wasnt sure to do this thread or saved from the dumpster since this is rattle can paint job. anyway, picked this up for one hundred, mainly for the campy record wheels, brakes,seatpost, derailleurs, etc.(cranks are advocet-ugh)
wondering, the seatpost is 160(no use for it at that size) might give a clue to the tubing however. the frame is big(no use for that either) but wondering if it is a high quality frame. i know motobecane did make some good ones and this does have good parts. any help appreciated.

It's one of the nicest looking Motobecane frames I've seen. Definitely a quality model.

That IS a nice looking Moto, and not like any I've seen. The details (fork crown, BB shell vents) are unique, but it sure seems like it could be a top model like Le Champion. Round headbadge will help date it, but how about a serial number, and what type of dropouts?

Need a picture of the whole bike from drive side.

700c rims?

I suspect that it is either a Champion (Reynolds 531) or a Team Champion (Columbus SP in that size). 70s. Great find.

Fine raw material there for sure - whatever it is it can be a gem, given a little TLC.

Congrats on finding another great Moto!

Weird, it has brazed on downtbe cable stops? And the fork crown doesnt look Moto-like. Looks like a quality frame, but is it a Motobecane?

The only Motos I have seen with the holes in the BB like yours were Team Champions and Le Champions. However I have never seen either with the brazed on guides on the down tube like this one has. I think, though, it is possibly a PO had them added and then the frame refinished.

thanks all for the ifo. getting exciting. i thought it was a junker. more pics-front dropout are campy. back are unmarked. maybe fork is not original??hopefully we can get more infor with these new pics

Fantastic diamond in the rough there, Joe. I concur - Le Champion/Team Champion - one of the two.

-Kurt

Is there a small tab on the underside of the downtube indicative of a shifter stop? The fork crown is not like any I have seen on a high end Moto, but the Campag ends say it is nice.

And a photographic pointer. If your camera has a macro setting, use it. The close shots are blurred and not of much use for discerning details.

My 74 Grand Touring has brazed on cable stops as pictured - so it seems to be a Moto thing. . .
Mine is also fully chromed under clear red lacquer - I suspect this one us too, and so there is great potential under that rattle can repaint.

Crap, all I ever find in dumpsters are Next Powerclimbs, I just leave them there. Joke's on you though, that frame is too big for me.

not sure about the macro setting will check. no small tab however that i could find. do you think the fork is original----put up some new new pics i hope theyre clearer. i set my camera at a different setting-hope it helps.

i think im going to put this on the trade thread and see what happens. if there is any tall riders out there

Are there any numbers stamped on the seat lug? If this is a mid seventies bike, there could be a 2 digit number there representing the year (rumor has it, but I doubt that is the case...) What is the date code of the Campy parts? That would be helpful with the ID, but I think that it is more likely to be a Le Champion because of the Campy components (the Team Champion had French stuff)

dont see a date on the seat lug but there is a star on the seat lug which i didnt notice before. the guy said he put the parts on the frame so im guessing he bought just the frame first and added the parts but im not sure

It's not a date, it's the seat angle... some people think that it was a date code and I kind of indicated that you should not believe that. Did the PO put a new headset as well?

that i dont know. it has the campy record headset. im assuming its french threading

I think that it is an NR and not a Record headset. Most people do not change the headsets. NR headset would indicate Le Champion

I believe you have it backwards. The Team Champion was "tout Campagnolo" for most of the 70s. Le Champion would often be Campag derailleurs with a French crank.

NR 3rd gen, IIRC.

-Kurt

Tell us about the bottom bracket. Is it TA or Campy? Is it Swiss thread (not right hand thread on both sides)?

So jealous of this find. My "find" is a 70's Grand Touring with a frame that is not quite as gorgeous (not even close). But, a nice welcoming into the French foray of cycling I suppose. Congrats on a nice find. Sorry I don't have anything substantial or informative to add to your thread

-Collin-

It sure does resemble my TC....

Only differences are the TT brazes and BB guides for cables. Later year?

My TC would also have a decal for a headbadge, unlike this....

Different fork crowns as well.

Very nice frame -- much nicer than any Moto I've seen around here. The indents on the chainstays look like the factory indents on Columbus SP stays. The Campy dropouts have had a serious amount of hand work on them -- this isn't the kind of thing that happens on a mass-produced frame. If it's a Motobecane it's a top of the line model, but I suspect it may actually be a custom frame.