https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...259067289&rd=1 will take you to what looks to be a very nice Motobecan Gran Jubilee of probably early 1970s vintage.

Desireable bike but the bidding blows me away. Over $400 and under reserve? There's a similar vintage Grand Record up right now too, will close later today and it's barely over $200.

I'm all for the higher prices as I recently acquired a 1978 Gran Jubilee for ~$80 on eBay. I was the lone bidder so that means the price was probably a little high. I don't mind as I wanted the bike.

The GJ that I posted the link too is more desireable from a collector's point than mine as it's a few years older and has all French components (Huret ders, the SunTour on mine probably work better) and it looks completely original wheras mine has a non-original seat and lost it's toeclips. B/c of all that I can see that GJ bringing more bids than mine but does French components and a Brooks saddle add up to a $320 difference? (and counting as the bike is still under reserve).

Any thoughts from the assembled experts?

Again, I'm happy for the seller. I dpn't plan to sell mine but it's nice to know I've got a pretty good shot at making a few $ if I do.



edit: I left out some info. The bike is being sold by CyclArt though I'm not sure it's one of their resprays. Buy it Now of $699.99. That's alot of money for a Gran Jubilee.

Btw here's a link for the GR: https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...690301952&rd=1

Ebay's values are completely random and subject to the whims of the various bidders, phase of the moon, whatever. I have seen some truly insane bidding wars. An ad-hoc pump for 350$? The week before a complete vintage PX10 with a nearly mint ad-hoc sold for 435$ (?). I know the pump on the PX was mint because I bought the bike. Makes no sense.

Last Gran Jubilee I bought was 15$ (late 70's, I think). Most of it is still in the basement.

I'm for higher prices when I sell and lower ones when I buy.

Seems kinda steep to me. From what I've seen, a 70's racer with 531 or Columbus frame and Campy NR equipment sells in the $500 - 600 range if it's clean. Paramounts bring more, but that's another story. Not that I'm disparaging Huret equipment, but I don't have the fondest memories of its longevity - just can't see paying that much.

Not bad when you look at what $600 will buy you new. It won't ride as smooth as the classic, and it sure won't be finished nearly as well.

One of my riding buddies around 1980 had a high end Motobecane. Orange in color, all Campy NR/SR, but I can't remember what it was called. Nice bike.

I set out to get another example of my old college days racing bike - Falcon San Remo 76, ended up buying two of them. Paid $500 for one that was pretty much mint, but the frame was a bit small for me. One showed up on ebay last month that was the correct size, but was rather neglected, been hanging in a garage for 20 years, so I snapped it up for $225, and it's currently under cleanup. Who would have thought those Campy gum brake hoods would be so expensive these days... especially with most other NR gear selling for next to nothing...

The Orange Motobecane that belonged to your buddy is the Team Champion model, the top of the Motobecane line. This model was ridden to victory by the late Luis Ocana in the Tour de France in 1973.
He beat second place Bernard Thevenet by 16 minutes! The lugs on this model were hand filed, the craftmanship was better than most top end frames at the time and the frames were only available in small quantities. If I ever find one in my size, I'll grab it! As it is, I have the Team Champion model that came out the year after they stopped making it in team orange. While nice, it's not as nice as the other. It was also built with Columbus tubing throughout and is a metallic blue. The frame geometry is also different. It has a more relaxed head and seat tube angle, making for a very comfortable ride.

Having worked at a shop in the 70's that sold the Motobecane brand, it's interesting to note how quality endures. At the time, all of us in the shop thought the Motobecane paint jobs were the best among all of the brands we sold. Instead of decals, they silk screened the graphics on the frames, even on the lower end models. They also had a very cool, elegant looking head badges and those ornate nervex lugs. The example on e-bay, while appearing expensive to us old-timers probably reflects the increasing collectability of these bikes. Part of what you're buying is "art". I think that while the e-bay example is in wonderful condition, if I were to buy a Grand Jubilee from this era, it would absolutely, positively have to be in the silver and red combination.

No one asked..But I thought I'd attach a few pics of my Motobecane Team Champion, if only because I've never posted pics on this forum. I bought this new as a frameset sometime around '76 or possibly as late as '78. I rode and raced it, then after we were married, I set it up for my wife, hence the blue anodized Nitto bars and Shimano 600 Crankset. Unusual parts include a french-thread Campy SR headset and french diameter (22.0) stem. Frame and fork are Columbus.

Pretty bike Tom. Those cranks DO stand out.

About the time you were selling Motos I was buying my first "real bike" a Moto Nomade. It was their entry model, but as you noted, was finished extremely well. With some barcons an a cheap alloy wheelset that bike carried me around S. Fla for a long time.

I was attached to Jubilees b/c that was the bike I really wanted but couldn't afford. Mine is gold/brown. Every scheme I've seen is attractive.

Did we exchange posts on the RoadBike Review site about a Moto Grand Record?

If so, glad to see you hear. The retro page here gets a little more traffic, I think.

I checked and yes, we did exchange posts at RoadBike Review. My interest in retro bikes comes from the many great memories I had working in the retail and wholesale bike industry as well as lots of great riding! It's been very interesting watching the cycling industry evolve...

Agree with you on the quality. The pair of old Falcons I've obtained exhibit a fit and finish that you just don't find on new bikes anymore. Mirror finish on the paint, elaborate head tube badge, hand filed and chromed head tube lugs, chromed rear stays and sloping crown fork... my modern ride may be a bit lighter and have space age shifters, but park it next to one of these old beauties and it just doesn't compare. The 30 year old Campy components are still in excellent condition, too.

Same color scheme as my Jubile & the paint & chrome is in better shape to despite being older. I agree the price is pretty high compared to what I see around here but if 2 people want it, the price can really take off. I got pretty excited a while back when a French "Pryma" leather saddle that is identical to one I have, sold for over $600.00 to a Japanese bidder. But I realize these prices aren't necessarily repeatable.

Walter: A fellow at work pointed out that the Grand Jubile on e-Bay appears to have a Huret Jubile derailleur which is very sought after by Francophiles especially if it has the Huret "retro friction" shift levers. Said that alone could be the reason for the high bid price. Don

Interesting Don. The bike has been relisted w/o reserve.

Saw the Huret der but didn't realize it was a Jubile. I know that der. had a wide following but while I like the Motobecane marque I don't stay up with much of the French components. The ones I remember the most from my teen days were SunTour equipped and the ones I couldn't afford but lusted after had Campy changers and Stronglight cranks with a variety of brakes.

I'm with you, most of the French Derailleurs I've ridden were unimpressive, I prefer the high end SunTour or Shimano of the era. By the way, I had a Nomade for a while. Got it at a yard sale hereabouts when the pantographed cranks caught my eye. I gave it to a friend who rode it awhile then passed it on to his son who took it with him to Princeton Seminary couple years ago. Story ends there as it was stolen this past term. Hope it found a good home. Don