New Cyclist Old Motobecane
 

I was planning on going on a bike tour through Nova Scotia this summer with my wife. I own a beautiful old (80s) Motobecane Grand Touring bike, which I'd like to set up for touring for her. Any recommendations?
Cheers!

First, make sure the bike is a good fit for her. No point in rigging it out if it's not going to be a reasonably comfortable ride. Next, the gearing is very likely too high. Bring that down to mtb range for loaded touring in hilly terrain. 48/36/26 at the most. After fit and gearing issues are settled, all that's left are racks. Axiom makes a nice line of front and rear racks for reasonable prices. Nice panniers too. Oh, mount some puncture resistant tires.

Make sure her ride is as comfortable as you can make it. If that means buying her a new, dedicated touring bike, then so be it. The Motobecane would look nice in a museum.

Agreed: Make fit the first priority. If the Motobecane does not fit her body and riding style, she is likely to be miserable.

I bought a Motobecane touring bike in 1979 -- I don't remember the model -- and it was OK, but nothing special. When it was stolen six years later, I replaced it with a Miyata 1000, which was noticeably better.

I own, and ride regularly, a 1980 Motebecane Grand Touring. It's a reasonably comfortable bike. But it's old, and french. It's got a swiss threaded BB, french theaded headset, french handlebar diameter. it's geared too high for touring (48/38, I think), though there was a triple in some years.

new handlebar tape

Motobecane Grand Touring bikes evolved during the seventies and early eighties. During the seventies there were a lot of Grand Tourings on the road with loaded panniers. Many of the early ones did not have any brazeons and had a double crank. I have one of those, and it would make a decent touring bike. The last GTs had more braze-ons and a Stronglight triple crank. They also had centerpulls, not cantilevers. Perhaps they aren't as good as the Specialized Expedition, or Miyata 1000, but they will stillget you where you are going.

Thanks for the input!