CR FOLK:
I'm on-the-hunt for a Masi Timeline. Anybody got one? Specific questions below:
SEATSTAY CAPS: 50's and 60's Masis have flat caps, is that right? Did the fluted style start with the Gran Criterium model(1970 I've heard)? Did all Eddie's Faema/Solo Superia bikes have flat caps or did Eddie ever ride flutes? Also, are the flutes on early 70's bikes fabricated from tubing or are they "just" cast plugs? Also, what year did they switch to the one with the stylized 'M' on it?
FORK CROWNS: In the mid-70's there was a flat crown and a twin-plate crown. I take it that there are both Italian and US Masis with the twin-plate crown, is that right? What year was the first twin-plate made, and what year was the last? During the years that the twin-plate crown was made, were all Masis made that way, or was it just some of 'em? Why did they quit making 'em: were they too much trouble to build or were they just un-good for some reason? What year did they start using sloping crowns on the Gran Criterium?
BRAZE ONS: What year did they start using brazed-on brake cable guides on the top-tube? Also, mid seventies GCs seem to have brazed-on bottle bosses and top-o-the-bracket cable guides: what year did they start using those as opposed to the venerable clamp-ons?
BOTTOM BRACKET: Before the M-cutout, some Masi BBs have a collection of slots. What year did they switch from slots to M's?
MARKINGS: What was the first year for the decal set in use on the late 70's US bikes, the one with the flags all-in-a-row under "GRAN CRITERIUM"? Also: it has been noted that in this decal set, one side of the downtube decal has the American flag and the other side has the German flag -- is it correct that the drive-side usually shows the German flag, or was it totally random?
NUMBERING SYSTEM: It was my impression that the practice on early US bikes was to have the tabs stamped with MC(size) and a serial number. But some seem to have MC(serial number) and the size. Is there any significance to that? (See for example the one on Ebay right now, item #1031304642 that someone pointed out the other day, which is too small for me --of course-- but is a 58 that is marked MC28, with 58 at the top of the tab).
I realize that this is an awful lot of questions, but if anybody has partial answers to this bit or that bit I'd appreciate finding out. And if there's already a timeline somewhere that has this sort of info I'd love to know that too.
Brad Stockwell
No Masi, but working on it...
Palo Alto