>Perhaps covered before, but what was the 753 fiasco?
>
>Tom Adams in Kansas City
>
Tom, what I am about to tell you is unsubstantiated and I do not know if it
is totaly accurate. It was explained to me by an old Motobecane dealer from
Upstate New York after showing him my NOS '77 753 Team Champion. It was not
covered on the list by me so here goes. Motobecane was using Reynolds
tubing up to, and including 1977. Reynolds new revolutionary 753 was also
introduced in '77. As we know, Reynolds required all 753 users to be
Reynolds certified. Motobecane submitted their test kit but before they
were certified, they began building the "Champion Team". It was a custom
order only Motobecane that was built with 753. No one that I have talked
with knows how many of these actually made it to the US. I have heard as
little as 10 and as many as 50. Either number is small. Supposedly the
reason for this low number is that Reynolds got wind of Motobecane building
these frames that they took orders for, without being certified yet, so
Reynolds yanked their endorsement from Motobecane. That would also explain
the reason why Motobecanes were built with Columbus and Vitus until the
early eighties. This new Model was to go toe-to-toe with the Peugeot PY-10.
Things starting going down hill for Motobecane after that point. I don't
know if the 753 fiasco had anything to do with that. If anyone on the list
has any info to back this up or contradict, please expound.
Plug for Mike Kone - Mike sold me the NOS frame N fork with the box. I needed money after our second child was born and Mike was gracious enough to buy it back for what I had paid him for it. Even after I had hung parts on it. It is a beautiful piece of French framework and I believe Mike still has it for sale. It would be well worth someones while. If anyone on the list buys it, let me know and I will ship you the original box for free.
Don Andersen Columbia, MD
PS. It was great to put some faces to the words at the Westminster show. I just wish I could have spent more time there. Larry's area was spiritual to say the least.