NIshiki warranty frustration. please help

[birdie]

hello,


i had posted this at weight weenies..and a few weeks ago at MTBR. Nikh from Weight Weenies recommend re-posting here. please help.
.
. i have a very important sincere request. my beloved(yes, i really like it that much) Nishiki Alien has cracked on the seat tube. my fiancee' had been riding the bicycle daily of late to work. we are very attached to it. the crack obviously began from the second bottle cage hole which hasn't held a bottle or even a cage in 6 years. very odd that it is not ridden hard at all anymore in any way. it's my sweetie's commuter bike and not even ridden offroad....equiped with slicks and all. well, i dug out my old Nishiki manual and reciepts and the manual clearly explains a lifetime warranty on the frame. the crack is such that it's apparent of product failure. i have photos i'll enclose later just to show if this site allows that.
here's the problem i need help with; the bicycle shop i purchased it at no longer offers Nishiki and the ownership has changed and all employess i used to ride with and really used to be true friends with are long gone. i couldn't believe how the shop had changed.. they tried to sell me a LX MTB. the salesperson really was not a very serious rider, the manager was annoyed and rude and didn't even understand what i was saying. i was not rude at all but very respectful and kind. they just blew me off and repeatedly mantrad "we don't sell Nishiki". "um, but you did recently..can you please help me contact them?", "we don't sell Nishiki" i did leave pretty frustrated and downright angry. tried to write to the Nishiki address from the manual. my letter was returned "no address". i looked on the internet extensively and find that Nishiki offers no support to America..?.. i hope i'm wrong. apparantly they only sell to Europe these days (Nishiki.com). the old American site is now for RaleighUSA..did Raleigh buy Nishiki out? i really want this frame replaced or repaired as fair under warranty. i love that crazy elavated Richard Cunningham bicycle. it truly rides to fit my preferances near perfect...truly equal to my Mantis but not as fancy nor so as terrifying to have stolen. i felt sure there were many many more years in the frame and i was exited to configure the bike as a fancy tricked out lightweight grocery hauler/utility/semi-street bike.. basically a snazzy city bike so far i've sent e-mails to a few of their European e-mail addresses(from Nishiki.com). the English address is no longer working. Someone from another message board was kind enough to give me an e-mail to thier corporate headquarters in Germany. i sent a few E-mails now describing the problem and even some quality photos as well. i've heard nothing. i clearly labled my messages as (in English) perhaps that could be a problem.
are there any bike dealers or other Nishiki owners or anyone with a suggestion? any advice or tips or links? i'd greately appreciate it. my fiancee' is now an MTB fan because of this bike and really Nishiki should reinforce the craziness of paying 2k or more for a bicycle "back in the day". please help i really like this bicycle and do feel that Nishiki should honor thier warranty:-)
best regards,
^v^

[GrumpyOldWrench]

Nishiki was bought out by Raleigh-actually Raliegh's parent company.
I'd suggest contacting raleigh's U.S. office and see if they can get you in contact with a dealer in your area. The real bummer is if they do warranty the frame you won't get the same design back since those haven't been made for years.

[adguy]

Nishiki was marketed for years by Pacific Cycle, but they went south. Derby Cycles picked them up, then bought the Raleigh name when it went on the block. Derby also handles Diamond Back and Univega, but the 'vega line might have been scrapped by now. That's all it was worth anyway. Either way, like the post before me, you'll never get another Alien type frame from them since they stopped making them along with 8-tracks. Just kidding, they were a nice alternative to the Mantis, and a good solid Japan-built steel bike at that. At least, I remember them to be steel, but they might've come from Taiwan. You could possibly have a frame builder torch up a fix, but you'd have to pay for that. If you want to contact Derby (they're in Kent, WA), try 800.222.5527. Good Luck!

[EBasil]

This is not nearly the disaster you think it is, because it's not a warranty matter, at all. Your Alien is so far out of warranty that it's funny to hear the words together in a sentence! The good news is, you don't need Nishiki or anyone related to the manufacturer (if you could even find them, they still can't help) to fix it. Even a "lifetime" warranty is expired, since the company is, too. If you chase down successors in interest, they might give you a frameset...with a Pacific sticker on it.

Take your Alien to any frame repair shop, or since you're in New Orleans area, any good steel welding shop, and they can repair her. I'd suggest you find someone familiar with the alloy used in her tubes, since the repair might necessitate a new heat treatment for the frame (paint, too). Either way, the Alien was great bike, and if you're into it will be worth repairing and returning to the trail.

Lastly, be aware that Richard Cunningham still lives in the Los Angeles area and still helps out owners of Mantis bikes get them repaired (not for free, he directs you to good welders). I won't dare mention the obvious location to find him by email, but trust you can figure it out. ;)