spin.
MOTOBECANE LE CHAMPION TEAM TITANIUM
Shimano Di2
The Motobecane name has a long
and storied history in the archives
of European cycling. Founded
in France in 1923 the company
originally produced bicycles, mopeds
and motorcycles. Throughout the
1960’s and 1970’s Motobecane’s were
mainstays in the French and European
pelotons. In 1981 the company filed
for bankruptcy, but was reorganized
in 1984 after being purchased by
Yamaha for the motorcycle and
scooter divisions. The company was
renamed MBK and now is one of
the largest scooter manufacturers in
Europe. Separate from the French
company, Motobecane USA keeps the
Motobecane name’s rich heritage alive
via Taiwan and Japan.
The Le Champion Team Titanium
sits at the top of the Motobecane
line. It is constructed with butted
3/2.5 Titanium tubing. The front
triangle uses a slightly sloping top tube
design with oversized tubes mated
to a machined head tube that houses
an internal 1.125-inch headset. The
tube features a rounded triangular
profile, while the down tube is bi-axial
ovailzed to increase bottom bracket
and front triangle stiffness. The chain
and seat stays use conventional tube
profiles connected via breezer style
dropouts with a replaceable derailleur
hanger. The weld quality on the Le
Champion Team is extremely good
with small even welds. The frame is
then mated to a AeroCarbon SL high
modulus monocoque 3K carbon fiber
fork with a carbon steerer.
The Ride
Titanium frames are renowned for
their lively and responsive feel. The
Le Champion Team lives up to this
reputation and produces a ride quality
that is pure Titanium. The frame,
carbon fork and Mavic Ksyrium Elite
wheels combine for a smooth and
comfortable ride. The Le Champion
Team is not as stiff as a lot of carbon
bikes in either the front triangle or the
bottom bracket. However, what might
be lost is a finite amount of efficiency,
but what is gained is an incredible
ride quality and the feeling that the
bike snaps for ward with every pedal
stroke. The Le Champion Team has
a spacious rider compartment. Built
around parallel 73-degree seat and
head tube angles that are connected
via a long 57.2-centimeter top tube
that gives the Le Champion Team
Titanium a stable and predicable feel.
The Le Champion Team Titanium
is equipped with a unique of blend
components. The heart of the
component spec is the Shimano Di2
electric drivetrain mated to a carbon
fiber FSA K-Force Light crank with
a ceramic bearing bottom bracket.
The rest of the bike is equipped with
FSA K-Force Light brakes and with
a Ritchey WCS seatpost, Ritchey
WCS Bar, WCS Stem, Ritchey WCS
