Classic & Vintage - Got the disease...Peugeot/Motebecane related

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skidmarx
05-15-05, 11:45 AM
I saved a Motebecane Grand Tourer from certain oblivion and I just purchased a $20.00 Peugeot Marseille
at a bike swap. I did some searching on the Marseille and find zero. It was made in Canada, has HLE frame, Shimano 515 or SIS shifters on the stem, Alivio front derailleur, 515 or SIS rear deailleur and is an 18 speed.
I don't see any serial numbers. Where and what will these tell me. I don't this is a special Peugeot, since I did find someone here saying the HLE frame is lower end, but it seems a very solid smooth ride and great for my 12 and 14 yr olds. The rack, bag, mirror, and tires that came with the bike were worth the money. Any info on this bike?
Thnx

alanbikehouston
05-16-05, 02:21 PM
In the early 90's, an LBS in Houston carried Peugeot mountain bikes that were made in Canada. I've read that the French company "sold" its name to the company in Canada, so there was no actual relationship between the two companies other than a shared name. Sadly, the same thing has happened to the "Motobecane" name. The USA rights were sold to an importer who glues "Motobecane" decals on bikes imported from Asia. And, not even the decals were "made in France".
John E
05-16-05, 07:55 PM
REAL Peugeots and Motos have French or Swiss BB threads. :)

T-Mar
05-17-05, 06:22 AM
Procycle, the Canadian manufacturer of Peugeot, was only a licensee. They manufactured the bicycles from 1978-2001 and starting exporting in 1983. In late 1990, Peugeot was considereing abandoning the US market when Procycle stepped in and purchased Peugeot USA, becoming the exclusive Peugeot manufacturer and distributor for North America for a further 10 years, until Peugeot finally withdrew from the North American market. The Canadian manufactured Peugeot, that I have seen, are very cleanly manufactured with a nice finish.

The Marseille was the bottom-of-the-line Peugeot road model in the late 1980s. 1990 appears to have been the last year of production for the model. It was around $200-$230 US, depending on the year. If you want to narrow down the year further, check the component date codes against the information on the Vintage-Trek website.
simontemplar
05-18-05, 03:14 PM
I have a 1990 Peugeot Versailles - MADE IN FRANCE.