Hey C&V, this is my first post here, but I thought you guys would know most about this bike.

I'm currently looking for a birthday gift for my girlfriend, and by luck I stumbled upon someone selling a 48cm Nishiki Modulus. I haven't seen the bike in person yet, but I'm told it's red and white. However, when I google the bike, I just find pictures of the pink, white, and blue version of the frame from (I think) the early 90's. Does anyone know what year Nishiki produced one with a red and white frame or color scheme? Is the Modulus still in production? And if not, when did it end? Thanks.

EDIT: forgot to mention that it has 700c wheels. That might make a difference.

I sold a Modulus last year...red/white with nearly identical components as the one you're considering. It was an '89. A bit larger though. If it's in good condition, I'd snatch it up at that price. I really liked the ride of the frame after I made a few modifications. The first pic below shows its original configuration with Exage components. And no, it's not still in production. Perhaps the parent company of Nishiki markets somewhere, but as far as I know, the entire Nishiki brand is dead.

To search bikeforums, use this search string in Google: "nishiki modulus" site:bikeforums.net

Not a ton of information, but some: https://www.google.com/search?q=nishi...ient=firefox-a



After modifications for hilly NJ riding:

Thanks alot JunkYard, I'm willing to bet that that is the exact version of the bike that I'm going to look at. I may be converting the bike to single speed (but keeping the derailleur, etc, of course) and I wanted to make sure the bike had horizontal drop-outs. Fingers crossed that this is the bike I'm about to see in two hours. Thanks again.

So it turns out that this was the bike that I was going to look at. It is incredible condition, the only flaws that I could see were that the handlebar was scratched a bit, there are one or two chips in the paint from its life in the garage, and it was covered in dust. Other than that, its in pristine condition and I feel like I got a pretty good price for $80 flat.

Shameless picture opportunity:



This is my Modulus built up with 700c wheels and Tiagra 9 speed equipment. It's a nice bike, but it just doesn't "sing" to me. I think I'm going to strip it down and rebuild it with down tube shifters and 6 speed Suntour parts.

It's a little too hilly around here for a double too. Even a compact. So I'll likely throw on a triple like JYB did.

JunkYardBike, nice bike. Love the colors.

Dan

So here it is, took a few pictures of the Modulus that I picked up. Same as yours JunkYard, although the guy who I bought it from swears its from the mid-90's. Either way, it's a really nice looking bike and it rides incredible, without the slightest tuneup on my part (although the wheels need to be trued). I got really lucky finding this bike for my girlfriend - at first my best chances were to get a super heavy women's bike for $100. Instead I got this beauty for $80...I thought I'd never find a 48cm frame. Everything about this bike is so right...if it weren't so tiny, I'd keep it for myself haha.





I like the way that red and black looks a lot Machin...is that Modulus one of the later models?

Very nice.
What kind of tubing?

The frame and the fork are two different types of Cr-Mo. The frame is labeled Tange 900 Cr-Mo Double-Butted, but the fork doesn't say what type it is exactly.

Oh cool. I actually just picked up a Panasonic with Tange 900 DB.

The fork is unlabeled on mine as well. I assume it's probably hi-ten.

You've got an absolutely beautiful bike there. Your GF ought to love it.

Edit to add:
I was thinking that it could be cool to put bar-end shifter on that bike, but it occurs to me that it's so small that the DT shifters are pretty much right next to the bar ends anyway!

cblaster, that's a very nice catch, and worth every penny of the $80 you spent. With the small size, you do lose the effect of the contrasting headtube though!

Mine was obviously a much larger frame, so ride characteristics may be different, but I found it was relatively light, very comfortable to ride, not overly flexy when climbing out of the saddle, and it handled predictably. I would have kept it if it wasn't a tiny bit too big for me, and if it fit fenders.

Your gf should enjoy it!

One minor correction, it's a 1988 Modulus. The decals are not correct for 1989. In 1989, according to T-Mar, the downtube decal would have an "insert" written right into the last three or four letters of "NISHIKI". Also, the red and white color combination was offered in 1988 in the Modulus model along with the tri-color model that you've seen in pics.
You can find more information in this thread from the C&V forum
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...+serial+number
If you want to verify the age of the bike, you can using the two digit date code on your components (I use the derailers). You can decifer using at the vintage trek website.
BTW, a Modulus for $80 is an excellent buy. That bike is easily worth double that around here on CL, maybe $200 in really good condition. So you've got room to invest in new tires etc.

Thanks for the good news roccobike. I knew I was getting a good deal as soon as I took it for a test ride. What makes this even better is that my girlfriend was born in 1988 . Tires sound like a good idea, the ones on there are beginning to dry-rot. Thanks again.

You're right, roccobike. I had '89 stuck in my head because of some correspondence I had with T-Mar. I think he mistakenly told me '89 instead of '88, because I had established date codes on several components as late '87, so he suggested it was likely the next year's model (not '87). I'm sure he simply made a typo.

cblaster, you can confirm dates codes if you're interested by referencing this great website:

https://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm