MBK.......what was their top of the range bike

[mynchiboy]

I had a 1991 MBK catalogue back in the day, I remember there was a Ranger model as the top of the range in a steel grey colour? Not really top end mind you, it only had 500LX at best...

I also remember that models were fitted at the time with hideous plastic derallieur guards that looked like bib scoops..

Saying that I kind of liked them

 

[Rampage]

MBK Ranger:

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40038&highlight=mbk+ranger

 

[one-eyed_jim]

You'll find more pictures over on mélivélo, including chris2lou's tasty Tracker Max:

http://www.melivelo.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13874

Apparently the MBK 584 (Columbus EL, full XT, MAVIC ceramics) was voted bike of the year by Vélo Vert magazine in 1994:

http://www.aspttvttchalons.com/dossiers ... nnee94.htm

I've seen one of these lovely 1980s Trackers around Paris:

http://www.melivelo.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14424

Have a browse through the offerings on leboncoin.fr if you want to get an idea of their product range:

http://tinyurl.com/64ch7fb

Low-end stuff for the most part, but this little gem looks to have an XT 730 group:

http://www.leboncoin.fr/sports_hobbies/172738224.htm

 

[retroyetirigid]

A mate of mine had an '89 Trakker (sp). Was Deore equipped and was grey/black iirc. Frame cracked by the bb after a jump session. :roll:

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Here's a very short MBK Tracker ad from the eighties:

http://www.ina.fr/pub/automobile-et-tra ... lo.fr.html

Punchline: it's not an MTB - it's an MBK.

Do you think they really thought that one through?

:?

 

[drcarlos]

There was a dealer locally that used to sell them.
They were indeed heavy and the Ranger hi-tech from '89 had stupidly narrow bars (cutting down bars was trendy at the time, but these were just too narrow) which made it an absolutely awful ride. They were well built though.
Another friend had the tracker hi-tech which was next up in the range and sported a Columbus Cr-mo frame and Deore-II group, it was still heavy but didn't have daft bars so was an OK ride.
The weight of the Ranger and Tracker could have been down to the indestructable Hutchinson farmer john cousin copies, they just never wore out, even when pulling massive full speed u-brake powered skids on tarmac :shock: , from memory my mate never wore his out in 3 years.

Carl.

 

[rienster]

I remeber these:
http://www.radsportseiten.net/beeldfich ... ldid=33166

Lovely colours

 

[rienster]

And I really like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.de/MBK-RENNRAD-Stahlrah ... 2c5a7fc1df

 

[marin man]

There are some nice looking bikes there....I am thinking of a new build a bit earlier ...maybe an mbk as I like the colours.....not so worried about the weight as it will be for work......

 

[mikee]

did they have a model called the rockfighter ?