67tony 

I just picked up a 25" Silver Mist Schwinn Super Le Tour 12.2.
It's tagged as made in Japan, with "Double-Butted 4130 Chrome-Moly Top & Bottom Tubes."
The bike appears all original...with the decals, 4 reflectors, pump, and rear rack all intact.

Can anyone interpret the serial number for me, to determine the year?
I've tried a couple of sites and threads to no avail...

The serial number is stamped on the bottom of the crank:

L527785

Thanks for any help you can give me!

cb400bill

Forum member Scooper states,

Bicycles from Japan have a production month letter in either the first or second position and a production year number in the other (first or second) position. Examples J677123 = September, 1976, 6J77123 = September, 1976.


L527785 = Dec 1975. Which would make it a 1976 model.

Here is a link to the catalog page.

https://bikecatalogs.org/SCHWINN/1976...LL/1976_08.jpg

mbbiker

great info and a great link thanks for sharing.

67tony 

Thanks a ton, cb400bill, for the decipher and the link!

Hey, I see you're from K-Zoo...are you familiar with an elaborate set of bmx runs that a guy created on an obscure piece of property in town? Worked on it for years, quite an impressive outcome, it was actually featured in a magazine or two. Anyway, I know the guy mostly responsible, and wondered if you knew him, too.

RubberLegs

DON'T take the LeTour out on the BMX trail, I know it's a Schwinn (and they do tend to be tankish) but that Super LeTour sounds nice. Take a Varsity, put big tires on it and head out on the BMX trails! ;-) PICS of your LeTour?

silvercreek

cb400bill

I'm not really into the BMX scene and hadn't heard of this track or those riders before. Pretty cool. I wonder where in KZ it is.

Doing a quick Google search turned up these pics.

https://digbmx.mpora.com/photo-ops/re...trails-caravan

67tony 

Yup, I kew it would be a longshot that you'd be familiar with them.
I'll get the location, it is actually on a guy's private property that apparently didn't care that they did this...pretty rare in this day and age.

I'll also get some pics of the SLT up soon...

67tony 

Great job searching...that is it!

Scooper

Just a very slight correction, Bill. L=November, not December. The reason is that Schwinn didn't use "I" because of concerns that it would be confused with "1".

So, A=January, B=February, C=March, D=April, E=May, F=June, G=July, H=August, I=Not Used, J=September, K=October, L=November, M=December...

67tony 

Here are the pics. (Sorry about the duplicates.)
It's a bit dirty, but looks to be in very good shape otherwise.

Is the 25" frame big enough for a someone 6' 5" tall? I bought it for my son-in-law, but after riding it a bit it seems like a decent fit for me and I am only 5' 11".

RubberLegs

Looks pretty clean. Size will depend a lot on his leg/torso length. The seat can easily go up 4-5" and perhaps back a bit. A longer stem/quill would give a little more length too, just have to try him out on it. I have a 21" LeTour IV, and it s a little snug on me, at 5'11", not bad, but I feel a little cramped up.

Aladin

My Super LeTour 12.2 serial is K628093. When made?

Thanks.

Metacortex

Post a pic of the 4-digit number stamped in the head badge, that will indicate when the bike was built.

Aladin

3256 is the four digit number.

https://re-cycle.com/images/Schwinn/1979-410b(2).jpg

Got it... '79.

Thank You.

Have to say.. this bike rides.. very nice. Little softer than my Titanium or the True Temper tubing on the Crisscross. The 25mm Ultra ll rubber being run tubeless on 1300 gr Kinlin 200's was a little stiff-ish on the Ti.. just right w this LeTour 12.2

Went and looked at the '79 catalog which states a 28 lb bike. Mine went 23 7oz with my 'heavy' wheelset.. running the above mentioned now.. bike is in the 22+ range... this w lightwt crankset w matching ISIS BB. Very enjoyable rider.

Long as I'm so windy... scored a Miyata 610 58cm the other day.. triple butted tubing. Be very interesting to note the difference from the LeTour ride... likely a little stiffer.

Aladin

And even MORE... LOL. Plot thicken's.

Went to '79 catalog and NO reference to 12.2 Super LeTour... 'Super LeTour ll' is shown... has right color option.. frost blue in my case was original color of the frame. I am positive that frame prior to repainting/refinishing stated Super LeTour 12.2

OR... did I reinstall another headbadge... that might be a possibility and most likely.

Metacortex

It's not a '79. That number indicates the bike was built on the 325th day of *1976*, which was Saturday November 20th 1976. If it was built in America it would be a '76 model, but because it was built overseas it is most likely a '77 model. What kind of stem is on the bike? That appears to be about the only difference in specs between the '76 and '77 models:

Aladin

Thanks again Metacortex.. that nails it down for me.

Metacortex

So what stem is on the bike?

76SLT 

My 76 has a Schwinn approved alloy stem, not a Grand Compe. Serial number is 6A00575.

Aladin

Has the stem w the S in a circle.. almost certain same stem went back onto the bike after the retrofit. Yet I fit the bike to me
so am not certain. Seem to remember though that steer inside dia was the smaller one.. hence same went back on which made
the fit I use.

seedsbelize 

October 76

Metacortex

What is the 4-digit number stamped in the headbadge?

Aladin

As noted earlier in this thread.. 3256.... 325th day of 76.

Another inquiry .. can not find geometry of the S Voyageur SP 85's... looking for top tube specs for 23, 24 and 25" frames. Looking
for the midnight blue frame.. a rider works. No serious rust.. some patina doesn't hurt a ride.

Metacortex

That question was for 76SLT.