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Old 01-15-11 | 08:08 AM
  #12  
T-Mar
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Frankly, I think this is something that someone has pieced together and slapped some Benotto stickers and components on. It wouldn't even surprise me if this was a repaint with added fittings.

The Shimano New 600EX SIS firmly dates it 1986-1987, but I've seen lots of entry level, hi-tensile, Benotto 800 from this period. None have had dual bottle bosses. All used cable tunnels for the rear brakes and routed the derailleur cables under the BB shell. Dual bottle bosses with brazed-on shifters seem contradictory to the cheap cable stops that use cable housing for routing the cables over the BB shell.

The front derailleur appears to be Z-series, a couple of steps down rom New 600EX, so the the rear derailleurs and shifters are almost certainly an SIS upgrade.

Even the decals look wrong. Both the down and seat tube decals are placed too far up the tubes. The down tube decal is missing both of it's flanking stripes and they appear to have been used to encircle the stays. The seat tube decal is missing it's top flanking stripe and Benetto emblem. It appears this was trimmed and used for the head tube decal, as this is not the proper head tube decal.

Whatever it actually is, it appears to be an entry level hi-tensile frame. FWIW, an 1986 Benotto 800 (hi tensile frame, SunTour Vx, Benotto labeled SR crankset, Modolo Corsa brakes and Miche hubs laced to Ambrosio Elite 700C rims) orignally sold for $265 US.
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