Eddy Merckx Frame Identification

[choke]

Great info.....thanks much.

If 'Z' isn't 1985, what is it? Can you please give me the data on my frame which does have a Z.

[ultraman6970]

Ok.. not mine but somebody I know who has this one...

S 2X --- A 8965

S =... painted by Sam? Just to make it easier to understand?

2 = 52

X = slx (this is a corsa extra)

A = batch some some month of the year...

8965 = frame number or something?

-------------

This is mine, is a corsa... internal cable routing with Number tab and the geometry is tad odd aswell.

S 3C --- C 3404

S = Sam did something to it.

3 = 53 ...

C = Corsa which is right.

C = Some batch production in some month.

3404 = Frame 3404 of batch C? C maybe a month?

Any more details will be appreciated.

[ultraman6970]

From what he says...

Yours is a Corsa extra SLX tubing 54 size.... the Z should be like the batch number and the number under it is like the frame number for that batch. I can see a P backwards... that would be interesting to know.

[QUOTE=choke;2603093]Great info.....thanks much.

If 'Z' isn't 1985, what is it? Can you please give me the data on my frame which does have a Z.

[

[Emerxil]

Rccardr - thank you.
P4X Z5140: This model is Pro SLX (the name Corsa Extra didn't exist yet), produced at the turn of 85/86, and the Lotto team was riding very similar bikes in 1986. The letter P was inverted or lying down so as not to be confused with the poorly marked letter R, which always meant Reynolds 531.
The Z series covers production from late summer 1984 to autumn 1986.
ultraman6970:
"Sam" did not paint frames, he was responsible for removing the imperfections and carefully "smoothing" the frames before painting (in the "white" catalogue there is a photo on which 4 men are shown in this particular work). Series and numbers do not have any reference to specific dates, it is simply a sequence of markings (the serial number includes a letter and digits - together). The rest of the decryption - flawless
Corsa Extra - 1988, Corsa - autumn 1990.

[ultraman6970]

This model is Pro SLX (the name Corsa Extra didn't exist yet), <-- that explains why some slx have the corsa extra decal and others dont. The inverted P is the clue then.

Awesome development. Sure many are just decoding their stuff badly. Good way to spot repaints aswell because probably decals are wrong in some.

The other detail, how do you know the "manufacturing season and year"? There is a rule for that?

[cua90]

I am not the original owner of either if my Merckx bikes so appreciate any info

1. Corsa Extra, with a Columbus SPX sticker, flat fork crown

“H” on the drive side
“D 2665” non-drive

2. MX Leader

Nothing I can make out on the drive side. Looks like there was a chain drop incident and some paint touch up, so can’t tell.
“G 9336” non-drive

Thanks!

[Emerxil]

Inverted P appears on any frame type (EM, Pro, Corsa, Criterium, Corsa Extra), the connection between P and SLX is incorrect.
P (inverted) appears in the range ~E7700 - ~A0600 (i.e. end of 1983-1986). P (normal appears in the range ~D4000 - ~H1000 (i.e. end of 1992-1998).
SLX in EMC appears unannounced, stickers, labels (already in summer 1984) - if you have an EMC frame from the range Z0001 - Z4250 with a "narrow" geo (no seatstay cap) and a Silva brake bridge "flat bottom" and "straight" Eddy Merckx inscription... you can have a pleasant surprise (funny, there are also those with "normal" elements - not much, but they are); such a construction ("normal" geo + brake bridge "cube" Gipiemme) is the norm for 1 Pro 753 series, which appeared at the same time.
Then the name "Pro SLX" appears.
Only from ~Z4000 does the X mark appear (to be weirder - not in all copies)
The name "Corsa Extra" (including the sticker) is only ~Z7500.
Stickers are a separate galaxy in EMC (maybe one day I'll describe it - hard work
Determining the year of production (sometimes more precisely) is a detective work... Example: team frames built in November 1992 - D50xx/D5200 and Lotto Caloi frames built in November 1993 - D96xx/D97xx. Average output ~380 frames per month: you can - roughly (the output during the year was variable) - determine when the frame from this range was created (so there is invaluable data on frames for teams). The game starts when this data is not available...
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

[Emerxil]

H D2665: EMC practically didn't use SPX stickers, if it was built with SLX/SPX it should have X (almost always), flat fork also doesn't fit SLX/SPX.... Photos would be very helpful.
G9336: Welcome to 1998, at that time the Mx Leader may no longer have any other markings than the serial number.

[jvp]

Here's my 7-eleven, I think it's '89 or '90?

[witcombusa]

jvp, you should try using 'spaghetti tubes' on you under bottom bracket cables.
It reduces the friction quite a bit and saves the paint from the cables. It's really just housing liner but I like the name

[jvp]

Thanks! I will do that!

[merckxman]

This is D1106. I am the original owner and have a copy of the registration I sent to GITA dated May 8, 1994. In Motorola colors it has the seat stays attached to the rear of the seat tube lug, the stays are rectangular. Also both chainstays are chromed. Otherwise it is like most of the MXLs, and has an MXL decal. My recollection is that it was in the shop over Christmas 1993 but I might be a couple of months off. My thought this was some kind of transistional frame...or???

[ultraman6970]

1st thing i did when i got mine.... EM went over different BB shells over the years, sure thing IMO all of them need some of that housing liner.

Originally Posted by witcombusa

jvp, you should try using 'spaghetti tubes' on you under bottom bracket cables.
It reduces the friction quite a bit and saves the paint from the cables. It's really just housing liner but I like the name

[cua90]

Originally Posted by Emerxil

H D2665: EMC practically didn't use SPX stickers, if it was built with SLX/SPX it should have X (almost always), flat fork also doesn't fit SLX/SPX.... Photos would be very helpful.

Thanks so much for your help. These are pics with my phone so not the greatest. I can try to get better shots if needed.

[Emerxil]

D4X B5753: Corsa Extra SLX 1989 (7-Eleven colours with chrome look beautifully btw.)
D1106: This is a special thing - the first version of Mx Leader, produced briefly (a few months at the beginning of 1992!), definitely for a connoisseur. The only difference from the last version of Corsa Extra Max was the top tube and the top lugs (just in case: BB cover is Max or "EM" logo?). By the way, a new time record was broken between building the frame and selling it.... to this day it was only 1.5 years
H D2665: Don't worry about the SPX sticker - it was used until 1988 and the frame is from 1992.... We have a choice: SL/SP, SLX/SPX, TSX, 653, 753, 531, gara/cromor (Max and Mxl certainly don't fit). There are some markings under the BB cover paint (but not readable without removing the paint). Non-invasive method: remove the front wheel and check the inside of the steering tube - if you see 5 "riflings". (arranged like a barrel) it leaves you with the first 3 options - a good Columbus. Then you twist BB (from the more convenient side) and check if the tubes entering the BB cover also have "riflings": if so - we have SLX/SPX or TSX, if not - we have SL/SP (in each case with the advantage of "heavy" tubes, that is SPX or SP within the size above 56). The only difference between SLX and TSX (verifiable) is the length of "riflings" in the bottom tube of the frame: SLX short at the ends of the tubes, TSX long over the entire length of the tube. Any effective method will be good (except for sawing... with microcamera or imprinting in Play-Doh inclusive... If the inside of the steering tube is smooth, Reynolds remains: 753 is out due to chrome, 531 has probably not been used anymore - 653 remains... Also not bad