a century ride on Saturday these guys were selling an old tandem. We have been looking for a cheap way to get tandeming so my daughter could ride on the back and we could do a little longer rides than her peddling away on her own bike. I got this bike, a trainer, all kinds of paniers to attach to the bike for $200. The bike actually is functional but needs a good cleaning and some service. I may have paid too much but it seemed, funtionally, a good, cheap way to get into a tandem. Enough of the back story.

It is a Nishiki tandem. I haven't been able to find much about it (I did see one on cragslist in Oregon that looks nearly identical for $475). It looks like the SN is C9896E9 but the E is backwards and the 8 looks upside down. Unless the SN is 6E9686C with the C being backwards. I attached a picture (sorry it's not great. I wrecked on Saturday and my shoulder is gimpy and I haven't been able to clean it up and turn it upside down yet ). There is also a sticker on the frame that has a big TD on it and it says something like "Guraranteed Ishiwata CrMo" (picture also attached). The frame seems in really good shape so far with some minor rusting. It's been sitting around for 10+ years not being used.

It looks like Suntour Mountain? RD and Suntour FD & triple crank. It has bar end shifters.

Can anyone tell me anything about this bike? I'm not terribly concerned about the value although if I didn't get totally screwed that would be good to know .

When my shoulder gets better I'll heft it out of the garage and clean it up a bit and take some proper pictures. I just, for some reason, got the fever to find out more about this bike. I think once I get it cleaned up and maybe get some of the "frankenbike" parts replace this could be a real pretty bike.

Thanks in advance!