Masi Fans:
I want to find the production date of a (repainted) Masi GC that I've bought. Excruciating detail enumerated below...
BOTTOM BRACKET: There's an M cutout. There's a +GF. The downtube tab has an oval cutout. The stampings thereabouts are in direct conflict with what I've been told is the norm: "61" above the cutout (frame size?) and "MC96" below (serial number?). The bracket is about 68.5mm wide and has a 112 spindle. From Jim Cunningham's notes on the CR site, if the bracket was stamped MC61 and 96, that would make this the 296th bike out of about 1550 made between '74 and '76 at the first location (was that Carlesbad?) and thus it's probably a '74, is that correct? On the other hand, since the size and serial number location are reversed from normal, gee, I don't know, is this some kind of freak?
TWIN-PLATE FORK: The fork has a twin-plate crown, and has the more-than-ample rake associated with GCs. The rake begins right off the bat: the headset crown-race seat appears to be milled into the leading edge of the crown. Gratuitous construction detail: the lower crown plate has oval holes big enough to accomodate both the fork blade and it's square-edged reinforcing tang; the remaining opening is filled with braze. Despite the repaint, the yellow between the fork-crown plates is original and through it one can see that the original bike color was a metallic blue/green (now it's silver with white panels). I looked at the steerer tube because I'd heard sometimes there's a date there, but no such luck. Its only marking (besides a spray of file scratches up the front) was the faintly engraved "REYNOLDS 531 BUTTED 16/13" just above the crown.
SEAT LUG The seat lug has a downward-pointing tang with 2 drilled holes, kinda like a Cinelli. The seatlug "ears" which house the seatpost binder bolt are filled-in solid -- I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before. I guess they don't bend when overtightened...and the weight isn't extravagant because there's a size XXXL gap between 'em.
HEAD LUGS The headlugs each have a reinforcing ring where they abut the headset.
FRAME ANGLES The head angle is slack enough that a Cinelli stem slopes upward (what's the standard Cinelli angle, 73 degrees?)
REGARDING THAT "61" The bike is 59cm c-c, and about 60.5cm c-t, so I guess the "61" must refer to the top of the seatlug point.
MAIN QUESTIONS: What's up with the BB stampings? Is this thing for real? Is it the 296th frame? Is '74 a reasonable estimated date?
Brad Stockwell Palo Alto
PS:
It rides nice. The unusual geometry makes it seem all nimble and eager
and quick and zippy. Which is especially surprising for a bike with me on
it.