This is the strangest Race Inc Bastian thing I've seen yet. Can anyone shed any light on this? This is a Race Inc RA9 frame (uber rare in itself) same as RA10 but with one inch shorter top tube. These frames were only made in late 83 and 84 before Bastian went belly up. Now for the weird parts. This frame has serial number PK7236 on the right rear dropout, which is obviously a PK Ripper serial number and dropout BUT from 82 on, SE was doing there own frames so why, so much later, would Bastian have and PK stamped dropouts laying around. Second point. This is higher than any serial number I've ever seen on a looptail PK which makes it even stranger. Now for the KICKER. This frame has an unthreaded Euro BB shell, not the American shell Race Inc and SE always used, and like I said, IT'S UNTHREADED. Any insight on this frame would be much appreciated. This frame belongs to a fellow collector that I sold a bunch of my Race Inc stuff to. I don't think he's a member here though. Frame was bought on Ebay a couple of months ago.





[ January 06, 2007, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: BRIAN HAYS ]

I'm trying to get better, bigger pics from him.

ALSO, notice the weld bead on the inside of the chainstay loop. The lug IS a one piece without the weld but that weld there on the loop, I've seen this before but only on a couple of early Cycle Pro Foilers.

I know in these pics the BB shell looks big but it is actually small like a head tube diameter.

[ January 06, 2007, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: BRIAN HAYS ]

Only thing I can think off is SE sold off some dropouts to Bill or built a run for him.

Maybe the BB is a spanish press in bottom bracket. Maybe the frame was for the euro-market. I duuno just taking stabs in the dark.

Thats cool as heck though.

Brain....call me, I may know the answer to this? If you lost my number, send me a PM and i will get it to you.

Karl, headed out the door to go to a movie. Will definately call you tomorrow about this.

Alex, Spanish BB's are relatively new aren't they??????

Spanish/mid bb's are new and only used on street/dirt/park frames (that I've ever seen). I'm guessing this frame was never actually finished by Race Inc (probably as the company was folding). That's why the bb went unthreaded.

It's junk, send it to me

you gotta rare one the captain.....

Cook used a similar BB, back then.

the mike devitt interview makes it sound like bastian was building PKs all the way up til he shut his doors (at which time SE redesigned them without the loop).

Ya, wish I had bid on this when I saw it.
Mr Coasterbrake, I'll check that interview out again, but Scot had said that Bastian did all the alloy frames for SE from78- 82 sometime and then SE took their jigs and went in house to do the 82-84 loops.

We know Bill bastian did all sorts. The fact that it has PK drop-outs and was made later than SE should have taken the jigs away are not really surprising.

The only thing I can think of with the BB is that they just never got round to threading it. is it NOS? or Is there a crank set that runs on a euro size that uses the American formula?

It's a rare bird though whatever the answer.


Bob

did anyone offer a euro bottom bracket on an aluminum frame back then? i don't recall ever seeing one.

That's the thing that is puzzling. I too had never seen an alloy frame with a euro BB.

Bob Acid. SE did take their jigs with them when they left, but remember Bastian had done it all anyway up till then, so he had (or had the knowledge to build) his own jigs.

I need to call Hutchfreak.........

Ok, if anyone cares, here's what I found out from Karl (very interesting stuff). In 83 and 84 when Bastian was making the RA9 and RA10 frames, he also used the same frames to do some frames for Raleigh again. They were called the Rampar9 and Rampar10. The Rampar 10 was a RA10 but with gussets added like allthe other earlier Race Inc's and the Rampar9 was a RA9 but with a very early Spanish bottom bracket. These frames were marketed overseas. Karl has actually seen an ad for the Rampar 9&10. Mystery solved.

As far as the PK serial number, I guess Bastian was rumored to just be using all leftover parts by the end and was gluing anything together. There was even a frame spotted with the correcr RA serial number in the right side and another RA serial number on the inside of the left dropout as he used two stamped dropouts on one frame.

[ January 10, 2007, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: BRIAN HAYS ]

So Iwas right...it IS a spanish BB right?

Looks that way, NOW GO POST YOUR QUAD.

Im waiting to get a newer pic. Tired of the same one. Maybe this weekend I'll put one up.