due ruote 

That's curious. Kind of makes me wonder if a PO painted the lugs and head tube back in the day. The lugs look sort of blotchy, like maybe black is showing through the red(?). Fork sounds like a replacement. Post a full pic if you have one.

eschlwc

i sorta remember seeing an early one with the same odd paint scheme. unfortunately, these bulgier catalogs for the early ones are in black and white: bulgier.net - /pics/bike/catalogs/Motobecane/

unfortunately, there is no easy way to determine motobécane year though serial number. it's really a best guess. even with mine, i can only nail it down to two years.

as for the rust, if it's just the small sections on the underside, i would use steel wool (or 800 grit sandpaper), touch-up paint the areas with a model enamel in a gloss black, then not worry about it.

'74 page from bulgier:

jpweissman

Thanks! ~ all appreciated- I think with the condition Im more concerned with protection from rusting through than a perfect restoration. Since the post I sanded and used Loctite, will paint next and not worry as suggested...
I also found this on-line, the same paint scheme but no year listed: Motobecane, Moos GR.
Hope this post isnt too off topic from the showcase thread, will add handsome restored pic's soon. Here is the current state:

due ruote 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/72parallel/941156976

Here's one from the web; owner calls it a 1973.

eschlwc

jp, it would be pretty easy to paint that fork, and leave it with chrome socks. just sand and prime the painted part first. i did it with this pr10:



after a few coats of spray primer, i just used a little bottle of testor's enamel and a brush. then cleared it with spray for a few light coats.

jpweissman

thats it! makes sense with patent date etc... thanks

jpweissman

very nice, you make it look easy... thanks

katzenfinch

Here’s a Craigslist find I picked up a couple of days ago: an Interclub tandem, I’m guessing a ’79. Rear drum brake, Mafac cantis in front and Weinmann centerpull in back, three TA crankarms with a mismatched Sugino crank. Everything is covered with a thick layer of grime, but I think with a bit of elbow grease (and some parts) it will come around.

randyjawa 

Just picked up the mid seventies Motobe Grand Record. Sadly, too big for me(60cm). Wish I could find a smaller(56cm) GR frame to trade for. I am a Grand Record and Jubilee fan, in case you wondered. Wonderful riding bicycles!

motogeek 

This is the same paint style that is on my '72 (or '73). My Campy NR derailleur (which I think is the original) says "Pat 72" on it. I've eventually replaced all the non-Campy with parts with period correct NR parts (including French thread BB, seatpost, headset and brake drop bolt) so the whole thing is Campy to correspond with the "Grand Record" name of this model. Figured it was only appropriate to do that!

jimmuller 

Very nice. Looking forward to a report!

jpweissman

Thanks for this- very nice.... I wish I met you earlier! I am for sure gonna look to "pass on" the original Campy NR crankset, derailleurs, shifters etc. as well as rear wheel (any advice on where/how to sell is appreciated) which all seem to be original. For restoration; I have a plan that involves an IRD Defiant fixed gear crankset for streamline, slick and fast city living.

As for the year, I do appreciate the info, no denying my roots - between this and all the Fender P-bass and Jazz basses of the early seventies I seem to be acquiring, no need to page Dr Freud - being born in 1971! Luckily a more affordable of a decade than the 60's, for instruments at any rate.

motogeek 

Here's a couple of matching Grand Jubilees, one a men's model and the other a mixte. Most of the components are basically the same, including the Huret long cage Jubile rear derailleur. I have just gotten a commitment from a collector in California to buy both of them, so they might end up being in next year's L'Eroica California. The men's model is super clean. The mixte is really neat because it has some Reynolds 531 tubing and Nervex lugs. I've shown these in this forum before but they're just too neat to not include them in this thread.

motogeek 

Here's another from my Motobecane collection that I picked up a number of years ago from the original owner. He had raced it and toured on it, even rode it across the country. I love these bikes cause they were such a versatile platform. I've replaced the Campy NR rear derailleur with a Sun Tour VGT Luxe, and wider range 6-speed rear sprocket, changed the crankset to a Stronglite 99 with 36-52 teeth, added a rack, Blumels fenders, Crane brass bell and now it's out to pasture on the local rail-trail.

jpweissman

[QUOTE=eschlwc;18733182]i sorta remember seeing an early one with the same odd paint scheme. unfortunately, these bulgier catalogs for the early ones are in black and white: bulgier.net - /pics/bike/catalogs/Motobecane/

A little eye candy, Campy Nuovo Record derailleur set and shifters from this glacial, yet gratifying 72/73 Grand Record restoration project. Cranks next- listed in the catalogue eschlwc graciously posted here as "Stronglight Alloy Cotterless 42- 50".

jpweissman

Fixed gear conversion project almost complete, what a journey, what a joy... what a ride!!

NEW: Brooks Swift saddle, wheels (Phil Woods hubs/Mavic Open Road rims), MKS pedals (looked just like originals) IRD 46t track Crankset, velo-orange French BB, PW 16t cog & Izumi heavy duty chain.
ORIGINAL: Frame (frame savor, matte black rustoleom paint) front brake, Pivo stem and bars, & toe clips w. original leather straps (treated w.Pecard antique leather paste) forks swapped by PO.
Learned a ton from here, Sheldon Brown site, mytenspeed.com & Penn's "Its All About The Bike" plus a handful of LBS
Trial & Error: campy vintage derailleur set can fetch some money on eBay, BB was French on this model not Swiss, touch up paint on bottom = good idea, on the top... not so much, scotch brite pad plus Goo Gone best for handle bar tape residue, Off Heavy Duty oven cleaner is too harsh for alloy, Simichrome > Brasso... was concerned in general some parts were too much bling for project but in the end; the ride is so nice....
Next step is setback seat post to fine tune fit and ride this often.

BigChief 

Bought this 24" Vitus 172 framed Grand Touring new back in 1976. It's been my main road bike ever since. Doesn't seem like much now, but back then the SunTour GT V Luxe derailleur was the smoothest shifter I ever felt before. I especially liked the quick handling. Much more sporty than most other touring bikes back then. A few years later, my brother bought a Moto GT and it didn't feel like this bike at all. They changed something. Didn't have the sporty feel of the 76. I've always liked this bike. Just fits me.

rustystrings61 

Big Chief's lovely 1976 GT is the perfect setup for this bike, which is currently my entry in the C&V Clunker 100 Challenge. Once I have my 100 km in, I will spend a few bucks on brake lever hoods and better tires and have a lovely laid-back riding bike! This is a largely stock 1975 Motobecane Grand Touring (the Nitto Technomic stem replaces the stock short extension SR, and I replaced the stock Dia-Compe q/r levers w/ extensions with a set of Weinmann q/r levers).

[IMG][/IMG]

juvela

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Just ran across the perfect conveyance for us to carry our prized MB(s) to that special event. A Citroen H van camionette:















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xiaoman1 

I have one just like that....no repaint of HT or lugs.
Ben

dadoflam

Something just a little more contemporary - my 1983 Team Champion mocked up as Paul Sherwen's own La Redoute Team bike as ridden in that year's Paris Roubaix. Mr Sherwen was there on the night and got a real surprise!
The orange Team Machine Motos are classics but I have a real soft spot for the blue bikes

jimmuller 

That's pretty cool!

Is that what they called Night Blue? And was the first year of that color '82 or '83?

I've been and still am curious how mine ended up painted like this, not quite a match for that one. (It has other curious details too.)

casanewt

I thought I would resurrect this older thread since it was at one time an active Motobecane thread. I just landed my first Motobecane this weekend. Looks to be a 1978 Sprintour. It has the Shimano 600 before the Arabesque.

cycleheimer

1978 Motobecane Grand Touring. Great riding, trouble-free bike! The paint jobs on these are beautiful! It now has a Brooks Pro saddle and MKS pedals, but I still have the originals.

BFisher

I decided to undue the pink and scored some gum hoods that worked perfectly. The new tape is Tressostar. 1979 Grand Sprint. Love this bike. Ride is fantastic. Before:

And today: