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1939 Peugeot P135 HL

In France, Vintage by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: This P135 sold for a BIN of $17,000 on eBay in Oceanside, California. In 1936, Peugeot introduced the P135 (350cc) as a lower-cost variant to their 350/500 “Grande Puissance” (“high power”) lineup, which was quite expensive to make, and therefore sell. A HL (Haute Luxe or High Luxury) option added extra chrome on the tank and tool …

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1939 Terrot BMA 100

In France, Vintage by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: This Terrot sold for $3,500 after 44 bids on eBay in Clinton, Ohio. In 1926, the French manufacturer Terrot introduced the “Bicyclette Moteur Auxiliaire”, or BMA. The model name was directly stolen from French regulations which defined a category of motorized bicycle that had to be less than 100cc, under 30kgs (~66 pounds), have pedals, and top …

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Custom CB750 in Europe – 1973 Japauto 950 SS

In Custom, France, Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Sensing that Honda was about to take over the motorcycle industry, Christian Vilaseca expanded his family’s GM automobile dealership by founding Japauto in 1966. Thanks to the success of the CB750, Japauto quickly became Europe’s largest motorcycle dealership. So when he decided to campaign in the 1970 Bol d’Or, he wanted to race with a bike bearing his companies name …

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1968 Solex Micron

In France, Scooter by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Listing Update: This Solex did not get any interest at the opening bid of $3,900 on eBay. I’ve featured a few two-wheelers from the French manufacturer Solex over the years, but this is the first example I’ve seen of the Micron, their smallest creation.

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1953 Motoconfort 125

In France, Standard by AbhiLeave a Comment

8-4-19 Update: 18 months later, Rod M notes that this bike is back up for sale. It’s a bit suspicious that the photos are screengrabs, but the asking price is down from $6,100 to $3,400 and the seller claims that it was recently serviced with a new crankshaft. Find it for sale here on Craigslist. Founded in 1925, Motoconfort was …

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The French Bimota – 1980s Moto Martin M16 1135 EFE Suzuki

In France, Japan, Sport by Tim Huber2 Comments

In a nutshell, Moto Martin was something akin to a French Bimota; the boutique firm dropped the latest engines of the day — in Martin’s case primarily from Japanese manufacturers — into bespoke frames, adorned them in unique bodywork, and then tacked on the latest and greatest track-focused running gear. The company is the brainchild of George Martin, who, prior …

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Ending Soon – 1972 Motobecane LT 125

In France, Small Displacement by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Listing Update: This Motobecane did not meet reserve despite 11 bids up to $1,957. Rarely found in the US, the Motobecane LT series utilized a two-stroke twin paired with a five-speed transmission. It was introduced in 1972 to compete against bikes like the Yamaha DT125 and Honda CB125. For more information, check out this translated page from Motobecane Passion.

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Little French Tracker – 2014 Mash Seventy Five 125cc

In Custom, France, Small Displacement by Tim HuberLeave a Comment

Mash Motorcycles is one of those manufacturers you’ve probably never heard of before. First founded in 2014, the low-volume boutique manufacturer offers good looking inexpensive motorcycles powered by small-displacement (50cc, 125cc, 250cc, and 400cc) Chinese crate engines. Think Cleveland CycleWerks, but French. In its handful of years since being established, Mash has released a surprisingly expansive lineup including factory ADV …