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What year is this Viscount Catalog?

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Old 05-08-21, 09:54 AM
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jjhabbs 
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What year is this Viscount Catalog?

Hey guys,
A neighbor sold me a Viscount Aerospace G.P. that I'm going to restore. He also had a catalog. Do you know what year this is from? Thanks in advance for your answers!

J.J.






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Old 05-08-21, 10:08 AM
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I don't have an answer other than probably early 80's, but their seat and bar positioning for these photos is terrible. Bikes with their seat slammed always look like a poorly sized frame.
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Old 05-08-21, 12:10 PM
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nlerner
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There’s plenty of Viscount/Lambert history online. One clue is that this brochure is post the Yamaha takeover, based on the last page. That was in 1978 according to Lambert & Viscount bikes: History Part 2.
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Old 05-08-21, 01:15 PM
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I972 or '73 was when I first heard of Lambert/Viscount bicycles. The light weight, the hype, and the price really had me interested. My Fuji S-10-S had just been sold and I was looking for a new and better bike. So I bought a Nishiki Competition.
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Old 05-08-21, 01:24 PM
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I'd place the literature at 1975. Yamaha became the USA distributor and started running adverisements with the Lear Jet background that year. Some of those catalogue photos are the same as used in 1975 advertising.
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Old 05-09-21, 08:24 AM
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I am restoring a Viscount said to be a 1975 which appears to have the same blue painted panels as your catalog for my granddaughter (w/ recall replacement Tange).

Last edited by easyupbug; 05-09-21 at 08:26 AM. Reason: add blue
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Old 05-09-21, 09:33 PM
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Originally Posted by easyupbug
I am restoring a Viscount said to be a 1975 which appears to have the same blue painted panels as your catalog for my granddaughter (w/ recall replacement Tange).
That's cool. Does yours still have the "deathfork"?

J.J.
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Old 05-10-21, 06:36 AM
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I went back through my old issues of Bicycling. The 1st Viscount advertisement appears in January 1975 (see below). It looks familiar, doesn't it? Then in March 1975, Bicycling did a road test and the cover banner mention's Yamaha (see 2nd photo below).

Yamaha had invested heavily in Trusty Manufacturing, the British company who had taken over manufacturing of the bicycle when Lambert went bankrupt. They would eventually take control, but it's my understanding that at this time were just a partner and distributor. Regardless, here is evidence of Yamaha's involvement as early as the 1975 model year. The photo shoot for the ad campaign would have taken place sometime in late 1974., for the 1975 model year. Given that teh catalogue photos are from the same photo shoot, the catalogue should be 1975 model year.

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Old 05-10-21, 02:54 PM
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Originally Posted by jjhabbs
That's cool. Does yours still have the "deathfork"?

J.J.
Nope, previous owner got the recall nice looking Tange TF-R fork thanks to Yamaha. He enjoyed the bike so much when 7400 came out with brake/shifters he had a full DA group, hubs and all put on it.
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Old 05-10-21, 06:44 PM
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Originally Posted by easyupbug
He enjoyed the bike so much when 7400 came out with brake/shifters he had a full DA group, hubs and all put on it.
That's almost too bad, as I really like those high-flange cartridge bearing hubs. 7400 is tough to beat if you're not seduced by the aesthetics.
My Aerospace Pro came to me with those high-flange hubs laced to Mavic 27" rims that WOULD NOT keep a tire on board over 70 PSI. Spokes were rusted anyway, so I laced the hubs to Aryra 27x1" rims with DB SS spokes. Has run Paselas at 100 PSI for the past decade.
I have been challenged by my supreme command authority to downsize from 16 in the barn to 5 (and may the people who put up 'tiny house' videos on YouTube burn in HELL!), and the Viscount is on the bubble to make the cut.

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Old 05-10-21, 07:15 PM
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top506, I know what you are saying. Now in our 70s madam is interested in downsizing. Currently I have a 36x44 shop holding my 18 and 3 for kids and grandkids visits. I ponder how this would be possible every day.
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