P was placed upside down or lying down to avoid confusion with the inaccurately marked R

That makes sense, thanks again for the information!

Hello Jacek, I hope you are keeping well. I have another for you registry.

I just picked this up locally, a 60cm MX Leader.

BB markings as follows:

Left side P

Right side F 3411
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cfdf1813b7.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f990f1cb84.jpg
That makes it from 1995 right? It also has Henrik Claessens on the top tube, so guess he was the original buyer but I don't suppose you are keeping record of all the individual customers, or are you?:lol:. Surely only another 5-10 years and you will hopefully have a full list of every Merckx made, or at least all the survivors:).

And I can't remember what this particular colour code for this is, was it FNZ or something?

It currently has a black Shimano 105 groupset but I'll be replacing that with some silver Campag kit, so just off to eBay for some shopping:)

Thanks in advance

Thank you
I think this is the F8411, I wonder what is on the "fork card".
FNG if Green, FNZ if Zwaart (Black)
For every frame that goes on my register there are at least 10 that I've seen that didn't have a serial number listed (which is an obvious crime unfortunately not prosecuted by any tribunal).
EMC admits to 150k frames, I have confirmed 140k so far - there are 3500 on the register, plenty left to add :)

Thanks, haha I do need glasses, my eyes are bad, sorry it was dark when I got home with bike hence the crappy inside pic, and posting it upsidedown doesn't help....

OK I'm off to work now and will be collecting some new wheels after work today so am busy later, but will have fork off in next few days and will report back with info on the steerer card. And thanks, so its FNG for the green.

And I salute the Herculean effort you have undertaken, to start from nothing is a daunting task but to have 3500 listed on your register so far is very good going I think, so congrats on that, and they keep coming:).

I truly have no more space in my flat for any more, but come on everybody help Jacek out, buy more Merckx bikes and report back here, :)

OK I finally got around to stripping this frame, I've hammered eBay this week so this should be up and running for next weekend:)

Jacek was of course correct, the serial is 8411, as this better and correct way up pic confirms, so that makes the frame from 1996, correct?
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6009bfa44f.jpg
As you can see to the chips to the paint under the letter 'P' on the left, its looks like a rusty sort of colour underneath the green, and the frame has a few other paint chips along the rear stays, and on one one of the fork blades that also have this colour, but I don't know if this is evidence of a previous colour, of some kind of primer for the green coat, or just rust! Oh yes sadly I live on small island in the north Atlantic....
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0608f76921.jpg
But mostly the condition of the paint is very good, I've just waxed it and its buffed up rather nicely, I do love this deep green, and decals with the pink fade look original, not that I'm any kind of expert on that,, do you think?
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4d2f449252.jpg
Onto the fork, and alas the is no remaining card of readable label of any kind on the fork, it does share the same green if they are a repaint they appear to me to have been repainted at the same time
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...33d5ce8074.jpg
I've just looked up and down the steerer with a magnifying glass, and there are no serial numbers listed on at all, the only 2 punched markings on the steerer, are half way up the steerer at the back, is clearly stamped the number '2'
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...199d2f5114.jpg
And right above the fork crown on the steerer is what looks like the letter 'P' with bit missing off the top left section
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b82935eb95.jpg
I've no idea if that means this is an original fork to the frame, or if the fork was added later, same with the green, if that's original colour or not. I don't mind either way as this green colour scheme was the first Merckx one I saw that really caught my eye when I got into road bikes a decade or so ago, and made me start looking at other Merckx's. So when an MX Leader (which I love) one came up locally I was across town like a shot. So it will be staying green no matter what, over to you maestro Jacek, what do you think?

Having just re-read this page and seen that P stood for EM employee, my guess is was an employee made bike originally that was later repainted, probably by the person whose name is currently on it, Hendrick Claessens, unless of course Hendrick was an employee, but I doubt that...but I bet I know someone who'd know all the employees who worked at EM:)

This frame was not repainted, this brown "something" is the famous "zinc phosphate anti corrosion" protective coating.
F8411 is a late 1995/early 1996 issue, the paint pattern matches this perfectly.
The differences in the fork designation (2) and the actual frame size (60) are also nothing special - the fork looks to have been originally factory matched to the frame.
A beautiful Mx Leader :)

Great stuff as usual Jacek, thanks a lot.

Anti corrosion paint is definitely better than actual corrosion:)

I'll post pics in the 'shows us your Merckx thread' when its fully built up.

New frame identification
 

Hello, trying to confirm my identification of my new frame. I have not posted enough so I cannot upload a photo, my best interpretation of the serial number marking is
1TT C3243

I believe it translates to 90-91 era TSX corsa extra but I am trying to verify
Thanks

Flawless :) Production fall 1990.

Thanks so much, you are truly an invaluable resource. When I get more posts I will put up pics of this one and my other EM frame.
Cheers

Hi. I have what I believe is an early Merckx. If anyone can offer any info that would be great. I know/realise that all of the bits other than the frame are from around 1989 but think the frame maybe 1980/81.

On the left hand side of the BB it has what I believe is a B (the bottom has a chip in it) On the right it has E and then below 1662. Flat top fork crowns. Fully chromed forks and fully chromed rear. Gear cables over the BB.

I'll try to post some pic but I'm not really sure what I'm doing.

You may need more posts for pics, and you can upload then to an album on your homepage that may get moved here.

In the meantime, paging [MENTION=448872]CyclesMakaron[/MENTION] ;)

Professional 1981

Ok thanks. I'll post some pics as soon as I get to my 10 limit.

And Thanks to CyclesMakaron

You're welcome and you may be at 10 now if they all count. ;)

Hi

I would appreciated any information regarding this EM frame:

BB left side: P
BB right side: E 2712
Frame: Appears to be Panasonic paint with SLX stickers / /chrome drive side chain stay.
Features: Race number holder / top tube internal cable (entry/exit on top of tube)

Thanks in advance.

Photos now posted in album if any kind souls would care to share.

Pic assist,

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6e0413937e.png
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...87d9ba8a8f.png

Note: This is a frame with factory mislabeling! Instead of the letter E, it should be Z, of course - the frame is a 1985 Merckx Pro SLX. E2712 is the markings of a frame built in 1981 - Columbus SLX did not exist at that time, these BB cover and brake bridge models were not used.
I have seen this frame before in more than a dozen photos :)

I suspected something was amis. Many thanks for the clarification!

Is there any value in listing the serial number of my Litespeed-build Merckx Titanium EX? Or is that likely a completely different number format used by Litespeed and not EM?

These are different marking systems.
It seems to me that Litespeed has so far been providing information on the manufacturing date of the frames for EMC.

Absolutely, pretty sure Jacek will parse it out. ;)

You sneaked in while I was typing. :twitchy:

Ok some pics of frame 1662. After your dating, I presume it's SL/SP as it's a size 60 c-c frame. I have been told that to get the chrome forks and rear it had to be a special factory order (but I'm just repeating that and have no real knowledge). Also if it is true that it was a special order, did the customer have to order it or did the shop generally order it and just have them on the floor at, I'm guessing, a premium.
All the transfers look original or at least have some age apart from the head tube one which looks like a replacement to me. No fame materials sticker, only two, hour record bands. The paint could possibly be original. I'm only saying that as it's quite sharp around the lugs (and lots of the ones I see that are repainted get what I would call thick around the lugs and they lose their sharp edges).
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0fd3aafeb7.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4a7840b473.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bf6cd6bdcd.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a2281df419.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...65a789b869.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...25ae02e84a.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...eff6e1cf0a.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a489c62718.jpg

A very elegant Merckx.
Chrome plating - definitely custom order.
The paint looks original.
Stickers correct (original or well-matched) - only "Columbus" on the seat tube is missing.
Interesting fact: unusual brake bridge pads in the shape of diamonds.
If you feel like it, dismantle the fork and check the inscriptions on the piece of paper attached to the fork steering tube - you may find the customer's name (and other curiosities) there.

OK, as long as they're providing the info for people when needed, that's good enough. I didn't know if you were trying to maintain a database and wanted the Ti exemplars as reference points. Mine has the 1996 decals and the EM engraving on the rear dropouts. My mechanic says that the first batch of Ti bikes that Litespeed did for Merckx didn't have the dropout markings, but the 2nd batch did. If that's accurate, that'd date it to late 1996, which is more precise than I really need as being able to find other images from 1996 with the exact same decal set on the internet was enough for me.

Your guesstimate for the age sounds about right. I've got one of those ti EX frames.....
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cd50d5cd5f.jpg
...like yours mine has the EM logo stamped on the stays, which I think are described as 'bullet' stays because of their shape. I love the deep 3d decals too on this model. Mine came as just a frame and fork and I built it up from there. It came with an old Kestral fork alu fork with a carbon wrap and a steel steerer, and so the fork you see above is a Columbus Max one I bought and added ay a later date.

Its been a few years since I contacted Litespeed to get it dated, so don't know if they still do it this way, but then the service was not free. I think I had to pay $10-15 for the info, but all that money went to some fund for injured cyclists or something I think, so it seemed a worthy cause so I stumped up the cash.

The serial numbers are printed very small on the BB shell. Mine is marked with what looks like 2760 2, and according to Litespeed this means it was built in November 1996.