Author Topic: MRD to March Racing? ID this bike March ???? Now with Pics (Read 8802 times)

Fiolas Lovechild · « **on:** February 18, 2009, 10:00 AM »

Anyone have any idea when MRD stopped producing bikes , were they then called just March Racing and were March made by someone else towards the end perhaps Rickman . i have seen some photos of a March Turbo but it did not have the looptail end althrough the geometry seemed right with the angle of the seat tube etc, can anyone shed any light!!!

Does anyone have any pics of the later bikes???

Got an opp to purchase this bike is it a March

No LOOPTAIL!!!

SEARLE · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2009, 02:22 PM »

russ,your too technical for me!!!!

sawzall · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2009, 06:01 PM »

theres a pic of a turbo on bmxmuseum.com
as far as i know it was a re badged rickman (they made the frames for mrd)

darren · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2009, 06:16 PM »

rickman made the frames for mrd, that turbo belonging to a french dude is a rickman frame stickered up not an mrd frame. the very 1st prototype mrd was made by birmingham wheels.

gossa · « **Reply #4 on:** February 20, 2009, 07:42 PM »

Quote from: darren on February 18, 2009, 06:16 PM

rickman made the frames for mrd, that turbo belonging to a french dude is a rickman frame stickered up not an mrd frame. the very 1st prototype mrd was made by birmingham wheels.

Yep, and there it is. Tim was trying to raffle it off for Stephen Murray, if anyone is interested let me know.

bigfatolly · « **Reply #5 on:** February 20, 2009, 10:27 PM »

i was looking at this bike too,the guy advertised it in an ebay listing.
bit of a strange one as it obviously isnt a rebadged rickman as it is not brazed and has no looptail.
apparently it has no frame number to add to the mystery.
i didnt bother with an offer but looks an ok bike if you can get it cheap enough although it isnt a real mrd.

baldbmxer · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2009, 10:34 PM »

Looks a bit like a Freeagent to me, not saying it is though.

gossa · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2009, 10:43 PM »

I'll have a chat with grumpy beard and see if he can shed any light on it.

darren · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2009, 09:36 AM »

that frame looks kinda cw to me.

MartyC · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2009, 03:15 PM »

Something stickered up as a March, looking at the rear dropouts and seat tube angle I'd also wager a CW

etriedes · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2009, 03:40 PM »

doesn't it look like this one

animal · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2009, 05:11 PM »

The pic above Cupid Stunt has stuck up looks like it 2 b honest. but have been over 2 look at it 2 day with a view of buying it but left it where it is. The welds had a lot of undercut and was not very well built. No serial no so I think it is something else decaled up as a March. Looked in Museum and it looks similar 2 a peugeot but forks could b CW the top part of the forks where the legs weld on is very large the diameter of the fork legs as in pics looks very strange ? 2 b honest no nearer knowing what it is but no way would I part with as much cash £175 that he wanted 4 it

sawzall · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2009, 05:25 PM »

it looks very similar to a rebel

OrgasmDonor · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2009, 07:09 PM »

Quote from: baldbmxer on February 20, 2009, 10:34 PM

Looks a bit like a Freeagent to me, not saying it is though.

does too

darren · « **Reply #14 on:** February 22, 2009, 07:41 PM »

Quote from: sawzall on February 22, 2009, 05:25 PM

it looks very similar to a rebel

sure does phil, didnt steve bigland ride a rebel ?? maybe he traded it with tim for the mrd ride lol.

animal · « **Reply #15 on:** February 22, 2009, 09:05 PM »

Is the Brake bridge arched ? Forks on that march got no idea but they r quite beefy , like MRD forks . Hows things Darren been a while bud

etriedes · « **Reply #16 on:** March 02, 2009, 04:20 PM »

That rebel looks just like it ...

( The plot thickens )

thecrooch · « **Reply #17 on:** March 02, 2009, 04:39 PM »

im pretty certain that its a rebel frame sold to March for their team and then named the Turbo by the lanky one. Ive no doubt its genuine but not an MRD as such.

To end the thread we just need Gossa or someone to get Tim to confirm that he changed frames.

He offered it to me for £215 posted - was seriously tempted but declined in the end....

gossa · « **Reply #18 on:** March 02, 2009, 06:22 PM »

Just spoke to Tim, they only made about 20 of these frames and they were done by the Rebel guys in the midlands. Tim took them a CW Pistol Pete and just asked them to copy it (not uncommon in the day).

The Blue one that Tim is pictured riding here is actually a CW though, a Shawn Texas signature frame.

I've sent Tim a link, he might pop up on here, be nice if he does, he's a sensitive little thing.......

animal · « **Reply #19 on:** March 03, 2009, 05:48 PM »

This frame needs 2 b seen 2 b honest went 2 c it the other Sunday. Its build quality is not so good the welds r not very pretty/bad in places a lot of undercut if u know what that is !

Basic frame and geometry is sound, its Expert size aswell . Chrome is okay will clean up sound ,drop outs r a little marked but nowhere near bolloxed. could have had it 4 £175 but not sure its worth that but maybe 2 somebody else. He wouldn't budge on that price I tried haggling

Its certainly a bit of history one of Tims last F&F's.

dannywhiteley · « **Reply #20 on:** March 08, 2009, 05:36 PM »

Well it might be made by Rebel but its not the same as the Rebel frame (check the chain stays in the below pics).

I nearly bought it just now, until I realised. Could have been an expensive mistake as (and dont flame me

) I was gonna remove the decals and replace with Rebel ones (been after a chrome Rebel race frame since forever).

Similarities to Rebel include the dropouts front and rear, but the brake bridge is different and so are the chainstays so its not identical. Possibly made my Rebel but with slightly different spec.