thanks Andy. i've read in the past that their lineup of motobecanne le champion Ti is made by Ora Engineering Co. in Taiwan. they've been around for a very long time welding Ti frame and doing OEM for many other companies, one of which is Rikulau.

i've emailed bikesdirect.com and waiting to get their confirmation on whether or not the frame is stil made by ORA. if so, then i'm pretty confident in their welds, as i have friends in the cycling industry in Taiwan that told me they are reputable. the strange part is, if i were to source the frame through friends from ORA in Taiwan, it would cost more than getting the frame from bikesdirect.com, because ORA said bikesdirect.com buys in bulk to get the discounts.