the First World War ended a few years ago, and France is slowly healing its wounds. The bruises are immense, but the fresh liberation has given rise to a sense of euphoria. The people have painful memories engraved forever in their minds, and after going through chaos, they are gradually discovering a taste for joie de vivre. The dead are counted and the living stand out. Some bear illustrious names like Joséphine Baker, Mistinguett or Maurice Chevalier. Others, the vast majority, are anonymous, but all recognize themselves in this surge of life symbolic of the Roaring Twenties. The country was being rebuilt...
it was in this year that MOTOBECANE was founded by Charles BENOIT, Abel BARDIN and Jules BENEZECH in Pantin, 93, to produce some of the most popular models in the French motorcycle industry (including the D45 series). Let's take a closer look at this brilliant epic:
1924 Release of the first model: the belt-driven MB1 175
the beast is powered by a 175 cm3 two-stroke engine. Why a men's and women's/ecclesiastical model? Because, at the time, ladies and clergymen wore dresses, so specific modifications were required, such as a cylinder head cover to prevent burns, and a protective grid to prevent flying cloth from catching in the spokes of the rear wheel.
the first tests were a success, and commercial success was on the cards. Motobécane was off to a good start. But the MB1 had one major flaw: it was the only model in Motobécane's catalog. The time had come for commercial reflection.
1926: a new addition to the saga: MOTOCONFORT
the idea was simple: develop a second model. But then, after this truism, everything became complicated, because if this second model were to fail, the young firm would certainly not recover...
the decision was made to create MOTOCONFORT and launch the MOTOCONCOFORT 308
this decision had the following advantage: if the new model didn't do well commercially, Motobécane, which was still too young to suffer a failure, would not suffer much. It also meant that we would later have two brands, and therefore two ranges, whose main differences would be in color and equipment, but all within the same group.
1930: Block "B" and fabulous prototypes
the machine is launched. Our company now needed its own engine block. It's called BLOC B. for Motobécane and T for Motoconfort.
the BLOC B is the first engine designed entirely by Motobécane. It's a single-cylinder engine available in several displacements (from 175 to 500cm3) and types (side-mounted and tumble-mounted). One of the major advances of this engine block was the integrated gearbox, rather than the separate one that was the norm at the time.
the same year, three prototypes were presented at the Paris Motor Show. They featured an in-line four-cylinder engine with 500 cm3 lateral (B5) and 750 tumbled (B7). The differences between the two models are essentially mechanical, since they are as similar as two drops of water. A few examples were even produced, but we don't know. In any case, even if it's anecdotal, you've got to admit they're pretty damn good-looking!
the story continues. As with any self-respecting brand, it's also important to have a solid reputation in competition. The year was 1932, and a certain endurance race called the "Bol d'Or" had been running for ten years. That year's winner was Motobécane, as it was the following year in the 500 category, and would go on to win others in the years that followed. In those days, only one driver was allowed in the 24-hour race. So it was he who contested the entire race!
in 1934, the family expanded with the appearance of the "S" (sports) and "R" (touring) series. These engine blocks are truly emblematic of Motobécane. A 4-stroke block, tumbled or side-mounted, available in several displacements. Note that the "S" and "R" blocks are called "M" and "C" respectively at Motoconfort.
The range expands. The Pantin-based brand is growing from strength to strength. But history was in the making. The year was 1939, and the skies over Europe were about to darken for six years. War breaks out, the people fight, and the wound that seemed to heal in the 1920s with the help of the Roaring Twenties opens up again in a crash that will echo across the land and in people's minds for generations to come. At this point, the motorcycle journalist shuts up and lets the historian speak for him...
...War has passed over Europe. The wounds are still open. And yet, if the books remember this date as that of the armistice, it is also a turning point in the history of motorcycling, with the appearance of the D45.
The D45 is a popular 125. Collectors refer to it as the "125 popus". The bike is actually called the D45A, a 125 cm3, three-speed, hand-operated, tank-mounted motorcycle with side valves. Over the following years, it became the D45B (with, among other things, a modified crankshaft) and finally the D45S ("S" for suspension, the first two having rigid frames).
in 1946, the "Z" series was born. While the D45s were 125s, the "Zs" were 125s and 175s.
these machines, with their simple beauty, were to help many people get around. They can be found everywhere. It's even said that they are to motorcycling what the 4cv and 2cv were to cars: a popular and reliable machine. It's likely that, in the wreckage of a Europe recovering from its last conflict, many of these machines were on the roads leading to tomorrow, despite their rather pre-war design.
the "Z" remained in the catalog from 1946 to 1964, a period of 18 years. Quite a feat! The "D" and "Z" series are a true emblem of the democratization of small-displacement motorcycles, and great pieces for restorers and budding collectors!
in 1949, Charles Benoît & Eric Jaulmes introduced the famous MOBYLETTE (a contraction of "mobile" and "bicyclette"), a fun, iconic moped that would go on to become a household name the world over.
how can we go on without taking a closer look at this mythical object? In 1955, the millionth model was produced. In post-war France, people needed a reliable, economical and practical means of transport. The moped fulfilled this need. They were to be found everywhere. Displacement was 49 cm3, with a top speed of around 30 km/h. The evolution of this emblem was mainly based on two points: The design (which evolved over time) and, above all, the clutch. The first models were simple in this respect. Then, over time, the clutch and automatic transmission evolved into what is now a centrifugal clutch system coupled to a variable speed drive.
why talk about a 50? Quite simply because this little moped enabled the company to survive the post-war years and go down in history for so long. Its success can simply be described as historic worldwide. 14 million units were produced. A figure that speaks for itself...
in 1951, production was relocated from Pantin to Saint-Quentin.
the story continues. The history of the brand, of course, but above all, history with a capital "H". We are in the "thirty glorious years" (1946-1975). During this prosperous period, the automobile was in the throes of democratization. By the same token, the motorcycle was relegated to the status of an object of social demarcation, used either by those who still couldn't afford a car, or by those who were more on the bangs of mainstream society. Why ride a motorcycle when you can increasingly ride in the warmth and dryness of a four-wheeler?
this is a central question. Indeed, if today's motorcyclists can pride themselves on enjoying the wind, sometimes the rain or the cold - in short, traveling in somewhat harsh conditions - let's remember that at that time, in the 50s, the war had only just ended, and after such a harsh period for our elders, it's easy to understand why they wanted a little more comfort when they had the chance. People make brands, but history often determines their destiny.
1969: a landmark year...that fades...
motobécane changes direction, focusing on the 2-stroke engine. That year saw the launch of the standard 125. This was the opposite of what had been done in the past. A 125 two-stroke twin-cylinder with a host of technical innovations. This 125, with its technical characteristics, had everything to please, yes, but...
yes, but a few years before that, a Japanese horde from the East arrived in France, and it's obvious that even with all the technical advances in the world, a 125 two-stroke is no match for a four-stroke four-wheeler as powerful as it is beautiful. What's more, the fact that motorcycles are no longer utilitarian but have become sensation-makers means that the 125 two-stroke won't really find its audience. Technical innovation was the lighthouse, but the past light gradually faded into the night of the 70s, despite the arrival of a 350 two-stroke, still twin-cylinder, in 1973.
...and fading:
the lights were dimming for Motobécane as it failed to find its audience. It's easy to imagine the meetings of managers and engineers trying to find an answer to what seemed increasingly inevitable. There may even have been verbal sparring and poignant disagreements that must still resonate in the walls... Only those who have lived through it can confirm it... or not...
the drawing boards must have kept many secrets, and the pencils may have had many things to say, but history is on the move, and the glimmers of the past are fading into the background. The flame will soon be extinguished on this company which, through its history, has contributed to the history, perhaps not of a country, but at least of its inhabitants...
in 1981, the company filed for bankruptcy. Motobécane was no more. But the spirit of the brand and the Saint-Quentin factory remained when Yamaha bought the company in 1983. MBK was born.
one can only be saddened by the demise of this flagship. Yet, despite the difficulties of negotiating the new era, this brand will long remain in people's minds. After all, we've all had a father or grandfather who rode a D45, or we've all seen and very often even driven a moped.
if you see an MBK logo these days, remember where it all comes from. Who knows, if you look in the rear-view mirror, you might see a Z2C greeting you with a faint headlight call before disappearing into the night of history. If at that moment you feel a little nostalgic, it's because it's all been worthwhile...