French Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

Onoto Motorcycles

A Brief History of the Marque
Manufactured: 51 avenue Jacques Duhamel, Dole, Jura by Fernand Bourgeois et Cie 1. Dole is 200km north of Lyon. On their advertising of the 1950s is the address Faubourg de Châlon.

In 1906 Fernand Bourgeois established a bicycle business in Dole, built a workshop (or factory) in 1925 which he expanded in 1927, 1934 and 1939. In 1951 the company was named Onoto-Fernand Bourgeois et Cie SARL. In the early 1960s production had risen to 6 or 7,000 bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles annually, using components from Saint-Etienne, Lyon and Northern France, along with engines constructed in the Paris region. From 50 workers in 1939, staff levels had decreased to 30 in 1960. Production of motorcycles and bicycles ceased around that time, and the factory built furniture. It closed in 1971.

Some were fitted with JAP engines, and they also built a range of 50cc mopeds.

Models include:


    1930 350cc JAP SV
    1935 100cc
    Type Q 1950 125cc 3 speed VLT engine.
    Type BY54 1954-1955 125cc 4 speed 2T.
    Type BR175 1956 174cc 4 speed 2T.
    Onotorette Sport
    Onotorette 54 (Mistral and VLT single-speed)
    Type BC53 Lavalette 70.5 cc

Notes
The marque does not appear in many motorcycle encyclopedias.
It is not related to the well-known Onoto fountain pen.

Sources actuacity.com, club-ydral.net/marques.htm, motocyclettes.free.fr, Cyclememory.org.


Sat Apr 11 2009
gieroy13 at wp.pl
Onoto jap
193x ? JAP 250 engine
If you have any information about this motorcycle please contact. Frame number 109. Regards
Warsaw


Tue Sep 25 2007
RAYBREWER61 at AOL.COM
French Bike with JAP engine
Onoto ?
I recently saw an Onoto bike with a JAP engine at a classic car/bike show here in France. Do you know anything about this manufacturer?
Mortagne au Perche, France


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