Motorcycle specifications Blériot 500 B20 1919 A project of esteem

When Louis Blériot embarked on the mad project of crossing the English Channel, aviation was still in its infancy. The Frenchman was ingenious, talented and daring, and his daring crossing of the Channel will go down in the history books.

What 's less well known is his excursion into the world of motorcycles. And yet, the Blériot name has been found on hundreds of tanks. Blue, all blue, as well as the frame, rims and mudguards. It's as if the motorcycle had detached itself from the blue.

The Blériot B 20 has the profile of a gentleman's motorcycle. Topped by a rugged, even atrabilary look with its solid wheels. The chunky, methodical look of the engine shows the seriousness of its design. Two cylinders dance side by side in a displacement of 499 cm3. This is followed by a 3-speed gearbox and belt final drive. An advertisement of the time boasted a speed of 70 km/h. Remember, we're in the 20s.

The parallelogram fork is suspended by coil springs. The rigid rear can be fitted with optional damping (also spring-loaded) to enhance comfort. The tubular steel frame anchors its interrupted double cradle to the edges of the engine.

But the Blériot is expensive, its success relative. And although a competition version won the Paris-Nice, production lasted only a few years.
These motorcycles did, however, have the privilege of being chosen for an important law enforcement course. The Prefect of Police in Paris decided to replace horses with motorcycles for the mounted police. These would be the Blériots. Harley, René Gillet, Triumph, many BMWs and Yamaha followed.

M.B - Image credits: courtesy of Angerville91webmaster