LuckySquirrel

Hello all,

I just came across this bike on Craigslist and wanted to get your thoughts on it. Would this be a good price for the bike if it came with all components? I don't mind putting everything together .

Motobecane Grand Touring Road bike frame

Thanks!

LuckySquirrel

After some more reading on BF, I can't determine whether the frame would be 1020 hi-ten steel or Vitus (chromoly) tubing.

This first thread states that the earlier models have the 1020 hi-ten steel:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...d-touring.html

This thread states that someone found a Grand Touring with Vitus tubing:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...d-touring.html

Is there any way to tell what that frame might be if the owner does not know, since I assume there will be no marker after it has been powder coated?

oddjob2

Below is my pretty much stock Vitus GT, except for the wheelset, and may help you compare. It appears the CL GT has the DT cable housing stop brazeons, which indicate that bike had stem shifters. If so, it probably is the high tensile frame.


Grand Touring

LuckySquirrel

Thank you for the picture! One thing that I am noticing is the difference in brake levers and the stem vs. downtube shifters. Would my best bet be to look through some old Motobecane ads if I can find them and compare the levers/shifter configuration?

oddjob2

Actually, looking at the frame wheel dropouts would be your best bet.

LuckySquirrel

Thank you for the advice. What exactly would I be looking for? Whether the rear derailleur hanger is brazed on or not?

LuckySquirrel

The seller just replied that the bike is a 1977. If I go look at the bike is there any way to confirm this? Also, is there a quick way to determine what threading the BB is? I'm reading online that there are Grand Tourings with French, Italian, and English threading.

Fuzzy2964

The crankset that is on it now might help in figuring out the threading(if the crankset is original to the bike). If the powder coat is nice - at $100 and getting all the parts - seems that would be a deal, even being hi ten. Would make a nice “around town” bike at that price. If that crankset spins well, is not worn - I wouldn’t worry too much about the threading (not at $100). Someone who bothered to get it powder coated is likely to be able questions about the BB and crankset. I’d go for it at $100 if the powder coat and parts look OK

Fuzzy2964

Oh..and I’m not sure about it being 56cm. Showing a pretty tall head tube. Looks like a long seat tube with a shorter top tube. I’d ask for a measurement on both the seat tube and top tube before driving out to see it.

3alarmer

...it can be hard to judge this stuff from a photo, but yeahlooks bigger to me, too. Also Moto made a lot of models in a wide range. The components will tell you more than anything else, but 100 bucks barely covers the new paint, so it looks like a deal if it fits and you are up for an adventure. Check the wheels, and check the components for wear.

It looks old enough to be French threading and tubing diameters, but Moto was one of the earliest of the French makers to start going with standard threadings.

If the drive side cup is Right hand threaded, it's French. It won't be Italian.

CliffordK

From the ad, it sounds like it is a complete bike minus the decals and assembly. Cables? It is probably not a bad deal for $100 assuming you can do the work.

I believe the Grand Jubilee had 27x1 tires/wheels, and the Grand Touring had wider 27x1 1/4 tires/wheels, but both frames should be pretty good.

I'm not quite sure how to tell the 1020 frames vs Vitus/Reynolds frames. The higher quality frames tended to have a derailleur hanger, where the cheaper frames tended to have the "claw". So, yours is probably one of the later, better frames.

It should be possible to differentiate them based on weight, but you'd probably need to strip it down 100% or build it up 100% to get a good estimate.

bikemig 

Looks a lot bigger than a 56 cm. The bike is overpriced at $100. I don't like buying repaints in general and this looks like a cheap frame from the pics.

LuckySquirrel

Thank you for the help everyone!

I am considering getting the bike just to have fun putting it together and either riding it around town or selling it to another student. I have most (or all) tools that I would need and am currently putting together my daily rider so wouldn't be in a rush to get this one together if it proved difficult at all. I am assuming that he rebuilt the BB when he had it repainted, so I would leave that alone and just work on the rest if I were to do it.

There are a few things that I am still unclear about. The seller claims it to be a Grand Touring, and said that he cross-referenced the serial number on the BB to the year and determined it was a 1977. When I checked the 1977 Moto ads it confirmed that the tubing would be Vitus, but also said the derailleur was SunTour while the seller says this bike came with Huret. Did Huret also possibly come on a 1977 or would that indicate a different year?

Thanks!

Trakhak

Price doesn't seem outrageous, given that the seller will include brakes and unspecified other parts.

Size is 25"/63 cm, though.