Motobecane Id
12-05-22, 11:28 AM
#2
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I really hope that contraption is a double hamster drive.
I haven't seen that font and decal placement for Motos, but I also haven't scoured the catalogs later than 80-81. Still, it looks like custom decals to me. Maybe a repaint? Assuming this is being sold in the US?
I haven't seen that font and decal placement for Motos, but I also haven't scoured the catalogs later than 80-81. Still, it looks like custom decals to me. Maybe a repaint? Assuming this is being sold in the US?
12-05-22, 11:27 PM
#6
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Not like any USA-spec Moto I can recall, and don't think it's anything typical for Canada, either.
But the one tiny detail that might be a dead give-away is the integrated cable stop on the driveside DO: I think one of our Champion sleuths nailed that as the hallmark of some marque...but I can't recall who or what was the make.
But the one tiny detail that might be a dead give-away is the integrated cable stop on the driveside DO: I think one of our Champion sleuths nailed that as the hallmark of some marque...but I can't recall who or what was the make.
12-06-22, 05:18 PM
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Not like any USA-spec Moto I can recall, and don't think it's anything typical for Canada, either.
But the one tiny detail that might be a dead give-away is the integrated cable stop on the driveside DO: I think one of our Champion sleuths nailed that as the hallmark of some marque...but I can't recall who or what was the make.
But the one tiny detail that might be a dead give-away is the integrated cable stop on the driveside DO: I think one of our Champion sleuths nailed that as the hallmark of some marque...but I can't recall who or what was the make.
t'is a motorbeacon feature, have encountered it on no other marques
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one puzzling klinker is the brake mount: front is incasso and rear is exposed
"usually" a cycle is one way or the other rather than mixed
suggests possible monkeying about...
at this level of quality one would expect one of the midline Ateliers de La Rive tubesets
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12-07-22, 11:52 AM
#9
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I've ridden both flavors of Vitus; 172 on my Grand Jubilee, 888 on the Grand Sprint I owned many years ago.
Vitus 172 was meant to be kind of a French answer to Reynolds 531 as I understand it, and in my experience the ride was very similar: responsive, compliant, a very nice ride.
Vitus 888 was a bit lower quality, and a bit stiffer, but still a good ride. My wife until recently had an all-888 Grand Touring, and I was able to confirm that it's a good, lightweight steel with a little less responsiveness than Vitus 172.
Hope that helps! Of course if the one you're looking at was made for the Euro market, the frame could be very different from the American models.
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12-07-22, 01:04 PM
#10
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12-07-22, 01:41 PM
#11
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12-07-22, 02:59 PM
#12
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As always, the level of expertise on this forum is fantastic, thanks guys.
now just to pinpoint what market it was made for would be great, i can't seem to find anything comparable online.
now just to pinpoint what market it was made for would be great, i can't seem to find anything comparable online.
12-07-22, 03:37 PM
#13
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This one seems to be the same color scheme and crankset, just a different color. It has the Vitus 888 stickers on downtube and forks:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/25586587392...Bk9SR7L4kuidYQ
Was yours repainted maybe? Normally the "Made in France" decal would be on the chainstays, not the top tube.
Last edited by Roypercy; 12-07-22 at 03:41 PM.
12-07-22, 09:34 PM
#14
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could be for the USA or Canada market, this is in the "dark zone" of catalog scans: it's easy to find the '79 catalog and '84 but nothing in between.
As pointed out by '84 there was a Jubilee Sport (two E's) but it was entirely different construction (in-externally brazed) and used different tubing: Columbus (Tre-Tubi?), and graphics also different.
There was one lugged frame with Vitus 888 tubing in '84 and it was a Grand Touring with triple and Huret DT, that came in at 26.8 lbs. Also different graphics to the OP's
As pointed out by '84 there was a Jubilee Sport (two E's) but it was entirely different construction (in-externally brazed) and used different tubing: Columbus (Tre-Tubi?), and graphics also different.
There was one lugged frame with Vitus 888 tubing in '84 and it was a Grand Touring with triple and Huret DT, that came in at 26.8 lbs. Also different graphics to the OP's
