Let there be light

A full days work on the bike this Saturday. Well, as much as these short hours of sunlight will allow.
There was much rejoicing at the sound of the engine purring like a kitten (excepting some neighbours displaying symptoms of extreme acousticophobia). The headlamp and speedometer are secured in place, many thanks to the Alchemist's skill and persistence. The 'Honda-To-Do' list is shrinking faster than my job prospects.

Hark the Herald Angels.....

For in this new music nothing takes place but sounds: those that are notated and those that are not. Those that are not notated appear in the written music as silences, opening the doors of the music to the sounds that happen to be in the environment.
John Cage - Silence - Lectures and Writings

The world keeps on turning

A new acquisition installed in the Workshop of Wonders. 
A reminder of my first full time, wage earning job.

Entente Cordiale

I know, I know, not much to do with my bike at the moment. All that will change very soon. 
I discovered yet another gaping hole in my knowledge of motorbikes (amongst other things). As soon as I finished my allotment duties, French classic motorbikes was typed into the browser.....Sont-ils pas magnifique? Je ne peux pas résister à une beauté français.


Text copied from the sites hosting the images - mostly www.prewarcar.com, motorbike-search-engine.co.uk, www.vintagebike.co.uk and www.translation.babylon.com.

1930
Based in Dijon, France, Terrot was the largest French motorcycle manufacturer of the first half of the twentieth century. This is a Terrot HST 02 1930.

A 1940 Gnome et Rhône AX2 800. An 800cc boxer with 2-wheel drive Production of these bikes started in 1940 for the French army but the Germans took over the factory and used the bikes for their own Wehrmacht

Thanks to Yves Campion of The Netherlands for these pictures of a 720cc Gillet.  Around 2000 of these bikes were built in different versions for the Belgian and French Armies. The last ones were never delivered and were picked up by the German Army. After the war the Belgian and Luxemburg police were equipped with these outfits some were also possibly sent to Argentina.
(My particular favorite. Detachable kick stand and a strictly NO SMOKING policy)

Many thanks to Bohdan Maczynski of www.veteran.pl for this picture.  It’s a 1930 Dollar – once a leading French make.  They built many different models from 98cc to 748cc between 1925 and 1939.

This bike is an authentic official factory GP bike, run by the official Motobécane team in the 1975 Inter French Championship and in some of World championship events. The machine is complete and 100 % original and has been confirmed by its rider Michel Baloche after an inspection in August 2005. Powered by a two stroke, twin cylinder, liquid cooled twin carburettor, dry sump engine. 

Work on the 125 competition Motobécanes were started by Eric Offenstadt in 1974. In 1975 the factory created its own racing department which was entrusted to the engineer Jean Bidalot in 1976. Two riders Thierry Espié & Michel Baloche participated in the French & World 125 cc speed championships of 1976.

A 250cc Brooklyn T43 from 1933.  This is a one of only two known examples of this French bike.  Bernie Stevens spotted this one at the 2007 West Kent Run.

Many thanks to Henri Clopeau for these pictures of a bike I had not come across before.  The first picture shows his father, Léonce, who owned a Dresch in 1938… but it was requisitioned by the French army in 1940. Henri, being too young never saw the bike, but became familiar with it through photographs that his father kept framed on the wall.  Henri has always wanted to restore the same model of bike – and as you can see from the second picture he has succeeded, and done a great job.  The bike is powered by a 350cc MAG engine.
(Dresch was a motorcycle manufacturer in Étampes, France founded by Henri Dresch in 1923.)

Alcyon Supersport 250 cc Zurcher OHV 1927

The firm was founded at Neuilly sur Seine in 1902 to manufacture bicycles. The name refers to a mythical bird. That first year some 3,000 were produced, in 1909 this number had grown to 
40,000. Production was also taken up in the town of Courbevoie and already in 1904 the factory assembled its first motorcycle. It was equipped with a Swiss Zédel engine, from the firm of Zurcher & Luthi in St. Aubin.

In 1906 a Zédel factory was opened in la Ferriere sur Jougne in France and one year later the Swiss factory closed. Soon after that the French Zédel factory was brought under the complete control of Alcyon. Subsequently most Alcyon motorcycles would be equipped with Zédel or Zurcher engines. 
It appears that only in 1925 JAP engines were used.

In the early twenties several makes were taken over, such as Labor, Thomann, Française Diamant and Olympique. After 1945 mostly light motorcycles, scooters and mopeds were produced till the giant Peugeot took over in 1954. 

This well sorted sports machine is equipped with a lively Zurcher OHV engine with outside flywheel and the spark comes from a dependable Bosch magneto.