cyclotoine

Hey all,

I have a 1973 Masi Fork, Italian I believe (correct me if I am wrong), that is champagne. It's not perfect and I considered using it on some other builds. When I got it, it was bent and I put it back with park fork alignment tool. The bend wasn't grotesque so you can't really tell other than looking closely at the two legs and seeing the curvature is slightly different. I'd like $100 plus shipping for it.

Oh, the fork is from a 61cm frame to the steerer is quite long but not quite long enough to a frame I had in mind for it. I'd also trade it for a 1980s columbus fork with a long steerer. Exact measurements to follow as interest dictates.

Edit: Fork is not 100% in alignment and I forgot to take photos with the DO alignment tools. But anyway have a look for yourself. If someone wants it as is I'll be glad to sell it, if there are no takers I'm going to try and caress it the last little way back to alignment. See photos.

https://s83.photobucket.com/user/abie...?sort=3&page=1

smontanaro 

Pardon me for asking, but what happened to the back half of the frame?

Wildwood 

I thought about being interested, but the idea of mating Italian Columbus with English Reynolds and crossing racing intentions with clubman geometry seemed sooo wrong. I couldn't rename it and it isn't chromed, but a twin plate is sweet.

Besides if I bought it, it might start another search for an appropriate frame.... an ambitious project.

lostarchitect 

Gotta see pics, man! Won't get serious interest without serious pics!

cyclotoine

Yes I apologize. I don't check the internet much on weekends and I thought the response to this was one email. That individual has dibs and I will get photos for them and post them here this evening.

I got this fork in a trade just because. I have always wanted an early 1970s MASI and I thought I could build a frame for this fork one day, but I have decided that is not likely to happen. Then I score a nice 1980s columbus frame in my size but I'd need a headset with a stack of about 30mm for that to work and it wouldn't look right anyway so I have decided to let it go. I wish I knew where the original frame was as having the complete would be a one of my most coveted bikes. The fork only reinforces that.

cyclotoine

Revised first post with photos and additional info.



https://s83.photobucket.com/user/abie...?sort=3&page=1

The Golden Boy 

I was just thinking of doing the same thing-

I think those fork crowns are as cool as fork crowns get.

Last ride 76 

Is there something that I missed (happens a lot these days) that identifies it as a Masi, or from 1973? They weren't famous for stamping a year on the fork, as far as I remember.
Do you have before and after straightening? Looks pretty good now.
Best regards, Eric

cyclotoine

Thanks Eric,

The twin plate leads me to believe it is a MASI fork and the stamping is similar to what would be seen on a frame. M61 for a 61 cm frame is typical of the period and the 7/73 denotes July of 1973. I seem to remember this being common for Masi in that period in my research.

It is also the famous Masi champagne colour with yellow highlights. There isn't much to suggest this is anything else and it looks exactly like other Masi twin plates in 1973.

I think I made the distinction in my original post, but just in case I didn't. This is an Italian Masi fork, not a Californian.

I don't have before photos, I double checked this and came up empty handed. The bend was weird, one leg was bent out to the side about 10mm at the tip (drop out) so most of the correction was identifying which blade that was and bringing it back in towards the center. There was a slight fore/aft adjustment needed as well. The current photos show one leg still sits about 3 or so mm further back than the other at some points along the curve. At the ends, one dropout sits about 2 or so mm higher than the other. It's actually very difficult to adjust this, it was over a year ago that I performed the initial correction and I seem to recall letting it rest as it was very close and I didn't seem to be making any progress.

Again, I may try to bring in that last 10% if there isn't any interest in it as is. I am using the park fork alignment gauge, the park frame and fork straightener and the park drop-out alignment tools for this process. I believe that the right blade became slightly less raked than the left in whatever caused the damage and putting that little bit of curve back in without a bending block may not be possible with these tools, which is why I offer it as is. A frame builder with a proper blade bending jig would be able to tweak it and probably bring it in almost perfect. Of course you'd want to do it with a friend over beers as it would likely take an hour of gentle finesse to get it just so.

Last ride 76 

Thank you for your detailed and considerate reply. I missed the "Italian"... I looked around the interweb and saw some comments by Jim Allen and some images that sync with your reasoning. I withdraw my questions.

I think it's great that you are restoring them. They are real eye catchers. Sucks that chroming is such a toxic process.
Best regards, Eric

cyclotoine

Bump, I actually spent some time on it again after this post and got the blades pretty damn even along the entire length.


How about $75 plus shipping, I have to figure out what it might cost to ship from Canada, I am guessing around $25 so make it $100 shipped? If only it were 10mm longer. I'd trade for a columbus fork with a longer steerer, preferable 1980s full chrome for an interesting Columbus tubed European frameset ("Bama") I have hanging around.

Lakerat

Being in the process of straightening an early 1960s Carlton fork, I appreciate the photos of the fork with the Park tool. It verifies the fork alignment procedure, which I pretty much figured out by trial and error.

LkSkyWlkr

If this fork is still available I would like to purchase it. I am in Los Angeles, CA, USA

SJX426 

@LkSkyWlkr - This thread is 2 years old! I doubt the seller even has the fork anymore. Good luck and welcome to C&V. Your can contact anyone by simply typing the @ sign followed by their handle.

LkSkyWlkr

The last post was 6 months ago. If the forks are still available nobody would know without asking. I have obtained many "killer" deals simply by asking. Worst case scenario is the forks are no longer available. I am in need of a twin plate fork off of a 1972 +- Italian Masi GC just like the forks in this thread. If anyone has one available I want it. Steering tube length is not important.


Being new here I cannot send a private message until 10 posts. I have no idea how the @ sign works.

CO_Hoya 

The @ function works by placing it in front of the members name. In this case, @cyclotoine.

What is the fork alignment tool that you are using? I don't see it on the Park Tool website.

cyclotoine

The fork is sold, but I will contact @LkSkyWlkr regarding the fork.

LkSkyWlkr

Darn. Thanks for the update. If anyone knows of one available, please contact me. Color, condition and steering tube length is not important. Twin plate early 70's Italian Masi GC. Thanks.

cyclotoine

@LkSkyWlkr, I sent you a PM. I suggest you send a friendly note to the buyer to inquire if he might part with it. He may.

LkSkyWlkr

Being new here I am not able to send private messages until I have posted 10 times. If you could, please, send a note to the person that currently has the fork. I have a 1972 Italian Masi GC just screaming for this fork.

CV-6 

Just post enough in various threads to get your ten. People will understand what you are doing.