Originally Posted by
Scooper
I've been trying for two days to post this reply...
I've been getting "Posting Quick Reply - Please Wait" with the hourglass going forever. Hope this works.
It's almost certainly a 1974 because the decals match the '74 Le Tour and the "4" in the serial number. Schwinn had a policy of not using "I" or "O" in the serial number because they could be confused with "1" and "0", but since '74 was the first year of the Le Tour, the Japanese manufacturer (probably National Panasonic) may not have gotten the word about the use of I and O.
From Schwinn Bulletin 23, "Schwinn Bicycle Identification Numbers":
Bicycles from Japan have a production month letter in either the first or second position and a production year number in the other (first or second) position. Examples J677123 = September, 1976, 6J77123 = September, 1976.
I hear you on your pain about the replies. I have been having a tough time as well.
Yea the I is what was throwing me. I read the same about Schwinn not using I and O due to possible confusion.
So I am assuming it is a September 1974 model.
Thanks for the replies.