Sharpie72

HELP!

Picked up a sweet (to me) Nishiki “Golden Fast”.

Trying to determine what was spec’d on it (def doesn’t have its original front derailleur) and looking for dimensions before I take off some parts (handlebar dimensions, I wanna out something a bit more comfy/wider, and bottom bracket size before I take out the original)

T-Mar

Welcome to the forums. I'm not familiar with this model. It sounds like it may have been intended for the Japanese or some other Asian market. Consequently, it may be hard to determine OEM spec components. However, the serial number should tell us the original market and year. From that, we can get a reasonable idea of which components are likely to be OEM. Photos would be a big aid.

Sharpie72

Thanks TMar. Yeah, I did a LITTLE bit of research on the serial number, and I think it was a US market bike. I'll try and post some pics on this thread, but I think the forum requires 10 posts prior to allowing pics.

steine13

@Sharpie72:
>> requires 10 posts prior to allowing pics.
No post limit for providing the serial number, though... there are folks here who probably have better breaker-downers of serial# information than you or I could easily find... -mathias

Sharpie72

KJ 05181

K series is US market I believe. Sun tour Superb brakes, sun tour sprint hubs on mavic rims (may not be original but are in great condition. Sun tour rear derailleur but label worn off, shimano Sora front which def isn’t original. Routing underneath bottom bracket isn’t original either. Unused braze on indicates different routing

Sharpie72

I do appreciate any feedback. I'm super excited about this bike and can't wait to share pics with y'all. The overall look of the bike is what hooked me. Rust on the frame is a concern, but EVENTUALLY I'll probably get it completely stripped and repainted as close to original as I can get.

Sharpie72

I did some basic drivetrain cleaning today and a little bit of rust busting (just a little bit). Next month I think I'm replacing single pull brakes with double pull ones but that are close to same period, as well as aero levers, new bar wrap and MAYBE a bit wider bar (narrow as hell). Frame size is perfect for me, but the period narrow as hell bars aren't very comfortable.

Sharpie72

What’s y’all’s thoughts on rust removal, repaint, touch up, etc?

T-Mar

The serial number indicates 1980 manufacture by Kawamura for the USA market, meaning it's either a 1980 or 1981 model. However, I can't recall ever hearing that model name.

Sharpie72

Got loads of pics, just have to get to the minimum number of posts before the forum will allow me to share them. Thanks for the info! (I haven't found ANYTHING about the specific model on the Google machine). Love the paint which is where I'm stuck in how I want to proceed LONG TERM in restoration. Short term I've got a plan.

Sharpie72

I do have a R E D D I T thread where you can find pics to, just search Nishiki Golden Fast project bike.

T-Mar

Well, I found the pictures. Based on the characters on the seat tube, I would have said Asian market. However, the serial number indicates 1980 manufacture for the USA market and therefore a 1980 or 1981 model. It's hard to explain, unless it was intended for Hawaii or a USA territory in the Pacific, possibly even AFB. Regardless, I recognize the frame. It's the same as the USA market Comp II from this era. It looks like it has been almost entirely rebuilt. The rear derailleur and crankset are also too new for the frame. That pedal dust cap installed in the crankset extractor threads must be a real ankle biter!

Sharpie72

DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE THE EXTRACTOR!!! LOL!!! Thanks! (using big ass ebay special mtn bike platforms for around town so never got "bit") Good info on the rebuild. I wasn't sure on the year and thought based on the wheels that it was a little younger, but now I'm seeing what you are saying and it's most likely a reno/rebuild. Thanks. I'm really curious about the front derailleur as it's not a match at all. I'm most interested in how the original would have had it's cable routed.
Either way, other than the narrow bars, it rides like a DREAM

scarlson 

The front derailleur was likely one that takes a cable housing, which would run between that housing stop on the lower downtube and the front derailleur.

Like the Suntour Vx (low-normal shifting) or Suntour Compe V ("backwards" high-normal shifting).

A lot of bikes from before 1980 had this housing setup. The problem was that water would get in the housing and settle in the low spot, rusting the cable and housing together and rendering the front derailleur inoperable. Today this isn't a problem due to teflon-lined housing and stainless cables, but the solution used to be to change out the entire derailleur and re-route the cable under the bottom bracket.

gthomson

I agree, the paint/decal arrangement is super cool and worth keeping or matching. These 1980's Japanese made NA market bikes are a study. Norco, Nakamura, Nishiki, Sakai/Sake, ect… continue to show up on the used markets and are mostly in great shape. I can count half a dozen on FB marketplace in the greater GTA at this moment, all moderately priced.

What would a Japanese made bike with Japanese components cost now a days?

Sharpie72

Would you have a picture of a FR with that arrangement? I can kind of picture how it would run from the frame, just not seeing in my mind how the derailleur would look. Or would you know of anyone that would have a working SR derailleur of that type that I could put on her?

T-Mar

Given the Comp II style frame and era, the front derailleur was almost certainly a 1st generation SunTour Cyclone with the cable stop. A short length of housing would have extended from the cable stop on the lower, non-drive side of the down tube, around the back of the seat tube and up into the cable stop extending from lower, back side of the derailleur.

scarlson 

Here's some random pics I googled up.

Sharpie72

I REALLY appreciate this forum and all the feedback! You guys are great! Do y'all know what the dimensions for some of the parts are? I don't have a micrometer to measure, but I'm looking at handlebars and wanna verify the width at the stem (I'd like to get some wider but period-correct bars... current set seem narrow), and wanna verify bottom bracket size (for future use, currently working great...).

vendorz

Did somebody on the internet say, "Nishiki?"

I have a Comp II frame (KA05338) with (what I recall) is a Cinelli-style fork, which I believe is original. Kawamura produced Cinelli and Colnago-style forks for some of the hi-end Nishikis. Perhaps, it's an illusion; but, aren't my chainstays more tapered than OP's? Of course, I bow to the superior knowledge of TMar... perhaps, in fact, he can confirm that both forks may be original?

BTW, I bought the frame a few years back from RJCarnevale. I didn't confirm it, but I believe that he is the Ralph Carnevale who was a Medici distributor in Southern Cal and the builder of Carnevale Bicycles.

Bike porn follows:

T-Mar

Your Comp II was manufactured in 1981 and is therefore either a 1981 or 1982 model. The fully sloping fork crown was popularized by Cinelli but copied by many. In this case, I believe it's a Tange C-2 crown. Tange even offered a stock, catalogue fork in this configuration. It is the original fork. It's hard to tell if the chain stays are different. between your frame and the OP's. Tange did offer about four different chain stay profiles during this era, so it is a possibility.

Edit: My wife's going to be upset if she finds out that I was up late, looking at internet porn.

diphthong

nice frame. picked up and built up an '88 nishiki olympic red/cream frame back in may that i'm really happy with.

Sharpie72

Your paint is in WAY better condition than mine. (my rust is a work in progress...)

jdawginsc 

Welcome aboard fellow Lowcountry resident!

Sharpie72

Working on rust and improving brakes. Correct style front derailleur is en route. Looking to replace crank with something “correct”.

Any idea of bottom bracket dimensions? I’d like a “new” one in hand in case I’m so inclined.