Re: [CR]Calling All MC Masis

(Example: Racing:Beryl Burton)

Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2002 13:25:27 -0700
From: "Brian Baylis" <rocklube@adnc.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Calling All MC Masis
References: <F22woz1dYCjsHn8ygfS0001a0bd@hotmail.com>


Brad,

I can help a little bit regarding the early Calif. Masis.

All CA Masis under serial number 1000 that were built using the Dubois lugs will have the holes in the tang of the seat lug. The investment cast lugs will not have the holes, but do have the trianglar window in the back of the seat lug where the seat slot goes.

Dating the Masi from Carlsbad using der., hub, or crankarm dates will only make you think all of the bikes were built in 1973. Almost none of them were built in 1973. The initial shipment of groups to Carlsbad were all dated 1973 and there were so many parts compared to the amount of frames built that almost all original Carlsbad Masis have 1973 groups on them.

Regarding the "Masi America" seat tube bands. First to dispell an urban myth. The Masi America seat tube bands WERE NOT made for the 1976 bicentennial! They were there from the day I arrived in Nov. 1973. We (the workers and painters) did not like the America bands because they looked "out of place" on the Masi that we all knew and loved. They were made and therefore got used upon occassion while I was there the first time. Perhaps they saw more use later but I suspect not. Why they were put on some frames and not others is a question I never got an answer to. When I was decaling frames back then it seemed strictly arbitrary which we used but I always opted for the world bands unless instructed to do otherwise.

The twin plate crowns were relativly short-lived in Carlsbad because they were such a nightmare to assemble. I'm not sure why Mario or somebody didn't figure out that all that needed to be done would have been to braze the top part of the crown to the steerer before assembly of the rest of the fork and everything would have been fine; but it didn't happen. (BTW, rumor was that the reason the crowns ended up in Carlsbad in the first place was that the same problems were present in Italy). Little known fact; Mike Howard quit in a huff one day because Mario was riding him about these fork problems. Of course Mike was quite new to framebuilding and Mario was blaming Mike for what was happening when in fact the problem was the crown. Shortly thereafter the use of the twinplate crown stopped.

Interesting piece of information regarding the twin plate crown. The reason Faliero had them made in the first place was because the traditional Fischer "box" crown was being imitated by too many people. Faliero wanted something distinctive and had them made exclusivly for Masi and no one else. They first appeared in 1972 and generally were out of the picture by 1974. Because forks are made in large batches so they can be sent in volume to a plater for a good discount; there were twin plate crowns around the shop for quite a while.

This may help streamline your quest for information. If you have any other questions regarding these bikes feel free to ask; I never seem to know the answers but it's fun trying. ;-)

Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA