1982 Panasonic DX-4000 with Champion Motocross tubing?
 

Hi,
I just bought a Panasonic DX-4000 with Tange Champion Motocross tubing. Has anyone heard of this kind of tubing. It is strange because usually Tange tubing is numbered, but this one just says "Champion Motocross" and "Chrom-Molyden Butted"

The bike is around 1982, as determined from the frame serial and the dating on the suntour cyclone M-II drivetrain. It also has Dia Compe Gran Compe NGC 400 sidepull brake sets. Overall, a pretty nice ride and good condition.

Pics soon. Thanks for your comments.

What size is it? It could be that different tubing was requested by the customer, due to his/her measurements. Size is one consideration, but weight surely is another.

Tange made plenty of tubing with no numbers. I don't know anything about motocross tubing though. T-Mar almost certainly does.

Karl

It's 23" seat tube and 22" top tube, both C-C. I was also thinking it's some kind of special order. Maybe I'll weight it out and compare to some other Tange tubing.

I can't say that I ever recall seeing that tubing either. I assume it isn't oversize diameter or anything weird aside from the label?

Some pics of the bike
 

Here are some photos of the bike. I had it all nice and clean but then took it to the beach for a ride! She sure rides like a dream :) And looks gorgeous in my opinion.

That's a very nice bike. As for the tubing, the motocross sticker is a red herring, its probably Tange Champion no. 1 or no. 2 which would be appropriate for a bike of that quality. What's the seatpost size?

Why don't you call up Bloor cycle??? I would.

If only the store still existed, I'd call them!

The seatpost size is 26.6mm diameter. What does this tell you?

maybe Champion #2, if it was #1 I'd expect 26.8...never seen that 'motocross' designation before, it's funny. Looks like a very nice UJB, only thing I don't like is the weld seam on the bottom of the seatlug, but that's minor.
Edit: I just read some info from the true expert T-Mar who says that all Tange (DB or straight gauge) Chrom-Moly tubesets used 26.8, but the Tange Mangalloy used 26.6, and T-Mar knows :)

With a seatpost size of 26.6, I'd say that you definitely have a double butted Cr-Mo frame. And if its from the early 80s it would also be seamless tubing since the seamed Tange Infinity tubing only started showing up on bikes around 1988 or so.

good stuff guys. thanks a lot for your comments and wisdom!