Just found. Had to buy the contents of an entire garage to get it (including a 70's Viscount that looks practically new). The original owner remembers buying it in 1974. He swapped out the seat but still had the original Brookes. http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470516http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470517http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470518http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470519http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470520http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470521http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470522http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470523http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470524http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470525http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=470526

Nice find, Boatmeadow. Another tall Moto!.
And the nearly un-used Brooks Pro is a bonus. Mid 70's Pros are the best of the best, in my opinion.
The bike's components are consistent with the 73 catalog specs. which isn't unusual if he bought it in 1974. What date is stamped on top of the rear derailleur.

Oh wow, what a completely joyous find! I LOVE, finding bikes in that condition! Congrats, ride it in good health! (Translates to, send it my way!),,,,BD

It says "Patent-72"

The specs page from the catalog says cotton. Speaking only of aesthetics, I would say that's the obvious choice, but if it's going to keep you from riding the bike, by all means use whatever you like.

Motobecane Grand Record - - Stolen on velospace, the place for bikes

I miss it every day. Well, not really. But I do wish I still had it.

my '76ish g.record has been through a lot -- three rebuilds and all sorts of componentry changes just since i've had it. i made a few more mods to it recently to get it back in more vintage form. i added campy record brake levers and some kkt pro ace pedals. it's my only grocery getter, so it sports a blackburn rack and a banjo brothers grocery pannier.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/650/2...216a9292_b.jpg

it came to me with suntour cyclone and this sugino mighty competition crank. i rid the cyclone stuff in favor of campy record and added new sugino rings.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/639/2...2188c341_b.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5718/...45405039_b.jpg

that's a super record headset that's part french (the two threaded pieces) and part iso (everything else). i had the fork crown milled to accept an english crown race. yeah, it's a bit frankened.

and i'm so glad i finally rid the aero brake levers. (live and learn.) i really love these campy brake levers. they make me feel at home.

That is an uncommonly fine grocery getter!

I think you need to get busy though and drill the big ring.

thanks. it makes shopping something to look forward to.

i struggled a bit with the rings. it came to me with this nice sugino crank, which i don't mind. i have the same one on my '73 falcon. so i tried two nuovo record rings, and it just looked kinda ... common. i then tried sugino's super record type outer ring, and it really popped. it was a nos ring, which are so nice. and sugino rings are always less expensive than campy ones. i then bought a black inner ring, trying to think a little outside the norm. but i couldn't pull it off. it looked a little hideous. so i found another nos sugino inner ring, but it's drilled. i don't really mind it not matching. i'm not a big fan of drillium anyway. like with the non-drilled record brake levers -- they look more elegant to me than the sr ones.

of course, a french crankset would look a little better. maybe one day.

The Moto Grand Record was finished this month. It's ready for a double century. The frame was stripped of mechanicals, cleaned and detailed. The headset and BB were overhauled. The original wheelset now has Panaracer tires. A 46 & 42 chainring set with a 13-32 six speed Suntour freewheel provides half step gearing and an ideal range. The Campagnolo shifters and rear derailleurs were replaced with period correct Shimano 600. The Front derailleur is now Suntour. These changes were necessitated by the freewheel range. New cables, housings, brake pads, and shifter cables round out the build. It rides superbly.

1977 Grand Record

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps3nm3c5fi.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...psfyxvvtsq.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps7c7lpzkw.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...pswjyxnltt.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...psfjjdja5m.jpg

Grand Record Grail Bikes
 

A black and red Grand Record was on my bucket list of bikes. In the 70's we sold Gitanes, Bertins and a slew of other french marques but not Motobecane or Peugeot.

I always admired Motos in black and red, yellow and black and silver and black. At the end of 2007 I had a few extra bucks and started bidding on black and red Moto GRs on eBay. I lost out on 3 or 4 bikes. They were going for prices north of $800!

Finally I found a black and red 1972 Moto Le Champion that I picked up for $430! I was the only bidder. It has Prugnat long point lugs instead of Nervex but it satisfied my black and red jones!

eBay pictures:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489697 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489698 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489699


In my searches for a black and red GR I found pictures of this bike with Prugnat lugs instead of Nervex. During the bike boom substitutions were common place. The main difference between this GR and my LC is the chrome chain stays!

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489701 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489702

"les spécifications sont sujettes à modification sans préavis"


In 2007 I also picked up this NOS early 80's Grand Record frame from a seller in France. I've never seen this paint combo in any catalogs but there was a short period where different color forks where the hot ticket. This frame is one of them.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489703 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489704 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489705


This spring I picked up another grail frame, a ~1972 yellow and black Grand Record. It's in about 8 out of 10 condition. I'm putting it together with mostly correct components. The frame is a 58cm which is about 10mm too big for me but it has a 54cm top tube which is perfect!

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489707 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489715http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489712 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=489713

I need to get back to work on this project.

verktyg :50:

Chas.

WOW! Mike, you have such a beautiful fleet and choice of rides.

Sweet build. Looks great. :thumb:

Hi Scotty, Thank's

The French bikes have a distinct feel that I enjoy. This Grand Record can also fit a 700x32 tire and fenders, 27x1 1/8 were original. I'm also considering a custom large & rectangular handlebar bag from the same maker as the saddle bag.


Thank you, Steve. The Paramount is sportier and has sentimental value, the Grand Record is more subtle in nature. Both are great rides.

I have not been checking in here much lately but as I did tonight, I found a bunch of beautiful additions to the thread. Nice bikes, gentlemen!

Attachment 536420

Attachment 536421

Attachment 536422

Attachment 536423

Attachment 536424I'm not sure I've posted these here on this thread before but here is the full Campy GR I've had for 20 years or so. It has had the addition of Campy crank (and French threaded BB), Campy brakes, Campy French headset, Campy seat post. So now it lives up to the "Record" part of it's name

Reviving an old thread here. I have a Motobecane Grand Record frame that I'm restoring. I'm almost certain it's the 1982/83 version, it has plain Bocama lugs and full chrome fork with Huret dropouts, and bottle cage bosses on both the down tube and seat tube. The fork is French threaded, 25x1, and the bottom bracket is Swiss threaded. The frame weighs 2,100g and the fork only 645g! I have a nice set of Tange Swiss bottom bracket cups and a Tange Levin (Campagnolo copy) French threaded headset. I hope to built it up into a nice bike one day.

I have two questions regarding size and fittings - I thought these frames take a 26.4mm seatpost. I've given the seat tube a thorough clean and the seatpost I have stops completely about 1cm below the insertion line. I think it's actually 26.2 that's needed unless I'm wrong?

The second question, the frame appears to be lower height than normal - The top tube is 58cm c-c, while the seat tube is 57cm c-c and the headtube length is only 148.5mm which seems quite short for a frame this size. The chainstay length is 42.5cm c-c. Is this frame based on older geometry for 27" wheels I wonder? A set of short reach brakes fits perfectly with 27" wheels but are at their limit with 700c wheels. I know they came with 700c wheels in the catalogue.

Any input would be appreciated!

Regarding your first question about the seat tube: the Grand Records and Le Champions that I have all use the 26.2 diameter seat post. The bikes are in the '72 to '75 date range.

Thanks for the response motogeek, I will try a 26.2mm seatpost next. Out of curiosity what is the chainstay length on your Grand Record frame? Does it have 27" wheels and is the seat tube shorter than the top tube? I'm aware they changed the tubing in the late 70s but am curious if the geometry remains the same.

Hi Swin, I have 3 GRs and I'm just getting ready to crawl into bed for the nite. I'll measure each of them in the a.m. and post then.

Swin, I measured my GRs this a.m. and here's what I've found. The '72 has a chainstay length of 17" (43.5 cm). Both the '75s have a c/s length of 16-3/4" (42.5 cm). On all 3 the seat tube is shorter (52 cm) than the top tube (55 cm). (My '72 is pictured in a post above.) I'm running 700C wheels on the '72 and 27 x 1/14 on both '75s.

Yours appears to be somewhat newer than mine so things probably changed a lot over the model years.

Hope that bit of trivia helps.

That's interesting thanks for doing that! So you're running 27s on the bikes with the shorter chainstays, both which match the chainstay length on my 82/83. I'll have a look at the catalogs from '75 and see what size wheels they ran. I'm just curious if they just used similar geometry through the years and moved to 700c at some point. I don't have the original parts for this frame, not that they were very exciting anyway, and doing a ground build with reasonably priced early 80s Suntour etc. I want to have a go at a Vitus frame, more than any expectation the bike will have much resale value when I'm done. Never owned a French bike before. Thanks again!

Again with the "Mighty" Sugino Mighty Competition, every bit as strong, tough and stellar looking as any other. ;)

Swin, FWIW, I believe the original wheels on the '72 were 27", but I changed them over to 700c. Most of the stuff on this particular bike has been changed to Campy Nuovo Record, rather than stock, in keeping with the Grand "Record" part of it's name. That entailed changing to French threaded headset, bottom bracket and seatposst. The catalog spec for wheels on the'75 is also 27"

Vintage Cannondale handlebar bag on a Motobecane Grand Touring. I'm OK with it. The frame gives me adequate clearance to keep my hands on top of the handlebars.