John wrote: "I say it's a 1981 Nishiki Ultimate based on the PAT 81 date on the RD and I probably bought it in 1982. These top models were not in the published catalogues. It most definitely had Campagnolo clincher rims when hanging in the bike shop and barring time travel, they could not have been off-topic."
John, please don't take this in the wrong way, but there is absolutely no way that a 1981 or even 1982 Nishiki Ultimate could ever have been originally delivered with Campagnolo clincher rims. Firstly because NO Campagnolo Clincher rims existed at that time. I repeat not a single clincher rim existed at that time. This is also confirmed by Jim Merz's post. Please be aware that Jim was working for the largest customer of Campagnolo worldwide when he saw the first prototype (hence far from production ready) Campagnolo rims at the time of Tullio Campagnolo's memorial service. So delivery to a Japanese/American client being made prior to Campagnolo's biggest customer is simply a matter of science fiction. Secondly, the rims do not appear in the special price list supplement that was prepared in November 1983, nor in the general catalog prepared in May 1984. They first appear in the price list that became valid as of May 2nd, 1986 and in the special "Cerchi" brochure of the fall of 1986, whereupon it should also be highlighted that no mention is made of any clincher rims whatsoever in any of these documents. In the two documents of 1986, there is only mention made of tubular rims.
Steven Maasland
Moorestown, NJ
USA