Vintage Motobecane Frame Material

"Larry Gray" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hello,
> Does anyone out know if Motobecane produced any aluminum frame bikes in
> the early 80's? If so, what model was it? I test road a Motobecane racing
> bike in 1982, and it was the lightest, fastest bike I've ever rode, but
> can't remember the model. I bought the Grand Touring instead, which I've
> road on and off for the last 22 years. Since I'm now doing sprint duathlons,
> and have spare Motobecane parts, and not alot of money, I would love to find
> an early 80's Motobecane racing bike.
>
> Thanks,
> Larry

Hi Larry, I am unsure about Motobecane making aluminum frames in the
'80's? They possibly did.

Top of the line Motobecane back in the '70's-early '80's was the
Motobecane Le Champion. I had one of these myself, All Black, with Red
Pinstripe with full Campy Nouvo Record Group. This particular bike's
frame was Reynolds 531 Lugged Steel. For a Steel Frame, is was
extremely light, and fast.

There's a very specail place in my heart for these older Lugged Steel
frame bikes, and a few various others, like the Gitane, LeJeune (sp).

From what I understand, Motbecane still makes a decent bike, but I
believe everything now is made in Asia, not France.

There's a site online listing many vintage bikes, and thier history.
I think this one was Sheldon Brown's "baby". I'm hoping someone here
can point you to this site. It's a great read, and it may help you a
bit with Motobecane's history/models. Mark D.

Mark wrote:

> "Larry Gray" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
>>Hello,
>> Does anyone out know if Motobecane produced any aluminum frame bikes in
>>the early 80's? If so, what model was it? I test road a Motobecane racing
>>bike in 1982, and it was the lightest, fastest bike I've ever rode, but
>>can't remember the model. I bought the Grand Touring instead, which I've
>>road on and off for the last 22 years. Since I'm now doing sprint duathlons,
>>and have spare Motobecane parts, and not alot of money, I would love to find
>>an early 80's Motobecane racing bike.

They, like all French manufacturers if the era, sold a
rebadged Vitus 979 at that time.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

"Larry Gray" wrote:
> Does anyone out know if Motobecane produced any aluminum frame bikes
in
> the early 80's? If so, what model was it? I test road a Motobecane racing
> bike in 1982, and it was the lightest, fastest bike I've ever rode, but
> can't remember the model. I bought the Grand Touring instead, which I've
> road on and off for the last 22 years. Since I'm now doing sprint
duathlons,
> and have spare Motobecane parts, and not alot of money, I would love to
find
> an early 80's Motobecane racing bike.

The Model you're thinking of was the Motobecane Prolite (or Prolight) of
circa 1982. It used Vitus aluminum tubing.

Art Harris

On 2004-07-15, Larry Gray <[email protected]> wrote:

> Does anyone out know if Motobecane produced any aluminum frame bikes in
> the early 80's? If so, what model was it? I test road a Motobecane racing
> bike in 1982, and it was the lightest, fastest bike I've ever rode, but
> can't remember the model. I bought the Grand Touring instead, which I've
> road on and off for the last 22 years. Since I'm now doing sprint duathlons,
> and have spare Motobecane parts, and not alot of money, I would love to find
> an early 80's Motobecane racing bike.

I don't recall that they ever produced their own Al frame, but it is
entirely possible that Vitus frames could have been sold under the
Motobecane name in that period.

--

-John ([email protected])

> On 2004-07-15, Larry Gray <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Does anyone out know if Motobecane produced any aluminum frame bikes in
>>the early 80's? If so, what model was it? I test road a Motobecane racing
>>bike in 1982, and it was the lightest, fastest bike I've ever rode, but
>>can't remember the model. I bought the Grand Touring instead, which I've
>>road on and off for the last 22 years. Since I'm now doing sprint duathlons,
>>and have spare Motobecane parts, and not alot of money, I would love to find
>>an early 80's Motobecane racing bike.

John Thompson wrote:
> I don't recall that they ever produced their own Al frame, but it is
> entirely possible that Vitus frames could have been sold under the
> Motobecane name in that period.

That's correct, a Vitus 979 in dark blue anodize finish,
rebadged Motobecane

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971