To Britanny...

[Nomi]

Good morning everybody! 

I come, Quentin, I twenty years, and I live in Britanny (France). Excuse my english but I think I shall make unsterstood myself...

I'm an enthousiast of Old Vehicles, and I have a Simca 5 fourgonnette 1947 (the "little mouse"), a Terrot Type L 175cc 1925, a Armor 50cc Vap 4 1951, 2 Solex (1959 and 1962) and old bikes of 40's.

My parents have 3 Fiat 500, a Matra 530 LX 1972, a Terrot VMS2 125cc 1954, and a Peugeot 55C 125cc 1947.

Having seen frequently quite a lot of times of the English, notably in rallies in Brittany, I found wonderful the passion which enlivens them on the subjects of old vehicles. In France, in effect people are enthralled, the others make it by mode, to make well, not in England! Then I finally decided to come to speak (with errors) among you.

At present, I restore one of my bikes, but I am also in search of the last rooms for my Terrot on 1925, that I bought in February 2007 in wreck. Since, I bough a motor, a complete structure and various things, I still lack wheels notably.

Here are photographs of my Terrot (in strap):
http://img485.imageshack.us/i/001ku9.jpg/   
http://img103.imageshack.us/i/002gy3.jpg/
http://img527.imageshack.us/i/008je5.jpg/

It's of 1925, and had when two owners before me. His last use goes back up to the second world war because indications raised on the motorbike show that she runs under "occupation", and she had not re-registered then.

Bye, Quentin.

[Nomi]

Is there anybody there?      I would like to know if you know an other forum about pre-war vehicles?

[JFerg]

Nomi,

Yes, there's lots of us here, it is just that not so many people outside of France know much about early French bikes.

Your Terrot looks like a good get; do you have the tank and front wheel as well?

regards,

JFerg

[Nomi]

Hello JFerg,

Yes, it's plainly that French motorbikes are not very known outside France, however there is many hundreds of marks, everything as for cars but now, nobody more persists in motorbike.... 

Mine one is survivor, I found then she goes rot in some metres of the sea since a long time, suddenly, l 'écume what arrived on her what it makes rust exceedingly, because Brittany is known for its tempests on coasts! Magneto, wheel before, tank, system of speed, handles of clutch, gas and brake, the oil pan of chain was missing. But I having bought back a complete motor since, with magneto, not nice cylinder but I intend to find a third! Then, I bought back an oil pan of chain, of epoch, because they do again it but they are of less good quality and not identity.

Finally, for this month, I bought back a structure, nurse-muck, tank, system of speed, and pitchfork! I lack any more, only two wheels!

Here is the photographs (the second motor, oil pan of chain, and the second motorbikes that I bought without whells, motor):
http://img199.imageshack.us/g/img4925a.jpg/

Nobody believed only I will restore it, and finally, even in this state, they can succeed in making something.

Perhaps you know the "Tour de Bretagne", because that's my club which organize it, and I still last year in the organization! That's it bigger in Europe and we have regularly Englishmen, Belgians, Germans...

Bye, Quentin.

[RichP]

Quentin, I think that your question about a forum dealing just with pre-war motorcycles is a very relevant one. Generally, we have to take what we can find amongst the later stuff. There is a very active Yahoo group for pre-war AJS and Matchless but Yahoo groups are horrible to follow and I know of nothing similar on a more general basis.

Your bike looks more than restorable with the necessary skills. It still seems to be possible to find these untouched gems in France. The barns and sheds of England have all been emptied nowadays.

I'd suspect that the white painted mudguard and stand on your Terrot are a relic of the war years with lighting restrictions.

Not a Terrot (Is it a Monet-Goyon ?) but certainly another local French bike with an interesting wartime history

[Nomi]

Hello RichP, Thanks for your interesting answer!

"Your bike looks more than restorable with the necessary skills. It still seems to be possible to find these untouched gems in France. The barns and sheds of England have all been emptied nowadays."
Yes she's restorable, I have my father who's help me for the mecanical part, and a friend of my gran-father for the body! Since three years, I research the following and damaged components. Today, I have all the components, except the wheels and the carburettor. But in France, they have company who's renew the whells.

"I'd suspect that the white painted mudguard and stand on your Terrot are a relic of the war years with lighting restrictions."
Yes, that's I said in my previous message. Bikes and Motorbikes have this white painting during the WW2, and my motorbikes have too. But his last use goes back to 1950 maximum because the registration have change in this year... my Terrot haven't change his registration.

The war motorbike is certainly a Monet-Goyon, perharps another make, because they are a lot of makes of motorbike in France before the WW2.

I'm not speak very well English, and I don't know the right words to speaking about motorbikes... I have prepare a little help for me, if you can say me what's the name of this differents components... In this picture, to the left on right.

[Nomi]

"Le Porte-bagage":
"La selle":
"Nourrice à huile":
"Le pot d'échappement":
"Le repose-pied":
"La boite de vitesses":
"La Magnéto":
"Le carburateur":
"Le réservoir":
"Le guidon":
"La plaque d'immatriculation":
"La fourche":
"Le garde-boue":

Bye, Quentin.

[L.A.B.]

Note that there are certain differences between UK/AUS/NZ English spelling and terminology and US English, so two different words used by different posters can often have same meaning, for example "mudguard" (UK) and "fender" (US).    

"Le Porte-bagage":  "Luggage carrier" or "Luggage rack"
"La selle": "Saddle" or "Seat"
"Nourrice à huile":  "Oil tank"
"Le pot d'échappement": "Exhaust silencer" (or "Exhaust muffler" in US English terminology)
"Le repose-pied": That long type is normally referred to as a "foot board" rather than the normal "foot rest" (or "foot peg" = US)
"La boite de vitesses": "Gearbox" (sometimes called "Transmission" in US terminology)
"La Magnéto": "Magneto"
"Le carburateur": Carburettor/carburetter (carburator/carburetor = US) or "carb" is understood by all.
"Le réservoir": "Fuel tank" (or "Petrol tank" = UK "gas tank" = US)    
"Le guidon": "Handlebars"
"La plaque d'immatriculation": "Front number plate" (or "front license plate" = US)
"La fourche": Front "Fork" or "Forks"
"Le garde-boue": "Front mudguard" (or "front fender" = US)

[Nomi]

Thanks for explications 

Now, people will interstand me better... I hope 

The motorbike with the colour rings is a 1928 Monet-Goyon 350cc