Nishiki Maniac? Any info?

[neverisforever]

Hello everybody!
I live in Hamburg, Gemany and I just got my hands on a Nishiki Maniac. It is equipped with a Shimano Exage 300/500LX-group and is in quite good condition, except for a scratched seatpost and a little bit of rust on some of the screws.
Does anyone have any further information on this bike? How old is it? Which quality has the frame and should I keep the Shimano Exage 300/500LX parts or are there going to be problems occuring with those?



And who is this Takahashi-guy who (hand-)built the frame (Theres a little signature on the toptube)? He was a really creative man who knew how to weld and to do a paintjob... :mrgreen:



I like this bike very much and it shifts perfectly. Its a perfect 90s youth-flashback... And like the bike I never had at that time (but should have had).
I appreciate every comment and bit of information!
Have a nice day!
-neverisforever

 

[neverisforever]

Hey guys!
No information anyone?
Not even on the shimano-group?
Come on...
I´ve been riding it yesterday and all I can say is: This bike is really the most fun to ride bike I have in those autumn conditions here
Just polished the seatpost to get rid of the scratches, it is shiny-silver now
Cheers!
-neverisforever

 

[incorrigible]

Very nice!

Just when I think I've heard of every Nishiki e-stay made, another one comes along.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=268722&hilit=brown+ariel

What is the serial number? Can you post more pics? The more info the better.

Post pics here too, please:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=115852&hilit=show+us+you+elevated+c%2Fs

Maybe it's yet another Nishiki e-stay aimed specifically at the Europen market?

More info here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=255091&hilit=kodiak

and here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=124896&hilit=kodiak

Do you think it could be a repaint? Looks to be in really nice condition for a 20+ year old bike.

Thanks for posting!

 

[neverisforever]

Hey incorrigible! Thank you for the links! I will have something to read now
I think I´m going to take it for a spin today, although the weather is not that good in Hamburg now
Will take some pics too, if the rain lets me...
You might be right, it might be a model which was only sold in europe or even only by the german distributor Rose Bocholt.
And: No. It is definitely the original 20+ years old paint. Looks crazy, just like a swirled guitar (if you know what I mean...) and decals under a coat of clear paint.
Cheers!
-nerverisforever

 

[neverisforever]

Hey guys!
Here are some new pics I my ride around town, getting her a little dirty like she was supposed to :



Got a different seat (SQ-Lab 611) which used to be on one of my roadbikes.
Ano one last pic with its new tires (Schwalbe Table Top), which I had in my basement. I was just curious how it would ride with some less knobby tires... Worked out pretty good for me, cause I´m more of a road and bikepath rider:

Not satisfied with the changes yet, but if a nice flite-seat came my way, I would prefer that to the too young SQ-Lab. The Schwalbe-tires might stay on, but it just looks (regrettably not rides) better with those newer tires...
Have a nice weekend!
-neverisforever

 

[neverisforever]

New grips, cables and hangers are ordered, as well as salmon kool-stops...
I will post pics of the finished bike when the stuff finaly gets here.
I might add a different stem and handlebar, as you can see there seems to be a little rust underneath the paint which does not look quite as shiny as the rest of the bike...
Bike-geeks and G.A.S... never ending story

 

[xerxes]

Nice, I don't know much about the Nishiki brand, but I like that paint job and it goes really well with the black components and orange decals.

With regard to the Shimano components, I think LX was about mid range, with XT and XTR above it and stuff like Alivio, Altus, Acera and Tourney below it. In my, admittedly fairly limited, experience there's not a huge difference in the performance of different Shimano component levels, what you get with the higher level components is a nicer finish and lighter weight.

 

[incorrigible]

In my, admittedly fairly limited, experience there's not a huge difference in the performance of different Shimano component levels, what you get with the higher level components is a nicer finish and lighter weight.

My experience is quite narrow and limited to my XT-equipped Nishiki Alien and the opinions of the guys at my LBS whenever I needed to replace parts 15 to 20 years ago, and I was given the impression that the XT stuff is a little bit heavier, but a lot stronger and thus longer-lasting. I'm sure it depends on exactly which components, though. Has anyone actually made and recorded any weight comparisons?

 

[skolioza]

Guessing for the equipment it'll be from 90-92
Mine Nishiki (also maded for European market) had a stamp on fork's steerer tube with date - maybe Your's also having it?
Nice bike BTW!

 

[jaypee]

I like that! Really cool design and great condition.

I have a similar frame to build up one day.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=273565