silverknight

I am trying to date my Motobecane super champion. I bought this bike second hand about 15 yrs ago and have updated it and had it repainted. it is now in MBK team lotto colours of the early nineties fitted with Shimano N105 group set and Mavic MA2 rims. When I bought it it had glue on tyres or tubs and was lilac in colour with crome fork ends. It is made of Renolds 531 tubing. I would welcome any ideas on age.
Regards,
Silverknight

dck

Pictures?

CV-6 

This is only the second time I have ever heard of a Super Champion Motobecane. The first being an eBuy auction a few months back. The pics I saw on the auction reminded me of Le Champion, as does your description of the tubing and the color. Strictly based on that, mid to late 70s. A pic of the bike would be helpful as the headbadge would narrow down the vintage.

Blue Order

+1

If it is a Le Champion, pity you changed the original color.

pragueinspring

T-Mar gave me this link to look up the dates of components, like a Derailleur,

https://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm#suntour

Maybe that would help? Because I've looked all over the internet, and there is little to no valuable information about Motobecane's. The most I found was a ranking of their catalogue. Nomade's being the bottom. And Super Champion's being quite a bit better.

Good luck in dating it!

mswantak

Something else that can help date it is the frame decals (if you still remember what they looked like). For instance, the downtube decals, 'Motobecane Made in France'. If they were in that squared-off script they used, it'd be mid-'70s or before. If it was in heavy capitals, late '70s. Older models had a square headbadge, later ones used a round design. The older seat tube decal had 'MOTOBECANE' in condensed capitals above the winged profiles logo; later ones used the winged 'M' in red, white and blue. The model name on the toptube was in the square script on older ones; later models used a heavy, bouncy looking brush script.

pragueinspring

mswantak, do you have any pictures? I'd be interested.

mswantak

What exactly did you want pictures of?

pragueinspring

Of the different fonts & markings. It would be interesting to take into consideration these things when looking for Motobecane's.

If you had photos, it'd be great

mswantak

I'll see if I can put something together.

CV-6 

Can you provide a link for that ranking? I am unable to locate it.

pragueinspring

I'm sorry, which ranking?

If it helps, all the links are at the top of the page. If not, please inquire further - I'll try to help!

CV-6 

The rankings in the first post I quoted that I have put in bold to which you referred.

At the top of what page? The only link you provide is for Trek info. Specifically on what website did you find the Motobecane catalog to which you referred? My curiosity is piqued.

silverknight

Thanks for the info guys. The frame was the same as the one on ebay except mine has a metal head badge that says motobecane france and a pair of black wings.

Blue Order

Mid to late 70s.

pragueinspring

Ah! CV-6, here is the link. It's nothing particularly special, as it's not much.

https://www.classicrendezvous.com/Fra...obecane_Hm.htm

And, while yes those are Trek components, you can use the information to date Derailleurs such as SunTour's models which can be found on late 70's Motobecane's. Two of the Four I've seen in town, anyways.

CV-6 

Sigh...and no mention of Super Champion to be found.

silverknight

Thanks for all the info guys. One last thing i forgot is that my lovely bike has a very expensive french threaded bottom bracket and has a badge the same as the 70's 80's badge as in the presious link. go for one last guess and i will make a best guess based on your guesses

Blue Order

Le Champion, not Super Champion, based on the paint, unless you saw factory script on the top tube that said "Super Champion." I doubt that Motobecane built a "Super Champion," but I could be wrong. '76 to '79 would be my guess. Somebody else may have a better idea of the dates that Motobecane used that style headbadge.

mswantak

I believe 1977 was the year they started using the round headbadge.

Blue Order

Are you sure? Motobecane had gone to Swiss thread by 1977, which would be the earliest date of your bike according to that head badge.

CV-6 

As I said in an earlier post, second time I heard mention of Super Champion Motobecane. Here is the link to the old eBuy auction where I first saw one.

Moto Super Champion

As you can see, it does indeed say Super Champion. Perhaps a European model? Check out the head badge.

Blue Order

Yes, it looks like there was a Super Champion. Good sleuthing, CV-6. I do know that the Motobecane page on Classic Rendezvous does not give a complete line-up of the Motobecanes, so maybe this fits in there somewhere, but was not mentioned? Or maybe, as you said, it was a European model?

I've never seen a "head badge" like that before, either.

I'm still wondering about that French thread bottom bracket as well-- I was under the impression Motobecane had made the switch to Swiss thread by the time those round head badges came out.

Motofan

Yup, my '78 Grand Touring (round head badge) has a Swiss threaded BB, for sure. Also, my '81 Mirage Sport (square head badge). But my '81 Randonnee (round head badge) has an English threaded BB (Taiwan frame may have something to do with it). So maybe Moto was a bit inconsistent in this area?

CV-6 

Some further observations. Look at the lack of braze ons. Not even a RD stop. The 531 marking is in the position that was used in the mid to late 70s. This is similar to an orange Luis Ocana frame that I saw on eBuy and now that I think about it, I have seen a Team Champion in the same color blue. But like you, never saw a Motobecane badge like that one. But then the Ocana frame I saw had some funky foil Motobecane markings on it. Ocana's frames were Geminis rebadged.