Keep in mind that most of the major brands also have comfort bikes right around that price. I just checked the Giant site, and it lists the 2009 Cypress at $410. Likewise, the Trek site lists the 2009 7000 at $360. The Motobecane may have better components or something, but keep in mind that the comfort bikes generally are less expensive than a lot of the other styles.
I bought a Specialized Crossroads Sport, which is a comfort bike, last year. I did some modifications (replaced the suspension seatpost and saddle, changed the pedals, lowered the bars, locked out the front suspension as much as possible), but I have been very happy with it. I really enjoy the ride. Specialized isn't making this same model in 2009, but mine is pretty much the equivalent of the Giant and Trek models I noted above.
Good luck.