Motobecane Le Champion
 

Hello fellow bikers,

I bought a Motobecane Le Champion in 1994. It was 'new old stock' at the time. the shop owner ordered the bike in the mid 70s and it never sold until I bought it in 1994 for around $400 without pedals. I was working in the bike shop to make money for parts for my mountain bike when my roommate got me into road biking... I loved the idea of having a vintage road bike from the 70s made in France that had never been ridden.

After my first 20 mile ride I went back to mountain biking...

So aside from a few short sessions on my trainer this bike has only seen the road for 20 miles.

Can you tell me how much it is worth?

It has 700cc wheels
shimano 600 components
original brooks suede saddle
steel frame

thanks for your help : )

You'll need to post detailed photos of the bike, especially from the drive side.

The mods will probably move this to the appraisal forum sometime soon.

That said, the primary value of the bike is going to be the frame. AFAIK, Shimano was never OE on Le Champion. Same for the suede Brooks.

Ditto what Kactus said.

Wow, you all are nice folks. Thanks for the instructions.

It won't let me post pictures until i have made 10 posts

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here are the photos of the bike

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151903...57680196059426

Looks more like late 70's to me. Also the fork is a replacement. Also I would never guess that's a bike with only 20 miles on it. My 2 cents worth.

They were hard miles...

They certainly appear to have been :)

OP: what's the 2" long black area along the non-drive chainstay near the rear dropout? Looks like electrical tape; if so, what's it covering up, if anything? A buyer would notice that in a heartbeat and ask questions, so...if you do an ad with pics, be as forthcoming as you can about the details.

Was this stored in a rust-inducing climate? Because the frame has seen some bit of suffering for only being on the road for 20 miles - unless it was never wiped down after those few indoor trainer sessions.

DD

The wear on the chainrings, the replacement brake pads, the replacement fork, the scratches on the cranks, would all give the impression of a bike with way more than 20 miles on it...
Nice frame though!
Brent

great questions! thank you.

the black section is electrical tape which i put there to protect the frame from the clamp on the kiddie trailer that i used for a few miles on the rails-to-trails near our house, so you all made me realize its been a few more than 20 miles.

as for the wear and tear that bike was in a very rough bike shop. the guy was a pack rat and it was a mess. a big big mess. like a few hundred bikes in a shop that probably should have had 80 if it were neatly organized.

and for all i know he could have lied to me about it being new.

but regardless, would you all be able to help me out with a value on it?

thank you much.

and by the way you all are a nice forum.

if i go on certain car forums and ask a question, a lot of times they will 'yell' at you that the answer is already posted in another thread, etc..

Drillium it has been in my basement for about 18 yrs, that would explain some of the rust.

any help with a value would be very much appreciated

i am trying to decide if it is worth selling on ebay.

Your biggest bang would be to part it out. What's really going to hurt you is the replacement fork. Le Champs are rare but without the original fork, I would wager $100 for the frame/fork especially because one thing that makes French bikes highly regarded is the ride their typically low trail forks offer. The crank might bring in some change as would the derailers and shifters, some people value the arabesque stuff. I have no idea about the brakes. Parted out, maybe you can make $200-300. Sold whole, $150-200. You would maximize your profit by cleaning everything.

That's my spit ball estimate.

thank you romperrr!

For appraisal, highly suggest the C&V section at:
Classic and Vintage Bicycles: Whats it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Bike Forums

Also, there's a pretty decent frameset only in the C&V for sale section. Some issues but something for you to compare with.

As for this particular bike, I highly doubt it only had 20 miles on it. The larger issue is the non-factory fork and question why it was replaced. Regardless its a neat bike and with a thorough service, sorting out, cleaning, could be just right for someone. Good luck!

I swear Reynolds decals have a self-destruct function.

What is your location? If you are in a major metro area, I would clean it up really well and put it on Craigslist. I think something in the area of $300 would be achievable in the right market. On CL you don't have the fees eating away at your profit, and you don't have to deal with shipping.
No matter where you sell it, cleaning it and taking multiple high quality pictures with an uncluttered background will pay dividends.