Motorcycles and Mopeds - France: Books - History

Motos françaises 1869-1964

A land of pioneers, France saw the birth of more than a thousand motorcycle brands. In 1869, Perreaux built the world's first motorcycle. Renowned for their reliability, French motorcycles enjoyed a worldwide reputation.

The Terrot, Gnome & Rhône, Motobécane, René Gillet, Peugeot, Jonghi, Koehler-Escoffier, Magnat-Debon, Ratier, Monet-Goyon, Werner and many others crisscrossed the roads of the entire world and were exported as far as Japan...
They shone in racing, setting hundreds of world records, some of which still stand. Riders such as Robert Sexé and Georges Monneret, legendary figures in the motorcycling world.distinguished themselves on their handlebars.

Rich in several hundred period illustrations, most of them unpublished, this work traces the history of the most emblematic brands of the first period of the history of the French motorcycle: that which starts from the origins until the 1960s when we witnessed the collapse of the French motorcycle industry.

Information

Author:	Patrick Négro
Details:	192 pages, 25.5 x 25.5 cm / 10 x 10 in, hardback
Illustrations:	350 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2017)
ISBN:	9791028301859

Les mobs de course de mon père

Among the multitude of competitions reserved for motorized two-wheeled vehicles, there is one that had its glory days between 1975 and 1995: the category of belt-driven mopeds, more commonly called "mobs" or "50 with variator".
It is this category and some of the machines that made its prestige that we will discover in this book. The racing mobs of My Father and a good number of his colleagues are therefore presented here over the twenty years when these machines were the kings of the track.

Information

Author:	Stan Onewater
Details:	120 pages, 21.5 x 24 cm / 8.5 x 9 in, hardback
Illustrations:	100 b&w and 200 colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2007)
Series:	De mon père
ISBN:	9782726887547

Cyclo-sport - Les marques, les modèles et leur histoire de A à Z

After winning the hearts of collectors of vintage two-wheelers, cyclo-sport is now confidently conquering the general public, appearing on television, in the cinema and naturally in any self-respecting exhibition of vintage motorcycles. This is not surprising when you consider the strong comeback of the aesthetic values of the 1950s and 1960s.
Appearing at the heart of this period when everything was changing, cyclo-sport was born out of passion, contemporary with the electric guitar, the slicked-back hairstyle and then the wind-blown hair of the hippie period. How many rock stars have posed on a Flandria, a Benelli or a Paloma?

Leaving the scooter to charm the girls, cyclo-sport aims to be the friend of boys, who rush to accessorize it and improve its performance. Throughout Europe, young people are demanding cyclo-sport; So, to satisfy this strong demand, motorcycle manufacturers got involved (Peugeot, MV-Agusta), as well as bicycle manufacturers such as Gitane but also the Viberti dump truck factory and a multitude of small assemblers. As a result, three hundred and ninety-two brands, all listed and commented on in this book, have given birth to cyclo-sport bikes. Among these, we have selected the most beautiful models, the most famous but also the most curious and all those illustrated by the inimitable period brochures marked by this nostalgia which today affects all generations.

Information

Author:	Bernard Soler-Thèbes
Details:	192 pages, 25.5 x 25.5 cm / 10 x 10 in, hardback
Illustrations:	100 b&w and 250 colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2002)
ISBN:	9782726885895

Le cyclomoteur à galet de mon père

The transmission of energy from an engine using a friction roller is a principle used since 1920, but which only became widespread with the birth of the VéloSolex in the 1940s.
After producing engines that could be fitted to any bicycle, at the front or the rear, manufacturers began designing mopeds, solid machines that automatically incorporated an engine.

This book takes you on a journey through time, from the beginning of the 20th century to the 1970s, with a focus on the 1950s: this is when roller mopeds reached their peak. In France, alongside major brands such as Motobécane, Peugeot, Terrot, Vap or Le Poulain, many small manufacturers, sometimes short-lived, are embarking on the adventure: Cyclex, Kid and Baby Star, in particular.

Economical to use, the roller engine is also economical to manufacture, and its ease of installation appeals to many foreign manufacturers: from the extravagant English Cymota to the German 18 cm³ JLO and Lohmann diesel, via the American Travis, the Italian Mosquito, and the Dutch Berini, you will also travel around the world to the rhythm of the roller. Enjoy your trip!

Information

Author:	Sylvie Méneret, Franck Méneret
Details:	120 pages, 21.5 x 24 cm / 8.5 x 9 in, hardback
Illustrations:	200 b&w and 50 colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2004)
Series:	De mon père
ISBN:	9782726893548

Les Motos de la Gendarmerie

This book allows you to discover or rediscover models of motorcycles never before seen in the Gendarmerie, from the birth of these machines in this corps to the latest models assigned to the units.

Thanks to a rich iconography of around 350 photographs and mainly from private collections, the reader will discover another image of these gendarmerie motorcyclists whose passion and love of motorcycles are mixed with their vocation as military personnel in the gendarmerie.

Pascal Meunier, son and brother of gendarmes, was also in the Gendarmerie. He collected, after much research, a wide range of documentation and photographs.

Summary:

1. The beginnings of the motorcycle in the Gendarmerie
2. The motorcycle in the period 1950 to 1970
3. From black to blue on two wheels. Period 1970-1990
4. Period 1990-2005
5. Period from 2005 to today
6. The motorcycle in specialized units
7. The Gendarmerie motorcycle training center.

Information

Author:	Pascal Meunier
Details:	144 pages, 31 x 23.5 cm / 12.2 x 9.25 in, hardback
Illustrations:	350 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2017)
ISBN:	9791028301699

49,9 cm³, éternellement jeunes (Motofocus)

In the immediate post-war period, 50 cc mopeds (with pedals) and mopeds (without pedals) allowed the masses to motorize economically. One brand particularly embodied this revival: Motobécane, which named its new moped Mobylette. This proper name would become common, and define all of these 50 cc models whose success would extend from the 1950s to the end of the 1980s.

Machines flourish in the ranges of all manufacturers, French but also European and Asian. Some of them will become cult: from the famous Bleue de Motobécane to the thunderous black Vélosolex, through astonishing machines like the Honda Dax, or the phenomena of the 1980s that will be the Peugeot 103 and Motobécane / MBK 51 Super with the young public, most of them are mentioned here.

Information

Author:	Alain Chevalier, Etienne Crebessegues
Details:	160 pages, 29 x 24 cm / 11.4 x 9 in, hardback
Illustrations:	300 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2020)
Series:	Motofocus
ISBN:	9791028304447