Gonzobuster

Dear All,

I have been provided with the following alternative to my Cilo Swiss with the stuck seatpost.

It sports a Shimano 105 group, leading to some hope for a decent quality of the rest:








Is it worth 200 bucks?
(please say hell, yeah)

Thanks much in advance.

bertinjim 

Gonzobuster-

At $200, that's not too bad. The main frame at least looks to be the Columbus Cro-Mo spec, the fork (and probably stays are hi-tensile) and it's all put together by the Inexternal brazing system without lugs. Vertical dropouts, sporty geometry and a solid gruppo. What's not to like? And the seatpost and stem do move, right?

Gonzobuster

Believe it or not: I insisted on moving the seatpost!

Now that you mention it, I will have to try moving the stem as well, but I have a good feeling here.

only the front brake seems to have a problem with one of the brake pads (which doesn’t go back after the lever is released), but it may well be a problem with the front wheel. That’s the only issue that I cam aware of (apart from the dirty paint).

bikemig 

That's a little on the high side but prices have gone up since the pandemic.

Gonzobuster

It’s Europe, we have higher prices for bikes in general.

bikemig 

I didn't know where you were located. Yes European (and Canadian) prices tend to be higher than in the US.

It's a good bike with a good parts group.

Gonzobuster

Sorry, you couldn’t know cuz I didn’t tell ya.

Thanks a bunch for your feedback/ opinion, it’s truly appreciated.

TugaDude

I've never seen that model, thanks for sharing the photos. Can't say much on the price. It is more than I would want to pay, but I'm basing some of that on the pics which seem to show a pretty well-worn bike. Just make sure everything is structurally sound, stem and seat post are not seized, etc. It has potential.

Gonzobuster

Thanks. The paint is a dirty mess at first sight. Conversely, it has far less rust islands than the CILO. Actually, where the paint has worn off, I can see bare, naked steel.

The group set is in much better shape and of higher quality.

Gonzobuster

Here are some more photos. Still cannot believe that I can’t find any details on this model, not even pictures of the bike ...

merziac

Gonzobuster

This will be better for getting you on the road.

But don't abandon the Cilo, get them going side by side if you can, work on the Cilo and when you get stuck, switch to the Moto where the progress will be smoother.

Then go back with more confidence and work through it.

The stuck SP may be a huge challenge, you should be soaking it with penetrant as we speak and be prepared to get the BB apart to soak it upside down with penetrant going in from the BB.

Be as careful of the paint as you can with the penetrant.

Gonzobuster

Quick update on the Motobécane:

I installed a new pair of "retro" metal pedals sans toe clips over the weekend.


Later today, I will buy a used saddle to replace the existing one.

non-fixie 

One reason you won't easily find much information is that most of these bikes were sold under the MBK brand. Motobécane went bust in 1981 and was subsequently bought by Yamaha, presumably because of Motobécane's moped and motorcycle product lines. They changed the name to MBK in 1984.

This is my Mirage 105 from that era, which looks like a close relative to your Course:



Perhaps Yamaha decided to keep using the Motobécane name in specific markets after 1984. Was yours sold in Germany?

Gonzobuster

Unfortunately, I can't answer that, as I only bought it from someone who had purchased it as a used bike from someone who did not know anything about the bike.

non-fixie 

The reason I asked was the blue and yellow LBS(?) sticker, which suggests a German-speaking country.

BTW, this guy has an MBK Course on his blog. Parts are dated 1988, so his guesstimate of it being from the '88 or '89 catalog seems reasonable.

repechage

toe clips And straps are Missing and not cheap to buy ( aero types are scarce, plus there are special brackets to help place them- those may be missing- a very unsatisfying pedal to use bare)
if the bike truly fits, OK, not great.
i would source pedals, but then your bike is now 20% more In outlay.

steve sumner

the model for the US market that would be comprable is the Jubile Sport. I'm not a fan of that
method of frame construction but both Moto and Peugeot made a ton of them with no problems.
I'd just rather see the artestry that lugs can provide or the flowing smoothness of fillet brazing

Gonzobuster

It did have toe clip pedals. I took them off. Shimano 105, they Are ready to be sold.

T-Mar

The Shimano New 105, if OEM, would indicate 1987-1989. Typically, New 105 would be found on lower, mid-range models. Normally for this level and era, I'd expect more than tretubi, plain gauge CrMo and a few more frame features, like dual bottle bosses and a pump peg. This suggests a possible rebuild but the frame even has the correct New 105 headset and the seldom seen non-aero version of the New 105 SLR brake levers, so everything may be OEM and the apparent anomalies may be attributable to European market preferences and/or cost concessions to hit a target price.

I'll have to defer on a value,as I have no appreciation for European market conditions.

Even though it will likely reveal nothing, I'd appreciate the serial number(s). TIA.

Gonzobuster

Wow, thanks a lot. I will have to do some research on some of the aspects you raised here. All in all, I was very pleased to see the „full“ 105 group set. To be honest, that’s why I took the bike despite the rather poor paint quality.

I will send you the serial numbers ASAP. Where do I find them? 🥺

Gonzobuster

Just to keep y‘all posted on my project:

Further to the retro Japanese metal pedals and the vintage saddle, I put some new handlebar tape on. It was a first for me, so please have mercy with your comments. There is some residual glue on the handlebar (which I treated with Nevr Dull today):




That 8 went quite well.

This is worse.

repechage

A potential error.

Gonzobuster

i have stored them safely in a bag. I don’t think selling them is a true option - for my first Eroica, I will need to re-install them ... 😉

Gonzobuster

There is a (only partially readable) decal from a bike shop that appears to be a German one, you are right.




I did some Google research based on the yellow/blue bike shop label.
Pretty sure it’s from this shop in Northern Germany:

https://www.zweirad-schollmeyer.com/

I might even call the owner, he seems to be knowledgeable when it comes to older bikes.

Gonzobuster

Trying to lower the stem below the DONT PULL OUT ANY FURTHER marking, I seem to have screwed up (pun intended). It doesn’t fix anymore.



There’s nothing to hold the screw in the stem column.

Nothing fell out when I put the bike on its seatpost.

My fork seems to be tilted.