Mystery Bike

[velomaniac]

Wild guess based on a set of forks I have that are the spit of those on the bike and fit the more utilitarian frame build and that guess is Kettler.

Kettler are a German sports equipment maker, you may have seen table tennis equipment made by them. They jumped on the early atb bandwagon in the 80's, may still make bikes for all I know.

As for the Suntour Mountech kit, keep it, its rare, sh*** but rare, I have a rear mech. Mountech didn't work, it was clever but didn't really function well and was soon replaced by Suntour XC which was better..........ish

 

[kaya]

Not much info on 80's Kettler mtb's but I have found some letters stamped in the rear dropouts........ WKCL...... if that helps jog anyones memory??

 

[kaya]

Bumpy.......... memory jog

I think this is going to used for parts, so I can make my Saracen Kili Shimano free

 

[Dr S]

Strange. My guess is its earlier than 84. There were cheaper MTB specific parts available by 84 ie cranksets. If you were trying to knock out cheap mtbs in 84 why go for an expensive TA crankset instead of something like a Sugino? That Campagnolo headset isn't a budget offering either. My guess its from around 82 when mtb parts were still tricky to get hold of. Frame looks more 'made in Japan' than Taiwan too.

My guess is Motobecane. A few years back I saw a old bike outside the cafe in Dalby with the same parts mix. On closer inspection it turned out to be a Motobecane. I cannot recall any particular frame features apart from a lack of lugs around the head, but it certainly looks familiar.
My thoughts are that there could have been a bike shop somewhere in the North East that were importing the odd MTB around the time that FW Evans were starting with their own bikes- and have always been considered to be the first in the UK.
I know two swallows don't make a summer, but thats a pretty interesting bike from the very dawn of the UK scene. The fact that this bike came from Hull and the other bike spotted in Dalby might suggest there is more to the story than we currently know.

Si

 

[FluffyChicken]

No info from the chap you bought it from ?

Just south of here (North Lincs) had quite a few frame builders and importing iirc. You'll need to ask Old Ned or similar about that though.

When did Bridgestone start ( layed back for a Bridgestone)
Univegas (and associated )etc..

 

[Rod_Saetan]

84 with MTBs I believe, they had frames of exceptional quality though, this does not look particularly exceptional.

Mid 80s MTB porn:

 

[kaya]

I wished it was a Bridgestone, the mystery frame really doesn't warrant the parts that are on it.
Unless it is a motobecane ? the parts on the bike says quality and there are some nice touches on the frame but other bit of the frame say cheap.

There are brass rivets on the head tube where a cast type head tube badge used to be so some one was happy to put there name to it.

The old boy I picked it up from said it was his sons and he owned it for a bout twenty years.

So any one else think they know what it is ?

 

[Tazio]

Is it maybe a cheaper brand that someone has thrown expensive parts at? Not impossible, this site is covered in bikes dripping with XTR, Hope, King etc that originally had STX.

 

[FluffyChicken]

MT Becane 1984 though and not much detail.
I think from a quick search that the stays are wrong though and they are welded into the back in this picture ?

 

[kaya]

MT Becane 1984 though and not much detail.
I think from a quick search that the stays are wrong though and they are welded into the back in this picture ?

Pic no work

I was thinking that the fame maybe had been upgraded with parts from a higher quality bike, but there are things on it that don't make any sense.

The cable stop on the down tube made from aluminum :? why do that when its easer to use the braising torch they had in there hand while they were making the frame.

The brass rivets that held the head tube badge on :? why when its cheaper and easer to use vinyl or slide transfers.

As mrlee said, it looks like a reasonable quality front triangle and a poor quality rear triangle

Maybe its not 84ish maybe its earlier and had some later components fitted, it also uses a 21.1 quill so that also points to cheap or very early.

I was hoping some one would recognize it from the pics, but no luck yet.

Thanks for all the help so far chaps