Nishiki was created by West Coast Cycle, founded by Leo Cohen Sr. and RosaBelle Cohen who had previously been partners in Wheel Goods Corporation in Minneapolis. They later moved to Los Angeles in 1946 to purchase an existing retail bicycle store, Atlas Cycle, renaming it Playrite Bicycle Supply Co.. The Cohens subsequently founded a bicycle, parts and accessory distribution company in the late 1950s, naming it West Coast Cycle Supply Company. They operated the company — widely known as West Coast Cycle (or WCC) — with their daughter Louise and sons Leo Jr. and Howie (Howard Sherwin Cohen). Howie Cohen subsequently took over the business, followed by his brother.
- Nishiki Serial Number Location 2001 Honda Foreman Rubicon
- Nishiki Serial Number Location 1941 Packard 110 Coupe
- Nishiki Serial Number Location 1
- Nishiki Serial Number Location 302
When Cohen Sr. died in 1963, Howie Cohen traveled to Japan to find new sources for bicycles, especially, a Japanese bicycle factory capable of producing high quality bikes that would be welcomed by U.S. independent bike dealers and the bicycling community. He wanted bicycles that would be able to compete with American and European-built bicycles.
There is another bike site (the hosts here probably would not want me to give its name) where a guy has started a Nishiki serial number database. Should be google-able. A lot of people have chipped in over the years that it has been running. Helped me recently with info on my 'new' Nishiki Competition (it's a 1974). As of 2010, Nishiki-branded bicycles, manufactured by Accell Group were available for sale again in the U.S. At Dick's Sporting Goods. Dick's had obtained licensing rights to the Nishiki Bike brand in the U.S. Currently (2013), Nishiki Europe, an unrelated group of European distributors markets bicycle models in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. Japanese bicycles are often of very fine quality, but few are available in the U.S. Market today, due to unfavorable currency exchange rates. There are still many very fine Japanese bicycles available on the used market, and this article is intended as a guide to them. Jul 30, 2017 There is another bike site (the hosts here probably would not want me to give its name) where a guy has started a Nishiki serial number database. Should be google-able. A lot of people have chipped in over the years that it has been running. Helped me recently with info on my 'new' Nishiki Competition (it's a 1974). For more information about the boss 'Nishiki Nishiou', please visit page Bosses. Nishiki is a balanced kagune in damage, speed, and defense, making it an example of the bikaku RC-type in Tokyo Ghoul. The kagune is strictly close-range with some stages possessing moves to assist in fighting at such a range. Its general appearance is similar to a serpent's tail The kagune is one of the starting.
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Howie Cohen Builds The Business
Howie purchased Premium brand Hi-Riser bikes using H. Tano Shokai in the early 1960`s. These bikes were produced by Sakai Bicycle Co (Mr. Katayama, president).
Cohen also created working relationships with many other Japanese bicycle parts manufacturers including, Asahi, Araya, Dia-Compe, Kashima, Kusuki, Kyokuto (KKT), Mikashima (MKS), Mitsuboshi, Taihei, Sanshin, Shimano, Sugino, Takagi, Suntour and others.[1] Cohen travelled to Japan 8-10 times per year while developing his brands (American Eagle, Nishiki, Azuki and CyclePro).
Howie Cohen Moves To Japan
Howie worked closely with Rio Marui, Sammy Shigemura & Ed Yokohama. Marui was an exporter and exported one expensive model of an American Eagle bicycle along with many different Japanese components to WCC. When WCC found it necessary for Howie to move & live in Japan, Marui was extremely helpful in loaning Howie`s family some furniture for the rented house in Kobe. Marui developed and owns the Tioga line of components & parts. Marui opened a USA office under the name Oriental Boeki, located in Glendale, CA; Rio`s son, Shinji, worked in this office with Mark Pippin.
Kawamura Cycles (aka Kawamura Sangyo Co., Ltd.) was the initial (original) maker of American Eagle and Nishiki brand bicycles. Howie met Mr Yukio Kawamura (aka Higesan because of his long standing mustache) in 1964 at which time he visited the factory for the first time.
![Nishiki Serial Number Location Nishiki Serial Number Location](/uploads/1/1/9/7/119745373/619693944.jpg)
Howie thought this factory would be able to produce high quality bicycles. The spirit and passion of Higesan and his staff convinced Howie to work closely with this firm. Higesan was a wise gentleman and took Howie under his wing and taught him much about the production of bicycles. Howie stayed in the Kawamura residence for weeks at a time. There were many staff members with whom Howie worked with over the years, a few of which were: Atsu Sawada, Ikutaki-san, Katchan, and others. Katsu Okuno, Higesan`s nephew lived in the Cohen`s home for several months while studying the American bicycle market.
H.Tano to Kawamura
Cohen placed his initial order for 570 bikes with Kawamura, selling them under the American Eagle brand. WCC sold tens of thousands of American Eagle bikes before changing the name — when a customer suggested it was disingenuous to put such an American-sounding name on a Japanese product.
WCC wanted a new, Japanese name that was easy to pronounce, with an none-offensive translation and a name easily pronounced. Cohen held a contest with Kawamura factory workers for Japanese names, choosing Nishiki for WCC’s primary, nationwide line of bikes (after Saga Nishiki and the gold Nishiki thread often woven into wedding kimonos). The name Azuki was chosen for the secondary bicycle line (after the sweetened, red Azuki bean), using the chrysanthemum as the Azuki logo.
![Nishiki serial number location Nishiki serial number location](/uploads/1/1/9/7/119745373/122681299.jpg)
A second line allowed WCC to market essentially identical bikes through more than just one dealership in a sales territory. Louisville Cycle & Supply (Louisville, KY) were sub-distributors for both brands in the Southeast, and Pettee Cycle (Denver, CO) were sub-distributors of both brands in Colorado and surrounding states. Kawamura trademarked both names for the Japanese Domestic Market and Europe, WCC trademarked the brands for the USA. Early promotional material for American Eagle and Nishiki lines often carried the tagline ‘KB Bicycles’ or simply ‘KB’ — signifying ‘Kawamura-Built.’ WCC continued also to market the bicycle brands of Mundo, Caloi, Windsor, Zeus, and Mondia.
Howie Cohen served as President of WCC from 1965 until his retirement in 1976. His brother, Leo Jr. along with some outside investors, subsequently took over operations of the business.(L to R) WCC's Leo Cohen Jr, Bob Hansing, Mr. Ikutaki (chief engineer at Kawamura) and Howie Cohen standing in the Kawamura Bicycle Co display booth at the Japan Cycle Show, c.1972 |
Through the 1980s WCC continued to sell Nishiki bikes produced by Kawamura. International currency fluctuations in the late 1980s made Japanese-manufactured bicycles far more expensive and less competitive in the United States, leading WCC to move Nishiki production to Giant of Taiwan. Leo Cohen and his associates later sold West Coast Cycle to Medalist. Derby International eventually acquired the rights from West Coast Cycle to market bikes under the Nishiki brand in the United States.
After manufacture of Nishiki bikes shifted to Giant, Kawamura continued manufacturing bicycles for the Japanese and European markets (including private label bikes for Takara, Schwinn, and others), to be subsequently acquired by the sporting goods company Mizuno.
Howie Cohen later founded the company Everything Bicycles, working with Kuwahara to build and import BMX bikes carrying the Kuwahara brand name. He developed the first major BMX distributorship and ultimately supplied Kuwahara bicycles for the 1982 movie E.T. while securing the right to market the “ET Bicycle.” To make the Kuwahara brand name a household word, Cohen ran a promotion giving free stickers to children who called a toll-free phone number, then correctly pronounce the brand name. In 1989, Cohen sold the Kuwahara name back to the Japanese parent company. In 1992, Cohen returned to the bicycle industry to work with and assist the Gary Fisher bike brand. Eighteen months later Howie brokered the acquisition of Gary Fisher Mountain Bikes by Trek Bicycle Corporation.
Cohen later worked as a consultant in the bicycle industry for several companies, including Rotor Componentes of Spain, and subsequently retired from Lomita, California to Colorado where he and his wife, Kay (Kay Piercy Guithues Cohen) catalogued his collection of bicycling memorabilia and maintained his website, HowieBikeMan.com.
When Howie Cohen died on July 11, 2013, Bicycle Retailer said he was “a hugely influential figure in developing the U.S. BMX market and arguably the first person to bring high-quality Asian-made bikes to America.”
Derby
Nishiki Serial Number Location 2001 Honda Foreman Rubicon
From 1989 through 2001, Derby International marketed bikes in the United States under the Nishiki name, as well as Univega and Raleigh brand names. Some of the all terrain bikes and mountain bike models were designed in partnership with famed mountain bike designer and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member R. Cunningham. These Nishiki models, though manufactured outside Japan (e.g., in Taiwan, by Giant Bicycles and possibly in Italy by Colnago, Olmo or Viner) often carried the name Nashiki and some of the same model names as had been used on the Kuwahara-built bicycles.
In order to sell “American” Nishikis outside USA Derby Cycles were forced to use the brand name Cyclpro, formerly used for mail order and department store bicycles in the home market. Sometimes Cyclpro bicycles had “Nishiki” engraved in the frame which caused some confusion. After a period as a department store brand, Derby ceased selling Nishiki in the USA in 2001.
Nishiki Beyond 2010
As of 2010, Nishiki-branded bicycles, manufactured by Accell Group were available for sale again in the U.S. at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Dick’s had obtained licensing rights to the Nishiki Bike brand in the U.S.
Currently (2013), Nishiki Europe, an unrelated group of European distributors markets bicycle models in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. Nishiki bikes had previously been also marketed in Norway, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Estonia.
Nishiki Serial Number Location 1941 Packard 110 Coupe
Here is an email I got from an actual employee of GT:
If the bike frame was manufactured at the Santa Ana CA facility, the first three or four digits of the serial number should be letters abbreviating the model or size of the frame such as 'XL', 'XXL', CR24, or something like that.
The next part of the serial number is eight numeric digits. The first four numbers should be a two digit month followed by a two digit year.
The last four digits are the serialization digits 0000 to 9999 depending on what number the frame was of the years production.
If the frame was made overseas in Taiwan, it gets more complicated. If the number starts with a K, the frame was made by Kinesis.
That's the only one I remember off the top of my head.
There were at least four companies in Taiwan that made the GT lines :
Robinson, Dyno, Powerlite and Auburn included)
The first digit would be a letter designating the factory that made the frame. There might also be a second letter digit specifying the factory that assembled the bike, if applicable. The model and year of production was also coded by a letter, so you won't be able to spot a two digit month and two digit year.
Before I left, I was writing a specification to standardize all of the serial numbers because GT was starting to send most of its US production to other US fabrication shops.
The information might also come in handy for deciphering other makes because the factories in Taiwan make bikes for a lot of different companies.
I am tinkering around with the idea of starting to make my own frames, kind of on a 'one-off' basis. I am also teaching welding at a local community college.
By the way, did I tell you that the guy ran GT's in house fabrication for the last ten years (he recently retired) was none other than Gilbert Axt. Who? Do you remember Race, Inc.? That was Gilbert.
He also did the original PK Ripper for SE Racing. History, man.
It might be a really cool thing if I can track down Gilbert now and interview him for you.
THAT is the kind of stuff that belongs in the BMX Museum!
Before I left, I was writing a specification to standardize all of the serial numbers because GT was starting to send most of its US production to other US fabrication shops.
The information might also come in handy for deciphering other makes because the factories in Taiwan make bikes for a lot of different companies.
I am tinkering around with the idea of starting to make my own frames, kind of on a 'one-off' basis. I am also teaching welding at a local community college.
By the way, did I tell you that the guy ran GT's in house fabrication for the last ten years (he recently retired) was none other than Gilbert Axt. Who? Do you remember Race, Inc.? That was Gilbert.
He also did the original PK Ripper for SE Racing. History, man.
It might be a really cool thing if I can track down Gilbert now and interview him for you.
THAT is the kind of stuff that belongs in the BMX Museum!
Nishiki Serial Number Location 1
Later. I'll write you when I get a chance. Dan Garcia
Nishiki Serial Number Location 302
and here is the updates, thanks to love thegoose! (Michael S)
well we get a good bit of gt serials that could be identified by the owner, if they only had the tips that some of us have learned, so i will post what i know, and anyone with more knowledge can add to it.so here we go.
here is an example to go by. on the dropout you have 'M1' followed by '08922198'.this one is simple.
M1 stands for 'mach one' that is your model gt.
it can also be a 'I' for interceptor and so on.
next on the serial is '0892' this is easy to decode too,
08 means 8th month, which would be august.
then you have '92' next in the lineup, this would be 1992
the last 4 digits, are your build number, this one would be the 2,198th one built.
Here is another example. if your serial is KGCG2297 this one gets a little complicated. but still easy once you learn the code to it.
the first letter is who made the frame itself, in this case it would be 'Kenisis', an overseas company.this could be replaced by another letter but at least we know what that one is there for.
next is the letter 'G'.this isnt always there, but if so, this is where it was assembled, (ever notice the built in usa sticker on your gt or dyno?) this is what that letter is there for. it wasnt made here, but was built here.
next is the letter 'C'.C is the 3rd letter in the alphabet, and march is the 3rd month, so march is the build month.
next is the letter 'G' this is the year. G is the 7th letter in the alphabet,
so this would be a 1987.
here is one more.your serial resembles this:f6030578.
to start, if you have a 'baseball' looking stamp behind your serial, this frame was made overseas..no its not a pacific, so dont cry, or get mad..and lets continue.
on this serial, the first number is the last digit of the year, so 6 stands for 1986
next is '03'..this is the third month.which is march.
so you have a gt built in march of 1986.
but still use the museum as a guide to id the frame, cause sometimes you can find the year, but getting a posotive id on the model isnt possible without knowing which style frame you have.
this doesnt apply to new gt's, but hopefully some people with info on those will chime in. this isnt always going to match your serial, you may have a 'fake'.its not likely but it happens. also on earlier models this can differ. this is for the 2 most popular style serial's i see on here. also, common sense tells you that if you have a suspected 'gt' frame, look it up and compare it in the musuem, knowing which style frame you have will help with the process of id'ing your bike with the serial, especially if the serial has some damage that prevents you from getting the full number.
hopefully this bit of info can be used for everyone, and this will save you from those late nights sitting around waiting for a response to your post looking for an answer to the idendity to your gt..although i do feel smart and proud when i can answer these posts. well, thats it for me, if anyone else has info on serials or if you see a mistake in this guide, tell me so i can edit it. happy holidays people.
well we get a good bit of gt serials that could be identified by the owner, if they only had the tips that some of us have learned, so i will post what i know, and anyone with more knowledge can add to it.so here we go.
here is an example to go by. on the dropout you have 'M1' followed by '08922198'.this one is simple.
M1 stands for 'mach one' that is your model gt.
it can also be a 'I' for interceptor and so on.
next on the serial is '0892' this is easy to decode too,
08 means 8th month, which would be august.
then you have '92' next in the lineup, this would be 1992
the last 4 digits, are your build number, this one would be the 2,198th one built.
Here is another example. if your serial is KGCG2297 this one gets a little complicated. but still easy once you learn the code to it.
the first letter is who made the frame itself, in this case it would be 'Kenisis', an overseas company.this could be replaced by another letter but at least we know what that one is there for.
next is the letter 'G'.this isnt always there, but if so, this is where it was assembled, (ever notice the built in usa sticker on your gt or dyno?) this is what that letter is there for. it wasnt made here, but was built here.
next is the letter 'C'.C is the 3rd letter in the alphabet, and march is the 3rd month, so march is the build month.
next is the letter 'G' this is the year. G is the 7th letter in the alphabet,
so this would be a 1987.
here is one more.your serial resembles this:f6030578.
to start, if you have a 'baseball' looking stamp behind your serial, this frame was made overseas..no its not a pacific, so dont cry, or get mad..and lets continue.
on this serial, the first number is the last digit of the year, so 6 stands for 1986
next is '03'..this is the third month.which is march.
so you have a gt built in march of 1986.
but still use the museum as a guide to id the frame, cause sometimes you can find the year, but getting a posotive id on the model isnt possible without knowing which style frame you have.
this doesnt apply to new gt's, but hopefully some people with info on those will chime in. this isnt always going to match your serial, you may have a 'fake'.its not likely but it happens. also on earlier models this can differ. this is for the 2 most popular style serial's i see on here. also, common sense tells you that if you have a suspected 'gt' frame, look it up and compare it in the musuem, knowing which style frame you have will help with the process of id'ing your bike with the serial, especially if the serial has some damage that prevents you from getting the full number.
hopefully this bit of info can be used for everyone, and this will save you from those late nights sitting around waiting for a response to your post looking for an answer to the idendity to your gt..although i do feel smart and proud when i can answer these posts. well, thats it for me, if anyone else has info on serials or if you see a mistake in this guide, tell me so i can edit it. happy holidays people.