The comments about Motobecane are very in line with my experiences btw...they were producing notably nicer bikes than many others.
Now this is something I totally agree with. Motobecanes reeked of vintage appeal and they were nicely made, for the most part. That is why the lowly Motobecane Grand Jubilee proved to be a keeper, when I dramatically downsized my collection. Today, I seek a Motobecane Grand Record in my size and I am willing to pay a fair price or swap something that is more valuable, just to get a GR.
Please keep in mind that I have intentionally compared close to a hundred vintage road bicycles for ride quality, user friendliness and build workmanship. After doing this, in pretty serious depth, I stand by my criticism of the Raleigh brand.