Motorcycle specifications BFG1300 1982 French-style attempt

fifteen years before the Voxan adventure, another French motorcycle brand was created. It all began with the meeting of 3 men, full of ideas and motivation. The 3 designers of a new brand, a new motorcycle, a new breath of French motorcycling.
Their names? Louis Boccardo, Dominique Favario and Thierry Grange - BFG was born.
A good dose of brainpower, some capital, parts from the world of cars, and our 3 companions will soon be putting a surprising machine on wheels. The final version would be presented and manufactured in 1982 without one of its fathers, the factory preferring to part company with Louis Boccardo, who chose a new development path.

But let's get to the heart of the matter: the BFG 1300. A motorcycle born in the Savoyard factory of La Ravoire, near Chambéry. Beneath its road bike appearance, with its typical East German design (the BFG is frankly lacking in sex appeal, but not in protection, with a substantial fairing), lies an assembly of various components from.... Watch out -> The engine, a 4-cylinder flathead, comes from the Citroën GS and develops 70 hp; the axle is from a Mehari 4x4, the dashboard is from a Renault 5 Alpine and the peripherals come from several European countries: Spanish Telesco forks, Italian Brembo brakes and FPS wheels - BFG was also supposed to source the gearbox from Italy, but Guzzi was unable to supply the factory. As a result, the gearbox is designed and built in-house. Behind it, a drive shaft transmits the power to a 120 mm wheel. Around it, 2 lateral shock absorbers provide the suspension.

Let's be honest - a car engine in a motorcycle is a bit strange. Extendibility is inevitably limited and character less present than on a Japanese engine. That said, it has to be said that such a mill offers nothing but advantages: minimum maintenance, maximum reliability, with standards that bear no comparison with those of a motorcycle. For servicing and other work on the 4-cylinder, you have the entire Citroën network at your disposal. Isn't that great?!
And the best thing of all, which will convince all backpackers, is its torque. Around 7 mkg available right from idle, in other words, quite a grip even though the vilo is only turning at 600 rpm. A pulling power at very low revs and an extraordinary suppleness that no other motorcycle can offer. The gearbox-transmission combination proves pleasant, perhaps less imperial than the Japanese, but certainly among the best machines in the category on the old continent. Open the throttle wide and the Boxer engine will always deliver good acceleration and very decent thrust. At high revs, the mill can't compete with the motorcycle engines, as its automotive inspiration lies more in constancy and availability than in the muscular revs of the Japanese.

OK, from the front, and even from a 3/4 angle, the BFG looks downright bulky. What's more, with 300 kg to move, you're entitled to be a little apprehensive about the beast's velocity. Take the handlebars and ride, you'll be surprised! A healthy chassis and a very low center of gravity give the 1300 surprising maneuverability, worthy of a medium-displacement bike. However, riding comfort is somewhat hampered by a saddle that lacks thickness, a dry clutch (in both senses of the word) and brakes that are powerful but need some grip. Once you've dealt with these minor inconveniences, you've got a machine with remarkable autonomy, silence and protection.

Nearly 400 machines will leave the factory. The BFG failed to find its market, and the brand died out despite the qualities of its motorcycle. Why was this? A rather unattractive design, an order from the French government that never materialized, and a lukewarm press opinion prevented the bike from making its mark. MBK bought the brand in 1984 and built another 150 models in its St-Quentin factory - a mere reprieve until 1988, when Atelier Precision produced the last models. Made in France" failed to convince... Even today, alas!

M.B
(Based on information from the BFG Club de France and Appeldephare.com
photos BFG Club de France)