[Arran]

When I was in my mid-teens I was a keen MTB racer and general MTB enthusiast. My first real mountain bike was an Avanti Ridge Rider (NZ Brand that I coincidentally work for now) equipped with Suntour XCE with X-press shifters and oval-tech chainrings (*shudder*). I flogged the ass out of that bike and replaced most of the parts (starting with the shifters!) through use and abuse.

Then came my Nishiki Ariel. For those of you not farmiliar with the bike it was the 'watered down' version of the first gen. E-stay Alien. It was made of 4130 and equipped with a full Deore DX groupo, RM20's, Fisher Fat-trax tyres and un-branded bar/stem/post etc. My obsession was born. I would have loved to get an Alien at that point in time but had a cash-flow issue (being a school kid!). As with all my early bikes I eventually bent the forks and replaced them with my first shockers (RS-1's). I loved that bike and to this day regret letting it go. I had to sell it however, to fund my first M900 equipped bike.

For 14 years my love affair with Nishiki E-stay bikes lay dormant and i'd like to thank you all for re-igniting the flame. I stumbled upon this forum recently whilst researching Mantis frames (another of my passions as some of you may recognise) and after pouring over the VRC archives had a renewed interest in all things vintage MTB, particularly Aliens.

In the last month I have tracked down beautiful examples of the first Alien and the ACX (i'll post pics when I get them!) and am looking for more projects.

Now to the point... My cycling friends (most of whom are around my age) all think i've gone mad, spending up on 'old crap' (i'm also amassing a collection of early suspension forks). I know there are some very passionate mountain bikers/historians/collectors here but are any of you 'into' the Nishiki thing? Do any of you have any leads for me???

Cheers,

Arran.

 

[Bigwheel]

I don't think that anyone here knows how far too far is

I do know one thing about the Nishiki Ariel, it was Missy Gioves first sponsored ride just before Yeti.

Good luck on the collection. Looking good.

 

[erol/frost]

Funny thing... I just saw an Nishiki with elevated chainstays yesterday. Looked pretty abadandoned.

 

[Arran]

Funny thing... I just saw an Nishiki with elevated chainstays yesterday. Looked pretty abadandoned.

Sorry? Do you mean abandoned, left for dead? Can you please explain?

Cheers.

 

[XR4TI]

When I was in my mid-teens I was a keen MTB racer and general MTB enthusiast. My first real mountain bike was an Avanti Ridge Rider (NZ Brand that I coincidentally work for now) equipped with Suntour XCE with X-press shifters and oval-tech chainrings (*shudder*). I flogged the ass out of that bike and replaced most of the parts (starting with the shifters!) through use and abuse.

Then came my Nishiki Ariel. For those of you not farmiliar with the bike it was the 'watered down' version of the first gen. E-stay Alien. It was made of 4130 and equipped with a full Deore DX groupo, RM20's, Fisher Fat-trax tyres and un-branded bar/stem/post etc. My obsession was born. I would have loved to get an Alien at that point in time but had a cash-flow issue (being a school kid!). As with all my early bikes I eventually bent the forks and replaced them with my first shockers (RS-1's). I loved that bike and to this day regret letting it go. I had to sell it however, to fund my first M900 equipped bike.

For 14 years my love affair with Nishiki E-stay bikes lay dormant and i'd like to thank you all for re-igniting the flame. I stumbled upon this forum recently whilst researching Mantis frames (another of my passions as some of you may recognise) and after pouring over the VRC archives had a renewed interest in all things vintage MTB, particularly Aliens.

In the last month I have tracked down beautiful examples of the first Alien and the ACX (i'll post pics when I get them!) and am looking for more projects.

Now to the point... My cycling friends (most of whom are around my age) all think i've gone mad, spending up on 'old crap' (i'm also amassing a collection of early suspension forks). I know there are some very passionate mountain bikers/historians/collectors here but are any of you 'into' the Nishiki thing? Do any of you have any leads for me???

Cheers,

Arran.

www.teamkarim.com has a couple of the first Alien's (new in the box) and a couple of used.
I was going to buy one of his new ones for $500 but the guy seemed rude and was kind
of a dick, so i spent my money elsewhere. The Alien's are nice though I've had a couple.

 

[weps]

i used to love those bikes. thought the e-stay was greatest thing ever. havent seen one in person in years though. i can definitely understant your fascination though.

anyone have a timeline of the model changes? and component groups?

 

[Williwoods]

hey there, Montrose bike shop in california has a nos nishiki just like the one on the mba cover you posted size is 16 i believe. give em a call.
Will

 

[Arran]

hey there, Montrose bike shop in california has a nos nishiki just like the one on the mba cover you posted size is 16 i believe. give em a call.
Will

Thanks Will, that one's actually already mine! I just bought it.

 

[Boy named SSue]

www.teamkarim.com has a couple of the first Alien's (new in the box) and a couple of used.
I was going to buy one of his new ones for $500 but the guy seemed rude and was kind
of a dick, so i spent my money elsewhere. The Alien's are nice though I've had a couple.

Team Karim is hasa really bad reputaion around the Bay. They are pretty well known for knowingly selling stolen bikes. The Berkeley police raid them almost annually. If any of my bikes get lifted, I am heading straight there.

 

[Arran]

anyone have a timeline of the model changes? and component groups?

I only know for sure about the first 2 models but I think it went something like this:

'89 - Tange Prestige Cr-mo frame (white) with full M-730 XT group (thumb shifters), Araya RM20 rims

'90(& '91?) - 7005 Alloy front/Tange Prestige Cr-mo bolt-on rear frame (red/chrome) with full M-731 XT group (Rapidfire push-push shifters), Araya RM17 rims.

'92-'93 - 7005 Alloy frame with mixed XT/LX groupset(?), Mavic Rims(?)

 

[XR4TI]

Team Karim is hasa really bad reputaion around the Bay. They are pretty well known for knowingly selling stolen bikes. The Berkeley police raid them almost annually. If any of my bikes get lifted, I am heading straight there.

Probably good I didn't buy from them. I hate people who deal with stolen bikes. I have
alot of pride in my bikes. They're considered a part of my family. I love my bikes more
than I like some people.

 

[pinguwin]

Typo?

I love my bikes more than I like some people.

Most. Most people.

'Guin

 

[XR4TI]

Most. Most people.

'Guin

True!

 

[chapel00]

dreams do come ture

post some pics once you get it
my first mtb was an e-stay ariel at a too big 19inch-getting misty eyed

 

[Arran]

post some pics once you get it
my first mtb was an e-stay ariel at a too big 19inch-getting misty eyed

Will do. I laughed when I read your post because mine was a 19" ane probably a size too big aswell.

 

[Zanetti]

I only know for sure about the first 2 models but I think it went something like this:

'89 - Tange Prestige Cr-mo frame (white) with full M-730 XT group (thumb shifters), Araya RM20 rims

'90(& '91?) - 7005 Alloy front/Tange Prestige Cr-mo bolt-on rear frame (red/chrome) with full M-731 XT group (Rapidfire push-push shifters), Araya RM17 rims.

'92-'93 - 7005 Alloy frame with mixed XT/LX groupset(?), Mavic Rims(?)

I sometimes wish I'd kept a few catalogs or taken a few photos. I worked for a Nishiki dealer in the late '80s and early '90s and ended up owning four Aliens in that time frame.

Alien #1 was an '89 Prestige steel. White with a purple tint clearcoat. This bike was a demo/loaner until my 1990 frameset became available.

Alien #2 was a 1990 Prestige steel. White with black spatter. This year Nishiki offered both full steel and the ACX with the aluminum front triangle. My 1990 frame ended up breaking where the right elevated chainstay met the right dropout. Not too suprising, these bikes flexed quite a bit.

Alien #3 was a warrenty replacement for Alien #2. They had stopped making the Prestige steel model and replaced it with Alien AL (I forget whether it was a '91 or '92), and after a short while, this frame cracked too - at the head tube. Apparently, Nishiki and several other manufactuers had contracted a Taiwan company named Anlun to build their aluminum bikes. Needless to say, Anlun had major QC problems with their frame building processes, and there were many frame failures. Anlun went bankrupt and closed shop in '93. Most, if not all of the '90 thru '92 Alien ACX and Alien AL models were built by this company, and I think most of them broke, which is why they're pretty rare these days.

Alien #4 was a warrenty replacement for Alien #3. Another AL model (1993), and by this time, the aluminum bikes were made by Kastan (Former owner and founder of Redline BMX bikes) in Mexico. It was an excellent built frame, but by this time, I'd had enough of the whole E-stay thing. I built and rode the '93 Alien AL for a few months, then sold the frame. I guess it was a good thing, as the E-stay style faded from the MTB scene soon afterwards.

 

[RustyKnale]

still riding my Ariel

I still ride my Nishiki Ariel frequently in the winter. Its full fenders and lack of suspension keep my clean-up sessions shorter than my rides. It's a 23" frame with original parts except for the bars, saddle, and seatpost. I thought some of the decals were over-the-top, and had to go. I like the smooth, compliant ride of the forks and rear triangle.

 

[VernDog]

"Norco Pinnacle"

1990, I had a decked out norco pinnacle, based on the elevated chainstay concept, bright colors back then, white, fusica(pink) and black. to bad I sold it, it was cool, seeing the front cover on the mtaction, kinda brings back some early memomies on mtb bikes that I had owned while in highschool. really likes the red/silver acx bike, never had one, good luck with your search on getting one.

Verndogger

 

[pinguwin]

norco pinnacle..bright colors back then, white, fusica(pink) and black.

With those colors, are you sure you don't mean a Klein Pinnacle

'Guin

 

[Repack Rider]

I saw this Alien in Durango last week, being used as a town bike.