1990 ALPINESTARS ALMEGA PRE-E-STAY DECALS QUESTION

[drexal77]

HI GUYS,

SUPER NERD DECALS QUESTIONS I’M REALLY HOPING SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH.

IF NO ONE REPLIES IT WILL MAKE ME REALISE THAT MY ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS BEYOND HELP BY THIS POINT.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT I HAVE UPLOADED.


MY QUESTIONS ARE:


1. TOP LEFT SCREEN SHOT IS OF THE 1990’S PRE-E-STAY AL-MEGA'S FROM THE OFFICIAL ALPINE STARS BROCHURE. IF YOU NOTICE THE DECALS ON THE BARE ALUMINIUM FRAME, THE LETTERING ARE NOT FILLED IN. OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS I HAVE SEEN A FEW SAME YEAR AL-MEGA’S FOR SALE BUT 90% OF THEM HAVE THE LETTERS FILLED IN WHITE (PLEASE SEE SOLO IMAGE OF CLOSE UP OF THE LETTERING). BUT THE DECALS STILL LOOK OLD AND LOOK POSSIBLY ORIGINAL.
IS ANYONE ON HERE ABLE TO TELL ME IF ALPINE STARS RELEASED THESE PRE E-STAY BIKES WITH THE LETTERING FILLED IN WHITE, MAYBE THEY CHANGED THE DECALS SLIGHTLY JUST BEFORE THEY CHANGED TO THE E-STAY? OR IS EVERY BIKE YOU SEE FOR SALE WITH THIS FILLED IN WHITE LETTERING BEEN RE-DECAL’D BY THE OWNER?

2. ON THE RIGHT OF THE ATTACHMENT THERE IS A CLOSE UP ON THE HANDLE BAR STEMS. TOP LEFT STEM AND HANDLE BAR IS AGAIN FROM THE OFFICAL 1990 BROCHURE. ONE OF MY 1990 AL-MEGAS BOTTOM LEFT CAME WITH THE VERY OLD AND I BELIEVE ORIGINAL ALPINESTARS LOGO WHICH IS MORE LIKE A WHITE SQUARE. BUT THE OTHER 1990 AL-MEGA CAME WITH THE SLIGHTER NEW ALPINE STARS LOGO THE A & STAR (WHICH MY 1990 ALPINE STARS LX ALSO CAME WITH) SO MY SECOND QUESTION IS DID THE 1990 AL-MEGA PRE E-STAY COME WITH THESE UPDATED A & STAR LOGOS ON THE STEMS AND HANDLE BARS OR WERE THESE BARS AND STEMS ADDED BY PREVIOUS OWNER?

I KNOW THESE QUESTIONS ARE PROBABLY INCREDIBLY NERDY AND MOST WILL PROBABLY THINK, DOES IT MATTER! I’VE JUST BECOME OBBESSED WITH MAKING ONE OF THESE BIKES AN EXACT RE-BUILD OF THE WAY THE 1990 AL-MEGA WAS RELEASED FROM THE FACTORY, SO TRYING TO NOT PUT ANY NONE PERIOD CORRECT PARTS ON IT.

 

[setspeed]

I'm no Alpinestars expert, but hopefully this bump will bring your thread the attention of one!
I'm of the (unqualified) opinion that the variances you've identified are pretty normal on bikes, sometimes changes are made from catalogue specs and the catalogue bike never actually exists in that form. Sometimes different decals get used for different markets, or different components get swapped in when there are supply issues, etc.
The stems look identical apart from the decal on the top anyway.
If I were you then I'd just build it the way you like it best. Personally, if I were to be getting replacement decals, I think the filled in white text looks way better than the empty letters. I very much doubt that the bikes with that are all re-decal'd.

 

[drexal77]

I'm no Alpinestars expert, but hopefully this bump will bring your thread the attention of one!
I'm of the (unqualified) opinion that the variances you've identified are pretty normal on bikes, sometimes changes are made from catalogue specs and the catalogue bike never actually exists in that form. Sometimes different decals get used for different markets, or different components get swapped in when there are supply issues, etc.
The stems look identical apart from the decal on the top anyway.
If I were you then I'd just build it the way you like it best. Personally, if I were to be getting replacement decals, I think the filled in white text looks way better than the empty letters. I very much doubt that the bikes with that are all re-decal'd.

Hey @setspeed thanks so much for replying, and thanks so much for the bump. I follow the MS racing / alpines stars story posts on here where they discuss right back to start of alpine stars USA bikes, so maybe if i read through the tens of pages on there i might find the answer. (one day i will get the time). Yea i think your right, the way this is going i'll never get the bike back on the road. So i will just re-build it with the decals and logos / stems era etc that i like. Thanks so much for your time in replying.

 

[setspeed]

If you're on Facebook then join this group. There's tons of knowledgeable people in there, and they'll definitely be able to answer your questions:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/743290665741589/?ref=share

 

[trailwright]

HI GUYS,

SUPER NERD DECALS QUESTIONS I’M REALLY HOPING SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH.

IF NO ONE REPLIES IT WILL MAKE ME REALISE THAT MY ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS BEYOND HELP BY THIS POINT.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT I HAVE UPLOADED.


MY QUESTIONS ARE:


1. TOP LEFT SCREEN SHOT IS OF THE 1990’S PRE-E-STAY AL-MEGA'S FROM THE OFFICIAL ALPINE STARS BROCHURE. IF YOU NOTICE THE DECALS ON THE BARE ALUMINIUM FRAME, THE LETTERING ARE NOT FILLED IN. OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS I HAVE SEEN A FEW SAME YEAR AL-MEGA’S FOR SALE BUT 90% OF THEM HAVE THE LETTERS FILLED IN WHITE (PLEASE SEE SOLO IMAGE OF CLOSE UP OF THE LETTERING). BUT THE DECALS STILL LOOK OLD AND LOOK POSSIBLY ORIGINAL.
IS ANYONE ON HERE ABLE TO TELL ME IF ALPINE STARS RELEASED THESE PRE E-STAY BIKES WITH THE LETTERING FILLED IN WHITE, MAYBE THEY CHANGED THE DECALS SLIGHTLY JUST BEFORE THEY CHANGED TO THE E-STAY? OR IS EVERY BIKE YOU SEE FOR SALE WITH THIS FILLED IN WHITE LETTERING BEEN RE-DECAL’D BY THE OWNER?

2. ON THE RIGHT OF THE ATTACHMENT THERE IS A CLOSE UP ON THE HANDLE BAR STEMS. TOP LEFT STEM AND HANDLE BAR IS AGAIN FROM THE OFFICAL 1990 BROCHURE. ONE OF MY 1990 AL-MEGAS BOTTOM LEFT CAME WITH THE VERY OLD AND I BELIEVE ORIGINAL ALPINESTARS LOGO WHICH IS MORE LIKE A WHITE SQUARE. BUT THE OTHER 1990 AL-MEGA CAME WITH THE SLIGHTER NEW ALPINE STARS LOGO THE A & STAR (WHICH MY 1990 ALPINE STARS LX ALSO CAME WITH) SO MY SECOND QUESTION IS DID THE 1990 AL-MEGA PRE E-STAY COME WITH THESE UPDATED A & STAR LOGOS ON THE STEMS AND HANDLE BARS OR WERE THESE BARS AND STEMS ADDED BY PREVIOUS OWNER?

I KNOW THESE QUESTIONS ARE PROBABLY INCREDIBLY NERDY AND MOST WILL PROBABLY THINK, DOES IT MATTER! I’VE JUST BECOME OBBESSED WITH MAKING ONE OF THESE BIKES AN EXACT RE-BUILD OF THE WAY THE 1990 AL-MEGA WAS RELEASED FROM THE FACTORY, SO TRYING TO NOT PUT ANY NONE PERIOD CORRECT PARTS ON IT.

View attachment 685309

I raced one of the Al-Mega XT's when they were new but I can't remember if the lettering was white or not. I will see if I can find a racing photo from 1990 to confirm. I know I've got one from the NEMBA Catterick race that year so I'll see if it's clear enough to tell.

 

[drexal77]

If you're on Facebook then join this group. There's tons of knowledgeable people in there, and they'll definitely be able to answer your questions:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/743290665741589/?ref=share

Oh wow, i never new of this FB forum, how cool. Just tried to join it, hopefully they will accept me. Thanks so much for sending, will post my question on there as well. Thanks again @setspeed, so nice to chat with a fellow vintage Alpine fan.

 

[drexal77]

I raced one of the Al-Mega XT's when they were new but I can't remember if the lettering was white or not. I will see if I can find a racing photo from 1990 to confirm. I know I've got one from the NEMBA Catterick race that year so I'll see if it's clear enough to tell.

Hey @trailwright thanks for replying, wow absolute legend racing one of these professionally incredible, what a life you've had. Every time i ride my tatty al mega (the one i've managed to get back on the road, althoughwith no original parts hardly left on it) i still can't believe i'm riding my dream bike. It will be amazing when i finally get the other one that fits me frame wise and will hopefully have all the period correct parts at some point i will feel like the luckiest man alive. Any help you can provide regarding the decals would be amazing, thanks so much for using your time to try and find the picture. If yours came with the white lettering that answers that they were released from factory with white filled in decals. The more i research the more i think they might have been as the 1991 E-stay Al Mega DX & XT both came with filled in txt so maybe the later (none e-stay) bikes of 1990 were release with them. Thanks again.