In Grenoble in the year 1900 Joseph Magnat and Louis Debon founded a firm that started to produce bicycles. In 1902 the first motorcycle was produced, equipped with a De Dion Bouton engine. In the years before the first world war the firm prospered: the machines had many novel features such a telescopic front suspension and overhead valves. Both founders died at the end of the war and in the early twenties the company got into financial problems. In 1922 the firm was taken over by the Terrot company. For a number of years the machines of Terrot and Magnat Debon kept their own identities: the Magnat Debons were mostly equipped with English Blackburne engines while some of the the Terrots had JAPs. In this way separate agencies could be kept and in the market the two makes operated as separate companies.

 When small, technical advanced motorcycles from Japan began flowing into the United States in the 60ies , Harley responded by buying a 50 percent stake in the Italian motorcycle firm AERMACCHI.  Aermacchi’s trademark, four-stroke singles with horizontal cylinder sticking straight forward, formed the basis of the Harley sprint line of 250s & 350s. Aermacchi officials, who in the italian tradition believed that race performance was integral to success , continued to contest the Grand-Prix using two-strokes rebadged as Harley Davidsons. Back in the 70s , Harley Davidson actually was a force in international road racing, winning the 250cc class 3 years in a row and topping the 350cc class once. So they also wanted the 500cc class world title.  Development of the watercooled twin with 4 carburettors was very promising with its' 100 hp and top speed in excess of 260 km/h.

The project was halted when the company was sold to the motorcycle mad  Castiglione family based in Varese , Italy. The new CAGIVA company concentrated concentreded on a total new V-four to compete with the fast japanese  Suzukis RGs' and yamaha TZs'.

Only 16 engine were finaly build leaving only a handfull 500RR in existance.

TMF is proud to expose this ultra rare piece of grand prix history in our galery.

Complete, used crankcases in good condition

for Saroléa 350 vedette

After buying Ducati, Cagiva invested in the development of another V-twin, but with liquid cooling, and four-valve desmodromic heads. Massimo Bordi had designed a 4V Desmo in 1973 for his thesis at the University of Bologna, and with Cagiva in 1985, saw his updated ideas come into production as the Desmoquattro.

Based on the Pantah motor, but with liquid cooling, fuel injection, and desmodromic four valve heads (with an included valve angle of 40°), the 851 made Ducati once again competitive in motorcycle racing.

The original Desmo Quattro was an experimental 748 cc 4 valve racer (seen at the Bol d'Or in 1986) and used 750 F1 Pantah crankcases. Bordi collaborated with Cosworth to develop the heads, but in the time they had, they were only able to reduce the included valve angle of the desmodromic engine to 40°, while less than 30° was possible with valve springs. Ducati stuck with the desmodromics.

The subsequent 851 road bike had stronger crankcases, while the heads and valves remained the same; designed to fit above the 88 mm bore of a 748 cc version.

The 1987 – 1988 Ducati 851 Strada used the signature steel tube trellis frame, adorned with Marvic wheels, Brembo brakes and Marzocchi suspension. That first release was criticised for its handling, so the front wheel was changed from a 16 inch to a 17 inch (41 to 43 cm) wheel. In addition, upgraded suspension components were fitted.

This particular 851 tricolore is one of the very first 150 units produced for racing-homologation purposes; Now onder alsmost all of these 150 were used in races all over the world.

This tri-colore "kit is probably the onley one on the world UNUSED , never ridden or started. It still is in the same new condition as it left the Bologna factory almost 25 years ago.

YOU 'VE MISSED THIS ONE

ALL THE STRAIGHTS SIXES  BROUGHT TOGETHER BY TMF

EVEN MIKE HAILWOODS RC164  !!! 250 cc SIX

FOTOREPORT WILL FOLLOW

GREAT BARN FIND IN BELGIUM BY TMF 

about 40 "sleeping beauties" discovered

summer 2011

                     HARLEY DAVIDSON   GRAND PRIX   night  at TMF      10-02-2012 

Harley-Davidson en Grand Prix-racen....niet direct een combinatie waar de meesten van ons spontaan aan denken... Toch is er een periode geweest waar HD steevast het hoogste podium opeiste. Een succesperiode die te danken was aan de joint-venture met het Italiaanse Aermacchi. Aermacchi was dé specialist van snelle lichtere motoren. Net de motoren die Harley in zijn gamma miste maar wél broodnodig had om de Japanse invasie  in de jaren 60 van vorige eeuw te overleven.

En Italianen en racen, dat is altijd een vurige combinatie geweest. Vier maal zelfs mocht Harley-Davidson zich wereldkampioen noemen. In 1974, 1975 en 1976 was HD met Walter Villa in het zadel de Japanners te snel af in de 250 cc klasse. En in 1976 was Villa ook met zijn HD 350 RR sneller dan de Yamaha’s en de Kawasaki’s.

Geen wonder dus dat HD dit succes ook wilde behalen in de koningsklasse, de 500 cc GP. Het beproefde concept - een staande watergekoelde twin - werd behouden. Alleen bleek Dell’orto geen enkele carburator te kunnen maken die de grote 2-takt twin van genoeg brandstof kon voorzien. “Dan gebruiken we toch gewoon twee carburatoren op elke cilinder,“ moeten de Italianen toen gedacht hebben, “simple is best”. En zo ontstond de beroemde 500 RR tweecilinder met vier carburatoren.

Ondertussen hadden de gebroeders Castiglione uit Varese (Cagiva) gesprekken aangeknoopt om de Italiaanse HD-afdeling over te nemen. De verdere ontwikkeling van de 500 twin kwam zo op een laag pitje te staan. De RR500 heeft daardoor nooit zijn volle potentieel kunnen tonen. Jammer want tenslotte was 95 pk, 135kg en een topsnelheid van 275 km/u toch competitief in die periode.

Van de HD RR 500 zijn slechts 16 exemplaren gebouwd. Een superzeldzame motor dus die ook te bewonderen was TMF-avond over Harley Davidson GP-racers.

Saroléa was the first Belgian producer of motorcycles, and one of the first producers of motorcycles in the world. This Belgian factory was established in 1850 as a weapons factory by Joseph Saroléa. In 1892 they started building bicycles as well. In the early years of the century Saroléas were sold in Britain under the Kerry brand. Both singles and V twins were made and the firm supplied engines to a number of firms in several countries.

The Vedette was a very popular and robust all round motorcycle. Very well built, reliable and easy to handle.

This Vedette is offered ready to run.

Phelon & Moore manufactured motorcycles in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, England from 1904 to 1967 particularly those under the Panther marque. They became identified with one particular design of motorcycle which had a large sloping 40-degree single-cylinder engine as a stressed front frame member. This design spanned the entire history of the company, starting with a 500 cc model and ending with a 645 cc model.

To compete in the smaller capacity class they cooperated with ARIEL. The Red Hunter was rebadged as a Panther for some of the export markets

Presented in original condition as a restoration project.