Hello all!
I acquired a nos (and still untracked :roll: ) Manitou FS frame, M2 fork and some bits and I have been several months trying to finish a copy of the bike J.Beneke used in 1993, the year he won the DH World Championship. I have not been able to find much info (I thought I would but nope), just three or four more or less clear pics and a some bad quality videos...and there are some different setups (sometimes one chainring-sometimes three; sometimes bar ends-sometimes not....) In any case, this is the kit that I have been able to find:
Manitou frame 1993
Manitou 2 1-1/4 fork
Manitou/Ringlé seatpost
Manitou with Ringle3DV ti stix seat QR
Manitou stem but I will use a silver A-TAC 1-1/4 quill
Hyperlite 3DV handlebar (right now a Control Tech that will be swapped with new one I have on a Merlin)
Headset: right now I have a 3DV CK 1 1/4 but I have a black Kingsbery on the way (spec´d at least for the beginning of 94 per a german mag). I am fairly nervous about changing the headset in this frame... :|
Magura yellow brakes
M900 mechs (sometimes he did not use the front one as he went with only one chainring)
M900 Cassette
Wheels were not clear so I opened a topic here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=314126
And I tried to contact Steve Gravenites as he built wheels for Juergen per: http://www.gravywheels.com/116.html and I also tried J.Beneke through Facebook with no success.
In the end, as per Boxxer reply on the topic and http://mombat.org/MOMBAT/BikeHistoryPages/Mavic.html , Mavic 117 SUP ceramic 36h are the only SUP Ceramic before 1994 and are strong rims too, so those are the ones I will use (they are on the way).
Hubs will be M900 36h
And tyres should be Ritchey Megabite ZMAX WCS skinwalls in 2.1 or 2.35 (I have a "Wanted" topic)
M900 crankset with a 48 large one
BB I have one installed but I will have to check the chainline
Right hand/gears Grip Shift SRT500 8sp (I only found a NOS right hand but no left one
)
I think I have Flite saddle around
I am still short of the tyres (it is becoming a hard one), the left gripshift shifter (not necessary for an only one chainring configuration), Team Ritchey bar ends (sometimes not used...) and handgrips (which I don´t know which ones would be best).
One thing I have no idea is what kind of ring bashguard he used so any help would be greatly appreciated.
This is being a slow project also because i live in the Canary Islands and I have most of the things at my parents house in mainland Spain.
I acquired a nos (and still untracked :roll: ) Manitou FS frame, M2 fork and some bits and I have been several months trying to finish a copy of the bike J.Beneke used in 1993, the year he won the DH World Championship. I have not been able to find much info (I thought I would but nope), just three or four more or less clear pics and a some bad quality videos...and there are some different setups (sometimes one chainring-sometimes three; sometimes bar ends-sometimes not....) In any case, this is the kit that I have been able to find:
Manitou frame 1993
Manitou 2 1-1/4 fork
Manitou/Ringlé seatpost
Manitou with Ringle3DV ti stix seat QR
Manitou stem but I will use a silver A-TAC 1-1/4 quill
Hyperlite 3DV handlebar (right now a Control Tech that will be swapped with new one I have on a Merlin)
Headset: right now I have a 3DV CK 1 1/4 but I have a black Kingsbery on the way (spec´d at least for the beginning of 94 per a german mag). I am fairly nervous about changing the headset in this frame... :|
Magura yellow brakes
M900 mechs (sometimes he did not use the front one as he went with only one chainring)
M900 Cassette
Wheels were not clear so I opened a topic here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=314126
And I tried to contact Steve Gravenites as he built wheels for Juergen per: http://www.gravywheels.com/116.html and I also tried J.Beneke through Facebook with no success.
In the end, as per Boxxer reply on the topic and http://mombat.org/MOMBAT/BikeHistoryPages/Mavic.html , Mavic 117 SUP ceramic 36h are the only SUP Ceramic before 1994 and are strong rims too, so those are the ones I will use (they are on the way).
Hubs will be M900 36h
And tyres should be Ritchey Megabite ZMAX WCS skinwalls in 2.1 or 2.35 (I have a "Wanted" topic)
M900 crankset with a 48 large one
BB I have one installed but I will have to check the chainline
Right hand/gears Grip Shift SRT500 8sp (I only found a NOS right hand but no left one

I think I have Flite saddle around
I am still short of the tyres (it is becoming a hard one), the left gripshift shifter (not necessary for an only one chainring configuration), Team Ritchey bar ends (sometimes not used...) and handgrips (which I don´t know which ones would be best).
One thing I have no idea is what kind of ring bashguard he used so any help would be greatly appreciated.
This is being a slow project also because i live in the Canary Islands and I have most of the things at my parents house in mainland Spain.