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You could plow with this motorcycle

W

Wardner

Well-known Member
<a href="http://s140.photobucket.com/albums/r16/Wardner/?action=view&current=9359_1.jpg" target="_blank">
9359_1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket
</a>

I ripped this picture off eBay. There are seven more pictures in the listing. Three prototypes were built for the French Army (didn't know they had one) in 1937. Current price is $26.00.

I can't believe I might bid this. Who knows anything about importing antique vehicles from France?
eBay item
 
what is that, that looks like a muffler...a JATO (jet assisted take off) bottle? Hehehe...used to make a fast retreat, of course! Looks like something the French would come up with....along with a flying tank and a bicycle mounted howitzer.
 
Now I can't picture that thing going too fast. Sure snowmobiles zip right along, but consider the tracks are on the front--I think my first mod would be to install power steering on that gadget. How to do that, I don't know.

Drivetrain does remind me of a Big-Mow 3-wheel riding mower though. Those things could turn around so tight they could actually be called a zero-turn mower before the ZTR buzzword got coined. No funny lever steering either, they had a steering wheel.


Sure is a cute gadget. Shipping might be expensive, the customs thing should be okay though. Unless the NSA feels like seizing it in the name of national security. :)
 
Notice it was a prototype. What they settled on was pink ones that were quieter, moved a little faster, more comfortable, and had sensors that told where the enemy was and an arrow that told the rider which direction the reinforcements should come from. They dumped it soon when the soldiers used the arrow as the direction to run away.

Geting it to you wouldn't be much of a problem (a little pricey) but don't hold your breath about getting it cheap.

Dave
 
Them french and eyetailan army motorcycles had a feature that the Germans never dreamed of- reverse gear, think about it!
 
First I thought it was a hoax but the old photos look good.The only thing I wonder is why the British motor as the French had plenty of thier own brands.It is somewhat crude also for its time as the Harley knucklehead design had come out a year earlier.Very interesting to say the least.The JAP motor should be worth a few hundred.[John Albert Prestwich-or something like that.]
 
I found a website that stated several or many French makers used the British JAP engines.Mercier was not on the list but that does not mean they werent one of them.They also seem to have been a car manufacturer.I found a site with info on French early bikes but Mercier although listed has no info.They seller also has a preteen motorcycle engine for sale.The tail pipe or head pipe from the motor does not look like it would line up with the muffler in the pics.However in the antique pictures there is no muffler just open pipe off head.You sure got my curiousity on this.
 
Dave ,actually back then they were.The first engine crankcase that was copied by H-D,Indian and all manufactuers back then and still used today was made by DeDion-Bouton[of France] in 1895 on a three wheeler.One guy was a count and the other was an artisan-metalworker.I had the privelege of seeing one in New York city at the Guggenheim Museum Art Of the Motorcycle show.I used to get these collectable motorcycle cards in the mail and youd be suprised how many european makes there was.Most are long gone.USA had well over 200 alone.Europe had hundreds.Some guys get mad if it aint tractor related but if its about music or bikes Im in the conversation.
 
dr Sportster,

I seem to recall that the JAP engine was used in some of the mini cars that were prevalent while Europe was rebuilding after the war. I can't remember what mfgs used them but they would be similar to the Messerschmidt and Isetta that had a few dealers over here. There is a museum here in the States that has hundreds of these small cars. I can't give you a link without spending some serious google time.
 
dr Sportster,

I'll be contacting the Yahoo Military WLA board for ideas on importing motorcycles. The USA left alot of H-D bikes and parts in Europe and Russia. Many were used by police departments after the war. There are dealers over there who fix them up and sell them to collectors over here. My two WLA's and one XA never made the outbound boat, apparently.
 
Just couldn"t resist. As an ex-paratrooper (mid 60s) I"ve always appreciated the respect the French had for those in the 101st and 82nd Airborne who saved their country in WWII, and they still show it when Veterans visit. What a legacy we had to maintain!. Growing up, it seemed like the French changed governments as often as we changed underwear. Now, the leaders are so different, and ungrateful.
 
Obviously an engine alone doesn't make a good motorcycle. My dad had a 1937 Triumph Speed Twin. His brother had a Harley. The Triumph was a much better bike. One of the guys at the motorcycle shop would borrow my dads bike and win the hill climbs. Interestingly enough, my dad put a Harley buddy seat on his so he could carry a passenger. Back then they didn't have special bikes for different types of riding. The same bike would be used for hill climbs, scrambles and other events in addition to road events. Dave
 
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