T-Mar

Thxs. It's no earlier than 1988 based on the components, but it has the 1989 decal scheme. I'm going to list it in my database as a 1989, with a questionmark.

If you look at Tommy's known 1988 Backroads (thxs for confirming Roccobike!) with GZ7xxxxx serial number and yours being GC9xxxxx, my instinct is that the format is G= Giant, C & Z are fortnight indicators and 7 & 9 are calendar years. Of course this is a very limited sample size, so we're going to need quite a bit more data to build our confidence, but now we have s/n model as a starting point for testing any future data.

tommy gayle

if this helps mine had the same setup on the back and I had to change the derailleur and would
skip cogs I changed it and the problem went away and I did have a little wobble to it along with putting on a new chain
it worked for me but it maybe some thing different on your bike

FMSTER

T-Mar,

Attached are photos of a bike I found in a garage sale. The serial number is 4130. I replaced the original seat with a padded shock absorbing seat, but kept the original as it is in excellent condition.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks.

ravn

A timely thread for me .

I just picked up this frame, and what I read here suggests
that it is probably an early '70's Nishiki. Can anyone out there
validate this for me, and maybe even provide some more specifics
and/or research resources? Pictures at the site below.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/2792319...7608260501233/

rav

brandenjs

That's not the serial number, that is the what the frame is made of. The serial number should either be on one of the rear dropouts or under the bottom bracket...Cool bike though..

mrgrizzler

my (girlfriend's) model is a mystery, but it's an 81' with a serial of KA14941.

Tigerprawn

Hey guys any info on my Nishiki International would be great! I have to look at the parts when I get home, but here's the info I have...

I've narrowed it down (serial# kb110611) to 1982 using the Nishiki serial number database thread.

Components:
SR stem
Sakae champion drop bars
Suntour dropouts
I got to find the derauiller, but I tihnk it was "Cyclone" or some such?
Diacompe brake levers
Diacompe "G" brakes
Sugino GS cranks

That's all I can remember for now. If you guys need some other pictures let me know! I really want to know...

What kind of tubing does it have?

How can you tell what kind of tubing a bike has other than stickers?

My Nishiki is stamped "Handcrafted by Kawamura" does this signify any difference in quality when compared to those not made by Kawamura?

Why did Nishiki stop making cool headbadges ? (More of a sob/cry than anything else)

Any other random info is always appreciated! Thanks!

Here's my Nishiki:

brandenjs

No "Handcrafted by Kawamura" does'nt mean anything. So you should just package that bike up and ship it to me for proper disposal.. I'm being sarcastic of course. That is a very nice bike. Be prepared to get beat up for changing it to a fixed gear. Here is my headbadge. Don't worry those nasty cables you can see are long gone..

Tigerprawn

Little update mates!

I did some digging when I got home today and found a bike similiar to mine

https://www.mrmartinweb.com/bicycle.html#Nishiki

Almost all the components match up perfectly...

However, my rear Suntour Cyclone M II looks a bit different than that shown in the link. Either way though, turns out that my Nishiki is Tange Champion No.2 butted chrome moly tubing. Anyone have any different opinions or can I call case closed?

How does the 1982 International rate within the Nishiki line?

Broccolitree

Hello all, this is my first post and I'd like to start off by saying that this forum has been plenty helpful in helping me get to know my personal Nishiki, so I thought I'd contribute my model number to the database. I picked up the bike with intentions to convert it to a fixie and to generally learn about bicycle maintenance through the process. I'm pretty sure only the frame, cranks, pedals and possibly the fork are original. The handlebars, wheels, brakes and seat have been replaced with newer parts. Since I'm new to bicycles I'll just list as much as I know about the original frame (not much.)

Nishiki Competition Pre-1975

Model Number: KS 3470
Cranks: Sugino Mighty Cranks
Dropouts: Suntour GT

Looks very similar to keithm0's International in paint and sticker style (post #55,) but there is a competition logo near the stem chainside. I was going to strip the bike down and repaint it, but I fell in love with the "personality" of the paint and all of it's nicks and scratches. I'm in the middle of taking the bike apart, but I'll post pictures when I get the bike ridable again.

I am curious to get a better idea of when the bike might have been made. I've looked through this thread and haven't seen any 4-digit model numbers and thought that might mean this frame in particular might be a little older.

T-Mar

Despite the 6 character serial number, it would appear to be no older than 1973. Nishiki were orignally marketed under the American Eagle brand until part way through 1972. Even then, they kept the original, Japanese model names and did not start using the Anglicized model names until 1973. The Competition was 4th from the top of the line, just above the International, circa 1973/1974. While the frame may actually look like an International, it is one step up, featuring double butted CrMo tubing, versus the straight gauge CrMo tubing used on the International. Those cranks and derailleurs are original spec, so you may be able to narrow the year using the date code information of the components page of the Vintage-Trek website. FYI, original price in 1973 was $199 US.

badger_biker 

T-Mar - here is the info on my Nishiki Olympic I noted in another thread.
Serial number - GM740607
4130 Dbl butted CrMo tubes
Shimano SIS derailleur and shifters with biopace chainrings
Shimano brakes with aero levers SLT?
Araya 700c rims with Joytech hubs
The color is a medium blue with white seat tube and headtube insert.

I'm guessing maybe 1987 or 1988. Let me know what you think.
Thanks

treebound 

Interesting thread. I just ended up with twin Nishiki 10-speeds, so I'll post the preliminary info here for the database, then will add some pics and additional details over the next week or so as I find the time. We're down to close to the Dec. 1st deadline of no more overnight street parking winter rules coming into effect, so I"m in the process of turning the garage back into a garage instead of my home motorcycle and bicycle shop.

Anyway, both bikes are (edit: make that blue, not red), both are Nishiki Sport Series with a model name of "Century" on the top tube. Both have G0986 on one rear dropout, on their other rear dropout one has 6461754 and the other has 6463127. Both are close to a 49cm sized frame. There is a sticker that says 1207, and either on the same or a different sticker it has Tensle Steel. (My initial notes are a little unclear with my random scribbling on a piece of paper I had in my pocket, I will clarify things when I get some spare daylight time.)

I'll have to get back to you on the rim material and tire sizes and possibly some dates on the components if I can figure out that aspect. Not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, might do a flip, or maybe keep one stock and singlespeed the other one (one has a few issues more than the other one), or maybe I'll just hang them both in the rafters until next summer and decide then. In any case, now that I know about this thread, I'll post a followup and some pics once I get back to the bikes and can get some accurate details.

treebound 

Got a few pics taken. Bikes measure about 47 CTC on the seat tube and about 52 or so CTC on the top tube. And I goofed on their color, they're blue (I think I was thinking of a red bike I recently got or was working on). Tires are 27"x1-1/4, rims are Weinmanns, all four, both bikes, so I can fairly safely assume they're the original wheels. I didn't check the hubs. Chainrings are Sugino. Rear derailer is a Suntour 7 on both bikes.

Not sure what else would be helpfull to know for the database.

wrk101

I have a bottom end Nishiki Olympic five speed freewheel. It has a serial number KS 286901. It has a cottered crankset, Shimano Tourney GS RD, Shimano 50 FD, stem mounted shifters, Dia Compe center pull brakes, Araya 27-1 1/4 steel rims, with Shimano hubs (quick release). It is a 19 inch frame, women's style. I would guess mid 70s. Bolts on crankset are marked "American Flyer". Bike is in pieces right now.

Update: I cleaned the bike up and reassembled it. Now it is off to CL for a new home.

geekrunner

My brother in Dallas picked this up for me. He said it's clean, a little scratched here and there and only a few small rust spots. It has Suntour Cyclone bits, but the derailleur doesn't seem to be a Cyclone, unless that bike came with something different. It looks like it says Sprint on the RD. S/N WE11789.





















geek

roccobike

geekrunner, geez, that'a beautiful. International, Tange 1, Sprint/Cyclone group, aero levers, that's one sweet bike. The serial number says 1985, but I thought the Sprint group came out in 86, could be wrong. That Sprint group is considered one of the best looking groups Suntour turned out. Hope you enjoy that bike.

roccobike

This 1992 Nishiki Backroads belongs to a freind who asked me to tune it for him.

It's in great shape, but the yellow paint on the top tube is a little faded. The yellow is interspersed with a brown/gold splash for a unique effect (see third pic below, that's not dirt, that's paint). The frame and fork are chromoly, the components are Shimano 200 GS group, 21 speed with Biopace. BTW, that's the original Vetta gel saddle (wide) on the bike. The serial number is R909720548. I'm attaching several other pics in case you want more detail. It's a nice bike, but it's too heavy for my liking.

ebr898

The bottom bracket says "GE 01 061" It is a Bushwacker the frame sticker says Double Butted Tange 2. Rides very nice. So if I understand this it is a Giant made in Jan of 1981.

Yukky

I just picked up this Nishiki International frame last weekend at the bike swap. The serial is a KS so I know it's pre-75 but wish I could narrow it down to a specific year. Anyway, I'm debating between keeping the paint as-is or redoing it altogether. However if I redo it I'd like to redo the logo back to how it originally looked. Does anyone know of a good place to either buy decals or some place where I can find a high-quality photo of the original logo in all it's glory?

Thanks!

roccobike

Treebound, based on the Giant date code (Sept 1986) and the downtube decal, you've got 1987 model Centurys. The Century was an entry level model. Yours has some decent rims and is in nice enough shape. There are at least two other 1987 Nishikis posted in this thread, a Sport and a Custom Sport.
EDIT: Correction, we also have a 1987 Olympic. If we keep this up, we'll have a full 1987 catalogue.

roccobike

I searched all the information I have and can not find a Bushwacker model listed in the US. However, the Bushwacker was sold in Canada. BTW, I don't believe your serial number indicates the bike was made by Giant. I think that was just the number assigned by Nishiki that happens to start with a "G". That's a really nice Tange 2 frame. Sorry, I can't nail down the year, but I'd guess 1991. Maybe you can nail down the year using the vintage-trek.com site to date your derailers and thus, arrive at the vintage of the bike.

ebr898

I can try. I replaced the rear derailer already , so I may not be able to figure out what one in the parts bin was the original. I did find a similar looking one in an 83 catalog online. I assume it originaly had bullmoose bars, because when I got it some one had put cheap department store stem, straight bar & brake leavers on it. I am currently reconfiguring it to drops. It rides very nice.

Doohickie

I found Sheldon Brown's guide to dating American made Raleighs manufactured in Kent, Washington, by Derby Cycle. The same factory built Nishikis for the American market.

The following is copied from that site but I substituted my serial number:

Sample number: R 935040900 (A)

* R (all)

* Digits 1 & 5 are year. Sample is from 1994

* Digits 2,3,4 are day (001-365). Sample is from December 16

* digits 6-9 are sequential. Sample is the 900th bike built that shift.
Note: I have no idea if 900 is a reasonable production quantity; it could be that the number also has some brand information encoded in the last four digits, to differentiate Raleighs and Nishikis which were built in the same plant.

* A = morning shift B= evening shift.
Letter code may or may not be present, depending on production schedule.
Sample had no shift code

Is anyone out there knowledgeable enough to know if this is correct?

playera

Nishiki International Pre-1975, probably 1974.
Serial Number = KS 291123

10 speed Suntour 888 freewheel
Suntour Rear Derailleur = V-GT luxe date= Q B (1974)
Suntour front der. = Compe
Brakes = DiaCompe with release lever.
Dropouts = WCCSC
Handlebars = KB Japan Champion
Maxy cranks
Shimano high flange hubs with T and O under Shimano (no VIA)
Araya 27 x 1/14 w/o HP
Seat post = TAIHE Compe 26.6
Bamboo NISHIKI
Stickers = Chrome Molybnium, Product of Japan, Japan (under the plastic headbadge)

This is one of my best finds. Rick Case Hyundai in Cleveland collects old bikes to give them away for Christmas. I usually go in to fix up a few bikes and make them rideable.

Yesterday I was there for my wife's car when I walked past this Nishiki at the door. Yep, it was to giveaway to anyone. So, it was rescued for the BF list and T-Mar's database.