Big Fat Gsa-powered MotorBike.
Petite Histoire:
As the Lomax 424 was sold end of April 2007 through eBay,
I was quite happy with my collection of Belgian Gillet-Herstal motorcycles from the fifties, type Belgica & Légia. ( see www.belgica.reKup.net )
But then I came accross this Citroën-powered motorbike on
eBay in the summer of 2007 and I decided promptly to sell off all my
oldtimer motorbikes except one,
the Gillet-Herstal BELGICA 200cc - 1954 (only 78 kms on the clock when I bought it!),
and to purchase this unique - never driven - specimen.
Since the first time I saw these bikes in real life ( ICCCR 1998 - Chevetogne - Belgium ) I was fascinated by them. At that time Jeroen Cats was figuring out what they changed to the engine, to use that technology perhaps on the 4-cilinder 2CV and Lomax 424. Especially the electronic ignition intrigued him, as I was more flattered by the design of the rocker-covers.
Over the years my documentation on the subject BFG grew largely. All magazines and leaflets that appeared on eBay and elsewhere, were purchased, read and stored. Including the recommendable book of Thierry Cazanabe, 'BFG; MF, S.A. Boccardo : Enquête sur une décennie d'échec'.
And now I'm the proud owner of a unique bike in Belgium. As I visited D'Ieteren Archives in Brussels, they came up with a sales brochure and pricelist from the eighties, but they also assured me that no bike was ever sold and/or registered in Belgium through their channels. As BFG was hand over to MBK in 1984, connected to Yamaha, they were at that time the official importer for the MBK/BFG 1300.
The story goes that around 25 BFG's were exported to Japan, but the importer went bust by the time they arrived. In the january 1987 edition of 'bike', there is the article 'Not tonight Josephine' about 1 of them that returned to Britain.
This bike came back through 'Bike Direct Ltd. from Bristol'. The only thing they told me is that this bike has been standing in a Citroën showroom in Japan for 25 odd years, without moving. But it sure moves now!
With the help of 'garage Linssen' in Kontich, the bike was restored in driveable condition. New belts, tyres, oil, etc.
The BFG-club
was the right address for some missing parts and february 23th 2008, the first
trip to the moto-jumble from my club,
the 'Early-Riders
from Antwerp'. (100 km)
followed by a bikers-fair in Antwerp, where I got my first speeding ticket!
Another trip was the ACRO-rally - Bonheiden, end of March 2008. (1.000km)
Citroën-highlights of the year 2008 were the CitroënJumble Namur (B),
followed by the Dutch
CitroMobile in Utrecht. On both meetings lots of intrest for this unique specimen of motorcycle.
May 25th 2008 was the BIG national meeting from the BFOV/FBVA in Brussels, Atomium Square:
(2.400 km)
Many kilometers to follow! (...)
