Who can tell me which model of GT this titanium frame is? I've never seen before.

[Betsy]

Yep.. i still love it, but this thread is all bullshit.

If OP would have just been honest and said it was a Ti replica or repro, i'd still find it interesting.. alas

 

[d8mok]

What I mean is, if this frame is a counterfeit, it shouldn’t have been made in recent years. Because to achieve a detailed replica, you’d need a factory with machining capabilities, not just a place that can only weld tubes. The welding quality of such factories would be much better than this frame. Although in China, few people perform secondary welding (due to low efficiency), the possibility that this frame was made many years ago is indeed higher. However, he said he bought it on eBay, and of course, I can’t guarantee that he’s telling the truth.

EBay doesn’t mean it’s genuine. Likely the opposite.

Maybe it was done 10 years ago , or 20 …..

It’s still a Chinese fake ultimately.

It’s also not a 1 for 1 replica. Maybe 90% but as it many watches or other fake items

 

[d8mok]

Sorry, yes the dropout

I’ll check tomorrow.

 

[henrysthreeironbands]

where is the lynx now?

 

[ppurist]

Their titanium welding may have improved in terms of building space shuttles / jets and whatever else, but I imagine a good portion of their bike frames are still thrown together by children on 10p a day.

You might be joking, but as a matter of fact, there are very mature titanium frame factories in Xi'an and at Hilight in Beijing, China. Hilight Beijing has many of its own CNC machines as well as titanium 3D printing equipment. Welding titanium requires special qualifications, and the wages of these welders are quite high. However, their production is indeed focused on efficiency, unlike some dedicated builders or studios like Moots.So the titanium frames they produce are not refined enough.

 

[ppurist]

Yep.. i still love it, but this thread is all bullshit.

If OP would have just been honest and said it was a Ti replica or repro, i'd still find it interesting.. alas

Hahaha, but I'm not the seller. To be honest, I originally wanted to buy it, which is why I hoped someone could tell me if it's real or fake. But now I've dropped that idea.

 

[Betsy]

That's enough for me.. goodnight everyone

 

[d8mok]

You might be joking, but as a matter of fact, there are very mature titanium frame factories in Xi'an and at Hilight in Beijing, China. Hilight Beijing has many of its own CNC machines as well as titanium 3D printing equipment. Welding titanium requires special qualifications, and the wages of these welders are quite high. However, their production is indeed focused on efficiency, unlike some dedicated builders or studios like Moots.So the titanium frames they produce are not refined enough.

It seems you have more knowledge of Chinese Ti frames than anyone here……

 

[ppurist]

It seems you have more knowledge of Chinese Ti frames than anyone here……

Of course, as I said, I customize titanium frames for many people. Although I don't work for a factory, I can draw CAD and SolidWorks designs for frames or 3D parts. But I love frames with a history. I got to know this seller precisely because I understand the titanium alloy industry, so I'm sure this frame shouldn't be a recent counterfeit. Moreover, very few people would really replicate a bike with such meticulous attention to detail, especially many years ago—unless, like making wine, someone decided to create a counterfeit that's indistinguishable from the real thing many years in advance.

 

[ferrus]

So what's the consensus on when this was most likely made then?
How long have fabricators like XACD been doing commissions? (this doesn't look like their work though). Could it have been made 20-30 years ago?
Although the OP says the welding isn't up to contemporary Chinese standards, I've seen plenty in recent years no neater than this. I don't think it's any indication that it was made BITD (or outside of CN). It could've been copied from a 90s Zaskar any time since...
One-off customer commission or factory project?