Raleigh Espirit Date of Manufacture?

[leaf17]

Hi all,

I picked up a Raleigh Espirit yesterday and am delighted with it!
I'd really like to know what year it's from but I can't work this out from the resource I've found (http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/dating.html). I'd be really grateful if somebody who knows more than me could have a look.
Code engraved on bottom of seat tube: BB86XA
Code on sticker on lower front of seat tube: 00336567 (suggests 1986 maybe...? Not consistent with the sheldonbrown website).
Code engraved onto seat tube: 8138974 (I think, not totally clear).

Any ideas?
Thanks very much,
Jack

 

[Cycleops]

If you can't date it from the seial nos post a pic. It seems the bike was made in different guises over a period. If it has a moulded seat base they often have a manufacturing date stamped into them underneath. 1986 could be about right.

 

[Tony Raynor]

The BB86XA is a postcode.

For raleigh serial numbers there are usually a 2 letter code before the numbers which dictates where it's made. Then if I remember correctly the third digit is the year so you need to know roughly what decade it was made.

Later raleigh numbers are usually under the bottom bracket or on the downtube below the seat. So I'd guess at 1983 from the code you gave.

Pictures would be useful if you could post some

 

[biggs682]

would expect a stamped in number on bottom bracket shell .

what colour scheme ?

 

[midlife]

Raleigh were a pain as they sometimes stamped the number under the seat cluster for no reason whatsoever........meant ripping the cardboard cover and getting a torch as opposed to flipping the bike over and looking at the BB.

When bikes were delivered we had to check the number against the list the delivery driver had.

Shaun

 

[Bobtoo]

Is it a "roadster" type bike with flat handlebars and a stem shifter or is it a "racer" with drop handlebars? The Esprit name has been used on both, with the roadster type being from the early 80s and the racer type being a bit later.

I think the trend for stamping postcodes on bikes dates to the mid-1980s, around the same time people started getting their car registration number etched on the windows.