Well, evidently it is a "real", i.e. French-bulit Motobecane, but I sure don't remember a "Super Champion" being sold in the US In The Day. Perhaps, as someone suggested, this was a European-only model. Your headtube decal is much different than the one which started this thread. Also, that one doesn't have a chromed fork crown and its decal is 531 DB maintubes only, whereas yours sounds like 531 DB throughout. If the 531 DB maintubes decal is original, it is mid 70's, so perhaps the Super Champion was downgraded a bit between the late 60's and mid 70's.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Pat Moffat <rocketman_531@msn.com> wrote: I have owned a Motobecane Super Champion for 20 years, and I can assure you it is not a Taiwan-built bike. It had been ridden extensively by the time I acquired it, and I have always thought it to be a late 60's or early 70's bike. It is orange with black graphics, 'Super Champion' on the top tube with arrow points on either side. The headtube decal is a white M on black background. French lang. 531 (diagonal) decal at the top of seat tube (most of it worn away). Campy dropouts--the rear dropouts look thinner than usual. Long point lugs, with a beautiful chromed fork crown. Serial number is 9451, stamped on BB shell. The shell has five holes drilled in a line, larger ones near the center. Size is 61.5 CT. I wonder if the paint is Lacquer...it has the 'crazed' look of black spider webs. I bought it from the guy who owned Cosmic Cycles in Flagstaff, back when the shop was a destination for bike junkies looking for old classics, parts, or just to chat. He said that his father had owned the bike, and that it had hung in the rafters for a few years after his father had died. He was reluctant to let it go, but after asking gently for three successive summers, he agreed to sell it to me. I promised him that I would never sell the bike, and I ride it to this day. It is a beautiful bike, a great ride. I built it with full campy and rode it that way for years. More recently it has been a fixed gear.
I wish I knew more about the history of my bike.
Pat Moffat
Tempe AZ USA
classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 8:05 AM Subject: Re: [CR]Motobecane Super Champion info (Duncan Granger)
Very odd bike. Motobecane made Le Champion and Team Champion, but I never heard of a "Super Champion". Plus the headtube decal is completely different from anything I ever knew of Motobecane using. I'm thinking this may be this is a Taiwan-built bike from whoever bought the Motobecane name when they went into bankruptcy. Of course that would mean that the French 531 decal is bogus.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
dgranger@comcast.net wrote: During my daily perusal of Fixed Gear Gallery, I came upon this Motobecane Super Champion submission. The owner is looking for more information about the model - says he can't find anything by searching on Google. Looks to be early 70s to me...
Possibly someone on the list with more knowledge about Motobecane than myself (I know almost nothing) would be willing to email the guy with some background on his frame? his email address is at the bottom of the description on the page:
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/
Hopefully one of you francophiles can help him out!!
have a good day!
Duncan Granger York, PA
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