Originally Posted by
jamiejamie
Hi forum!
I bought this rusty Centurion yesterday and am hoping to find the date here. Most parts look original, save for wheels, and are Japanese made. Not sure about the engraved handlebars either.
Serial No: U200, found underneath seat post
Lots more graphics here:
http://imgur.com/a/avYUm
Thanks in advance for the help.
_jamie
Yes, it's definitely from the 1970s and the best candidate is a LeMans. Unfortunately, I can't tell you the exact year, as I've been unable to collect sufficient data on the Centurion from this period. However, the headbadge indicates pre-1979. The graphics are typical of the mid-1970s and the code on that front derailleur dates it to June 1974. Of course, that assumes the derailleur is original. Dia-Compe centre pull brakes, SunTour VGT rear derailleur and Shimano Tourney crankset were OEM on circa 1975 LeMans. The Huret downtube shifters are obvious replacemnt (OEM would have been SunTour stem shifters) and I suspect the wheels are too.