Charles Nighbor wrote:
A nice example of a Masi 3V model I wonder at times why this method of inte rnal lugged construction never spread to other KOF. All you have to do is c ut tubes perpendicular avoiding mitering tubes to each other.
Charles, In some ways I think you've answered your own question with "all you have t o do is..." While wonder why this construction method did not become more popular in the broader market, it really is pretty much the o pposite of KOF. It was a newfangled way of reducing the labor requir ements of building lightweight frames. I suspect that initial overall costs were high because of the devlopment work for the castings, but if it had caught on it would have extened upon the cheapening of produc tion brought by external investment cast lugs (also devloped, at least in part, by Masi). I think the 3Vs, especially the early ones, were re ally cool bikes, but I also see it as ironic that they came from the sa me company that brought us those hand wrought gems from the 70's and earl ier.
Tom Dalton
Bethlehem, PA, USA