WTB Crankset for mid 70's Motobecane
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WTB Crankset for mid 70's Motobecane
Building up a Motobecane Super Mirage mixte for a friend. Looking for some period appropriate cranks with a 42 to 45 tooth small ring. This will be single speed so I really only need the one. French would be cool but Japanese would be fine. Looking for one in above average shape.
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Do you have a bottom bracket for the bike? You may want to start with the bottom bracket or find a bottom bracket with the proper threading and a matching crank.
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A mid-70s Motobécane is likely to have metric (aka "French" or possibly even "Swiss") bottom bracket thread. I don't think the UN55 or other Shimano cartridges were offered with metric thread. Velo-Orange has a French thread cartridge, but if your frame turns out to have Swiss thread, you'll likely need a threadless cartridge or a Phil Wood cartridge with the appropriate mounting rings.
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Here are some newer bottom bracket cups I got that work very well actually.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Bottom-...AAAOSwnSxZiKpU
Finding the axle is a bit tricky though.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Bottom-...AAAOSwnSxZiKpU
Finding the axle is a bit tricky though.
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The price may likely be prohibitive, but I have a complete French thread phil bottom bracket in very nice condition, if you want to go that route.
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On a recent Moto project with Swiss threading, I went with a YST threadless BB. About $30. Worked just fine.
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You won’t know until you remove it. At least the NDS will come of the regular way no matter the size. It’s the DS cup that can be challenging. I had to examine the threads visible inside the BB to confirm I had French threading on my Gitane.
Sheldon’s BB fixed cup removal tool is your friend on a 45 year old fixed cup...
Sheldon’s BB fixed cup removal tool is your friend on a 45 year old fixed cup...
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On a recent Moto project with Swiss threading, I went with a YST threadless BB. About $30. Worked just fine.
Cheers.
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Ah, whoops, looks like what I had read was that they were the only ones using Swiss threading at the time rather than French. Still metric though! Thanks nlerner, that looks like it'll do.
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Motobecane went to standard threading in the mid seventies. This 1978 Motobecane Grand Jubilee was full standard, no French, threading. I believe the changes started in mid-1976...
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Motobecane Frame Threads
I have 11 Motos plus 2 that I sold off. They date from 1972 to 1982.
None of them British threads... I don't recall ever seeing or working on any either. A few Motos had Swiss metric BBs with LH fixed cups.
That's not to say that like Peugeot and Gitane, they didn't start using British threads on their lower cost models in the early 80's??? Not likely in the mid 70's.
My latest Motobecane, a 1982 Team Champion:
polymorphself Like others, I suggest that you find either a crank set or a BB and then get the matching parts.
One thing to look for, Motobecane used SR Sakae Ringyo cast aluminum cotterless cranks on a lot of bikes from the mid 70's on. They can be found with the proper metric BBs too. If you can find one of these setups it would solve a lot of issues.
randyjawa You picture the headset on your 1978 Grand Jubile and said it has British threads.
Stronglight made those Motobecane badged headsets. They were good quality, equivalent to the P3 model. I have one on my 1980 Grand Jubile. plus another one in a box. They are definitely metric threaded....
verktyg
None of them British threads... I don't recall ever seeing or working on any either. A few Motos had Swiss metric BBs with LH fixed cups.
That's not to say that like Peugeot and Gitane, they didn't start using British threads on their lower cost models in the early 80's??? Not likely in the mid 70's.
My latest Motobecane, a 1982 Team Champion:
polymorphself Like others, I suggest that you find either a crank set or a BB and then get the matching parts.
One thing to look for, Motobecane used SR Sakae Ringyo cast aluminum cotterless cranks on a lot of bikes from the mid 70's on. They can be found with the proper metric BBs too. If you can find one of these setups it would solve a lot of issues.
randyjawa You picture the headset on your 1978 Grand Jubile and said it has British threads.
Stronglight made those Motobecane badged headsets. They were good quality, equivalent to the P3 model. I have one on my 1980 Grand Jubile. plus another one in a box. They are definitely metric threaded....
verktyg
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Last edited by verktyg; 08-18-20 at 03:16 AM.
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Neither French, nor Japanese, but certainly above average and available.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...nkset-vgc.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...nkset-vgc.html
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Stronglight made those Motobecane badged headsets. They were good quality, equivalent to the P3 model. I have one on my 1980 Grand Jubile. plus another one in a box. They are definitely metric threaded....
verktyg [/QUOTE]
I did NOT know that - but the Motobecane badged headset upper combined with a Tange Levin lower cup and crown race assembly (for where the fork was machine for a Campagnolo unit) works PERFECTLY on my Allegro that came stock with a Stronglight P3. So I got a Stronglight P3 analog built by Stronglight after all. Cool.
verktyg [/QUOTE]
I did NOT know that - but the Motobecane badged headset upper combined with a Tange Levin lower cup and crown race assembly (for where the fork was machine for a Campagnolo unit) works PERFECTLY on my Allegro that came stock with a Stronglight P3. So I got a Stronglight P3 analog built by Stronglight after all. Cool.
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On a recent Moto project with Swiss threading, I went with a YST threadless BB. About $30. Worked just fine.
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However, was just at a LBS and they had a look and told me I could use an English threaded BB. I was skeptical and told them it’s likely French or Swiss. The drive side went it fine, clockwise. Non drive side went in counter clockwise but is sticking out quite a lot as shown in this pic and took a bit of torque to get it this far. They assured me that this was normal. I have sealed cartridge BB’s on three other bikes. Only one of them sticks out at all and it’s about one thread. The size here is 68x103.
This can’t be normal, can it?
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An *English* threaded BB went in *clockwise* on the drive side? whaa... ?!??
the threading is quite close, i recall, so on the NDS i could imagine that photo shows about where the ring would finally bind up.
but still, not getting my head around the DS.
the threading is quite close, i recall, so on the NDS i could imagine that photo shows about where the ring would finally bind up.
but still, not getting my head around the DS.
Normally a double and using a single ring. Stronglight 93.
However, was just at a LBS and they had a look and told me I could use an English threaded BB. I was skeptical and told them it’s likely French or Swiss. The drive side went it fine, clockwise. Non drive side went in counter clockwise but is sticking out quite a lot as shown in this pic and took a bit of torque to get it this far. They assured me that this was normal. I have sealed cartridge BB’s on three other bikes. Only one of them sticks out at all and it’s about one thread. The size here is 68x103.
This can’t be normal, can it?
However, was just at a LBS and they had a look and told me I could use an English threaded BB. I was skeptical and told them it’s likely French or Swiss. The drive side went it fine, clockwise. Non drive side went in counter clockwise but is sticking out quite a lot as shown in this pic and took a bit of torque to get it this far. They assured me that this was normal. I have sealed cartridge BB’s on three other bikes. Only one of them sticks out at all and it’s about one thread. The size here is 68x103.
This can’t be normal, can it?
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So you would say all seems well enough? I’m just pretty confused on how an English threaded BB would work and be correct when it likely takes Swiss or french.
Here’s a slightly better angle...
Last edited by polymorphself; 09-02-20 at 05:41 PM.
#25
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That looks like a 73mm BB in a 68mm shell. Sometimes cartridge BB's can make it tough to get the NDS cup in without a bit of wiggling if the DS is already installed. You should be able to get either side to thread in with finger pressure or by hand with a tool if the opposing side is out.
Edit to add: with Shimano cartridge BB's sometimes the only difference between 68mm and 73mm is the NDS cup. A lot of them are marked or you can just measure the BB while it is uninstalled.
Edit to add: with Shimano cartridge BB's sometimes the only difference between 68mm and 73mm is the NDS cup. A lot of them are marked or you can just measure the BB while it is uninstalled.