HalfEmpty43

Hello Everyone,

I recently posted to the forums looking for some ideas on what to look for in putting together or buying a classic city bike for running around town here in San Francisco. I got some wonderful suggestions (thanks again, all!).

Anyways, I found a guy selling a Motobecane Mixte out of his garage. It was pretty beat up, and not really rideable, but that's okay because it was cheap and I'm adding/replacing parts to suit my needs anyways.

I'm curious if you guys can help me find out what model I have here, and possibly what year. I've looked through all the catalog scans available on velo base and nothing seems to match. I know some of you have encyclopedic knowledge of years on things like... headbadges, so I thought I'd try my luck.

Here's some info, and then the pictures to follow:

- 1020 Steel Tubing
- Plastic Headbadge that protrudes from the headtube about a 1/4"
- Stronglight Cranks
- Mafac "Racer" Centerpull Brakes
- Huret "Allvit" Rear Derailler
- Huret Front Derailler
- Very large looking downtube shifter labelled "REG 341 Italy"
- Ideale 80 Record Saddle
- Chrome Tipped Fork
- Pivo Stem and Drop Bars
- Stronglight Competition Headset
- Normandy Hubs
- Alloy Wheels
- A kickstand!!

I see many codes on the frame, there are as follows:

1909 (On bottom bracket shell, could be weird "7" that looks like a "1")
61 (On lug that connects downtube with headtube (again could be "67")
35817 (On inside of both rear dropouts)
1491305 (Outside of left rear dropout, the "4" here is really hard to read, so could be another number)
A2 (above the number listed above this one, on the outside of the left rear dropout)













I plan on adding "portuer" style handlebars, thumb activated shifters, fenders, a rack, etc to make it my perfect city bike.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Ryan

michael k

Don't know the yr,,but nice choice!
I do believe its older than mine.



I need to update the picture.

HalfEmpty43

Beautiful! Mine definitely *looks* older, but that could be due to how it's been handled over the years....

T-Mar

I didn't think that headbadge was in use back then, but the components and tubing are indicative of a pre-1974 Motobecane Grand Touring.

HalfEmpty43

Thanks T-Mar, I was hoping you'd chime in here! Pre-'74 is interesting, could it go as far back as the 60's? Do you happen to know when they starting making mixtes? Thanks.

randyjawa 

Sadly, I do not have a good head on shot of the headbadge on my 1973 Motobecane Grand Record. At least the bike had a 1973 Campy rear derailleur to match the rest of the transmission and the fellow I bought the bicycle from told me that he bought the bike roughly ten years before he bought the Basso Gap that I bought from him at the same time as the Motobecane.

Have a look on the Normandy hubs for a two digit number indicating year of manufacture for the hub set. This might help to nail the vintage down to with-in a year or so.

T-Mar

Well, I went back though some of my old magazines and found a 1974 Motobecane (not Gran Touring) road test, with the pic showing that head badge, so it's possible they used it in 1973 too. We know the Grand Touring went to SunTour VGT in 1974 and had Huret Allvit in 1973, so it's at least a 1973, possibly older. Older Motobecanes tend to use the metal, riveted badge that looks similar to yours without the large M, so I don't think it's too much older than 1973. Also, Motobecane did not have nationwide distribution prior to about 1972, further limiting the possibility of being older, at least from a purely statistical view.

HalfEmpty43

I'm looking carefully at the hubs and see no two digit number at all. Any particular spot on the hub I should be scrutinizing?