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From Nishiki Bicycle History

This website is about Nishiki, American Eagle, and Azuki bicycles from Japan (Nihon or Nippon), which bear the "Handcrafted by Kawamura" decal or were manufactured by Giant Bicycles of Taiwan for the California-based company, West Coast Cycle Supply. Nishiki is simply the brand name of Asian-produced bicycles for an American company. "Nishiki" is the Japanese word for the noun "brocade."

This site was launched on January 17th, 2009. To learn more about your own Nishiki, see the Serial Number Database. Read the frequently asked questions page. Learn more about this site's contributors. If you would like to help out, please contact Steven Vance.

The site focuses on the Japanese or Taiwanese-produced road bikes with the Nishiki name, but several mountain bikes were produced starting in 1989 and continuing through the 1990s (see a list of those bikes). I have started a list of other Japanese bicycles.

Contents 1 History of Nishiki bicycles 2 Product line 2.1 American Eagle 2.2 Azuki 2.3 Nishiki 2.3.1 Road bikes 2.3.2 Mountain bikes 3 Catalogs and Manuals 3.1 Catalogs 3.2 Manuals

History of Nishiki bicycles

See main article, History, with an in-progress chronology

West Coast Cycle Supply imported to the United States bicycles from Japan manufactured either by the Kawamura Cycle Company, or Giant of Taiwan. The bikes were first labeled American Eagle and later changed to the Nishiki name. Read more on some related sites. Leo Cohen founded West Coast Cycle, but his son, Howie Cohen, took over company operations, traveling to England and Japan to find a manufacturer for a new line of bicycles.

Product line

American Eagle

The first line of bicycles imported by West Cost Cycle.

• Olympiad (American Eagle)
• Semi-Pro (American Eagle)

Azuki

The secondary line of bicycles imported by West Coast Cycle.

Nishiki

This name replaced both the previous names of bicycles imported by West Coast Cycle. I split the list into Road and Mountain bikes on July 9, 2010.

Road bikes

• Arrow Speed
• Century
• Cervino
• City Sport
• Comp, Comp II
• Competition
• Cresta
• International
• Kokusai
• Landau
• Linear
• Marina
• Medalist
• Modulus
• Olympic, Olympic Royale
• Prestige
• Professional
• Rally
• Riviera
• Sebring
• Seral
• Sport, Custom Sport
• Superbe
• Team Issue
• Tri-A
• Triathlon
• Ultimate

Mountain bikes

• Backroads
• XRS Sport

Catalogs and Manuals

Catalogs

• 1983
• 1987

Manuals

• 1978 Multi-speed & coaster models with derailleurs

If you have your own Nishiki catalog or manual, I would like you to mail it to me so I can scan the pages and host the images here. I will pay for the shipping costs, both original and return.