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Motobecane 72 Le Champion and 72 Grand Record

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Motobecane 72 Le Champion and 72 Grand Record

Old 08-28-19, 11:55 AM
  #26  
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I'm with you, obsession over getting all the date codes correct down to the hub locknuts is wasted effort unless we're talking about an all correct, 100 point, display quality bike. Remember that parts may have sat on factory shelves for years before going onto a finished bike.

Interesting point about those tipo hubs with the oval holes - I did not know that ! maybe a special run done just for Moto ? You think it's the Record hub shell with Tipo axles ?

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Bainbridge Island, WA USA
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Old 08-28-19, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by mpetry912
I'm with you, obsession over getting all the date codes correct down to the hub locknuts is wasted effort unless we're talking about an all correct, 100 point, display quality bike. Remember that parts may have sat on factory shelves for years before going onto a finished bike.

Interesting point about those tipo hubs with the oval holes - I did not know that ! maybe a special run done just for Moto ? You think it's the Record hub shell with Tipo axles ?

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA
I don't think anyone is obsessing over the date of the bikes. Rather I was just curious how the OP came up with the date. I find these early Motos difficult to date and I was hoping this thread might shed some light on the question.

Apparently those Tipo hubs with oval holes were special to Motobecane; I didn't know that before reading this thread either.

https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=13613d0a-8b52-4120-8deb-6a5a69f2d766&Enum=110

Last edited by bikemig; 08-28-19 at 12:11 PM.
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Old 08-28-19, 12:09 PM
  #28  
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Other inconsistencies: The chainstay cable stop is Shimano not Campy and the Brooks Professional saddle has been displaced in favor of this one that looks like it’s been chewed on by mice. I also need to find some pedals.

Here are the serial numbers

Grand record: 1775312

Le Champion: 1754034

Possibly July of 71? I don’t know.
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Old 08-28-19, 12:24 PM
  #29  
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...if you have to strip both of these down to accomplish the restoration mechanically, it's honestly not that hard to learn enough about painting to do a pretty good job of either "cosmetically improving" (the paint on the Le Champ doesn't look that bad), or repainting and rebadging (in the case of your GR, where the paint is worse.) Doing this on a bare frame and fork increases the chances that you'll end up with something you like as a result. I know that people are all over the map on "original paint", and the "devaluation" that automatically occurs with repainting. I honestly don't get it, but that's just me.

I have a Richard Sachs that is a repaint, and it is worth no less to me because of that.
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Old 08-28-19, 01:47 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by bikemig
I don't think anyone is obsessing over the date of the bikes. Rather I was just curious ..."
Same here. Just curious.
For instance, if that Cinelli stem does have a patent date on its underside,
it's quite a rare find if it is French sizing. And a pre '73 add on, likely.
But , no matter.

Serial numbers won't help with the dating as there is no Moto date data base as such.
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Old 08-28-19, 01:51 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by 3alarmer
...if you have to strip both of these down to accomplish the restoration mechanically, it's honestly not that hard to learn enough about painting to do a pretty good job of either "cosmetically improving" (the paint on the Le Champ doesn't look that bad), or repainting and rebadging (in the case of your GR, where the paint is worse.) Doing this on a bare frame and fork increases the chances that you'll end up with something you like as a result. I know that people are all over the map on "original paint", and the "devaluation" that automatically occurs with repainting. I honestly don't get it, but that's just me.

I have a Richard Sachs that is a repaint, and it is worth no less to me because of that.

I agree. If you're buying a bike to ride, who cares if the paint is all "original" or not?
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Old 08-28-19, 01:55 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by mpetry912

Interesting point about those tipo hubs with the oval holes - I did not know that ! maybe a special run done just for Moto ? You think it's the Record hub shell with Tipo axles ?
Not worth obsessing over, Mark. ;>

You can tell these are not Record hubs by the stamping. Flying wheel stamp as opposed to the word "Record".
And then Campagnolo. To my (our) knowledge, these were only used on Motobecane Le Champions,
and maybe only for one year.

There is a Record skewer, sans nut however, on the rear wheel....if that's not being too obsessive.
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