Merckx ex-Pro bike serial numbers

[cmbicycles]

I am curious about who may have ridden one of the pair of Merckx bikes I have. Doesnt change that they are both great bikes and fun to ride, just curious about history.

One from motorola I know, the other I just know is an 89' MXL ex-7/11 bike per a Merckx web inquiry. It is a 63x61 frame... kind of limiting in and of itself, and had a repaint at some point. Is there a website that keeps track of some of the serial number data on ex-pro bikes? I have seen some post pictures of serial number/rider charts but my google-fu is apparently weak as I'm not turning up anything.

[KJMUNC]

assume you've already hit the Cadre.org site?

http://www.cadre.org/Merckx/

Probably not the detail you're looking for, but might at least help decoding the number. You used to be able to email or call the Merckx factory and they'd go look it up for you, but apparently the moved to some new system several years ago and most of their historical records weren't included....or at least that was the party line I got on several occasions.

Good luck.....the search is half the fun!

[jm714]

http://www.cadre.org/Merckx/

[cmbicycles]

Originally Posted by KJMUNC

assume you've already hit the Cadre.org site?



http://www.cadre.org/Merckx/



Probably not the detail you're looking for, but might at least help decoding the number. You used to be able to email or call the Merckx factory and they'd go look it up for you, but apparently the moved to some new system several years ago and most of their historical records weren't included....or at least that was the party line I got on several occasions.



Good luck.....the search is half the fun!

I had not seen the Cadre site, good info for decoding but not quite what I was looking for. I did contact Merckx, and they confirmed that they were team bikes... but that is all the detail they gave. I followed up with a couple questions but haven't received a follow up email. First reply took a couple weeks, but still looking in the meantime.

[retrofit]

It is a 63x61 frame...

May or may not help with your search:

1989 7-Eleven Team by height (cited on the inter-tubes)

Alvis, Norman 6’2”
Andreu, Frankie 6”2”
Yates, Sean 6’1.5”

Heiden, Eric Arthur 6’0.5”
Kiefel, Ron 6’0”
McKinley, Scott 6’0”
Knickman, Roy 6’0”

Lauritzen, Dag Otto 5’10.5”
Stieda, Alex 5’10.5”
Brady, John 5’10.5”

Walton, Brian Clifford 5’9.5”
Roll, Bob 5’8”
Phinney, Davis 5’7.5”

Dahlberg, Nathan ?
Hampsten, Andrew ?
Pierce, Jeff ?
Schuler, Tom ?
Stevenson, Peter ?
Veggerby, Jens ?
Zadrobilek, Gerhard ?

[ultraman6970]

With the motorola bike probably u can do something because theres documentation around but with other EM bikes you have nothing, for example the panasonic ones.

The only thing i can tell you is that the serial number decoder kind'a works but Em did not follow it 100%, there's plenty of ex team bikes and ex pro and amateur road racers that got their bikes custom made and the only thing that sets them appart from the regular production is the tab number. Telling you this because I have one of those, serial number doesnt say jack much, geometry is kind'a custom and is just one color.

Is good to know the history of the items but even the guy that compiled those serial numbers agrees (i believe) that theres not like a rule on how they put those serial numbers, well could that the guy brazing drunk too much beer that morning and added extra letter just because was funny.

At least with your bikes you can tell are from the team, mine can pass for regular production until you start measuring it and looking at the tab number. Wish I could trace its origins better.

[Pearsom]

I'm not sure a genuine 7-11 MX-Leader team bike is even possible? The last year for the 7-11 team was 1990 and I don't think they were making the MX-Leaders yet? You said it is a repaint so maybe it's a Corsa Extra with Max tubing? (It would be very similar but have a different fork and seat stays...) Whatever the case, that's a great bike and it's my size so now I'm curious!!!

[ultraman6970]

max tubing EM is a mx leader... you can paint that thing anyway you want but motorola ran from 86 trhough 96 by then you had mx leaders. I think the confusion is that they associate the mx leader with the team 7/11, which is wrong. They are motorola.

[cmbicycles]

I sent pictures and serial number to Merckx, and they said it was a 89' MX from the 7-eleven team and that it looked to be a repaint as some decals were missing, but they don't have any records beyond that to show rider. I guess it could've been a corsa w/max tubes... not sure when MXL came about, but could have been preproduction for some tall ex-pro, just going off what the guy at Merckx said.

I started looking up heights of riders mentioned above, even started thumbing thru my 7-11team history book, although some I can't find. Gerhard Zadrobilek looks like he ride taller bikes but that's just in pictures. Lots of 6'+ riders on Motorola on the one brochure I have.

This is the bike in question.

[Fivethumbs]

Frankie rode a pretty tall bike. Maybe it was his?

[maxcolumbus]

That is an awesome bike.

[old_fat_and_slow]

Beautiful bike! Put some tan walls on there and some bar tape. Schweeettt!!

[Kirk007]

Frankie toad a 60 x 60, at least the one I have measures at that

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

[cmbicycles]

Frankie was about 6'2", at least on the 95 team literature I found. I know there were quite a few guys 6'+ on the Motorola team. I would guess there were some taller than Frankie on 7-eleven squad in 89' as well. Open to speculations

[cmbicycles]

Originally Posted by old_fat_and_slow

Beautiful bike! Put some tan walls on there and some bar tape. Schweeettt!!

Thanks. That picture is when i first got it a year ago or so. It currently has black tires on Nemesis rims, tan walls will be next when those wear out. Built it with white bar tape and now has a white saddle as well. Eventually I may get some alloy ergo levers for it but that's low on the priority list.