Motobecanes are decent bikes. Good components for the price. Generic, but certainly adequate frame. It isn't going to fall apart on you in a year.. you just aren't going to have that "pride of ownership" experience you'd otherwise have with a top-tier brand like maybe a Cannondale.

As I see it, you have two choices:

1 - You find a bike with a nice mid-line brand name frame (ie Cannondale) that has lower tier components. You can then spend the next few years replacing parts piece by piece with better items and end up with a nice respectable bike.

2 - You can buy a bike like a Motobecane, with a blah frameset but with good, durable and lightweight components.. wait 6-12 months until you get upgrade-itis, buy the frame of your dreams on a year end closeout, then swap those high quality components over.

I mulled this situation over myself "back in the day". Ended up taking option #2. Of course, the "upgrade-itis" I spoke of bit me in the ***** about 4 months later. Ended up finding a nice light NEW scandium frame on fleabay that allowed me to build up a 16lb bike on the *relative* cheap.

Of course, with the economy like it is, odds are good that you can find deals on well spec'd brand name bikes from shops desperate to clear out merchandise.