Author Topic: Project motorbike.  (Read 4818 times)

Offline Imago

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Project motorbike.
« on: March 27, 2021, 10:07:04 AM »
A little while back I bought a 1934 Magnat Debon. The previous owner had stripped the tank, changed the levers, cables and fitted a villers carb in place of the original. Then his head was turned by the charms of a Norton and it came to me. The idea was to get it into regular running fettle and use it for the odd potter about.

Looking it over I found a couple of sheets of paper wedged into the back of the tool box. They are a copy of a travel permit for a grain merchant near Orleans to use the bike between August and the 31st December 1944. A proper piece of history, a bloke going about his business during WWII, and through the Battle of the Bulge.

That's put an entirely different angle on what I must do with the bike now. Fortunately I have all the removed bits in a box from the previous owner, so it's going to get returned to 'as found' but in running condition. I'll just have to work out how the tank can be repainted to look like it did without looking new. Other than that it's full oily rag time.

No idea what I'll do with it after that because my idea of using it to potter about doesn't seem like the sort of thing that you should do with a piece of history like that. We'll see I suppose.





Offline millwright

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2021, 05:14:12 PM »
what e great project, looking forward to seeing back to how it should be, i would imagine that little piece of provenance has now increased the value of the bike,  what size is the engine ? it looks more like a 125 than a 225 or 250.

John

Offline Imago

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2021, 05:44:37 PM »
It's a 175cc, basically the same bike as the Terrot. There's one on eBay now although that one is much more shiny.

Offline tom osselton

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2021, 06:09:04 PM »
Your a lucky B*********!

Offline kayzed1

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2021, 08:33:27 PM »
What every body else said, i do love a good old bike story.
I would say it should be used now and again, after all that is
what it was built for :dremel: :thumbup: :beer:
Cheers..
PS: i have a 1940 Scott 600 in the shed and about 10 other
machine all in bits for when i retire...Like 10 years ago and
still not enough hours in each day to get done what needs
doing:  Enjoy.
Lyn.

Offline JHovel

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2021, 05:15:42 AM »
Great Project!
Cheers,
Joe

Offline Imago

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2021, 05:50:03 AM »
Your a lucky B*********!

Definitely it was a pure fluke really, I went there to buy his Enfield Bullet. I'd been after a complete Redditch 350 for a while. I wanted something complete and running but not mint so that I can build as accurate a Johnny Brittain works trials replica as possible. We got chatting about bikes as always happens and he said "I don't suppose you're interested in a pre-war French bike?".

This is the Enfield


Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2021, 11:13:51 AM »
Wow. That is a gorgeous bike!!!

Can't to see you finish that.
Science is fun.

We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.

Offline mattinker

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2021, 11:23:26 AM »
what e great project, looking forward to seeing back to how it should be, i would imagine that little piece of provenance has now increased the value of the bike,  what size is the engine ? it looks more like a 125 than a 225 or 250.

John

I like the "Permis spécial pour Samedi âpres 16hr" special permit to drive on Saturdays after 4pm!

Offline krv3000

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2021, 02:22:46 PM »
 in a word brill

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2021, 02:36:24 PM »
Great project! But I would hope you'd use it occasionally. I think you deserve to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and occasional use probably keeps machines in better shape than mothballing them. You are part of history, yourself, btw. We just don't see it at the time.  :beer:
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline JHovel

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2021, 04:11:24 AM »
I think you will need to the prescribed riding times of Saturday after 4pm....  :nrocks:
Cheers,
Joe

Offline Imago

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Re: Project motorbike.
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2021, 08:08:57 AM »
Great project! But I would hope you'd use it occasionally. I think you deserve to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and occasional use probably keeps machines in better shape than mothballing them. You are part of history, yourself, btw. We just don't see it at the time.  :beer:

Once it's sorted it will be ridden, that's what they're for after all.