Re: [CR] 1981 rare motobecane team champion

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Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:26:23 -0800
From: "verktyg" <verktyg@aol.com>
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
References: <SNT127-W3737C354DF890404879F2EA7E10@phx.gbl>
In-Reply-To:
Subject: Re: [CR] 1981 rare motobecane team champion


Greetings,

Interesting bike, my guess is that it was made in the red color and with that equipment for some team in your area. It probably originally had Motobecane decals on the down tube.

Motobecane like the other large French makers, Gitane and Peugeot, produced a lot of variations on their models, depending on the market were they were being sold.

"Caractéristiques sujet au changement sans communication préalable."

The 1974-76 Team Champions or Champion Team bikes were BIC orange and made out of Reynolds 531. In 1977 they switched to light blue and Reynolds 753 tubing for one year.

From 1978 on, Team Champions were made of Columbus SL tubing. They were painted light metallic blue for 1978 and 1979 like Freek Faro's bike.

I have 1978, 1980 and 1982 Team Champions. My 1978 is identical to Freek Faro's except it has dark blue decals instead on the nice metallic ones on Freek's bike.

The 1982 Team Champion is dark metallic blue. All of the Team Champions that I've seen from 1981 on are that color.

My 1980 is a custom respray and I've never seen any pictures of any 1980 Team Champions so I don't know what the original color was.

Whoever painted it did an excellent job of stripping the old paint so there is only a hint of the original color inside the head tube. It looks like it may have been light metallic blue.

My 1980 and 82 Team Champions have Cinelli bottom brackets as do all of the others that I've seen from the 1980s.

All of the Team Champions that I've seen have angle cut fillets where the dropouts are brazed into the chainstays and fork blades. That's a feature that I've only seen on Team Champion frames and what I use to determine the model.

I compiled some pictures of Motobecane Team Champions from 1974 through the early 1980s.

Note: ONLY 3 OF THE BIKES ARE MINE... The rest I copied from the internet. ;-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28267220@N05/sets/72157624510044572/

In the early 80s Gallic pride stepped in and the big 3 French bike makers fielded team bikes with all French components (except for Mavic/Spidel badged Modolo brakes or Weinmann brakes).

In 1984 the Motobecane Team Champion was advertised with all French components while the next model down, the Le Champion was equipped with all Campy NR/SR.

Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA

Arno Volkers wrote:
> Today my dad got a Motobecane Team CHampion For free from my Neighbour,
> it's in excellent condition, i only had to remove the dust.
>
> the strange thing is that there are no decals on the bike, only "motobecane" in an plastic
> relief on the uppertube and a front badge. this was the original bike setup, not really beautifull
> but special in a way.
>
> check the pictures here:
> i don't need informaion about the bike, it's just nice t have a look
>
> http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/Arno/motobecane/

>

> regards:

>

> arno volkers