Big Time

This Motobecane belonged to my grandmother. She hardly rode it, so it's really well preserved. It has some patina, and is complete and very rideable. She didn't like the original handlebars because of the drop, so the handlebars in the pictures were installed. I don't know much about them. Serial number reads 4275943 803. I can't find a serial number database, but using a series of digitized Motobecane catalogs I found on these forums, and my grandmother's memory, I estimate it's a 1977 model year.

Any guesses as to the value?











I also found this old San Cristoforo bell laying around. On it went.

bikemig 

That bell rocks. The bike is in prima shape and in a good many markets, mixtes tend to command a premium. I like the bike and the bell a lot. It may not be original but the flat bars are very much in keeping with a bike that will probably be used as a utility bike. The lady's avocet saddle is a very nice touch as well. I'll hazard a guess of between $200-$300 but I haven't seen a lot of mixtes and very few as nice as this; we'll see what others have to say.

howeeee

Its clean, its a girls bike has some value as a rider, not as a collectable. It is a rather heavy bike I have owned 2 mens model. I would say it is worth no more than 125.

howsteepisit

Grand Touring was in the middle of Moto's lineup, I'd say( totally uneducated guess) its more on the 200-250 range, especially given that everything is more expensive in Hawaii.

gramphighgate

i'd recommend selling the bell separately on ebay. you'll still get the same price for the bike itself.

bikemig 

Writing a good CL ad and a good presentation will help sell a vintage bike for top dollar. I have no idea whether the bell is worth anything but the bell will make it easier to a prospective buyer to pay a premium for the bike as a vintage bike. The pics are fairly compelling (this is like a "new" bike) and will make a first rate grocery store/commuter for the right person.

howeeee

The bikes are very heavy and clunky I would never buy one even at 125.

howsteepisit

'79 Motobecane catalogue specs this one at 25.5 pounds, hardly " very heavy and clunky"

likebike23

That's a nice mixte and in some areas it will get more money than others. If you have a hip chick biking culture in your area it will be worth more. If your area is like mine, you will have a tough time getting much more than $150. It all depends.

oddjob2

Heavy, clunky comment from a mostly Schwinn guy?

Is the bike in Hawaii or in one of the other 49 states? Doesn't look like a tropical lawn. Maybe it's the Hawaiian sunshine, but that bike is super clean and in great cosmetic condition. I don't know what your island market is like for vintage French bikes, but I'll know more in a month when I'm there!

Looking at the crank I believe that it is an early 1980's, probably 82 or 83. There may be a date code, two digits, on the back of the crank.

@howeeee's comments notwithstanding, that bike could sell locally for as little as $200, but list it at $350 and see if you get any bites. It would be helpful to let the prospect know the frame size, I'm guessing 19" seat tube C-to-C, so best for a rider from 5'5-5'9'. If it were offered on ebay, probably as much as $350-$375. If you have friends in the airline business, maybe they can take it boxed stateside to avoid onerous shipping charges from Hawaii.

I buy pretty much every reasonably priced mixte in my market areas and recondition and sell them. Most likely, your mixte buyer would be a woman. They care about appearance, condition, color, and French authenticity. These fashionistas are generally not concerned about components, frame tubesets, and whether it is a high end or low end bike. And the man who comes along as the "expert", will keep his mouth shut and let her ooh and ahh!

Northroads touring bar mixtes can command a higher price than drop bar versions, although the twenty something crowd generally prefer drop bars.

The Peugeots and Motobecanes command a hefty premium over the Japanese, Raleigh, and handful of American mixtes. My personal best sale was a UO-18 for $325, to the NYC based marketing director of one of the top 5 luxury cosmetic companies. Routine sales are more in the $250 +/- 10% range.

Good luck!

bargainguy

Here in the midwest US, mixtes not so hot outside of highly urban areas like Chicago. Add to that, we seem to be having a very soft year for used bikes. Sad, because some of these mixtes ride so nicely with upright bars. I have a Gitane mixte with upright bars at the moment for $100 but no one is biting.

tmh657

For the most part but there are exceptions for super clean examples of bikes you don't see very often. I did quite well on this Trek 420 but it was super clean like the OP's Moto and only made for 1 year.

And quote"These fashionistas are generally not concerned about components, frame tubesets, and whether it is a high end or low end bike."

+10. I sold this Trek to a hipsters GF, complete with tats and piercings. In a way I wish it had fit me..

howeeee

[QUOTE=oddjob2;16893265]Heavy, clunky comment from a mostly Schwinn guy?

Paperboy type bike is supposed to be heavy and clunky, not a 10 speed. Schwinn Varsity helped to hurry the demise of Schwinn

Cant see why lower end Motobecanes would be more sought after more than Japanese bikes at that time, they were basically heavier frames with the same Japaneses cheap components.

I flipped over 400 bikes in the last 4 years

Motobecane went outta business in 1981

bikemig 

food fight,

big chainring 

Yeah I saw the Gitane. Great bike. Nicely presented. Tough to sell vintage bikes here these days.

And sadly in Chicago the mixte is not sought after. I've had great examples of Peugeot, Bottecchia, and Raleigh mixtes and all have sold for $125 or less.

Good Luck with your Gitane.

Steve Whitlatch 

I sold a Moto Mixte for $225 in Chicago. Mine had drop bars. It was not in as good of shape as yours either. The only bike I could not sell in Chicago so far was a Miami Vice Centurion Iron Man Expert in very good condition.

headloss 

As others have suggested, it really depends on market. I have a 77 Motobecane SuperMirage... I'd be lucky to get $100 for it most places, although I could have gotten that or more in Chicago where hipsters wants fixed bikes and don't care if it's junk on two wheels (cheap wheels, no braze on for downtube shifters, swiss-threaded bottom bracket, french-threaded fork and headset, and stem, obsolete 27" wheels, 120mm spacing... it's a money pit if I wanted to bring it up to modern standards or even twenty year old standards for that matter... but it's an ok fixer-upper for single speed or fixed).

All that said, your grandmother had a beautiful bike and you should keep it in her memory and ride it often. My motobecane was a hand me down from an uncle, so I keep it around just for that reason. If I eventually give it the appropriate TLC and have a few parts to swap without breaking the bank, I'll give it a fresh start and donate it back to one of his children.

FWIW, I think the handlebar swap adds value on this particular bike. It's really a nice example of that bike.

headloss 

The fools! Who wouldn't want to ride that magenta beauty!!!

Steve Whitlatch 

I got one call from a Pimp , but he never showed up to see the bike.

zukahn1 

I'm with Oddjob2 on this one for a nice basically mid level Moto wishbone Mixte I would start in the $300-350 price range locally. I have sold one of these frames statside for $125 basically bare with just OK paint. These have gone for $400+ on Ebay recently.

oddjob2

How would you know the caller is a pimp?

zukahn1 

Well it hasn't hit a lot of markets yet but the so called Miami Vice bike's Road and BMX are making a huge commeback value wise as the guys who road them originally or wanted to are coming into the middle age wealth years and want a little bit of the 80's back.

Steve Whitlatch 

It was a joke. My bad attempt at Miami Vice humor.

Chicago Al 

I LOLd at it! Okay, just a little, but still. I think the Ironman mystique is still a bit too mysterious for prices on them to have caught on fire yet. And for those who do want them, they're not rare, seem to pop up at least weekly on Chicago CL. I saw a hipster with what I think was the acqua/white version, not fixiefied, riding with his gf just a couple blocks from my house a few days ago.

Back to the OP: I'd think over $300 is pretty optimistic but worth a shot. In anything antique, collectible, or just plain old/vintage, condition matters a lot, and just like the difference between one in 5/10 condition and 9/10 is huge in terms of value, the difference between 9/10 and 10/10, like with this bike, can be. I know I could easily get $200 for a 'nice' version of that bike, cleaned up and presented well, so this 'perfect' one is certainly worth a premium. The 'only ridden by my grandmother' backstory just makes it all the better.

oddjob2

A former girlfriend's dad, who wasn't a pimp, collected about 30 cars. He had a 60's Rolls Royce that was purple with orange interior.