Originally Posted by
VegasTriker
It is not a very high end Motobecane. The company made everything from the top-of-the-line Le Champion to the entry level Mirage. I owned both, the former for a fine quality steel frame road bike and the latter as a beater bike I kept at work for transportation between facilities. The Le Champion was $350 in 1973 (a month's wages for me back then) to the $20 I paid for the used Mirage. It's funny in that Motobecane used the same color scheme for the '73 Le Champion and the low-end '74 Mirage (very irksome!). It is roughly the same one used here for this 1984 Concours
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/17390093591 or
58 Cm Huffy Concours Photo by keller412 | Photobucket Notice the QR front wheel but the solid axle rear. It is about the same quality as the Mirage I owned. Lugged frame and modestly priced components, It shouldn't be surprising that Huffy chose the entry level model to import as it was a step up from the welded frame US models but not so expensive as to chase away customers.
Yep, that's the bike. That was the first thing I did, was replace the wheels. I ran Advocet 27x1 tires on the rims, (can't remember the type, since damaged and replaced.) It was a greatt touring bike, many centuries and other cross state tours. Bought it at the Base Exchange in Omaha, Ne. (Offutt AFB, $230 in 80-81). Was shipped to Germany in '83 and brought the bike with me, to tour around.
Then I joined a Local cycling club and got the racing bug. I was introduced to a LBS, where I bought my first real racing bike Ciocc, complete with tubulars, off the shelf. In '90, as I was close to retiring, I treated myself to my first, fully custom fitted and designed bike , Concorde Astore, all Campy, what a dream bike.
Still ride the Ciocc and Concorde, the Huffy is under going a full restoration and some upgrades at the moment.